Welcome to Offbeat Offline, where I bring you up-to-date with what went on in my life during the month just gone, give you a sneak peek of my next shenanigans, and share my favourite posts of late!
What happened last month to yours truly? More intolerable heat (see last month's recap), with a number of consequences. Not much more. Then again, in this heat, I don't even have the energy to care. No job in sight (except the ones I can't do). Four posts planned for the rest of the month. And I decided to simplify the Tooting Your Trumpet section of my recaps.
As I said, I'm tired. Sometimes I feel like taking a new, monster hiatus until the end of the year and reading without review obligations (so to speak), but here's the thing: I WANT to write reviews. I don't know how to read without reviewing anymore, and I don't want for a single book I read to fall between the cracks...so I'm trudging on. I'm sure I'll start feeling half-human again once the weather becomes crisp (OK, that's a long way to go, but still - something to hold on to). Here's the rundown of my past month...
📚 SWITCHING UP. I read 7 books in July (though three of them were rereads) and a short story; 2 of the new books were ARCs (one from the author, the other an EW approval). Why so many rereads? Explanations below...Also, I changed my blogging plans and tweaked one of my own rules and I didn't die 😮 😂 (also below).
I reread The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace because I wanted to finally review it in full...except I got stuck on my review and decided to sit it out for a while.
I reread The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse, because even if I won't write a full review for it (it's one of my 3-star books...though I might decide to raise its rating by half a star), I wasn't happy with my original mini (too vague), so I want to write a new one (will soon).
I reread Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (Book 7 in the Wayward Children series) because, even if it's a novella, (so that, per my "new" policy, it should only get the mini-review treatment...which I already gave it), I wanted to review it in full like I did with the rest of the series. Watch out for it on Sep. 18th.
I reread The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse, because even if I won't write a full review for it (it's one of my 3-star books...though I might decide to raise its rating by half a star), I wasn't happy with my original mini (too vague), so I want to write a new one (will soon).
I reread Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (Book 7 in the Wayward Children series) because, even if it's a novella, (so that, per my "new" policy, it should only get the mini-review treatment...which I already gave it), I wanted to review it in full like I did with the rest of the series. Watch out for it on Sep. 18th.
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| These covers quite match! |
I finally read my ARC of Full Immersion by Gemma Amor (adult; I scheduled my review for Sep. 8th).
I read In Mercy, Rain by Seanan McGuire, a short story set in the Wayward Children universe (it can be read for free on the publisher's site - that's why it doesn't have a "proper" cover. But the image is beautiful! Look at it closely...). And again: even if it's a short story (and a free one at that), I wanted to review it in full like I've been doing with the rest of the series. So I scheduled my review for Thu. 18th, which is when I had planned to post the one for The Memory Trees that I ultimately post...poned 😂. Look at me, breaking character again 😜.
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| These go well together too! |
I read Into the Sublime by Kate A. Boorman , and though it wasn't as spectacular as What We Buried, I did enjoy it. Mini review to come in September.
Finally, I read The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart (adult). I plan on including it in my September mini review round as well, but I'll definitely review it in full later, because 😮!
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| More shades of blue... |
Here is my review plan for (the rest of) this month:
- The Honeys by Ryan La Sala (on Wed. 10th);
- In Mercy, Rain by Seanan McGuire [see above] (on Thu. 18th);
- The Velveteen vs. series by Seanan McGuire (on Fri. 26th. Technically, the books are anthologies - or started as such - so, per my new rules, I put them in a mini-review round).
Reviews aside, I'll participate in the last Tell Me Something Tuesday round of the month on the 30th (question: Which books are you looking forward to reading this fall?). I wanted to answer more of these prompts, but as usual, I had too much on my plate already...Also, this is something of a recent development for me - I never used to share my TBR lists because, until I read a few ARC reviews and an excerpt, I never know if I am indeed going to buy the books that got on my radar, but I reasoned that I might as well give those books a bit of exposure either way...
🥵 WELCOME TO THE HELLMOUTH. The temps have been brutal - how's for 29,5°C / 85.1°F indoors?!? I know it's been the same for pretty much everyone - even the usually cold or cold-ish places have had temps well above average - but hear me out: some people have a high level of tolerance when it comes to the heat. I'm NOT one of them. I've practically just...existed for the whole month (still am - August has been just as hellish so far). Since when I was laid off, I've only been going out for necessary tasks (you all know about my shitty home situation - it's not like taking walks alone has any appeal) but this has been a whole "I refuse to leave the house and get baked on the asphalt" mood. And even at home...I've taken to barely cooking (mostly searing), or eating salads, stuffed tomatoes, cold cuts + ice cream...all while clinging to my fans for dear life (before you ask - no, I can't afford AC). I'm sick and tired of this diet, but even the simple act of eating (no matter cooking) is overwhelming in this heat. And the nights are another can of worms - I sleep poorly (fan notwithstanding). At least my husband goes to work and enjoys AC for a few hours...which I used to do too, until last summer...another perk of being jobless 😥.
