Spring is slowly starting to make itself felt here, in fits and starts. It’s great to see all the new life. However, it also means lots of work in the garden.
First up, a bit about a book. A few months ago, I read the book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Makes Us Whole on the recommendation of a friend. The book is written by Susan Cain, author of Quiet, which I should also read, but haven’t read yet. I’ve been meaning to write about it for a while, but then life happened and I didn’t feel like writing about melancholy for a bit.
There was a lot in this book that resonated with me. The author talks throughout the book of her love for the poetry of Leonard Cohen, quoting the oft quoted “There is a crack, a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in”. This reminded me of the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi and the art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended with gold. I love the idea that when we break and put ourselves back together (maybe with a helping hand), we end up gilded, more beautiful than we were before.
So how do you know if you’re bittersweet? I don’t know, but have you ever felt homesick for a place you’ve never been? Been swept with a wave of fretful and you don’t know why? Are you drawn to stories with a deep seam of sadness or a binding thread of melancholy?
My favourite book in childhood was The Velveteen Rabbit, and I loved Eeyore. Quite possibly my favourite poem is Dejection: An Ode — it speaks of lose and longing but also finding joy in amongst that. Even the best Star Trek TNG episode is about a life lived and lost. And an honourable mention goes to my favourite more last year, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, with its wonderful mixture of sadness and humour that takes your heart for a workout — it’s the sadness that lets the joy shine.
Writing update
I’m still working on edits to the not-quite-short story in the Lyra Cycle universe. That should be done tonight!
Then it’s on to plotting the next full novel and finishing the edits on Book 3. If you haven’t read A Dead Ship in the Deep Black yet, you can pick it up for 99 cents on the Armchair Alien shop. If you have read book 1, read for free how Kandi joined the crew over on Armchair Alien.
More books for your TBR shelf
Here’s some more sci-fi books to check out.
I hope to update my 2023 reading list thread soon — I’ve read a bunch I haven’t included in the list.
Happy reading!
— CR
Where to find my books
If you’d like to read any of my scifi or urban fantasy books, you can find them at your favourite online retailers. Or you can buy them direct from me on the Armchair Alien store.
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