crialpaca's recent activity
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
crialpaca Link ParentI was just sick for about 14 days (ten days of 102F fever plus other symptoms throughout). Not covid or anything they test or treat for, just some nasty virus. My normal activity was an hour to 70...I was just sick for about 14 days (ten days of 102F fever plus other symptoms throughout). Not covid or anything they test or treat for, just some nasty virus. My normal activity was an hour to 70 minutes of exercise each day, plus bonus activity on the weekends. I can barely walk up the hill to get my mail with the dog now. I think part of it is depression and lack of motivation (I have a follow up with my doc soon and will be asking for help if needed by that time). But the other part of it is, I feel like my body isn't carrying oxygen the way it was before I was sick. It needs some time. It needs some build up.
So basically the conclusion I've come to is trying to do a significantly lighter version of my previous activity for 2/3 the duration every other day or every two days, and otherwise just move as much as I can. Just moving is tough. Bf and I were doing some home repairs and I got out of breath just climbing the ladder and vacuuming and weeding.
It makes me sad that I'm basically going to have to fight my body to get back to where I was thriving before but I guess that's just how it is now.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - How is it going? in ~books
crialpaca LinkSo I bought this when it was on sale... but I'm still recovering from being sick. I haven't started and may just skip this one and come back to it later (which is what I ended up doing with...So I bought this when it was on sale... but I'm still recovering from being sick. I haven't started and may just skip this one and come back to it later (which is what I ended up doing with Hyperion earlier in the year - still only 4% in, no idea when I'll pick it up for real). I find that reading story collections is always kind of a hard sell for me because I prefer a plot to carry me through the whole work. (Which, saying that, kind of makes me wonder if there are any "concept anthologies" or collections out there like there are concept albums...)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentGiving T Kingfisher a thumbs up, she's very good at incorporating humor into her work! Some of her stuff is a bit horror-y though, so depending on your tastes, it's worth carefully checking what...Giving T Kingfisher a thumbs up, she's very good at incorporating humor into her work! Some of her stuff is a bit horror-y though, so depending on your tastes, it's worth carefully checking what you pick up.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum for future tildes book club. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (book club with coworkers, this one is a bit of a drag to get through...Currently reading: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum for future tildes book club. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (book club with coworkers, this one is a bit of a drag to get through and I'm already late because I was sick). Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher (fun, listening with partner).
Just finished: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. Continuing some series I've started.
Up next: The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King (continuing series), The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (library book club), Exit Strategy by Martha Wells, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (continuing more series).
I have a lot of book clubs and a lot of series going. I'm trying to whittle away at both. It's been harder recently, as work has been more demanding and I haven't been able to listen as much.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentPillars of the Earth was an intense read for me! It almost didn't feel worth it, like there was not quite enough light or goodness to balance the darker aspects. I read World Without End recently,...Pillars of the Earth was an intense read for me! It almost didn't feel worth it, like there was not quite enough light or goodness to balance the darker aspects. I read World Without End recently, and it felt a little more balanced to me.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2025 - Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentI've read Harrison Bergeron (15 years ago), but that's been my only other experience with his work. The amount of levity and irreverence in the writing style of Cat's Cradle irrationally pissed me...I've read Harrison Bergeron (15 years ago), but that's been my only other experience with his work. The amount of levity and irreverence in the writing style of Cat's Cradle irrationally pissed me off and I haven't really narrowed down why. Maybe the style and tone struck me as mismatched to the subject matter? (Because I mean, it by and large was mismatched.) The entire time I was reading the book, I felt like I was inescapably losing time to nonsense. For comparison, I've read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but that didn't provoke the same feelings.
My feelings while reading Cat's Cradle basically precluded my absorption of anything I might have picked up as meaningful beyond a surface reading, so I don't have a lot else to say about it as far as discussion goes.
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Comment on America tips into fascism in ~society
crialpaca Link ParentI read that as "for imposing Texas on us without our consent" and had to do a double take. I needed that laugh today, though!I read that as "for imposing Texas on us without our consent" and had to do a double take. I needed that laugh today, though!
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
crialpaca LinkStill sick, been a full week. No solutions other than knowing 5 things it's not. BUT. My little guy is doing the emergency warm healing bean applications to my legs and I love him. I appreciate...Still sick, been a full week. No solutions other than knowing 5 things it's not. BUT. My little guy is doing the emergency warm healing bean applications to my legs and I love him. I appreciate that he settles in to try to help me feel better.
While you can't see the actual beans in these pics because of the angle of the photo and the application of beans to legs, his beans are all pink. These pics were all taken on different days, as it is best to receive multiple applications of warm beans for best healing results.
