The World Changes, But I Keep Reading: March Books
2020 Reading Goal: 21/100
In the last month, our world has gone completely sideways. Much has changed, and most assuredly we're going to find a new normal when we come out on the other side. My family has been fortunate. Thanks to my job we were more aware than most of what was coming and were able to prepare. (It's been a bit like watching a tsunami approach. Now that the wave is here, though....) . Our jobs are uniquely well suited to working from home, and our kids are old enough that we aren't having to act as teachers. We're taking this one day at a time, which is all we can do.
I'm finding that one thing that helps is to bury myself in my books. So here you go...and let's see what the numbers look like when the quarantine is over.
1. Imaginary Numbers, Seanan McGuire - I really enjoy the way McGuire has organized her Incryptid books - following a specific family member for a few books and then moving on to another. It's a pretty spiffy way of making sure a series doesn't get stale, while giving fans more of what they like. This is her first book about Sarah, and it was a lot of fun! (I refer to this McGuire series as her 'popcorn' books. ) Sarah, not being human, is an interesting character with a unique point of view. At the same time, I will say that the overall plot maybe stretched the margins a bit much, which is saying something for these books. We're clearly set up for the next Sarah book, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes.
2. Follow the Lady (novella), Seanan McGuire - I very much appreciate that McGuire has begun adding a novella to many of her works. It's always nice to get just a little bit more.
3. Nevertheless, She Persisted, Flash Fiction Project by TOR - TOR offered this freebie, and it gave me a fascinating read. The book is made of very short stories - usually just 2-4 pages - by various well-known authors, all of which start with that very famous phrase. If nothing else, it told me a very great deal about the writers. For certain, it gave me a lot to think about.
4. Cursed, Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller - This was a book spa (Skylark Bookshop) selection, and it's a beautiful book. When it was introduced to me, one of the things pointed out was how unusual it feels in the hands. It's true, it's heavier than it looks, and the cover and pages all have an interesting and noticeably different than usual feel. Inside there is artwork by Miller, both black and white and color prints. True, it's not my preferred style, but I appreciate what it lends to the story. The story itself is a version of the Arthurian legend built around Nimue, and it left me wanting so, so much more. Wheeler managed the magic trick of making the characters new and unique while still honoring the traditions. I will and will not be ok if there's no sequel.
5. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coats (audio and print) - Yes, this is a book everyone should read. No, I didn't particularly enjoy it. I think there's perhaps enough wrong with the world right now that it was too heavy of a book to read, too real, too many bad things that you know happened. When the world is different, I may revisit. Coats is an amazing writer, and his work is important. (Also a book spa book, and one I was going to ask for if it hadn't already been in the pile they pulled for me.)
6. The Paper Magician, 7. The Glass Magician, 8. The Master Magician, Charlie N. Holmberg - These were also book spa recommendations. It was a curious case of, 'we haven't read these, but they are right up your alley.' I didn't actually bring them home that night (they were missing the first book) but they were never far from my mind. I ordered the first online, and then had Skylark get me the second two last week. I burned through all three books in four days. They were delightful! What I loved is that the magic was very, very different than anything else I've seen. It was sweet and charming, and a tiny bit old-fashioned for fantasy. I'm impressed by the world-building and the creativity that went into the magic. At the same time, I'm a bit conflicted about the central relationship. On the one hand, the way it was set up because of the plot of the first book felt very special and wasn't something I'd seen before. On the other hand, it is a teacher/student situation which is really not ok. Just now, though, I need escapist books and this did just the trick.
9. Inspired, Rachel Held Evans (audio) - I've been missing Rachel lately, which is perhaps an odd thing to say about someone you only met once. She passed last year during Easter time, and so she's been on my mind. My heart has also been heavy because of our current world situation. I happened to have an idea one night....what if her books were available through Libro.fm? Even better, what if she happened to be the one reading them? I checked the next day, and to my great joy discovered that they had her books, and that she did, in fact, read them. Inspired is my favorite of her works, a book that brings me great joy and reminds me of why I love being a Christian. The time I spent listening to Rachel read me her book was exactly what I needed.
10. We Unleash the Merciless Storm, Tehlor Kay Mejia - For the second book of this doulogy, we switch from Dani to Carmen's perspective. It took some time to get going, but once it did it was highly satisfying. As with the first book, there were some aspects that felt overly simple...but Mejia is such a good writer that I was swept along anyway. I think she's a writer to watch, and if this is any indication, she's only going to get better and better.
