January 1st to 14th, books and other micellany

I recently finished, abandoned, and started three different books in rapid succession.

Finished: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 

It was a fine book. I understand there is some controversy about it?  There was a lot of Tennis, but I am good at skimming.  The characters were not engagingly flawed like those in Malibu Rising.  Maybe I should read more from TJR. I don't think this book was great, but it was a fine read.  I probably would not recommend it the way I would recommend Malibu Rising.

Abandoned: Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell.   

I got two hours into the 7 hours audiobook and I just couldn't do it.  He had an interesting point about default truth theory - that we default to thinking people are truthful - but he didn't seem to have more to say.  And then, it was just narrative on narrative of sexual abuse.  Maybe it would have pivoted elsewhere if I kept listening, but I try hard to curate my intake away from horrific stories of paedophelia and so listening to him describe Larry Nassar and Jerry Sandusky, then listening to audio versions of victim impact statements... just felt icky.  I know there are horrible people in the world, but at what point does reading transcriptions of horror make someone accomplice to the horror?  This book came recomnded from multiple sources so maybe I've had an odd reaction, but it seemed a bit like a dumber more media flashy version of Thinking Fast and Slow (which I loved).

Started: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

I got this at the library a few weeks ago, and judged it by its cover.  It looked hefty and not interesting. I've recently gotten back into audiobooks so got a copy of this and am actually enjoying it as an audiobook.  I have read a lot around habits recently so some of it seems repetitive now, but probably only from reading other books on habit formation written after this one.  I think it's going to be a good audiobook listen.  

Random Realization: The power of Habit made me realize why I stopped running.  In 2015 I was really into running - I had run clubs 2-3 times a week and did half marathons/10ks fairly frequently (well, maybe 4 half marathons?  But that's a lot for a year).   I was living in Portland at the time and all the run clubs were from local bars.  As soon as I moved back to the UK I stopped running - and I think it's because British run clubs don't run from bars.  I loved going for a run then hanging out with my friends and having a beer.  I needed all those things.  Going for a run then seeing friends was not fun.  Going for a run then having a coffee was not fun.  Run then beer.  Run then beer. Run then beer.  On repeat.  It was great.  I should probably form a better habit than run with beer, but my current habit is "don't run" and I do miss running.  Or maybe I miss beer?  I'll need to read further into the book to find out.

Tis the season to be fever-y: I've come down with another brutal cold/flu/tonsillitis thing.  On Thursday I wondered why the house was so cold, but when the thermostat showed 18c (64f - normal) I wondered if perhaps I was cold.  Having recently bought a thermometer I discovered I was, in fact, 38.8c (102).  I slept for the rest of Thursday and much of Friday.  Friday and Saturday brought on the most sore throat I've had in memory.  Now I'm only worried to see if the kids get this illness.  We had much fun planned for the weekend but I have been majorly useless.  I know I'm generally ill from October to April, but could I be less ill please?  Maybe just a runny nose, not a full on lie-in-bed sad ill?

Have you read any Taylor Jenkins Reid?  What's your favourite?  Do you have any magic cures for sore throats?