February 2025 Thoughts Archive
February has often been a complicated month for me. Notions of should, notions of want versus what is, can stir healthy reflection. The years pass and I can say a peace with what is has become part of the month of February. Self knowledge is a gift with the passing of years and not to be disdained. Though peace does not mean complacency. It just frees one up to enjoy each day.
I am still midway on The Hidden Palace. It is the sequel to The Golem & The Jinni, which I enjoyed quite a bit. I’m about 7 hours in, and I’ve about 9 to go. Although I purchased the hardback, I am listening to a library copy. It is not LGBTQ in any way so far (I’m only mentioning this because this site typically focuses on LGBTQ novels). I’ve been struggling a bit to maintain interest in the sequel. It is well written in many respects and not uninteresting, but it truly captures the tedium of years passing, Things happen to the characters we got to know in the first book, choices are made… and because I came to enjoy the characters in the first book, I am interested enough to know what happens to those characters. But it just moves at a glacial pace. Far too many characters and these shorthand peeks into their lives over many years starts to feel a little random… like there is no actual plot that holds the book together. I am choosing to believe that the book will gain some sort of sense eventually.* But I have been distracted along the way and have read a number of other books when I take breaks from this one.
One of the challenges of reading a lot of books in one genre is that over time, even if the different books have their own charms, it starts to all feel a little similar. It is not very interesting to live in a literary ghetto. It is good to get outside your regular neighborhoods. Like tasting wines, you need a palate cleanser every so often. So I read a much wider range of books than I post here.
Best of wishes with your February.
* Later Edit: I’ve finished The Hidden Palace and my opinion of the book has changed dramatically. It is a great book. I absolutely recommend it if you enjoy the first book. BUT I’d suggest that you read this book instead of listen to this book. The reader does a solid job, but personally my reading comprehension is significantly better when I read rather than listen. This is a book in which you need to time to absorb the content. This story has a lot of characters and a lot of small happenings over a long time that build to a pretty big climax. I would have been more engaged with the storytelling if I had read this. After finishing the book I went back to read passages to find clarity on plot points and the story became a lot more compelling.
