Sitting Shiva for a Book

I just finished listening to Helene Wecker's novel The Hidden Palace, the sequel to her The Golem and the Jinni.

I loved both books so much.

I've decided to take a seven day hiatus before seeking out my next audiobook.

I need time to mourn.

And I don't want to make another book my rebound book.

Plus...thanks to an article and podcast episode from The Times of Israel, I actually have an idea for my own novel or series that I'm very excited about.  I haven't been this excited about an idea since 2014 when I wrote The Dead are Online.  (More on that later...maybe)

Because of my excitement over my own idea, it will be hard to concentrate on someone else's story.  I need a lot of extra day-dreaming time.

And I need to mourn for the genie and the golem...and all their friends.

* * *

Backstory: I had an autistic-style crisis when Random.org picked Helene Wecker for me from my long list of authors.  

I mean after I saw that the audio book was 19 hours!

Shit.  I stress about 10 hour books.

I have this rule that I need to finish a book by the library's due date. Though in the back of my mind, I knew I could probably renew it.

I had a brain crisis over whether to pre-divide the book into my reading assignments over two weeks...or plan to renew and divide the book over four weeks.  

I decided to take the four weeks.

But I felt uneasy about it.

* * *

My hope was to find an excuse not to read the book.

I looked for evidence that Wecker was one of those Jews who hates Israel.

Did she sign the petition?

No. Fuck.

Okay, I told myself. Fine. But if I find the book boring or annoying within listening to the first three chapters, I can quit and find a new book.

A much shorter book.

* * *

The book pulled me in immediately.

And never let go.

I finished listening to the whole 19 hours before it was time to renew.

I renewed the second book...read it a bit slower.  It wasn't because the second book was less wonderful.  It's more the fact that the best way for me to concentrate on an audiobook is to listen while doing mindless gardening work. 

During the listening of the second book, it was too cold.  

Too cold=less gardening=less listening time.

Still...even though I renewed it, I think I actually finished it before the original due date.  

 * * *

It wasn't just the length that made me not want to read it.

I'm very nervous about fantasy books.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE some of them.

But with other fantasy books...books that other people love....I'm bored.

Also: I tend to like the idea of cultural mythology in theory.  Yet a lot of times...when I tried to read about it in depth, I get bored.

Wecker's series is much more history and character driven than mythology-driven.

And there's a lot of food description...which I love.  And it takes place in NYC...which I love.   In those two ways, it reminds me a bit of The All of a Kind Family series.   

Well...three ways.  Also, the Jewish aspect.