The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

High Hopes

I always have high hopes heading into the last two weeks of the year. No matter what, I always look upon this time of year as my cherished opportunity to find a cozy spot in the house and just READ.

Mostly, I let myself read after I’ve posted for the evening. Believe me, I don’t get very far, since I usually fall asleep within about five minutes. But see, between Christmas and New Years each year, I actually bring my book downstairs! It’s allowed to mingle outside the bedroom, which increases its potential for being picked up and read rather significantly.

The fiction I’m reading at the moment is The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. It’s the first in a trilogy, which means if I love the writing, I can look forward to months of delicious anticipation each night. So far so good.

Sunset 26 Dec 2021 – Photo: L. Weikel

Slightly Ragged Start

I have to admit that my experience of the book literally got off to a slightly ragged start. If you take a look at the photo of the book, above, you’ll see that the puppies discovered the joys of paperbacks a few weeks back. Luckily, I discovered their transgression before any words were harmed in the process.

Just in the past night or so, in spite of the ridiculously late hour I found myself sliding between the sheets and snagging a few minutes with my book, I actually managed to read enough to finally feel ‘hooked.’ Now I’m finding the book is calling to me – enticing me to ‘write already’ so I can return to the world so persuasively created by N. K. Jemisin.

Besides Reading

Besides the allure of spending unrestricted time immersing myself in another world, I’m also looking forward to breaking in a new tarot deck. It’s always fun to do a spread for the coming year, choosing a card for each month, just to get a sense of what that month might hold.

But first – during the days just after Christmas especially – it’s fascinating to go back to my notes and reflect upon the cards I chose last year. I’m finding my sense of time has been altered significantly by the pandemic. Nothing feels the same. Time doesn’t flow in the same way it used to. Not that this is a bad thing; it’s just vastly different in some ways. And I’m wondering if time will continue to feel this abstract and obtuse from here on out.

Wintry Mix

We’re supposed to get a ‘wintry mix’ of weather tomorrow. All the more reason to stay home and hunker down. I’ll watch the I AM Symposium, play some games, read some of my book – and maybe even write a little something myself.

I hope you’re giving yourself permission to do some of your favorite things this week too.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T+19)