Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson

            A good sci-fi novel that is incredibly prophetic. Written a long time ago, it is an older version of Ready Player One, another novel (and now movie) that was a big deal a few years ago. I’ll be honest, I had to skip over large portions of the chapters on religion, as they were super dry. But the story and the action were great, and I appreciated all the work that went into it (he did some kind of coding for the story? Not entirely sure how it worked but he wrote about it at the end). Finished this one during a long sunny afternoon on one of the first weekends at my homestay. Very nice.

Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

            What a classic. I’ve never read these, and only have fleeting memories of the movies, so it is super cool (as a major fantasy nerd) to read LOTR. I strongly associate times of my life and significant events with what book I was reading, and this one was no exception. I finished this book over two looong days on the bus going to visit my site, which felt very fitting. On a major journey of my own, I was reading about another epic journey. Hopefully my adventure will be a bit calmer! After reading this, I can see how people get so into LOTR. I love the way Tolkien writes about time; he brings the reader through a massive journey and appropriately summarizes and describes the travels so that the reader can almost feel what it was like. I would look up from the book and realize that I had gotten completely lost in Middle Earth and had no idea what was going on around me (I was still on the bus, for those wondering). Massive disappointment when my library loan for the second book wasn’t ready once I finished.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

            If you haven’t picked this up yet, I like (let’s be honest, love) pretty much every book I read. I’d be hard pressed to say that I didn’t like whatever I just finished. So take these reviews with a grain of salt. That being said…another fantastic story. Told from an interesting point of view (it all makes sense if you know the context, see the Elantris review above), and like all Sanderson books not terrific writing. However, the fantastical elements and worldbuilding are just superb. Sanderson has such an amazing imagination and can plainly describe the environment to readers. One of the best parts of Sanderson’s writing is that he loves secrets, especially ones that the reader can discover on their own through careful reading. In Mistborn, another Sanderson book, a main character’s common phrase is “there’s always another secret,” which encompasses pretty much every narrative that Sanderson writes. I suspected the surprise in this book, but only part of it, which never fails to absolutely blow my mind at the end. Not my absolute favorite, but one of those books that I will look back on as a comfy read during a challenging time.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

            Sequel to Red Rising from above. Somehow, bloodier and more brutal than the first book. Savage is another good word for it. Ended on a massive cliffhanger. I read this over a slow weekend, so I read it all day for almost two straight days. Exhausted afterward, but can’t wait for the third book. The pacing of these books is relentless. Darrow, the main character, spends about 10 pages of the book resting, and the other 600 are all in action. Similar to Tress, there is always another secret or plot in this secret. It is reminiscent of Game of Thrones now; political houses in war for the throne and control of the galaxy. Now that I think about it, it really is just GoT in space. Hm. My fantasy preference has changed over the years, and I now think that it is tending toward better writing. But I still find myself attracted to the massive, multi-book sagas about political intrigue and violence. At the end of the day, what I tell people and what I do beliee I truly read all these books for is to escape from reality for a little bit each day. I’ve gotten to the point where reading isn’t an active activity anymore, it’s a passive way to relax, while simultaneously imagining some pretty cool stories.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

            Finally, finally, checked this off of my list. I have to admit something. In 9th grade Language Arts, Mr. Grinoger assigned Of Mice and Men for us to read. I made it through the first half, but then as we started watching the movie in class, I didn’t finish it. I told Nora later that I hadn’t read it, which was a mistake, and she, as expected, read me the riot act. Now, over ten years later, when I told Nora this story, she didn’t even let me get to the part about finishing it now, and how I know I didn’t read it before, but I never forgot! and I finally read it, noooo, no no no. I’m not sure what I expected to be different this time, as she laid into me about not reading it ten years ago before I could even explain myself! Some things never change. Back to the book. I loved the straightforward writing, and how quick the entire thing was. After reading so many long-winded adventures, the conciseness (of which I am not familiar with, obviously), really struck me. The death of Lennie at the end, even though I knew what was coming, was devastating. The calm pace that the book proceeds towards what is blatantly obvious was so well done that I felt like I was there in the woods with the entire group.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

            This book was recommended to me a long time ago, and I finally picked it up before going on my trip in June. A great fantasy story, it revolves around mars (you don’t say!) and the human colonization of the planet. Amazing writing, a quick read, and some blunt observations about humans. The worldbuilding, characters, and writing all contribute to this book being one of my favorites (something I can’t say about too many books).