Beans:
https://i.imgur.com/YlezOkP.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/bRDzRHz.jpeg
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Comment on Home book cataloguing suggestions in ~books
crialpaca LinkYou could try TheStoryGraph. They can scan ISBNs, you can mark particular books (or editions of books) as owned, and you could create tags for where they're located. You can go to your owned books...You could try TheStoryGraph. They can scan ISBNs, you can mark particular books (or editions of books) as owned, and you could create tags for where they're located. You can go to your owned books and sort them various ways.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentCozy fantasy is very nice! I recommend The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst if you're looking for more! (The Enchanted Greenhouse takes place in snowy winter and it's...Cozy fantasy is very nice! I recommend The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst if you're looking for more! (The Enchanted Greenhouse takes place in snowy winter and it's very much a "curl up with hot chocolate by the fire" kind of read. The Spellshop is, too, but it's more summery.)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, about a third of the way in. It strikes me as similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but make it a romance. I'm hoping it gets...Currently reading: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, about a third of the way in. It strikes me as similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but make it a romance. I'm hoping it gets better, feels very meh right now. I like everybody but the main characters, lol. Also listening to Dune Messiah, only at about 15%, taking a break from that while sick because I don't enjoy having headphones on currently. Same story with A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, which I'm listening to with my partner for our September library book club.
Next up is Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, and... I don't know, after that, maybe I'll finally read something from my own bookshelf instead of the library!
Just finished: Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut for tildes book club. I didn't like the irreverent tone and it made it hard for me to want to keep reading the book. The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent. This was the first book of Carissa's that really flopped for me. I found it way too underdeveloped despite it being almost 500 pages. Just before that, I listened to The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco, which is the second book in a trilogy. I found the first one really frustrating because there are two timelines being told in an alternating fashion, with the one that occurred earlier not actually providing much context for what's happening in present day - and the earlier timeline didn't end at the beginning of the present day timeline in either book, so there's a big chunk of context missing from both books. Some people love it. I hate it. I wish it had just been told in a linear fashion. But now I've read two books so I guess I'll read the third to see how they tie it all together.
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Comment on Share a book you're feeling enthused about in ~books
crialpaca (edited )Link ParentSorry for bringing up such a tiny point in your comment, but I'm curious what you mean by an "American Dirt" version of events? Like maybe as a USA-ian reader we wouldn't have enough education to...Sorry for bringing up such a tiny point in your comment, but I'm curious what you mean by an "American Dirt" version of events? Like maybe as a USA-ian reader we wouldn't have enough education to know if Pachinko isn't a reasonable reflection of possible events?
I think the biggest issue with American Dirt is how it was marketed - this short Slate article kind of sums up what I've heard about it.
...the real problem here: the decision to package and sell American Dirt not as candy, but as fiction that should be interpreted as emblematic...
I read American Dirt recently, and I definitely read it as fiction rather than it being portrayed as anything accurate. Most people who are immigrating aren't going through a version of events that is anything like what is shown in American Dirt. I think the publisher definitely didn't do anyone any favors marketing it as such a heavyweight book.
Anyway, I'm not at all familiar with the setting and I've been becoming more interested in family sagas, so Pachinko might go on the TBR!
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Share a book you're feeling enthused about
So I know we have the biweekly "what are you reading" thread, but sometimes a book will stick with you for a while beyond reading it. I'm curious what those sticky books might be for those who...
So I know we have the biweekly "what are you reading" thread, but sometimes a book will stick with you for a while beyond reading it. I'm curious what those sticky books might be for those who would like to share. Feel free to include an honorable mention if you wish!
For example, I finished reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones pretty recently, and I have a feeling it's going to stick with me for a while. It has a particularly unique flavor of an often-seen paranormal/mythological creature that I appreciated, and the characters developed so much over time that I find myself thinking about it. This book wasn't at all like what I normally read (though I am trying to branch out) and I benefitted from the reading experience more than I expected to. The blurb I got for the book also tells you nothing about the story - it's basically just the hook - and I think that technique worked very well. Interestingly, most of the books I find myself thinking about for a while after I read them are horror books, but I'm not usually thinking about them for their scarier elements.
Honorable mention - Sand by Hugh Howey. I read this a year ago and often find myself recommending it to people who enjoy sci fi. I found the technology (decrepit though it is shown to be) super interesting.
Other books that are feeling memorable for me right now are part of series I'm actively working toward finishing, so I'm not really counting those, as they're called up by their universes every time I dive back in.
