🎃🎃🎃

I love Halloween.  The last couple of years though, because of various life reasons, I haven't felt much spirit for it.  (Christmases have been even worse, but I will get into that in December, lol.)  I feel it starting to happen again... stress creeps up, various things pull me down... and I miss out on having fun on what should be one of the most fun days of all.  I really, really want to turn this around.  I want to fix it, but I just... don't really know how.  So I'm doing my best to put on a game face and hope maybe if I tell myself that I'm happy I'll be happy.

I have made an error

So for some reason I got things a little backwards in my planning for the 12 libros 12 meses challenge.  I thought October was bestseller month and November was a famous author from your country.  Turns out it's the other way around.  But I've already checked out the bestseller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for this month... and I hadn't picked my famous American author yet.  Yikes.  BUT... Gillian Flynn is American, and between Gone Girl and Sharp Objects I'd say she is very well known.  So I'm sticking with this book.  And next month I'll try to find another bestseller that also happens to be by an American... that way it'll sort of even out, lol.

a post i promised a loooong ways back

So what have I been so busy with, you ask?  Well, I've talked about my editing work.  I've had a few more projects, including an ongoing one that involves transcribing audio (so I can only do that when I have the front room to myself).  I'm hoping to get lots more editing work, since I'm trying to raise money for the property taxes.  So since I'm trying to make a go of the freelance business thing, I did a five day challenge to learn how to brand and market myself and my services.  Marketing is still super tricky, but I'm trying, lol.  Then I also decided to do an online class about the history of royal fashion -- it's a free course, I obviously love history and historical fashion, and it's something to do with a friend.  I've also been trying to get back to duolingo because my Spanish is rusty af and I hate that, so I want to practice.  All of this, in addition to trying to get to the library from time to time, attempting to have a social life, running a gotdam household, and my requisite 6 hours of depressed crying per day, I've had a lot on my plate lol.  But there are also days when I've kind of taken care of everything that needs to be immediately be taken care of, and I'm just... hanging out.  So I keep busy but also still have nothing but time and I still manage to not get enough done, lol.  I don't get it either!  But you know.  A bitch does her best.

12 meses 12 libros: September: A Study in Scarlet/The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Yes, this is really late.  Life happens though, lol.  The theme for September was a work by a classic author.  That's a pretty broad category, and there are a lot of classics out there I had yet to have a chance to read.  I decided on a Sherlock Holmes book because, despite loving the character and owning a massive collection of the stories for like 20 years I had never actually read any.  (I know, for shame.)  I wanted to read The Hound of the Baskervilles since that is one of the most iconic and celebrated pieces in ACD Holmes canon, but then I also wanted to read A Study in Scarlet, since that was the character's debut and it made sense to start there.  Luckily my library had a copy with both in one volume!

 (I included covers for the version I read as well as individual covers for each story.)I really really enjoyed both these stories.  They're both very different in their plot and pacing, but the tone is consistent between the two.  There were times when I just had to put the book down and sit and think, "Wow.  That was so good!"  I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely be reading more Holmes stories.

I started reading this on September 26 and finished on October 11.  The length of time it took me to read a measly 300 pages doesn't reflect on the quality of the stories... I was just busy, depressed, and also took a couple days off between the two stories to read something else, lol.  Do I not get credit for the fact that it's technically two books though? Lol.

Would I recommend this book to a friend? Of course.

ha

took me until october 11 but i finished my september book, lol.  kinda busy at the moment with various things (i will probably talk about them later... not being cryptic, just don't have time at the moment lol) so i will make my usual post as soon as possible.  hopefully the october book will still be done before the end of the month!