The Left Hand of Darkness [Ursula Le Guin]

I sort of enjoyed this. Which made me sad as I know I really, really enjoyed it when I read it as a teenager. Whereas now it just seemed life a fantasy journey novel with some admittedly really interesting philosophy and gender politics. It took me a few gos to finish it. Then I realised it was published nearly half a century ago and things may not have changed enough but they have at least changed a good deal.

I think if I bear that in mind, it's a bit of a classic. Just one of those ones that's "of its time"

The axis calls and sometimes I repeat the things it says to me

I had a good weekend. Regrouped with old friends. Made new friends. Visited nice places.

Edgbaston Reservoir was the dystopian joy of my dreams in the shadowless blast of hot May sunshine. You can walk right around the reservoir, with welcome shady bits. And buy a veggie sausage sandwich from the café near the entrance. And from the angle above, looking towards the dam and city, it looks like an infinity pool with the twin futuristic towers of Brum looming above the brink.

I feel the need to redefine my edges with travel, I think. I want to revisit Amsterdam. I want to discover Exmoor. More relevantly to now, I want to go and see the Mappa Mundi in Hereford. I need to dig my travel notebook out and explore and plan and ideaweave again.