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Comment on Do you share your location with your friends? in ~tech
crialpaca LinkI share mine with my partner and his parents since we sometimes go camping in remote areas, and I commute an hour and a half each way via public transportation to work. I'd rather have it on if...I share mine with my partner and his parents since we sometimes go camping in remote areas, and I commute an hour and a half each way via public transportation to work. I'd rather have it on if something happens. But I can't imagine sharing my location with my friends. It's literally only on so partner and his parents can find out where I was last if I don't come home when expected.
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Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
crialpaca LinkMy first car that I bought for me was the first model year of Hyundai Venue (can't remember if it was 2020 or 2021). It turned out to be the last model year where Hyundai/Kia was still not putting...My first car that I bought for me was the first model year of Hyundai Venue (can't remember if it was 2020 or 2021). It turned out to be the last model year where Hyundai/Kia was still not putting whatever the ignition lock thing is in the steering column. By 2023, no one would insure my adorable green apple cubey compact. I traded it to a dealer that would match CarMax quotes. They were convinced I wouldn't be able to get one. The quote I got was for only $4k less than I paid for the car brand new. So I got the trade in credit, got a 2023 Venue which is a much less fun but acceptable blue color and no one has fought me about insuring it. Yet. I have heated seats now, but they actually took features away in the time between the model years (and the new one is the highest trim; the original was the basic) and it still pisses me off.
The first car I ever received was uh... an interesting story. My brother is a mechanic and was just out of high school. He noticed that there had been a car sitting in our neighborhood under a tree for months - a soft top convertible with the windows down, in the Pacific Northwest (it had been there for 8 months by the time he got it). He found out who owned it, bought it for $800, and cleaned it up. It needed a lot of work - it had been ransacked previously, stereo and wheels(?) stolen, dragged onto a tow truck bed in a way that damaged the brakes and whatever was left under the car. The soft top was green instead of the beige color it started as. Then he said to me, who is older than him and was without a license, dealing with depression and having dropped out of college, "this car is yours. You now owe me $800 and will need a job to pay for insurance." He jumpstarted my life with that crappy car. When my grandma handed down her car to my mom and it was my turn to get one of the family cars, my brother worked out a deal to sell the convertible to our insurance agent, who had always wanted that particular model. It still didn't have a stereo.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - How is it going? in ~books
crialpaca LinkI'm at about 10%, reading on my phone in spare moments. The only other Vonnegut work I've read is Harrison Bergeron, which I think is quite different, but it's been so long.I'm at about 10%, reading on my phone in spare moments. The only other Vonnegut work I've read is Harrison Bergeron, which I think is quite different, but it's been so long.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentI just found out about Pete Earley via Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. It seems like he's written a lot of detailed nonfiction work, so I'm going to be on the lookout to see if I can get anything...I just found out about Pete Earley via Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. It seems like he's written a lot of detailed nonfiction work, so I'm going to be on the lookout to see if I can get anything that sounds particularly interesting from the library. Circumstantial Evidence is the book that was mentioned - it was written about one of the main clients that Mr. Stevenson writes about, Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to death for a crime that he couldn't have committed, since he was at a fish fry with 30 witnesses. (There was a lot of wincing while reading Just Mercy.)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (really excited for this, I just picked it up and the writing style seems like it'll be super...Currently reading: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (really excited for this, I just picked it up and the writing style seems like it'll be super engaging), The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi (audio), Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (audio with partner), The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent.
Just finished: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (this was a reread because I've now read 4 or 5 Throne of Glass books and wanted to see if I hated this less now that I'm used to her style. I did hate it less, and I found the print reading experience to be way better than the solo narrator audiobook. I originally gave it a quarter of a star and gave it 3 this time. I still find it problematic but the issues seem way less glaring.). Morning Star by Pierce Brown. World Without End by Ken Follett.
Up next: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez.
My audiobook listening has decreased drastically over the last several weeks. Work has been super heavy on customer interaction, and I can't listen and email at the same time. I also have something like two or three thousand pages to read with my eyes by the end of the month... wish me luck!
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Fall 2025 nomination thread - Books from minority or diverse or disadvantaged perspectives in ~books
crialpaca LinkJust Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. This is nonfiction, sharing Mr. Stevenson's work and the stories of the people he's represented. He's the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in the Southern US,...Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. This is nonfiction, sharing Mr. Stevenson's work and the stories of the people he's represented. He's the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in the Southern US, which has been working to free wrongfully imprisoned people (especially people who have been disadvantaged by poverty, have mental illness or disability, and/or are people of color) and get overly harsh sentences reduced. Not sure if this fits the category, but I thought I would throw this out here.
Same to you!!