Frankens-time spook and a relationship silent-killer

Sorry, Madonna, but you were wrong. Time does not go by so slowly. It is a formidable force, and it’s burning right through. Almost every conversation I’ve had this week circled back to the same bewilderment: How did this year go by so quickly?One friend can’t believe there was a 12-day war just last summer. Another swears I came to her with a monthly gripe only “a few days ago.”For me, I’m oddly grateful for time’s untethered sprint. It’s a lifeline, a sly refinement of the psyche, an edit of an ambivalent earlier draft into something sharper.Word to the wise: If you can swing it, it’s also the best Christmas gift you can give to yourself this year.Start by reading my suggestions below. Last week's BiB A peek into my diary, and some weekend reads ‘Under Assad, we were afraid of the word; now we’re afraid of the idea’: Syrian...