Well. The year certainly has been…yearing.
Rather than go through a laundry list of what’s been keeping me busy, I’ll just say that I have had wonderful ups, dizzying downs, and a lot of interesting middles the past few months.
There’s a sense as autumn comes into view on the horizon that things have shifted in how I relate to my ideals and my core values, but I’m not sure yet how that will shake out. I do know that it’s led to a feeling of what the parent education classes I took almost 20 years ago called “disequilibrium,” which is a time of growth and challenge that often involves feelings of being unsettled or unmoored and behaviors that are more oppositional or argumentative or negative. This period gradually gives way to a more settled, confident period of equilibrium as the time of rapid growth and change subsides, only to start again once growth and change start ramping up once more.
The cycle of disequilibrium and equilibrium is a principle of child development, but as we’re humans throughout our lifespan, I don’t see why it couldn’t be applied to someone who’s 47, too. One of the things I like about applying this principle to my current situation is that it suggests that I’m feeling grumpy because I’m learning and growing and that, after a while, I’ll feel less grumpy again.
This I find comforting.
Completed Books from February through August:
My favorites from this bunch:
- James by Percival Everett (I highly recommend the audiobook version of this retelling of Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.)
- Wellness by Nathan Hill (I had my spouse read this novel about a couple who are navigating the shifting phases of their lives and their marriage.)
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Although I felt the first 1/2 or so was better put together than the latter part, McBride’s characters interact in a real and compelling way.)
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (Well, well. Another self-help book. Imagine that. This one is even differenter from the usual self-help book than the one I put on my “best of” list for January’s Bookends post. This one has such an interesting perspective and prompted so much reflection, I bought myself a copy because I want to look back at it. This is another I had my spouse read.)
- The September House by Carissa Orlando (A great spooky book, but it’s so much more! If you’re planning your spooky season reading, consider adding this one to the list.)
- The entire Murderbot series by Martha Wells (I can hardly believe that it took me so long to read this series that my elder child recommended to me ages ago. I relate to Murderbot so much. I mean, not the murder part or the bot part so much, but everything else.)
Currently Reading:
- Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
To-Read for September:
In addition to my StoryGraph, you can see my Litsy profile for status updates throughout the month and my Instagram (@ImperfectHappiness) for mostly not-book-related photos.
Imperfect Happiness 