Howdy! Full disclosure, I forgot today was Monday until about an hour ago, while doing the dishes, so this will be a short post. Anywho, I happened to be chatting yesterday about my love of foreign literature. Simply put, I've read enough North American and Western European novels where I perceive them as predictable. In a very Chekhov's gun's sort of way, if it's worth mentioning in Western lit, it will tie into the plot. That tendency, and some patterns in plot structure, are a little too familiar for me at this point. I don't mind Western lit but it's refreshing when I don't feel like I can guess what's coming up next. Asian, South & Central American, African Literature aren't as familiar, don't feel predictable, and I find that enjoyable.

Yes, I like learning about other cultures, different ways of thinking, and I think it's wise to choose to learn about the "other," whomever that may be. Who wants a narrow perspective? But mostly, I like reading foreign literature because it's entertaining. The stories meander differently, the pacing isn't what I grew up with, and it's a pleasant change. Sure, they can be an adjustment. If you've seen the film, My Neighbor Totoro, if might feel slower, meandering, like there isn't a plot, only there is, it's just not so obvious. Especially after a lifetime of watching Hollywood films, but a few Miyazaki films later and the shift is charming.

So I guess, if you're in a reading rut, maybe step beyond what you know, what you grew up with, and you might stumble upon something you really like. Thanks for stopping by! I drop a new blog post every Monday! Toodles!

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Howdy! I was supposed to return from New York to Texas this past week after a fun family trip upstate. Unfortunately, due to the Crowdstrike outage, Delta cancelled my flight home. Replacement flights were between $700-$2000 the day of, and I was supposed to return to New York in a couple of weeks anyway, for a birthday trip to Ohio with my nephew, so I'm sticking around. I'll be less productive here (Got to squeeze in family time while I can!), and there won't be any wood burnings, but I'm continuing to edit Soul Walker, my paranormal women's fiction novel. I am adding to the story idea list, as well. Vacations tend to be good for creative thinking.

While I was upstate, I also got to paint with my niblings, which was fun.

Today I began another watercolor while doing art with the niblings. Here is my work in progress. I'll knock out some more watercolors while I'm here.

I finished reading We Have Always Lived In The Castle, by Shirley Jackson. It was very enjoyable. I picked it up expecting a surreal horror story, strange fiction, and it unfolded into a mini family saga revolving around a murder.

Anywho, thanks for stopping by! I drop a newsletter every Monday! Toodles!