24 Festive Tasks: Winter Solstice

 

Square One

 

 

 

 

     Book: Read a book that takes place in December, with ice or snow on the cover, where all events take place in a single day or night, that revolves around the solstice, set in Persia / Iran, China or the American Southwest or prominently featuring Persian / Iranian, Chinese or Native American characters, or a collection of poetry.

An English Murder by Cyril Hare (read by Chris MacDonnell)

I had so much trouble trying to figure out what I wanted to read for this square. I thought about reading a poetry collection but that meant trying to eyeball a book and my eyes told that wasn't going to happen. Finally, I took the easy way out and read something else off the Christmas list because at least I knew it would be taking place in December and that there was even a chance of there being snow on the cover.

Task 1: Burn a Yule log – or if you don’t have a fireplace, light a candle to chase away the winter and welcome in the longer days. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, light a candle to mourn the slow but inexorable retreat of the sun.

Hmm, no log to burn but I can flip the switch to turn on the gas fireplace.  It will have to do, although it really isn't as satisfying as a real wood log. I don't usually switch on the fireplace but for some reason I have used it multiple times since reading this task. Can't wait to see my gas bill.😉

And then Sunday, when the heating system decided not to work, we used the gas fireplace to heat the house until the hvac people could get out to fix it-- because as DH said, running the fireplace is cheaper than repairing burst water pipes.

Task 2: Bibliomancy -- ask an author! Pick out a book with at least 350 pages and answer the following questions:

Well I asked an author and I have the distinct impression that she just doesn't understand what she is being asked to here.  See for yourself.

• Will I read all the books on my TBR? (page 20, line 21) "After all I have undergone I have become inured to..." I think this means no.

• Will any of my 2021 reads be 5 stars? (page 102, line 14) "Chawleigh" Anyone know a book with this title? Yes, there was only one word on this line of the page.

• Will I discover a new favorite book / author / series? (page 309, line 5) "Lady Lynton! You'd have made a famous wife for a..." Author Lynton, Character Lynton. Who knows. Maybe there is something out there.

• Will I discover that a major twist (hopefully, for the [even] better) has occurred in one of my favorite series? (page 189, line 10) "...fourgon loaded with such movables as the Dowager..."  As in forgone conclusion? No,  but I do like the image of the Dowager being loaded onto the cart along with the rest of the furniture.

• Will I finish all of my reading challenges in 2021? (page 269, line 17) "...quite so roughly, Jenny. Most of them are such very..."  Quite so, quite so! That sounds like a yes to me.

• Will I stay within my book budget in 2021? (page 236, line 8)   " '...a fortune, why should not I?' she asked."  Was I just told I have a fortune to spend on books?

Bonus Task #1: Tell us: What book did you read this year that felt like it was never going to end?

There were a couple this year that stand out and I quickly DNF'ed them.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I have tried a couple of times to read this book and inevitably zone out as the pompous, sonorous narrator drones on and on and on.  Maybe a different narrator would help.

War of the Roses, a history of the Britain's change of dynasty from the House of Lancaster to the House of Tudor.  You really need some basics in the period before you start getting in to the minutiae. I was so lost I just gave up.

How to Hide an Empire, another history with more detail than I was interested in hearing. He made his point in the first chapter and I did not have the patience to listen to the supporting evidence.

Bonus Task #2: Stay up all night reading a good book (or at least stay up past your usual bedtime).

Sad, sad. All to frequently, I stay up later than I should reading. No wonder I have sleep issues.