Answers to The Friday Five @ Dreamwidth
1) Read any good books lately?
Nothing that stands out. Day before yesterday I finally finished (took me nearly two months) Minette Walters’ Fox Evil and it was only okay. Everything else has also been kind of meh the last couple of months… I’ve been working on these three novels but can’t seem to get going, and nothing else (except fanfic) really appeals me either.
The other book I’m trying to finish Ukkoshuilu by Johanna Sinisalo which is based on myths and has scifi/speculative fiction elements along with various social criticism, and descriptions of exploitation of workers and the unemployed, apparently Russian oligarchs involved with the main character’s ridiculous new job that’s taking advantage of her and the unemployment system by not having paying her for her work and treating her as “biomass” which is easily replaceable… which I have personally experience as well so that part feels like at least someone sees me and other people like me. I’m half way through, and it’s been at least a month and a half that I’ve been working on it; not sure I’ll finish it. I don’t like any of the characters (except the little daughter but she’s not focused on), feels like the plot started only in at exactly the mid-point of the book, and I don’t care what happens to anybody or even what’s the plot. But Johanna Sinisalo’s books are usually good, so I keep feeling like it’ll get going, and be exciting and good if I can just persevere with it.
I’m also working on Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds since mid-December, the synopses I’ve read of it sound really interesting and I kind of feel it too when reading it, but I’m still feeling mostly meh.
I’m actually starting to think the problem might lie with me actually – maybe I’m in a reading slump again! And also I’m impatiently waiting for the last The Expanse book from the library, so that could be a factor as far as scifi reading goes – maybe I just can’t muster interest in other scifi until I’ve read that book!
I’m just happy that I have no problems reading fanfic.
2) Taken any good baths lately?
I haven’t lived anywhere with a bathtub since 1993. It’s showers for me!
3) Do you read paper books, or do you prefer another format?
I prefer paper books, hard cover first then soft cover. But if I can’t get my hands on it as a physical book, I’m also happy to read ebooks on my laptop and/or tablet: epub is my preferred format there, but mobi’s fine too, and other formats if those too aren’t available.
4) Where’s the most comfortable place in your home?
My bed! I love to read in my bed. For tv watching and work on my laptop, it’s my couch. For writing with pen and paper, I like my writing desk even though my neck can’t stand it for long, looking down like that.
5) What’s the most relaxing sound you can put on?
I prefer silence – I’m sensitive to sounds/noise, my constant headache is easily worsened, or triggered into a migraine. My it’s a good head day, I like to listen to my music: the last long while it’s been The Last Of The Mohicans and The Leftovers soundtracks. I can lose myself in the music for hours at a time and do nothing but listen to it for like four or five hours. But I have to be careful not to over-do it because of the before mentioned headache/migraine, so such long stretches of sounds/noise are rare these days, usually more like 30 mins or an hour.