In the last month, our world has gone completely sideways. Much has changed, and most assuredly we're going to find a new normal when we come out on the other side. My family has been fortunate. Thanks to my job we were more aware than most of what was coming and were able to prepare. (It's been a bit like watching a tsunami approach. Now that the wave is here, though....) . Our jobs are uniquely well suited to working from home, and our kids are old enough that we aren't having to act as teachers. We're taking this one day at a time, which is all we can do.
I'm finding that one thing that helps is to bury myself in my books. So here you go...and let's see what the numbers look like when the quarantine is over.
1. Imaginary Numbers, Seanan McGuire - I really enjoy the way McGuire has organized her Incryptid books - following a specific family member for a few books and then moving on to another. It's a pretty spiffy way of making sure a series doesn't get stale, while giving fans more of what they like. This is her first book about Sarah, and it was a lot of fun! (I refer to this McGuire series as her 'popcorn' books. ) Sarah, not being human, is an interesting character with a unique point of view. At the same time, I will say that the overall plot maybe stretched the margins a bit much, which is saying something for these books. We're clearly set up for the next Sarah book, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes.
2. Follow the Lady (novella), Seanan McGuire - I very much appreciate that McGuire has begun adding a novella to many of her works. It's always nice to get just a little bit more.
3. Nevertheless, She Persisted, Flash Fiction Project by TOR - TOR offered this freebie, and it gave me a fascinating read. The book is made of very short stories - usually just 2-4 pages - by various well-known authors, all of which start with that very famous phrase. If nothing else, it told me a very great deal about the writers. For certain, it gave me a lot to think about.
4. Cursed, Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller - This was a book spa (Skylark Bookshop) selection, and it's a beautiful book. When it was introduced to me, one of the things pointed out was how unusual it feels in the hands. It's true, it's heavier than it looks, and the cover and pages all have an interesting and noticeably different than usual feel. Inside there is artwork by Miller, both black and white and color prints. True, it's not my preferred style, but I appreciate what it lends to the story. The story itself is a version of the Arthurian legend built around Nimue, and it left me wanting so, so much more. Wheeler managed the magic trick of making the characters new and unique while still honoring the traditions. I will and will not be ok if there's no sequel.
5. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coats (audio and print) - Yes, this is a book everyone should read. No, I didn't particularly enjoy it. I think there's perhaps enough wrong with the world right now that it was too heavy of a book to read, too real, too many bad things that you know happened. When the world is different, I may revisit. Coats is an amazing writer, and his work is important. (Also a book spa book, and one I was going to ask for if it hadn't already been in the pile they pulled for me.)
6. The Paper Magician, 7. The Glass Magician, 8. The Master Magician, Charlie N. Holmberg - These were also book spa recommendations. It was a curious case of, 'we haven't read these, but they are right up your alley.' I didn't actually bring them home that night (they were missing the first book) but they were never far from my mind. I ordered the first online, and then had Skylark get me the second two last week. I burned through all three books in four days. They were delightful! What I loved is that the magic was very, very different than anything else I've seen. It was sweet and charming, and a tiny bit old-fashioned for fantasy. I'm impressed by the world-building and the creativity that went into the magic. At the same time, I'm a bit conflicted about the central relationship. On the one hand, the way it was set up because of the plot of the first book felt very special and wasn't something I'd seen before. On the other hand, it is a teacher/student situation which is really not ok. Just now, though, I need escapist books and this did just the trick.
9. Inspired, Rachel Held Evans (audio) - I've been missing Rachel lately, which is perhaps an odd thing to say about someone you only met once. She passed last year during Easter time, and so she's been on my mind. My heart has also been heavy because of our current world situation. I happened to have an idea one night....what if her books were available through Libro.fm? Even better, what if she happened to be the one reading them? I checked the next day, and to my great joy discovered that they had her books, and that she did, in fact, read them. Inspired is my favorite of her works, a book that brings me great joy and reminds me of why I love being a Christian. The time I spent listening to Rachel read me her book was exactly what I needed.
10. We Unleash the Merciless Storm, Tehlor Kay Mejia - For the second book of this doulogy, we switch from Dani to Carmen's perspective. It took some time to get going, but once it did it was highly satisfying. As with the first book, there were some aspects that felt overly simple...but Mejia is such a good writer that I was swept along anyway. I think she's a writer to watch, and if this is any indication, she's only going to get better and better.
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