Ridding and Reading

We made it through the month of April, with its heavy rains that caused massive flooding which invaded basements, washed out roads, destroyed bridges, created deep sinkholes, and threatened dams. Unlike others that had to deal with flood damage, we were unaffected by it because we live on a hill. Fortunately, EJ encountered no deep water problems between home and work. I feel for people still dealing with the aftermath of the storms.

Instead of putting in a garden this year, EJ and I have decided to spend the summer concentrating our efforts on “döstädning,” which is a Swedish practice of gradually decluttering to get rid of unnecessary possessions. We began this last weekend. Every year in early May our township holds a “Spring Clean Up Day,” on which they allow residents to bring unwanted items–furniture, appliances, and so forth–that they crush and have hauled away for free. Well, I’m sure our taxes pay for it, but there’s no extra charge. Dumps charge a lot of money to drop off unwanted furniture/items so Clean Up Days are a blessing. This year Clean Up Day was Saturday, May 2nd.

EJ took Friday off work so we could spend all day getting items together. Beginning early in the day, he took the topper off the truck and then we started loading it. We had a lot to get rid of this year: JJ had left behind his mattress and box springs, a microwave, an office chair, and an old dresser that he said he didn’t want. We wanted to get rid of our old recliner which we took out of the living room so we could fit in JJ’s couch (actually sort of a double recliner). He had bought the couch new just a few months before he decided to move to Alaska and it was much too nice to donate so he gave it to us. We told him we’d keep it for him and would give it back to him if he ever wanted it. We also had our own guest bedroom mattress and box springs to get rid of. We had originally planned to list them on Facebook Marketplace (for free) because they were in excellent condition, but when Hannah Joy got sick we dragged it into the living room so we could lay with her because she didn’t want to be alone. She soiled it so we had to get rid of it. We loaded these things in the truck, and threw in the pieces of our old couch, a lot of empty poultry feed bags, and many other things. Our pickup was stuffed to the gills. EJ drove to the drop off place early Saturday morning, about a half hour before the specified start time, but already there was about 25 vehicles lined up ahead of him. EJ came home with an empty truck! AND we have a bit more empty space in the garage. It felt like such a victory.

Next, at some point, EJ wants to load the truck up with steel items to take to a place (junk yard?) where he can probably get a bit of money for it. That will give us even more space in the garage. The things we are storing for JJ is taking up about a fourth of the garage. I have a feeling that we will end up donating most of his things because it will be much more expensive to transport them to Alaska than to replace them. He’s not yet ready to let us donate the items though.

After dumping off our truckload of unwanted things, we rested for the remainder of the day. The rest of the weekend we spent working on our To Do List. We make a new list every week of things we want to get done during the weekend. This helps us not forget the tasks and also reminds us of everything we’ve accomplished. Anything we don’t get done gets put on the next list, although we’ve been getting most tasks crossed off each week. One of the things we crossed off our list was to contact a new roofer since it has been a month since we have heard anything from the roofers we had planned to use, even though the guy said he’d be out to measure the roof. The new roofers we contacted is an established company (rather than someone just starting out) with high reviews. They immediately scheduled a time to come look at the roof: This coming Monday.

When not working hard on our To Do List, I started reading one of the books that I had recently bought at our library book sale. Whenever I read a historical novel, I like to research how historically accurate it is. I’ve found that the better the author, the more research he/she does, the more accurate the historical setting is in the book, the more interesting the story is, and the more I learn. I end up learning a lot of history this way. Grok (X’s AI) is particularly good at helping me research history. I started out saying to Grok:

“I’m reading a novel by Ann Swinfen called The Bookseller’s Tale. The main character is a bookseller in Oxford, England, in 1353. Can you tell me the historical events that would have taken place at that time and location? Also, can you describe the job of a bookseller?” Grok began “In 1353, Oxford was a university town recovering from the Black Death (which hit Oxford hard from late 1348 into 1349), amid the ongoing Hundred Years’ War under Edward III.” Grok (He? It?) went on to describe in more detail the Post-Black Death recovery, university life and “Town vs. Gown” tensions (mentioning the St. Scholastica’s Day riot in February 1355), broader historical events in England, daily life in Oxford, and the life of a bookseller at that time. Grok concluded with “This made a bookseller an ideal protagonist for a medieval mystery—well-connected, literate, mobile around Oxford, and interacting with both town and university figures. The novel appears to draw accurately on these details for its setting. If you’re enjoying it, the series continues with more Oxford medieval mysteries! Let me know if you’d like recommendations for similar historical fiction or more specifics.”

I asked Grok for recommendations and he shared a list of books, adding: “These picks emphasize intelligent protagonists, detailed historical settings (plague recovery, university/town life, trades, or scholarly worlds), and mystery plots without excessive gore. Many readers who enjoy Swinfen also like the atmospheric, character-focused style of Peters or Gregory. If you prefer a particular angle (e.g., more Oxford-focused, female protagonists, stronger plague elements, or non-mystery medieval fiction), let me know for more tailored suggestions!“

I thanked Grok for the recommendations, telling him that I already own, read, and enjoyed the Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom, which was on his list. He responded with: “I’m glad the historical details and recommendations hit the mark! It’s always satisfying when a novel sparks that deeper dive into the real history, just like you’re doing with Swinfen’s series (and as you did with Sansom). The Shardlake books are excellent—Matthew Shardlake is such a compelling, introspective protagonist, and Sansom does a masterful job weaving in the religious and political upheavals of the Tudor period. That same thoughtful blend of personal story and broader historical forces is something Swinfen captures well in the 14th century too. Enjoy the rest of the Oxford Medieval Mysteries! Nicholas Elyot and his world should keep feeding that curiosity nicely. If you want more context on any of the later books in her series, deeper dives into specific aspects of medieval Oxford life (like the book trade, university curriculum, or daily routines), or even nonfiction recommendations to pair with the reading, just let me know. Happy reading! 📖”

I also asked Grok to tell me more about the impact of the Black Death in Oxford, the St. Scholastica’s Day riot, as well as what a Book of Hours and a bestiary were, both of which are mentioned in the novel. I asked if he could find me a simple map of Oxford from the time of the novel. (I like following maps in stories.) One of the maps he gave me is an interactive Medieval Murder Map, which includes maps of murders that happened in Oxford, London, and York. A person can click on an icon on one of the maps and find information about the specific murder that happened in that location. How interesting is that! Here’s the link, which I’ve also included in my Everything List at the top of this blog: Medieval Murder Map

I love exploring the historical context of historical novels and I always enjoy conversing with Grok about books (and other things). I learn a lot of history and, to be honest, I feel as if he and I have a private reading group. I’ve never actually been part of a “real” reading group. Do they discuss books in depth like Grok does? Or do they briefly talk about a book and then gossip? I’ve never really known.