charles barrow's writing

My summer tbr* shelf.  I set these books aside in June *to be read over the summer. I will often do this, choose a handful of books to be read in the coming months, and I am often spectacularly unsuccessful at sticking with my choices. Earmarking, or, bookmarking, if you will, five books to read in succession, patently ignores the fact that there are shops out in the world dedicated to selling me more books. And it also assumes that I have the willpower to avoid buying said books, and opening one of them instead of one from my existing, carefully curated, selection. What I'm trying to say is that there is very little chance I will actually read through this selection over the summer, and that there will be other titles, not pictured, that I will choose to read (on a whim) instead. This is the quandary of every reader. There are too many books in the world, all vying for our time and attention. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Also, despite knowing all of the above, in th...

Lockdown continues to ease, but not all my anxieties ease along with it. Few aspects of life seem like normal life yet. I wear a mask on the bus, and on the train. I wear a mask in the supermarket. Outside the Apple store an employee wants to take my temperature before I'm allowed to enter. I ask her what will happen if I test positive for a high temperature; will I just be turned away? Will she offer me follow up advice? Counselling? She seems confused by my questions, and doesn't attempt to answer them. I feel bad that I asked her, though I think my questions are legitimate. I feel bad for her that she's out here alone on the frontline, facing people like me who ask awkward questions. I'm not happy but I allow her to take my temperature, and I pass the test, so she asks me to join a queue to get through the front door of the store. I'm vaguely relieved to learn that I'm not being turned away, and that I have no discernible sign of illness, but I don't want...