August 10, 2022

Day 5 Update (however many days later) and The Orphan Collector - a book review

 Raise your hand if you are surprised I actually remembered to come back and tell you how this story played out?  AND that I've got another book review?

I don't blame you, I'm kind of surprised too, if the truth be told.

Turns out the AC was not dead dead (yet).  The service technicians said they would be out between 8-11 am this past Monday (of course).  They showed up around 8:20 am and were in and out of here in less than five minutes.  Turns out the capacitor (look at me acting like I know what that is!) needed to be replaced.  They had the part on the truck, took the old one off, plugged the new one in and here we are - fully air conditioned.

Although, thanks to our sweet neighbor's willingness to share their fans/stand alone and window units; we were never in any actual discomfort.

But still, the demise of the AC is a cloud on the horizon - but we won't worry about it for now.  

Moving on...

The Orphan Collector: A Heroic Tale of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic by Ellen Marie Wiseman.

Stellar reading...if you are into reading about a previous pandemic all while living through an actual, current day pandemic (or two - if you count monkeypox; which honestly, just HOW much do we have to deal with at one time?).

I'm not even going to post the whole description (which you can find in that link up there).  Just remember how terrifying the beginning of our current day pandemic was.  We had no idea - should we be washing our groceries?  Should we touch the mail?  Every person we came across could be harboring disease.  That is exactly how this story unfolds - they are afraid and with good reason.

The story centers around a thirteen year old girl and a bitter, grief stricken woman and how their lives tragically intersect over and over through the years.

I found and read this book through Prime Reading (which, if you aren't familiar, if you have a Prime account there are books that you can read for free on a device with a Kindle or Kindle app - or you can actually buy a copy.  Or check with your local library) and read this on a device - which I normally don't prefer but it comes in handy every once in a while.  And I tore through this "book" (can I call it a book if I didn't physically hold it?) and was so invested in the story that I regaled The Husband with the plot over lunch one day - and the kicker?  He actually listened and found it fascinating.

22 comments:

  1. Gigi,
    So glad to hear that the AC wasn't completely dead and that it's now fixed! Without too much trouble! Yay! Also, how are you reading these books so quickly? That sounds like another great read. Mona

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    1. Mona, I will read the back of a cereal box, if necessary (truly). Finally, getting access to the library - I'm like a kid in a candy store.

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  2. So glad it was a quick fix! Hoping you get many more years out of the unit!

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    1. I doubt we'll get years (it's well over 20 years old already) but any quick fix is a win.

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  3. HOORAY for the return of air conditioning!! Yay! And it is always nice to delay a major expense. That books sounds fascinating, but I am not ready yet to read about pandemics. Someday. Right now I am too busy avoiding news stories about monkeypox and some new virus discovered in China. No thank you.

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    1. I'd suggest you put it on your To Be Read List for when life doesn't involve all kinds of scary viruses because it's really good.

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  4. I have only heard of a capacitor being mentioned in Back to the Future (flux capacitor) and didn't realize it's a real thing! Congratulations on getting it fixed so quickly, even if it's temporary. :-)

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    1. Who knew it was a real, live actual thing? Now we know.

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  5. We had the very same problem with our AC years ago. We were so happy when that was all it needed! Thanks for the book info. I'm still trying to get into the book I already have waiting for me. I just can't seem to get with it to read lately.

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    1. I know the feeling. I've gone through reading slumps before but then you find that one book that grabs your imagination and you are off to the races.

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  6. Oh, quick-and-simple a/c fix is a winner! I'm not able to face a pandemic story right now, though if you like nonfiction, I recently read and really liked The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold--unless you read it, and recommended it, and that's where I heard about it? Perhaps?? Because I can't remember where I read about it, but it was really good.

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    1. It wasn't me that recommended it; but I will definitely look into it. Although, I am more into fiction (The Orphan Collector was fiction, I believe) I do enjoy a good non-fiction book now and again.

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  7. Hooray. Those simple fixes are just the best feeling (and always easiest on the pocketbook - though maybe this was covered under warranty).

    Enjoy the cool air :)

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    1. It was covered under the warranty - the only thing we had to pay was the initial fee for scheduling the service. We've definitely been enjoying the cool air as this week has been particularly hot and humid.

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  8. I was going to say that I am NOT going to read that book, but then you said it was free on Prime so...maybe? I'm so glad your AC was fixed!

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    1. It really is a good book - as a fellow bookworm, I think you might like the plot line behind the whole pandemic issue.

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  9. Yes, I know about those AC capacitors. Wiley little things that are your best friend until the whole system goes kaput. I didn't know about Prime Reading, though. News to me, we have both the account and the kindle. Thanks for the info

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    1. I'm so happy that I was able to give you the gift of Prime Reading! I just happened to stumble across Prime Reading about two years ago - had no idea it was included with a Prime account. I don't use a Kindle, but I have the Kindle app on my computer/tablet and read that way. It seems the titles available change randomly. But it basically works like a library - you can only have so many books out at once; but you can hold onto them - seemingly - forever as long as you return one before you get another.

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  10. Patience above! A defunct AC in AZ is considered an emergency like a burst pipe.

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    1. If our neighbors hadn't lent us two mobile units, we probably would have had to stay at a hotel because it would have been way too hot to stay.

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  11. yay for a working a/c! We had a capacitator got out before too. I still don't know what the heck it is.
    The book sounds very interesting.

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    1. Me either - all I know is it is working! I did enjoy the book quite a bit.

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