I was AWOL from blogging last night because Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie arrived for me at the library and, well, had to dive in! You understand. I’ve been waiting my turn for this since the beginning of October when it was published. But I have been anticipating reading this third and final book in the series since I read the second book back in February.
When the first two books in a trilogy are really good there is always the fear that the third book conclusion might go awry. But I am feeling confident that it will all end spectacularly. Within half a page I was into the book and didn’t want to put it down. Hooray! If only I could have called off from work today and stayed home to read. But what do you say? Sorry, can’t come work today because I am reading a really good book? I so rarely get sick that if I tried to lie and say I was ill, no one would believe it especially when I turned up the next day looking hale and hearty (though perhaps a little tired from staying up late to finish the book). Besides, I am bad at telling lies anyway and the guilt ruins it all.
Before I go off to read more of this amazing book, I have to tell you about the little pile of other books that came along with this one.
Last week on a gardening blog with holiday gift suggestions, one of the items was a book called Gardening for Geeks. As a geek and a gardener I had to borrow it from the library! But that’s not all.
Now, I’ve had a library card in the Hennepin County library system for as long as I have lived here. I have been requesting library books online for as long as there has been the ability to do so. Why, why, have I never noticed the “related books” stream of book covers? Probably because it is lower down on the page, below the fold so to speak, and I never had occasion to scroll down. For some reason when I was requesting Gardening for Geeks I scrolled down and found this glorious thing!
And then I went crazy.
Oh, that looks like a good book. I’ll request that. That looks good too! Oh yes and that one. I wonder what that one is about? Request. Request. Request.
I now have a tidy pile of gardening books on sustainability, maximizing your food harvest, and DIY green projects that will very likely make me want to install my own solar panels and create wind turbines that also serve as trellises for pole beans. I already really want to build a solar food dehydrator, I don’t need further encouragement.
Since I will have two weeks off very soon I tell myself that I am just stocking up for vacation. And I am. But I also have to remind myself that we need to finish building the chicken coop with its green roof before undertaking any additional projects. Looks like I will be studying up and making a future project list! Bookman has been warned.
1. I so wish we could call work for a leave – book reading leave. All employers should allocate some leaves for emergency book reading like sick leave/casual leave etc. 2. Don’t even get me started on my pile that I have been hoarding because I have 2 weeks off!! Oh! Woe is me!!!
LikeLike
cirtnecce, Wouldn’t be nice to be able to call in last minute because of a book? I am glad I am not the only one hoarding a pile of books for her impending vacation! 🙂 Too bad we live half a world apart, it would be so fun to have meet up breaks for coffee and a stretch before diving back into our reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! I so wish we could meet up for coffee and catch up om each others readings….but atleast thanks to the net, we can meet and talk …..maybe someday in future …coffee may also happen! 🙂
LikeLike
yes, thanks the internet we can meet and talk. Perhaps a virtual coffee one day? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
At least you were able to start the Anne Leckie fairly close to the weekend and can look forward to really getting on with it. I love that title – Gardening For Geeks!
LikeLike
Ian, yes, that the weekend is not far away is really nice. You know how I will be spending it! I love the Gardening for Geeks title too 🙂
LikeLike
Glad to hear reading the trilogy has been so rewarding.
Book leave should be a thing, also book allowance money every month (I know, I’m a dreamer).
Good luck with your projects, looking forward to seeing the chicken coop, and the chickens of course.
LikeLike
Delia, it has been such a fun trilogy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about one. A book allowance too! Wouldn’t that be fabulous? And thanks! it’s always good to have projects 🙂
LikeLike
When I run things not only will there be compulsory “book leave,” all book purchases will be eligible as itemized deductions from income taxes, everyone in my cabinet will be a book nerd, my motto will be “Read First – Speak Later.” Or maybe “Speak Softly But Carry a Big Book.”
LikeLike
Grad for Supreme Leader! You have my vote 🙂
LikeLike
I should never be allowed anywhere near library catalogues as I always run riot and then end up with a far greater number of books than I can ever hope to read before their due date. As for taking time off to finish a book, there have been two occasions in my life when I simply couldn’t go to work until I had finished the book I was reading. Fortunately, I had no early morning lectures and so could get away with it but there are times when work just has to take second place.
LikeLike
Alex, you have been very lucky in your reading life! As for library catalogs, they somehow manage to be both heaven and hell at the same time!
LikeLike
I had a friend who used to take ‘mental health days’ off work, which I have to confess seems like a pretty good idea to me. Working from home, it’s harder to tell, but I daresay I have indeed taken a mental health day here and there without being fully aware of it! Nothing like beginning a really good, gripping book. Hope you get some weekend time with it, too!
LikeLike
Litlove, I do take days off now and then just because but they are always planned, it’s the unplanned days when those special books arrive that really get me! I did get some time for reading over the weekend and I am about two-thirds of the way through the book. So good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad I’m not the only one wracked by guilt at the thought of taking a sick day when not really sick. I know plenty of people who do it, and I’ve done it exactly ONE time, and I felt lousy with guilt. But, as Litlove mentioned above, I DO plan some “mental health days” every now and then, especially in a month without a scheduled holiday. A day off here or there is good for the soul, no matter what you do! I hope the third book in the trilogy lives up to your expectations.
LikeLike
Laila, I’ve done it only once or twice a long time ago when I worked for a huge company and was just one of many doing the same job. I still felt really guilty about it though! I too plan mental health days, it’s the spur of the moment ones I long to be able to have sometimes! I’m about 2/3s through the book now and it is fabulous! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bahahaha, I just was at the library and came away with a stack of books so massive I almost couldn’t carry it, and I too justified the whole thing to myself by being like “oh, cause Christmas vacation is coming up.” Like I don’t know I’m going to have zero time to read over Christmas break because I will be hanging out with the family and doing family stuff.
LikeLike
Jenny, wonderful! My pile isn’t quite as large as yours but added to the pile already in progress, it will do me for a couple of vacations. I am sure we will both make valiant efforts to read it all though! I hope you manage to squeeze in time here and there between family stuff 🙂
LikeLike