⏳ AS TIME GOES BY. This has been the less productive summer ever for me. As I said above, the heat has me barely existing, stumbling from one day to the next, waiting for kinder (a.k.a. cooler) times. Basically, I'm just letting time pass...weeks and weeks of nothing. I'm not actively searching for a new job (only looking at the ads on the net). I'm not doing chores (except for the bare minimum - oh, and of course, except for tending to my husband's needs, which is enough to drain me of what little energy and willpower I have...). I'm suffering too much to be moving. At least last year I had a job (with AC...). Anyhow, I'm still studying the Office suite just in case, though I'm starting to think it will never be of any use to me. All the secretary jobs and the like seem to require for the applicant to have a business education and/or experience in the field...
🩸NEW HIGHS. My latest bloodwork showed a new spike. This is an all-time high for me. I have to get another bloodwork and an ultrasound (for abdomen and lymph nodes - I check on them twice a year) in October, and then see my oncologist (which also happens twice a year). I guess I'm nearing the time when I'll have to start a treatment, though it shouldn't be anything invasive - I think it's pills for my kind of problem, and if they are like the ones my mother took for the same illness, they shouldn't have collateral effects. I hope...
PUBLISHING NEWS/TIPS
- None this month.
THINK-PIECES, DISCUSSIONS, ORIGINAL FICTION
- Krysta says it’s time to stop telling people they aren’t “real readers”.
- Carrie gives some advice to readers who are dipping their toes into graphic novels.
- Emily asks if/how you read books with bad characters.
- Lissa lists the pros and cons of reading on a Kindle.
REVIEWS/RECOMMENDATIONS
- Kit spotlights more 2022 queer SFF books she's excited for.
- Cee explains why "the devil wears double standards" (that is, reviews The Devil Wears Prada, book version).
- Karen shares her mini reviews of three challenging books (challenging as in, both mind-blowing and difficult to review. I'd say she pulled it off 😉).
- Queenie lists 15+ books by disabled authors.
OTHER
- None this month.
That's it for now! My next post will be up on Wed. 10th, and it will be my review for The Honeys I announced above.
So, what were your highs/lows in the past month?
I feel the same way. I've been contemplating not reviewing everything I read (and in fact have done so- a bit) but I'm the same- I actually LIKE reviewing and it feels weird if I don't now! :)
ReplyDeleteI loved the book I read by Kali Wallace so much that your mention caught my eye. I'll keep an eye out for your review (but no pressure!!).
Ooh the Boorman one! I know we talked about Buried a bit - that was a trip!
The PAradox Hotel- need to read.
No AC in that kind of heat is awful. 29/85 indoors is too much. It saps all your energy. And when it gets to hot even fans barely help, they just push hot air. Gah I hope you get some relief soon.
Is it rarer to have home AC there? I know a lot of the UK folks have been saying that. When ours went out it got into the 80's in the house and it was... miserable.
Haha, I loved that Wallace book (though it's completely different from Dead Space - contemp with a touch of magical realism), but sometimes I don't know how to start a review and I end up giving up and waiting for inspiration to struck! I think The Paradox Hotel would be more your thing though (sci-fi with time displacement).
DeleteI think AC has become the norm here lately - or at least lots of people have it - but it's a tricky beast. You should at least have it both in the bedroom(s) and in the kitchen, and the bills would be awful. Is 80+ indoors normal for a Michigan summer? (If you had asked me the same question a few years ago, I would have told you that it wasn't normal for a typical Italian summer, but here we are. Even Linda - Blodeuedd - admitted suffering this year!).
I like that she writes different kinds of stuff- I'm really looking forward to sampling more of her books.
DeleteThe Paradox sounds TOTALLY up my alley lol!
80+ indoors is definitely NOT normal as long as you have AC. If not then yeah it can get pretty hot indoors since July and August are muggy months. It's 91 here right now and humid.
About Wallace - you need to read Shallow Graves first 💚.
Delete91 and humid uuuuugh.
I also kind of can't just read a book and not think about reviewing it even though I have no obligations to do so. I really do like writing reviews. Certainly a good rant about a book I didn't like is quite enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteSummer heat sucks. I don't have air conditioning either. Sleeping is waking up and wiping sweat off and then try to go back to sleep. At least, the mornings are a little cooler. I hope it will get cooler soon.
I think the heat is a good excuse not to do anything, certainly, in the weekends, we should allow ourselves to just be lazy.
Have a lovely day.
"Certainly a good rant about a book I didn't like is quite enjoyable."
Delete😂
Same for our nights...the mornings are just as hot here though. And I genuinely can't do anything that involves sweating right now, so...anything at all LOL.
Mid-80s is tough with just a fan. I remember when I was teaching. No air and it was in the 80s and 90s. Brutal. We didn't feel like doing much either. I hope all goes well with your bloodwork/treatment.
ReplyDeleteAt least the summers were a little more forgiving back then, weren't they? You got a heat wave, then respite, than another one...now it's neverending. Then again, being a teacher or a student with no AC must have been a nightmare.
DeleteThank you!
I hope if you have to start taking pills for your condition that you are right and they don't have side effects. I'm taking 10 different medications for my different ailments right now. I had to try a few different ones until I found some that had hardly any side effects, so I hope you can do the same.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of heat is really hard to be in. it won't cool down until October here.
