All the (bookish) ways I'm avoiding the Election
Did you hear? There's an Election today.
In case you’re unaware, there’s an election in America today. I’m tired, you’re tired, everyone’s tired of it. I’ve already voted, and I plan on watching absolutely no Election Night in America coverage.
I am truly saddened by this. I’m a political scientist you see, (or was in another life) and those critical thinking and analytic skills die hard. I used to love watching that stupid NYTimes needle, and breaking down all of the maps. American politics wasn’t my focus, but it was still fascinating all the same to watch and understand patterns with data. I once went on a really mediocre date back in 2017, the same night as the first UK Parliamentary Elections post Brexit. (Work with me here) I realized that I was more interested in watching maps update on a screen than the date I was on, so there you have it. Dear potential romantic partners: you’ve got to hold my interest more than voter turnout data, please and thank you.
Call it existential malaise/terror/exhaustion, but I want to crawl in a hole and pretend this entire thing isn’t happening. I’m aware that’s not possible, and that regardless of the outcome, there will be long lasting consequences. But that’s a tomorrow problem. Today, here’s all the bookish strategies I’m using to disassociate from election night trauma.
Watching The Legend of Vox Machina
This is a TV show adaptation of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and as I said a few weeks ago, it is great and I will protect these cartoon weirdos at all costs. How is it book related? We’ll I’m so glad you asked.Since Critical Role’s success, the group has branched out into different forms of media relating to their original characters, stories and campaigns. Meaning: books. So there are comic books relating to Vox Machina that I have read (and acquired) and a standalone novel (that I have acquired and not read) and the TV show (which I’m using as a reward to myself for editing chapters of my novel.) Clear as mud, right?
The collected comics in question. I’ve always been interested in the good, the bad, and the ugly of book-to-screen adaptations, and consider Vox Machina part of the same wheelhouse. So far, I am considering the TV show part of the ‘good’ camp, but more research is needed before I can come to a final determination. Thank goodness I have over 30 more episodes to help me make up my mind.
Doing a puzzle
Yes, doing a puzzle is book related. Everything is writing, remember? But Marissa, you say, a puzzle is not a book. You are correct and I am aware of that - lest you think I’ve lost all object permanence. (I wouldn’t blame you.)
Minimal current progress But! This puzzle is book related, because it’s a puzzle made of books. *cue maniacal laughter*
Expected end result. Reading in French
This week is French Book Week. This isn’t a thing, I just made it up. One of my evergreen reading goals is to read 12 French books a year, or one a month. I am very, very behind on this goal, and so there are now 6 French books standing between me and the end of 2024.
French Book Week 2024 Nothing will happen if I don’t read 12 French books, but I like maintaining my fluency, and reading is a real easy way to do that. Part of this is my own fault: I read slower in French,1 and because I am aware of this, I psych myself out. Exhibit A: Oh, it’s going to take me longer to read this book because it’s in French, which means I’ll get behind on my reading goals and not have enough time to read books in French, so I shouldn’t read books in French. It’s all very silly, but hey! That’s an anxiety disorder for you. My hope is that if I dedicate all of my reading time this week (7+ hours) to just books in French, I’ll finish one, if not two, and not only feel more fluent, but also feel better about myself. Allez.
Reading in general
This goes without saying, but I needed to include it on the list. I’m at 82 books currently for the year, and I need to read 8 more this month and 10 more in December to make my yearly 100 book goal. No pressure or anything.Stress Baking
On the surface, not related to books. But everyone knows that books go best with pastries and tea, so I might as well indulge. Besides, I have not yet had pumpkin bread once (!) this fall, and that is a tragedy that needs to be remedied immediately.Writing
You know, the thing that actually produces the books.
Given that the results probably won’t be announced Tuesday night (in 2020, it took until the Saturday of Election Week for Biden to be universally declared the winner) I imagine I’ll need to tap into some of these strategies as the week goes on.
If you’ve got any other suggestions, I’m all ears.
No New Books™️ Challenge
I apparently decided that since I’m not going to be able to beat my streak from earlier this year, that I should just give up entirely?? I knew the depression would set in eventually. I bought more books on Friday, and it was such a short streak that I’m not even going to bother updating this chart and we shall try again next week. But I regret nothing - they were all special editions.
Streak to Beat: 50 days (January 1st - February 19th)
Last streak: 37 days (September 18th - October 24th)
Current streak: 4 days (November 2nd - Present)
Mug Moment of the Week
I have a love/hate relationship with collecting things. I either go full obsessive and need every single item in a collection, or I am incredibly chill about it. There is no in between.
Why am I saying this? This week’s Mug Moment of the Week is one of the Starbucks Been There mugs from Savannah. This is an ongoing and iterative series for them, meaning I have a few different mugs from each time they reissue the series. Strangely, I do not feel the need to catch them all. It just makes me tired thinking about all of the different mugs there could be in this never ending Been There/Discovery/You Are Here series. I honestly prefer the older You Are Here designs, so I now only acquire mugs from places where I have spent a significant amount of time and or have a connection to.
Case in point: this week’s mug is from Savannah. I spent 6 weeks there last summer for work and it was…a time. I did enjoy the extended visit which allowed me to explore and learn the city, but the work I was doing was a bit all over the place and at times a comedy of errors. There’s more to say on that some day, probably in a fictionalized form. I had already gotten a mug from my preferred cafe in Savannah, so on my flight home, I grabbed this one in the Starbucks on the way to my gate. #yolo.
Not pictured is the highly complex lighting system I have set up to give me enough light to paint my nails now that it’s dark at 4pm. Would this be solved by turning on the overhead lights? Yes, but those are the devil and I will not be doing that.
May your Election weeks be calm and carefree, no matter where you are. And may we all go back to not having to constantly think about this soon enough.
I would say I am fluent, and drop in and out of bilingual territory. This can change on any given day. When in the US where less French is spoken, I’d say more fluent. If you drop me into France (or any Francophone country), I can get back up to bilingual territory pretty quickly. The difference is being able to converse easily without having to think about it. Also, if I start dreaming in French again, that’s when I know I’m back into bilingual land.