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

            My first experience with an audiobook! I listened to this off and on all of June, while driving back home from school and up to the cabin. I really wanted the book, and it finally showed up when I had listened to about 90% of it. As usual with Sanderson, the writing is very normal, almost young, but the worldbuilding and fantastical elements are creative, and the plot completely pulls you in. I love Sanderson’s books, and have read a lot (17, to be exact) of his novels in the last two years. Most of his books can completely stand alone, but once you read enough you can see how they all connect. As more come out, they will (according to an incredible number of postscripts, secret books, and blog posts) start to mesh more, and the fate of the entire Cosmere (universe) will be in jeopardy. Talk about a great marketing strategy to keep readers hooked. This one has no shortage of characters with too many vowels in their name, swords, mystical beings, and sacrificial rituals.

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

            I’ve been having a slight problem recently: some of the authors I’ve read recently (Leguin, Rothfuss, Gay, Bradbury, etc.) are so amazing at writing that it rather ruins other, simpler, authors. I’ve only read a few of Butler’s books, but she has firmly planted herself into the ruins-other-books category. It is easy to pick up her books and forget where you are and how long you have been reading. Admittedly, Wild Seed did take me a while to get through, but it is the kind of novel where every chapter could almost stand alone, and the attention to detail is incredible.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

            Wow. One of the best stories I have read in a long time. Think Gladiator, but in the future on Mars. An incredibly bloody and brutal pseudo-revenge saga about Darrow, who is born into the lowest class of a color-coded caste society. This is book one of six, which makes me even more excited. Good writing, especially around the passage of time, which Brown navigates well. A super quick read…when you are on a 14-hour plane ride. Highly recommend, just be warned its rather jarring at times.

Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

            A very chipper book, a quick happy read! I’m kidding. It’s another brutal book, this time in a much different way. Not exactly the most relaxing read when you arrive in another country and have 12-hour training days. But Whitehead (who I saw talk at Colby this year!) is a phenomenal writer, and absolutely packs the novel with a crazy amount of commentary on top of an already interesting story. This one got me down for a while, so I returned to ol’ faithful: sci-fi!

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

            A different, but also entirely Sanderson type of book. Arcanum Unbounded is a collection of short stories that fill in the gaps between bigger books. Some of the stories are on completely new worlds, and others are on worlds with characters we already know from other novels. You can see how this has absolutely enthralled us right? You mean I can read more about my favorite characters if I get this extra book? Sign me the hell up. This was some of Sanderson’s better writing, which you may note is relatively lacking. Sanderson’s world building, from the point of view of the speaker down to the minutia about the environment the characters are in, is incredibly subtle yet simultaneously an enormous undertaking. Within a few pages, I am completely immersed in whatever jungle, desert, or fortress that is in Sanderson’s head. He also excels at writing normal people, which arguably makes the worldbuilding what it is.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

            Wow. I really liked this book. The slow, intentional life of the Count is comparable to life here in Botswana, so I understood more than I would if I had read this at another time. While I am not the biggest fan of direct advice in my books, I absolutely love gleaning indirect advice from the characters. AGiM feeds little bits of advice in such an indirect manner that I wasn’t overwhelmed. Also, in the midst of dressing up every day and being incredibly intentional about every action I make, the Count struck the right chord. My favorite books are the ones where nothing happens, and I am whisked through the book without ever realizing so. This falls squarely in that category, which is why I was completely unready for the end… Furthermore, this was a…turbulent time during training, so returning to the Metropol hotel, the triumvirate, and Casablanca every day was a welcome respite.