I’m on a Lot of Drugs

A few months back, my left shoulder started to hurt. Big spikes of pain when I took my shirt off at the end of the day. Or when I applied deodorant in the mornings. Or when I reached out for something, twisted open something, lifted something, rolled over in my sleep, or tried to balance my weight on my left arm. I figured I tweaked it by moving furniture and boxes (of books) around after the flood. It would get better and go away. Except it didn’t.

I finally went to the doctor, got some Xrays, and a referral to see an orthopedist. The doc said it wasn’t my rotator cuff but the Xrays showed arthritic degeneration. The orthopedist said it was my rotator cuff, but not a tear or a rupture, and my Xrays were “beautiful.” So, now I’m going to physical therapy, while also taking an anti-inflammatory and a big dose of muscle relaxer every day. And this stuff is definitely relaxing.

I’m so relaxed, I can’t concentrate enough to read. It’s very frustrating to be this relaxed! I have a lot of books waiting for me. New ones show up at the library or on Kindle Unlimited almost every day. And in the months since the flood, I’ve managed to fill up an entire shelf of my empty bookcase with newly purchased books. I’ve got plans and they are to read! 

The other problem with these drugs is that reading too much, for too long, makes me dizzy and nauseous. But I love to read for long periods. Losing myself in a book for hours and hours—what greater pleasure? All of this is a real drag. Yeah, my shoulder is messed up, but let’s focus on the true problem here: my interrupted reading habit. I mean, honestly! I read, therefore I am. During a conference call the other week, we were asked to share something we would rather be doing than being in that meeting and I just said, “reading.” Because it’s true, most of the time, I would rather be reading. 

The moral of the story is not “don’t do drugs.” The drugs are helping. Already, my shoulder feels better. Luckily, I’m only on this high dose of muscle relaxers for a little while. I can watch some Bob’s Burgers while relaxing my ass off and get back to reading like a maniac in a bit.

To the Books!

Books Added to my Wishlist

• Freakslaw by Jane Flett: The blurb compares the book to Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love and Angela Carter, which basically guarantees something amazing and weird. 

• The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Witches? By Moreno-Garcia?? I’m all over that. 

• But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo: You had me at “sapphic monster romance.”

Books Read

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey: I was looking for something lighthearted, fun, and easy on the soul. Things are looking kinda dark out there and I needed to be distracted but not in a numbing way. Fangirl Down gave me exactly what I was looking for-- some romance, some humor, characters that genuinely liked each other and that I liked reading about, and a soupçon of angst all leading to a happy ending. 4 stars. 

She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark: I did it! I read a short story collection! And it was GREAT. Freaky, weird, scary, occasionally gross, poignant and sorrowful, these stories had it all. Did I want more from each story, more chapters, more characters, just more? Of course. But I also slowed way down, physically putting the book down and allowing myself time to digest and ruminate after each story. It made for a great reading experience. 4 stars. 

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohammed: This wasn’t quite enough for me. The prose was lyrical, the characterization rich, the dark woods filled with things both fantastical and scary, and yet it didn’t all add up for me as its reader. 4 stars for technical merit. 

And then I went on a Kristen Ashley binge. Maybe it was the drugs. Maybe it was ::waves arms:: everything happening in the world. I needed an escape so I turned to my old friend/arch nemesis, Ashley. I read 4.5 books in as many days, some new and some from her backlist. Ashley is a polarizing romance author for me (and others, check out this subreddit). She’s very focused on emotional journeys, with long and detailed pit stops into her characters’ clothes, shoes, hair styles, the interior design of their houses, the types of cars they drive, etc. She writes dominating, possessive alpha male types meets sassy-but-never-strident female love interests. Some books of hers I know I just can’t read—they are too Ashley for me. Some books I reread at least once a year, rolling my eyes but also loving it. I love her, hate her, and just can’t quit her. 

Books I Gave Up On

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman: Even though a very good friend liked this one, I just couldn’t do it. The novel started out really strong but by the halfway point, I felt tired of all the misery and didn’t want to read another 200 pages. Even my therapist was like, “maybe it’s not a great time to be reading about the Black Plague.”

Cat Pic of the Month

Wallace had his annual vet visit this month, which went well. He was extremely pissed to be at the vet, but luckily he doesn’t get aggressive with the staff (unlike one of my other cats, Fiona, who has to be drugged before any visit). And for an older guy, he’s in pretty good health which makes me happy. In my heart, I believe he will live forever.

Show Me the Noods!

I made the NYT’s Sheet Pan Coconut Curry with Squash and Tofu (gift link) and it was fantastic. I switched rice for rice noodles (of course) and simmered the curry sauce on the stove instead of in the sheet pan, because that just seemed like a real mess in the making. For the squash, I got a koginut from Whole Foods that was, quite frankly, a revelation. Who knew roasted squash could be so delicious?

Also this month, I made Smitten Kitchen’s peanut sesame noodles (delish) AND had a bowl of Café Chinois’ pho (also delish). February has been a real noodle extravaganza!

In Conclusion

Once again, we reach the end of our journey together… until next month! I hope you were entertained and maybe found a good book to read.

P.S. If you want some recommendations for Kristen Ashley, come to me but be prepared for a lot of caveats and at least one diatribe.