Not work related. But I like nice things and you probably do too. Ask me about any of these things and I will be DELIGHTED to share my enthusiasm.
Books
This year I am doing the slow read of Leo Tolstoi’s War and Peace, hosted by Simon Haisell on Substack. We read a chapter every day, there are daily discussions in the chat and weekly summaries. I’m surprised how much I like the book, it feels so modern and the character descriptions leave me speechless.
My absolute favourite novel is The Idiot by Elif Batuman. (Incidentally, she also started a newsletter over on Substack, which I adore. I would have never guessed that I needed a Proust Pep Talk but turns out, this is exactly what I needed and I think about it a lot.) The Idiot is both insightful and quietly hilarious, and I’ve seen it described as the quintessential campus novel. To me it is so much more though; I never write in books but here I had simply no other choice than to underline sentences or entire paragraphs.
The author whose new books I would always immediately buy is Becky Chambers. Her work fits into the Solarpunk genre (essentially, wholesome Science Fiction). The books she writes are queer, gentle, kind. When I feel overwhelmed or stressed, this is what I am reading. If you need the literary equivalent of a hug, please, go read A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
The author I admire the most is the late Sir Terry Pratchett. My favourite book from the Discworld series changes regularly but it is always safe to assume that my favourite character Granny Weatherwax and when I travel I must re-read Witches Abroad.
Clouds
Good clouds always cheer me up (and luckily, most clouds are good). Did you know there is a Cloud Appreciation Society? Well, now you do and in their manifesto they write “We think that clouds are Nature’s poetry, and the most egalitarian of her displays, since everyone can have a fantastic view of them.” I am sure you, too, prefer a sunset with some Altocumulus clouds instead of an empty sky. Have you already noticed to clouds today? In case you aren’t too impressed with the ones you can see currently (or maybe you can’t see any), here are some clouds I photograpghed in Cornwall:
Tea
Currently, my favourite tea is Milk Oolong, it is so delicate and soft. I especially enjoy the tea blend by Bird&Blend with coconut.
Photography
I like photography, although regretably I don’t practice it as often as I used to. If you ask me in person, I am very happy to show you all the photos I am proud of having taken. For now, here is a lamb with its mother in the evening light. There are many sheep on Texel, where I currently live, so this feels very fitting.
