Another 'all over the place' post this time. (Just wait, this 'trail' will take on an interesting twist at some point, thanks to a comment from Constant Reader)!

After Canadian Reader mentioned Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel several times I thought I should give it a try. A pandemic has lead to the collapse of society and this is the story of the survivors. There is a traveling group of musicians and actors that wander the area around Lake Michigan. Groups of people live in airports and abandoned motels. What I found most intriguing is the connection between some of the characters. (It started with who was present at the death of an actor during a performance of King Lear).

This is a book that seems to be taking on a life of it's own. the life-changing magic of tidying up; the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing, by marie kondo (yes, all those lower case words are correct) is another method of decluttering your space and hence your life. Overall I enjoyed it, but after some reflection was curious about a few things. These ideas would work well for someone who is single, or maybe a couple, but what about a family? If you own a house what about tools, and so forth you keep for repairs? I think it'd be most interesting to meet and talk with the author. What is impressive is that she says her methods work, and that even though her seminars are always full, there are no repeat attendees.

I picked this book up because is just looked like fun. It was, but it also was full of useful information! Life Hacks: Helpful Hints to Make Life Easier, by Dan Marshall was such a fun read! Some I already knew, many I did not, such as using a sticky note to clean between the keys on your keyboard, or how to use a lime to ease a headache.

For a nice collection on all sorts of subjects and people try Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks by Dick Cavett. I've always enjoyed Cavett, he has a nice dry wit and found myself chuckling often as I read this. One favorite was when he decided, when very drunk, to do what F. Scott Fitzgerald did and jump into a swimming pool in formal attire. There's a twist here, which I will not reveal, you'll have to find that out for yourself. ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog