Long Overdue Caul Baby Update

Intro:

Whew. Hey y’all. It’s time for a long overdue update on Caul Baby.

So, May has absolutely flown by. I distinctly remember sitting at HiWire back in April, chatting with Jim about this, that and the other, all the while smugly thinking about just how much time I had to get Caul Baby finished up. Le sigh. I am engrossed in the book. There are just so many distractions and so much wonderful (and, to be honest, not so wonderful) content to consume. We’re living during a bonanza of content creation – though perhaps that will slow down a bit until the writers’ strike gets resolved.

At the end, I’ll list all the various ways I’ve procrastinated on my reading. The list is extensive, I promise. It should be noted, however, that I am 47 years old and am an accomplished master of distraction. 😛

About the Book:

I am about 30% of the way through the book and I find myself almost viscerally connecting with Hallow. A child that is “special” and treated differently by their adults. A child that has difficulty forming relationships with peers, either because of structure of their home life or because they would rather spend time seeking their adults’ approval.

A friend of mine recently reminded me that W.E.B. Dubois had written a piece on the idea of “the caul,” as it pertains to second sight. I think he was the first to really formalize the idea of code switching, at least in an academic way. The idea of living in two worlds, having two sets of perceptions, having two identities…I’m really curious to see whether or not this idea is pervasive throughout the novel or is it more an accident of language.

I’ll commit to getting to 70% by the end of this week. Keep an eye on our Storygraph for updates. Create your account and give us a follow on the platform. The account is free and the platform was created by a woman of color. Better than giving your reading habits data to Amazon, right? You can pick the book up this week for free, front door delivery this Thursday from our revamped website.

Jerry’s List of Approved Distractions:

Movies and Long Form Sci-Fi:

1. Honor Among Thieves – classic caper movie set in the rich, fictional world of Faerun. This is the home world/continent of much of the lore from Dungeons and Dragons. 10/10
2. Schmigadoon – It is unlike anything I have ever seen on TV. I’m a musical theater fan because of Erin, and it was awesome to pick out the stylings of different composers from different eras of musical theater. It is on Apple TV. 10/10
3. The Ant-Man movie – I honestly don’t understand the hate for this movie. It was an Ant-man movie – not high cinema. I watched it on Disney+. I missed the theatrical release. It was fine. I wouldn’t seek it out for a second watch though. 6/10
4. Power – an adaptation of a standalone novel (we don’t have it unfortunately but you can get it here) that is airing on Amazon Prime. As a cis-het man, if you don’t consider your relationships with all women in a different light after a couple episodes, then you have serious work to do. I’ve not started the book yet. I won’t add to my list of distractions. 12/10
5. Silo – on Apple TV+, an adaptation of a series of books, Silo is a sort of dystopian mystery set in a…micro-civilization (I can’t think of a better word at the mo)? They all live in a massive silo – I love getting a sense of scale from random bits of dialogue. Characters have complained about taking one whole day to walk downstairs and get a hotel room in order to have a meeting with people who live below. Bro. Just call, amirite? Anyway, I’m 100% hooked. 12/10

Reality TV and Junk Social Media:

1. Race to Survive Alaska – it is a reality show that follows adventure racers and survivalists through a lot of tough and in some cases (previously) untouched Alaskan backcountry. It is on Hulu. I don’t know why I’m still watching it but…8/10
2. Various short form video, social media platforms – like hours and hours and hours…gone. 😥  but…12/10

Other Books:

1. Skin of the Sea – I am listening to this book when I’m driving around town, so I don’t know if it precisely counts. We have actually have this in our store. It’s one of our bestsellers, so I thought I should know it a bit better. It’s worth the distraction. 12/10
2. The Priory of the Orange Tree – I freakin’ love it. I’m about halfway through this book. I don’t think it should count though because I only  read it when I’m in the doctor’s office waiting for an appointment. 12/10

Habits and Everything Else:

1. OUR GARDEN! The featured image is a pic of of our lavender plant in our garden tower . We have been haphazardly documenting the growth of our backyard projects that started during COVID lockdown really over on The Roasted Bookery’s Instagram page.
2. Playing Dungeons and Dragons – like hours and hours and hours…gone 😆 also…12/10
3. Daydreamin’ – that says it all. 15/10