I'm not ok ... looking for book recommendations that will chase the blues away

@nadi I hope that you're feeling a bit more okay than you were a couple of days ago.

Hi @Nadi. I spent last summer reading all of Maggie Alderson's books. And loved them! They are not difficult, a meaty length without being too long, and highly engaging. They get dismissively categorised as 'chic lit', but I call them good stories which have women as the main character. I bought them all in op shops so if you're not in Melbourne you should be able to lay your hands on them easily. Very, very diverting. K xox

Hi, 
Sorry to hear things are hard for you at the moment . I’m reading a futuristic Gothic space thriller at the moment , ‘Gideon the Ninth’, which is kinda fun. It’s written by an author from New Zealand called Tamsyn Muir https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42036538

I can also recommend Neil Gaiman’s
‘Stardust’ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793
and also ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514
and his take on myths  ‘Norse Mythology’

Thanks @Nadi for your encouragement. Must look out for online jigsaw puzzles. And a bit of Bach couldn’t hurt.

Hi @arpie thanks for your thoughts and the reading suggestions. The IV antibiotics are working and the swelling to my face has gone down a lot today. They have suggested that my lymphoedema and a poor immune system can cause recurrent cellulitis in different areas. They have also told me that if I keep getting stung (I got 4 stings 2 weeks ago) I could develop quite a bad bee allergy that may require an epi pen, so my neighbour has agreed to move his hive further away from my veggie garden.  I took antihistamine within 5 minutes of being stung, swelling didn't come up until 2 days later. Last bouts of cellulitis were caused by 1. a dog bite (friend's puppy nipped me) 2. a scratch from a branch while getting my home bushfire ready and 3. mosquito bite on leg. So I guess I am just really unlucky.

Hope you are well, and thanks for the recs, Nadi

Aren't you the dark horse @Nadi ! I have great respect for anyone who can start writing a story and actually finish it.

A girlfriend and I had a go at churning out light romance back in the 80s; remember they used to have story guides in the back of the books encouraging writers to try their luck? The lure of a couple of hundred bucks was pretty enticing for poverty stricken uni students.  Let's just say that we always ended up a bit off topic and there was no way any reputable publisher would have touched them. Too much sex altogether, well before the racy versions were a thing. We certainly entertained our friends having 'readings,' but then everyone was always completely off their chop on something or other so I doubt that was an endorsement of our literary skills  :)

Romances are not my usual choice, I only read them when I'm poorly. I've got a thing for Scandi Noir at the moment, but don't ask me for recommendations. I can hardly remember my phone number, let alone an author's name.

Hi @Zoffiel, long time no speak. I have a confession to make. I used to write regency as well as scottish highlander historical romance fiction!!! I read Mills and Boons as a young teenager and got hooked on the romance genre. After I had my first son I started to write seriously. I never made money from it. But I did belong to a writer's group of 5 women, one of whom became VERY successful and took her fanfic stories and made them into novels which became films. Sadly, once she got to be very successful I never heard from her again which is understandable as we weren't all that close, more of an acquaintance, but other members of our little writing group who I was closer to came out from the US to stay with me which was great. Eventually I switched to online UST fanfic for a few sites and at my peak I had a fan base of over 10,000 which was both wonderful and stressful. In the end the pressure from fans and deadlines became too much and I no longer enjoyed it so I gave it up. I don't have the cognitive ability to write like that anymore, but I still read romance fiction. Tessa Dare, Loretta Chase (who specialises in bodice ripping westerns!), Karen Ranney, Lorraine Heath, Sophie Jordan, Carole Matthews, Pamela Clare, are some of my favourites. But my all time favourite is Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series - talk about hot hot hot Scottish highlanders !!! in my opinion Karen is much better than Diana Galbaldon's Outlander series, although I do love Sam Heughan as Jamie on the tv adaptation. Romance novels definitively offer a great escape from everyday woes. I think there are many women who enjoy romance fiction but may not like to admit it, but I am an out and proud romance reader! 

All the best

Hi @Blossom1961. Thanks for the hugs, appreciate that. Any type of genre. I am not really picky and I have diverse tastes if it is a good read. I too do jigsaws everyday. I use an online jigsaw program offered by David Gray at www.jigsawgalore.com this way I have the space (as opposed to laying large jigsaw mats on my dining room table) and I can still do them when I am away from home like in hospital. Thanks for the suggestion.

All the best, Nadi

Thanks @LizetteH. I hadn't read the Dalai Lama's Cat but your suggestion prompted me to get a sample from the Amazon Kindle store. Interesting concept. The part where HHC follows Tenzin into the first aid room to have lunch and he listens to Bach's Prelude in C minor reminded me I used to play that piece on piano 20 years ago. I haven't touched a piano in 10 years. This simple thing gave me the idea to start playing again. So a great outcome from your suggestion. And I will definitely be buying the book to see how the story turns out. I am sure there are a lot more things to teach me. 

I know that everything is overwhelming in the beginning. I promise you that some things get easier. Thanks for the suggestion and all the best with your treatment.

Nadi

Hi @Cath62 - I do do have a gratitude journal but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping at the moment. I have ordered  paint by numbers kit from paint plot which I hope will help with the mindfulness. I already do jigsaws everyday. Wishing you the best for your treatment.

Thanks, Nadi