10?!? I knew you took medications, but not so many. I suppose I should be able to put up with one...
DeleteMaybe things will get tolerable in September for us, but I'm not holding my breath. Having to wait until October sounds brutal.
I got a slight taste of really bad heat last week while on holiday, and I have to say my heart is with you, Roberta. Not wanting to turn on any stoves or ovens to cook is a totally valid thing, but I'm sure the no-cook diet is getting tiring. I do hope that fall comes swiftly for you, and that you get well soon. I too am now starting to job search with little to no luck so far so I do feel your pain with that dilemma.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing my post :)
It sounds like we all are suffering together this summer...ugh. I hope you enjoyed your holiday nevertheless! And good luck on your job search!
DeleteI often think about just stopping blogging and reviewing, but I also just *like* sharing my thoughts about books. (I mean, we could just do that on Goodreads, but it's also nice to have our own space.)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the heat, it sounds miserable. When people say they can't handle the heat, it's really not productive for other people to be like, "That's nothing! I can handle much hotter!" Like, ok? That doesn't change the first person's experience. I hope you can get some cooler weather soon or find some better solution.
I know I would be (even more) miserable without my blog - and no, GR isn't the same thing. I guess we're stuck with writing "proper" reviews 😉.
DeleteThank you!
Oof it's been such a hot summer and I'm sure you're not feeling particularly productive with all of this heat! I can't wait for cooler weather.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a common sentiment at this point!
DeleteI agree, it's been very hot where I am too. It was dangerously hot enough that we could only go outside for a little bit at a time. Let's hope this August is cooler than July.
ReplyDeleteI like the TTT question you mentioned "what books are looking forward to reading this fall" I have some assigned books I need/want to read, so my the book I am to read, are going to be a bit different this year. I look forward to reading your answer.
-Quinley
"It was dangerously hot enough that we could only go outside for a little bit at a time."
DeleteYikes.
You can participate in TMST if you like, with your book list! I made one with new books coming out this fall, but one can always list any book, regardless of when it's coming out, as long as they plan to read it in that time frame.
"and I didn't die" lol Look at you being a rebel blogger! you know I approve lol
ReplyDeleteMy reviewer brain has been turning off more lately. It took a while but ever since I (mostly) stopping taking on reviews, it's getting easier. I do still like to at least mention or talk about what I read though. Even if it's just a quick - hey I read/watched this!
Thanks for the shout out {hugs}
The heat is everywhere now. I feel bad for places that just weren't built for it. Like you (and here). In FL, they expect it and everything is indoors with blasting a/c or misters outside. But it's even getting too hot there based on my last few years and what my friends tell me. They used to get a break in the winter but now it's hot year round.
We have a lot of food trucks and poorly (undersized) air conditioning systems out here so it shuts things down during our heatwaves.
Karen @For What It's Worth
"Look at you being a rebel blogger! you know I approve lol"
DeleteSurvival mechanism LOL. After blogging for almost 10 years (GASP!!!), I didn't know how to stay on top of my books/reviews anymore. I doubt I'll ever follow your example though 😂. Not like there's anything wrong with it of course!
I wonder if we could at least stop the climate change at this point...not that there's a lot of trying at the highest levels...but if they didn't get it this year, I don't think they ever will...
I'm sorry you're struggling. I'm glad you're powering through, though. Sometimes, that's the only thing you can do.
ReplyDeleteNot so much powering through as waiting for better times LOL.
DeleteThe heat that is impacting most of the globe is CRAZY, but so bad for Europeans because most don't have A/C. I hope the weather cools off soon. We had a few really hot days, but luckily we have window A/C units. I also live near water and can cool off that way.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds lovely. Can I come live with you for a week or two? I'm willing to do chores 😉.
DeleteI'm working on slowly getting back into blogging and responding to other people, but I know it's going to take me a while to make it all regular again. But I want you to know that I absolutely am thinking about you and sending you good thoughts and support from a distance. I know that this is a hard time for you, and I so hope that it resolves soon for you - but please don't be hard on yourself when you aren't doing the same things you were doing. Your best is going to look differently every day right now, and that's okay.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I hope your way back to blogging will be smooth! Secondly, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I hope I'll start feeling better and more like myself once the darned heat lets up at least...
DeleteAwwh, thank you so much for featuring my comics post! That was a very sweet surprise. 🥰 I hope you're being kind to yourself in these weeks when things are hard and it's too hot to be livable. Sometimes all you can do is keep getting through the days, and that's enough. 💛 I'm here if you ever need to talk, but I understand the energy drain with the heat can be too much even for that.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading my heart out, which helps...but all the rest is crumbling down around me, so I'll pay the price for it later 😬.
DeleteThank you! I'm planning to message you, though not about my woes...no one can help with them, so it's better if I don't LOL. We need to talk about a certain TV series universe though...😉
Argh, I feel you with the heat! Take care
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shoutout! :)
Anytime! and ugh...yeah, we talked about the heat on your blog...I know you've been suffering as well.
Delete