Hello everyone! I’m back!!! First off, thank you all for your supportive comments in my last short weekly update, and I’d like to thank Melanie @ Grab the Lapels for even reaching out to check up on me. We made it work despite me being 12 hours in the future, lol. And also, our conversation made me consider getting back on the blogosphere. Thanks, Melanie!
Second, I’d also like to apologize for not responding to comments in my absence. I wasn’t thinking due to the anxiety and I realize I’ve come off as rude and like I ghosted everyone, and I’m sorry for that. I’ve truly come to cherish this online community and the friends I’ve made here, and I’m afraid I’ve become too absorbed in my own drama! Bleh. Anyway, I hope to catch up with everyone’s posts in the following week.
In the meantime, a few quick updates:
🔹 Things are still going downhill, politically. The founder of another prominent news site was convicted for “cyber libel”, a number of LGBT activists were illegally arrested by the police during Pride, and the terror bill is likely to be passed now. At this point, I’m resorted to daydreaming of migrating to New Zealand. They have a fantastic prime minister, no current COVID cases, and more cows than people. Not that I’m particularly fond of cows, but at least they won’t be electing incompetent leaders into office…
🔹 My mom and I accompanied my brother to the hospital this week and last week due to a medical (but non-COVID!) concern. We thought it was serious, but we’ve just received the last of his ultrasound results this week, and the doctor told us there was nothing to worry about. So, yay!
🔹 I might have mentioned Cat on this blog (yes, that’s really his name) but I realize I’ve never posted pics of him, so here are some Cat pics! He’s been burrowing into random paper bags around the house lately because it’s rainy season here, and more windy than usual. I don’t know if this is normal cat behavior of if it’s just Cat, but I find it very amusing.
What I’m Reading
This week a friend of mine invited me to read Butler’s Parable of the Sower with her. I haven’t been able to concentrate on much lately, but this book is so timely that it’s been holding my attention.
How are you guys?! Are you easing your way back to work and keeping safe? Have you been able to participate in any protests, whether in person or online? Read any books this week? Let me know in the comments!
Gil Reads Books 
glad to see all is going ok with you! i don’t think you should feel bad about not replying to comments, everyone should understand and it makes sense that you wouldn’t if you were taking a little hiatus. i hope things get better over there, and i’m glad to see you’ve got such a sweet kitty keeping you company!
Thank you, I’m really hoping things will change here too. And yes, Cat is the only presence keeping me sane. 🙂
I was so glad to talk to you! It warmed my heart, and I’m so fortunate to have amazing friends. All weekend, I was like, “Gil and I talked about this, and Gil said that.” I’m pretty excitable 🙂 Also, Cat looks like a ghost in that second picture. Those deep, dark eyes!
Now you’ve got me rethinking my experience reading Parable of the Sower. It’s been so many years since I read it. Are you interested in reading the whole trilogy? If you are, let me know and maybe we could do a buddy read.
Same here—I kept telling my brother about what you were talking about (especially how wearing masks is politicized, since we had to make a trip to the grocery over the weekend). I also mentioned it to my mom, and she is very relieved to have “hard evidence” (the call) that you’re a real person, since she still thinks that anyone I meet on the internet is secretly a psychopath. Either that or I’m the psycho. 😂
We were holding out his favorite toy then, a piece of string with a rubber rat attached at the end. He gets like that when he’s focused on ‘catching’ it!
Yes, I’d love that! Although I hope it’s okay that my reading pace has slowed considerably. Is Kindred also part of the trilogy? I wasn’t sure since it didn’t have the same parallelism of titles, lol.
LOL! You’re poor mom thinks you’re going to get eaten by an internet creep! Hi, Gil’s mom 😀 I’ve been talking to the same people on my blog for so long that at this point I don’t care if they’ve made up a whole identity. I still like them.
That’s fine that you’re reading more slowly. Give me an idea of how fast or slowly you want to read, and I’ll match pace with you. Kindred is a stand-alone novel that is also wonderful, but not part of the Sower trilogy.
She just gave me a weird look when I was like, “Melanie says hi.” My brother has accepted your identity (and the others here), though, since when I mention you all he just nods like I’m talking about my friends irl. Win!
