Literary Update (November – January)

I am just now realizing I haven’t updated y’all on what I’ve been reading since October! What the heck is wrong with me?

In my defense, I have been pretty busy and have had a lot of other interesting things to talk about (some of which, scrolling back through some of my posts, I didn’t follow through and give you final updates. Like my oil paintings! I guess that just gives me more blog fodder for next time).

So, first I have to admit a little bit of an… embarrassing(?)… I suppose nerdy is the best word… I have a nerdy confession. I found out that the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess had been turned into a manga and I ordered all four of them and read them all in, like, a weekend.

I am a sucker for graphic novels and manga because they combine visual and written art. And when the visual art is particularly exceptional, it’s pretty hard for me to not just devour them whole. Which is what I did. Let me just say, the mystery duo of female artist and writer, Akira Himekawa, who produced this series are a pair of the most artistically-talented manga creators I think I’ve ever read (I’m not sure how much that’s saying, though, since I haven’t really read any manga since approximately 2010. It was about time I swallowed my pride and started indulging again, if you ask me!). So, if you love manga or especially if you love the Legend of Zelda, I would highly recommend that you check the series out. I am currently waiting for the fifth volume to be released (not until July 9th, unfortunately. Sad face).

After that incredible dive back into the world of manga, I decided to read a book that Skyler may like for once. He went out on a limb, reading an urban fantasy novel per my recommendation, so I wanted to pay him back in some capacity, and when I found Moneyball by Michael Lewis at Goodwill, it felt like everything had worked out perfectly!

All things considered, I kind of flew through Moneyball. A lot of the statistic talk went a bit over my head, but I pushed through and kept reading, even when I didn’t quite understand something. I really enjoyed the movie (if you know anything about me, know that I am a big fan of Jonah Hill. I think every movie he touches is gold) and I also just generally enjoy baseball so it was interesting to read about the inner workings of the game. In high school, I was super into basketball and loved learning how everything behind-the-scenes ran and this interest carried over when I moved more into the realm of baseball. It also inspired the Christmas present I ended up getting for Skyler: This year’s edition of the Bill James’ Handbook. I also passed Moneyball along to Skyler to read.

After that, it was time for another rec from my pen pal! After I told her that I had read Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (thank you Mama! A spectacular read if you’re into murder schools for young women), she told me very excitedly that I would enjoy the Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff. This one also involves a murder school (but this time, it’s coed!). The voice that the first book, “Nevernight”–as well as the sequel–“Godsgrave“– are written in is absolutely masterful. It’s very funny while not pulling you out of the world that Kristoff has constructed. Also, the main character–Mia–is a straight up badass, to say the very least. My biggest complaint with the series it the end of the second book says the conclusion of the series, Darkdawn, was released last September. Come to find out when I go to Barnes and Noble to snag it that its release date has been pushed back a full calendar year! Absolutely heartbreaking.

For Christmas, my mom gave me a book that felt very unexpected after I read the synopsis: In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt. It’s described as a new, modern fairytale, and I honestly think that that description is right on the money. If you’re a reader who wants every question answered, every story thread brought together and tied back in to a beautiful bow at the end, I can’t say you would like this book. But if you are okay with ambiguity–particularly in the context of a horror novel, as this is what this book is. A horror fairytale–then you will love it! This is another case of a very strong literary voice and Hunt’s poetic prose suits the eerie, slightly confusing adventure our unnamed heroine embarks upon. Overall, this book was something completely new to me and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The setting of puritanical New England only added to the creep factor.

And bringing up the rear is a book that I almost read through in one sitting, staying up until 1:00 in the morning to finish (which is something I haven’t done with a book since high school, believe it or not). And that would be Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett. I’ve loved YA fantasy my whole life, and this felt like a fresh take to a genre that always riding the wave of various trends, from vampires to post-apocalyptic authoritarian governments. This book involves mountain climbing which was something I didn’t know I needed in my life until I started this book. The setting, magic system, and creatures were my favorite part of this book–not to say that the characters weren’t well-written! I just felt that all of those other factors were such strong parts of the story that they’re worth pointing out specifically. The ending also surprised me more that I expected it to (I guess that’s what surprises are for!). For a book I just randomly picked up at the bookstore, this one blew me away.

And those are all the books worth noting that I read! I think there’s one or two other books, but I can’t really say much about them as they didn’t stand out to me, either for good or bad. I’m currently reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss after much urging from my mother and Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes which was so kindly sent to me by my pen pal, Parisia (whose amazing and powerfully-written blog you can check out here).

Thanks for reading y’all! If any of the books intrigue you, I’ve linked places to buy them online, though please feel free to contact a local, independently-run bookstore near you to pick them up. If they don’t have them, they can surely order them and it feels much, much better to buy local than buy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.