Friends, tobacco or bread

[desperance]

All things are weird, but some are more weird than others.

It's been a long time since I was this monomoniacal, so focused on a single activity or outcome. I have been like this about books, in the long-ago; I wrote a fat fantasy in twelve weeks, a shorter book in eight. One of the attributes of this new life I lead is that I thought that degree of focus was gone for good; marriage is all about multitasking, I find.

And now here we are, and the state of the Karen is all that there is, minute by minute and day by day. She's pretty much come through the nausea now; she's starting to eat again, tentatively; and as was foretold us, she is deep in fatigue. We both went to bed stupid early last night, she slept well, and now mid-morning she is back on her bed and asleep again.

She'll have to move when the cleaner comes, because all the bedding has to be washed daily while she's in neutropenia. Could be a week, could be longer; there's no telling. We are cheerleaders for the little leucocytes. She gets a morningly injection to hurry them along, but other than that there is nothing to be done but wait and hope.

Which reminds me: I have read The Count of Monte Cristo, and A Different Light, and am halfway through Kim. I thought I'd do more writing than reading, but that's the monomanic thing: I can't think about anything else. I can't think, period.

So what should I (re)read next?

Comments

[oracne]

Have you ever read INDA, by Sherwood Smith? It's very long and dense, and after a chapter or so, very engrossing, as least for me.

[madbaker]

I spent Saturday not feeling well, and re-read a couple light Lois Bujold books for comfort.

[history_monk]

Have you read Brust's _The Phoenix Guards_? It's long, entertaining and witty.

[swan_tower]

I'm so glad to hear that her appetite is returning.

[al_zorra]

I brought the enormous third volume of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series here to Mexico. It's working splendidly as escape from everything, whether on a plane, a bus, a hotel room, waiting. It might not work so well back in the US, but here, with my brain fried from going into my inadequate Spanish to communicate and understand, and my English going into others' inadequate English with which to communicate and understand, it seems a perfect escape. Just sayin'. Anyway, it's the only book I brought with us.

[rosefox]

All of Discworld. Should keep you busy for a few days.

[lamentables]

When abrinsky was bedridden and in terrible pain, awaiting back surgery, he took the opportunity to read A Suitable Boy. Even under those unfavourable circumstances he loved it.