Is There Such a Thing as Reading Too Many Books at Once?
The Week That Was
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling particularly drained at the moment. I’m in the final few weeks of working on my Master’s final capstone, and there is still so much to do, from research to interviews and, of course, the actual writing of the paper. I’m trying to not let overwhelm or procrastination slip its way in and instead am focusing on doing 1-2 hours per day of work during the week and 3-4 each weekend day. While I have almost completely eliminated any social activities or fun outings for the foreseeable future, I still have to balance all my other commitments (such as…my full-time job). I know the end is in sight, and this isn’t going to be the situation forever, which makes it more manageable. And, when I start to despair, I just tell myself, “How lucky are you that you are able and have the opportunity to do this?” that usually kicks me back into gear.
Here are some other things and thoughts from the week that was:
Usually, I am a one-book-at-a-time (maybeee two) reader, but as of this morning, I currently have five (!!) books on the go. They are a mix of fiction and non-fiction, physical copies, and e-books, and I think it demonstrates quite well how scattered my brain feels at the moment. I started The Women by Kristin Hannah a couple of weeks ago and really want to DNF it, but I haven’t fully committed to being done with it yet. I’m about halfway through Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck and am loving it, though some nights, I just find it easier to read on my Kindle. Thus, I started The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi, but quickly realized I couldn’t give it the full attention it deserves right before I fall asleep, so a couple of nights ago, I started a more gentle topic, The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary by Melissa Harrison. Finally, this morning, upon waking, I decided to start Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Fingers crossed, I can commit to finishing a couple of these soon...
The soundtrack to my past week has undoubtedly been Faouzia, a Moroccan-Canadian singer-songwriter who performs in English, Arabic, and French. She has an incredible voice and some of her songs are really fun, like “RIP, Love” which incorporates sounds from her Moroccan heritage. From experience, her songs are perfect as stress-release dancing opportunities.
I have added a couple of spring pieces to my wardrobe through my favourite secondhand site, ThredUp. A work blazer, a couple of silk shift dresses, and two pairs of lighter material work pants. If you haven’t used ThredUp before and are interested in trying it out (it’s the best!), you can use my link to get 45% off your first order plus free shipping (and I get $40 credit).
For dinner this week, we followed this recipe for a large rainbow veggie sheet pan. The more veggies, the better, and this one has chickpeas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peppers, and cabbage. We alternated eating the veggies with rice and with bread and also changed up the sauces to keep it exciting - sometimes tahini, sometimes the delicious Bachan Japanese BBQ sauce.
On Tuesday evening, I led a site visit for the Young Women’s Giving Council, which I am on. Site visits are conducted with organizations that we have short-listed for receiving funding from us this year and are common in the non-profit/philanthropy world. It is a way for funders to learn more about the organization than what is just on the grant application and to build deeper connections. Our giving council gives small grants to small local organizations, and I always leave the site visits inspired and hopeful. These organizations are often run by just a couple of people with a minuscule budget, yet they are still putting in the work to make a difference in our community.
In May, we will be heading to Normandy, France, for a wedding and are planning on spending some time exploring the region. I have briefly started planning but would love to hear if anyone has any recommendations for this part of France!
How was your week? Anything exciting or interesting happen? Any book recommendations for when I find myself without something to read (hah!)? Would love to hear from you!
Some articles I read and enjoyed this week:
“Opioids Decimated a Kentucky Town. Recovering Addicts Are Saving It.” (The Free Press)
“Fashionably Old: Lyn Slater on Aging With Attitude.” (Lit Hub) I’m interested in reading her new memoir!
“For the Love of Cats in Turkey.” (Sapiens)
“Will Gaza ever recover?” (Foreign Policy)
“Marriage Proposals Are Stupid” (The Atlantic)
“The Iranian female DJs shaking the dance floor and breaking taboos” (BBC)
“The Eternal Scrutiny of Kate Middleton” (The Atlantic)
“The Zombies of the U.S. Tax Code: Why Fossil Fuels Subsidies Seem Impossible to Kill” (NYTimes)
Some podcast episodes I listened to and enjoyed this week:
“The Billionaires’ Secret Plan to Solve California’s Housing Crisis” (The Daily)
“The Economics of Period Poverty” (The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women)
“Why is Mexico City running out of water?” (The Take by Al Jazeera)
“Director Lulu Wang Isn’t Compromising” (Women Who Travel)
“What Is the Role of Philanthropy in Building Stronger Towns?” (Strong Towns)
Thank you for reading! Hope you have a great week! Talk soon! xxx