Choosing the Classics
Weekend Reads v. 1.2.2026
The view from my window these days is one in which the world is covered in a stubborn substance locals have taken to calling “snowcrete.” You can’t cross that snowy expanse that was once your yard unless you have blades affixed to your feet, and so packages go undelivered and dogs go unwalked.
All this staying indoors translates into the perfect conditions for reading. And that’s what I’ve done every weekend in January.
Too bad the three books I read were utter disappointments! Each title was recently a much-acclaimed bestseller, and each book was a total let down in terms of originality. It’s as though these three authors, living on different continents, were given the same instruction manual on how to half-write. There’s a dash of beautiful prose, a bit of a compelling plot, and a flicker of character development all smothered underneath the stern expectations that come with virtue signaling.
Yesterday, I finished reading the third of my dismal literary trilogy to find myself feeling annoyed and angry. I’d invested so many hours in this 600+ page novel before the ending just, well, ended. After pages and pages of preaching to the reader about how one should view and respond to the human condition, the author just gave up. No bow tied up to make sense of the endless monologues on how people are less than. No moment of redemption to justify the absolutely nutter behavior displayed by some characters. No nugget to carry forward from the time spent with the author. Nada! Instead the author told press the ending’s design was intentional so as to not diminish the energy of the last chapter. The ending was meant to be vague and confusing.
Huh?
I have a suspicion as to why I’m so worked up over a string of lackluster books.
As Joan Didion famously said in the opening paragraph of “The White Album,” “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Yes, we humans have used storytelling to make sense of the world around us. Stories explain why we do what we do and why we want what we want. The format of a story invites us to cast ourselves as the lead, able to understand in a way that only an outsider can. When you are too deep in the woods, you really will miss the forest for the trees.
We are not all natural storytellers, of course, and this is why for centuries people have traded time and things of value in exchange for the ability to watch plays or hear music or read text. The consumer relies on the creator for transportation out of the muck and mire of our mundane days. That transcendent experience of being immersed in art has the power to reframe a mindset and restore hope. To invest time in a story is a leap of faith. To have the story buckle and fold under the weight of unrealistic ideology feels like a slap in the face. I do not read novels to learn how one man or woman feels the world should be – that’s what op-eds are for. No, I read novels to understand why the world is as it is. Sadly, it appears most of today’s novelists have mistaken their fictional venue for the editorial pages.
Is it any wonder kids – particularly young men – are devouring classic literature and then taking to the open frontiers of the internet to share their experience of living amongst fictional characters for hundreds of pages? (See this clip and this clip for examples.)
I think I will follow their lead and make the choice to hit pause on the bestsellers in favor of re-reading my favorite classics for a while. There’s so much heaviness all around us at the moment which means every small choice reverberates in a mighty way. The choice between 10 minutes of scrolling versus 10 minutes of reading can directly translate to the status of your mental health.
In times of uncertainty, reading can be a powerful stabilizer and comfort. You just have to do a better job than I have done of choosing which books to read.
This hymn is a comfort and a powerful reminder in times like these.
Instead of attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game (and ads!!) from our cozy den this year, my husband and I are joining a friend for a viewing party at a sports bar. You buy tickets to gain entry, and in turn they provide wall-to-wall TVs and a buffet of all the usual Super Bowl fare. I’m most looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions to the commercials. If you’re hosting a party of your own and in need of recipes, this list has a solid offering of classic dishes to pair with the big game.
In keeping with the Y2K comeback, Paris Hilton recently gave a sorta insightful interview where she talked about her experience with paparazzi, fame, and how undiagnosed ADHD contributed to the intensity of her life in the early aughts. Audio here and video here.
Would you try ear seeding to alleviate anxiety or to give your skincare routine a boost?
18 Valentine’s Day items to add to your basket next time you’re at Trader Joe’s
For my fellow Apple devotees out there, Airdrop can feel like a magical tool…when it works. I recently learned about this tool that might help you in those times when your Airdrop just isn’t dropping like it should or when you are trying to share files with a green phone (Android), PC, or other platform.
If you’re dreaming of warmer days, maybe planning a garden will give you the motivation to keep moving through this very cold winter? American Meadows has quite a few things on sale, including dahlia tubers at 20% off. If dahlias seem too high-maintenance, maybe these zinnia seeds (for less than $7!) will work for you? Side note: Floret’s Dahlia Experiment was an interesting read.
Over the weekend, I saw quite a few posts about Clawdbot-turned-Moltbot. In short, people are using AI the way one might work with a personal assistant. For example, people are apparently using their AI assistants to call restaurants and book reservations for them.
The first clinical trial to cure glaucoma has begun:
“What’s interesting is that the trial is based on a growing hypothesis that ‘aging isn’t damage, it’s a loss of information.’ The study is hoping to fix glaucoma by ‘resetting’ certain genes in your body. Much of the hype and excitement about peptides is because peptides remind parts of your body to function better again.” (Source)
Ideas to make your bedroom feel like a 5-star hotel.
What Dante’s inferno and the endless winter in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia have in common.
I was today-years-old when I learned sleeping porches were linked to treatment for tuberculosis. And here I thought it was just a way to deal with the summer heat!
What it was like to visit a Medieval tavern.
Men have grown taller and heavier at twice the rate of women over the past century.
Thoughts on dressing for winter. (See also, wear sweaters as scarves and wear the fun socks).
Still can’t believe Catherine O’Hara isn’t in the world with us anymore. Here are a few good collections of her work: CBC News, a 15 minute string of clips, and a collection of her best clips from Schitt’s Creek.
Now to get back outside where I can continue chipping away at this snowcrete! Hope you are warm and safe wherever you are.