I’m still trying to slowly ease myself back into reading, so I’m tentatively setting my pace at one book a month. Would that be okay with you too? I know you’re also juggling the Mercedes Lackey challenge, among other books. 🙂
Oh, heck yes. That would be great. Plus, I need to re-read the first book because it’s been so long. Do you want to read book 2 in August and book 3 in September?
I also talk about internet friends like real-life friends, and Nick is fine with it. We’ve even met some in real life, for real, so they’re actually friend-friends. And I have to say that I want everyone to just accept internet friends. Some of us don’t like to be in-person friends, lol
Yes, that would be perfect! I’m checking the trilogy now, and on Goodreads it seems like there are only two official books listed? And Kindred is also listed here. So we’ll be doing Sower, Talents, and Kindred? 🙂
I laughed at the repetition of “real” and “friends”—“We’ve even met some in real life, for real, so they’re actually friend-friends”! Really getting the point across, lol. And yes, it shouldn’t be so weird anymore to mention meeting friends on the internet. It’s hard enough to find like-minded weirdos irl. 😁
Oh! I don’t know why I thought the Parable books were a trilogy. You’re right; it’s only two books. Kindred is totally separate, but worth reading.
Okay, so I will read Parable of the Sower in July and then we’ll buddy read Parable of the Talents in August.
Yay, sounds great! We can work out the details in July. 🙂
I’m sorry to hear things are still so volatile where you are, but I’m relieved you (and your brother) are okay!
Yay for Cat pics! So cute 🐱
Thanks, Callum! And thank you too from Cat 😺
It’s great to hear from you!! I’m so glad you are okay, even if things are bad politically. I’ll keep you and the Philippines in my thoughts 💛💛 And Cat is so so cute ^__^ One of my cats loves burrowing into paper bags too hehehe
Thanks, Hannah! I really appreciate it ❤️ And thank you, I always get extra flattered whenever people compliment Cat! Oooh, so it’s really a cat thing. 😀 I get so amused that he thinks he’s “hiding” from us when he burrows into the bag. So adorable!
I don’t really want to move to New Zealand but I do think their PM is amazing! And I love that your cat’s name is Cat!
Yes, their PM is fantastic! And thank you—most people get confused when I tell them that it’s just Cat so sometimes they still spell it as Kat, but nope, it really is just Cat 😀
Ugh, I’m so sorry the politics are going downhill, though grateful that you (and your family!) are doing all right so far. No apologies necessary imo for any breaks from posts, comments, etc- it’s important to take care of your mental health before catering to the internet masses! Your friends here will know not to take an absence personally, we just want you to be well! 🙂
Loving the Cat pics, btw, he’s adorable!!
Thank you, Emily! Your comment made me go 🥰🥰 That is very kind of you to say. And thank you on Cat’s behalf! By the way, I noticed you have a new DP 👀—your makeup looks so fierce! It looks amazing on you. 🙂
Yay! We can all use a little boost of positivity these days. 🙂
And thanks so much! (The pic is a few months old, but I haven’t had much chance to get dressed up lately and I was missing it!)
Oh gosh I’m so sorry – I have been a mess at catching up with blog posts and didn’t see your posts about what’s going on there until recently. Sorry this is happening and I sincerely hope things will change. Also hope you’re doing okay. It’s also very sweet of Melanie to check on you!!
Cat is adorable!! So fluffy.
I think I will add Parable of the Sower to my TBR! I just read Kindred and it was fantastic. Looking forward to your thoughts!
No problem! Thanks so much, and I’m doing much better now mentally and emotionally than when the news first broke. Maybe I’m better at desensitizing again, lol.
Thank you ❤ My reading pace is sooooo sloooow now so you might get to it before I do! If you do I'd also love to hear your thoughts!
Probably not! I don’t even have the book yet.. I look forward to read your thoughts some time in the near or far future!
As for desensitizing (I clicked Enter too eagerly before), I get that… news from my country were getting me really really upset and somehow now they only make me sigh. Not entirely comparable to what you’re experiencing, but I feel the same way – that some news should have shocked me more. It’s incredibly discouraging to realize how different it was just a few years ago.
Oh, sorry to hear that you’re also going through something similar 😦 Guess by this point it’s its own horror to notice that we’re getting use to how awful things are. My only hope is that things won’t remain this way and that this will open people’s eyes to elect better leaders in the future.