If your care giving duties allow you time to read.....................I'm interested in what book you are in the middle of or just finished or have waiting on your bedside table.
I'm reading "Total Control" by David Baldacci
It's a crime/thriller drama. Quite compelling.
If you can't find the time to read, you should try. It helps to escape from it all in a good book.
I like the old Victoria Holt book too. She used to also write under the pen-name Jean Plaidy too. She wrote some interesting books that were royal historical fiction.
Currently when I get the chance to read, I'm discovering the work of Phillippa Gregory. I love it.
the Avatar: the return of the Ancients & the future of America.
I think it's a continuation of his previous book 'Return of the Gods'.
"After years of working as a data scientist, Stephen J. Shaw uncovered a striking global pattern: in country after country, birthrate decline was following nearly identical paths, yet no one had connected them to a common underlying factor. What began as a personal quest — to better prepare his own teenage children for the new era ahead — grew into a nine-year investigation across 24 nations, combining hard data with human stories. His motivation has been simple: to bring awareness to this silent crisis of falling birthrates before it reshapes our societies beyond repair."
These reason people need to pay attention to this issue is that it is not going to be easily solved and it involves (currently) all countries except sub-Saharan Africa, which is slightly behind the rest of the world, but is on the same trajectory nonetheless.
Knowing the impact of this issue may help young people to better plan their careers (teaching? forget it: in Japan schools close amost daily), small business (old people don't spend money), and plans for marriage and childrearing.
One fact supported by the math and data is that the longer a woman waits to have children (approximately 27), the higher the likelihood she never will. The "window" of opportunity is much sooner and shorter than previously believed, for various reasons.
Another short YouTube video I thoroughly enjoyed was "A Mediocre Samurai Describes Real Life in Historical Japan". It is a reading from an actual samurai's diary/memoirs from the 1800s with some visuals and graphics but it's mostly audio.
And this one:
"Japanese Castaway Gives First Description of USA (1852) // Incredible Story of John Manjiro", which I found so interesting because of how terrible his own Japanese people treated him (and each other) and how well the Americans treated him -- a total and "exotic" stranger. He had nothing bad to say about them. Read from his own words from his diary and memoirs.
In this wonderful (but VERY TOUGH) book, the battle with cancer is not won. Over time Tony does lose his beloved wife. But their facing down the disease is a remarkable story in just exactly what the diagnosis, treatment, and life-journey with metastatic stage IV cancer can be/often is.
I highly recommend this tough book if you are ready to take a tough journey through a disease and a medical system that can work miracles, but at a cost. In this book, while the cancer is held at bay, the side effects of the treatment of it let you know that this choice to battle IS a choice, and takes great fortitude and acceptance, and requires tremendous sacrifice from our caregivers.
Reminiscent of the Elena Ferrante Brilliant Friend series but not copycat by any stretch.
The 50 year old smoking, drinking, heroine was shot in the stomach and then went into cardiac arrest. Four months later she is chasing a villian, climbing high fences, running him down and cuffing him. Pretty resilient I say!!! It's very popular in the UK and will be made into a TV series.
I guess we all need a little fantasy.
The main characters name is Alva
He also wrote "The Midnight Library" a great statement on the futility of regret. I am now on to another of his called "Humans".
The Marmalade Diaries
The True Story of an Odd Couple
By Ken Aitken.
During covid shutdown in England Mr. Aitken availed himself of NHS Britain's program Care and Share, in which a young person, for a very reasonable (indeed small) rental can move in with an elder who wishes to stay in the home, but who would like a companion present at times: details to be worked out by the individuals.
Why or why or why do we not have such programs in our country.
Entertaining, enlightening and just plain GOOD FUN, is this read.
I heard Michelle on a recent podcast, promoting her book (late 2024 release) which documents the caregiving journey of her Mom, who battled Lewy Body Dementia. I normally seek out other genres for greater escape, but something told me to grab this one quick. Why? Because Michelle uses something I rarely come across in caregiving and, admittedly, have also forgotten to seek out…HUMOR. How healing it is to be able to laugh at the brutality of cognitive decline, even if only momentarily. She does it in a way that is respectful and relatable. I laughed and cried my way through. I appreciate her gift of writing and the reminder that love and laughter are still the best medicine.
I am going to take Alva's advice -- Havoc is next on my list.