Stats and books

Me, after submitting my final assignment

I survived Statistics! Hurrah! I wouldn’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it as much as I expected to (being a pessimist is pretty cool like that). The final week of the subject was a hard slog, but that was mostly because I’d borrowed two books from the library in preparation for my break, and then I naughtily started reading one (“I’ll just take a peek at the first few pages, so I can then look forward to getting into the rest of the book next week!” – it seemed like such a solid plan). It just so happened that the book I’d chosen to dabble in was a crazily-addictive page-turner (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn), so the following day when Alan told me he wanted to have a nap while Hazel was sleeping, I let him know that, being the selfless and loving wife I am, I would sacrifice my study time that afternoon so that he could snooze for as long as he needed to (the desk is now in our bedroom). “You could move your laptop to the lounge room?” he suggested, but I shooshed him and sent him off to bed, then I grabbed my novel, made myself comfy on the couch, and read like mad for the next two hours, and then that night I continued to read instead of studying, and then when Hazel went to bed the next day I finished it off. Delayed gratifi-what now? GIVE ME THE MARSHMALLOWS.

Anyway, I enjoyed the reading again so very much that I then started on my second book (The Spare Room by Helen Garner), and it was so short and such a pleasure to read that I finished that one a couple of days later. So then I had to go onto the library site and choose another couple of books to read during my break, and then I had to try to shake my head back into study mode in order to finish my assignment. (It’s now in, and I’m blogging because I have no book to read.)

I liked Gone Girl, although I didn’t quite understand why Nick did the things he did, which left me feeling a little unsatisfied (I’m trying to be vague enough to give nothing away, and specific enough to actually be saying something; apologies if I’ve failed at either). I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 chewed fingernails. 

As for The Spare Room, I really enjoyed it. 4.5 out of 5… teatowels(...?). I want to wax lyrical about Helen Garner’s writing, but I haven’t written for so long I’m in no shape for either waxing or lyricising. Garner is brilliant (as I’ve said before). I’ll leave it at that.