La Continuación de las Buenas Noticias! (And Notes from March)

First order of good news: The weather here in Seattle has been incredible the last week or so! It’s been fluctuating between 50° and 60° which, in my perhaps controversial opinion, is close to the perfect weather (assuming there isn’t too much wind because wind ruins everything).

The next bit of good news I have to share is that I’ve finished setting up my GoFundMe for my grad school adventure! You can find the link to the fundraiser by clicking here.

I don’t feel comfortable asking people to give me money without offering something of what I perceive to be some value in return and, because of that, I have a couple of rewards for people able to donate, including a hand-written thank you card, a copy of the zine of my Inktober drawings from last year, and either a lettering or art piece (If you donate at a higher tier, you also get what’s included in the lower ones, of course!).

Another option to help me out is to shop my Depop (which I’m still in the process of setting up, forgive me).

Time for a literary update!

Considering the last update was back in January, you’d think I’d have more books to talk about, but I read two very long, very dense books, so I only have four to talk about.

The first I mentioned in my last literary update: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Like I mentioned in that post, this was a recommendation from Mama. Unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved this book. If you’re a lover of the fantasy genre and somehow–like I hadn’t–haven’t gotten a chance to read this, I would pick it up immediately. I think it, like the work of Tolkien, should be listed among the defining work for these kind of books. I really can’t rave about it enough! I think my mom told me to read it for a couple of reasons. The first being the fact that it’s just an absolutely incredible and noteworthy entry in the fantasy genre, as demonstrated by the fact that many cite it as their favorite from that category. But she told me to check it out right as my interest in DnD was blooming because Pat Rothfuss is a huge DnD nerd.

Which actually leads me perfectly into the next book I read: The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy and illustrated by Carey Pietsch, for which Rothfuss wrote the foreword. As you may have been able to surmise, this is the graphic novel adaptation of that podcast I mentioned getting obsessed with, The Adventure Zone. I’m a sucker for graphic novels and this one did not disappoint. Pietsch is a crazy talented illustrator, rendering the first story arc of TAZ exactly how I had pictured it during my first listen through. And Clint did a wonderful job of editing the story to help bring it to a visual medium while still staying true to (and maintaining the best goofs from) the original recordings. Even if you haven’t listened to the podcast, I still think this graphic novel has the charm and style to stand alone. Though, it’s worth listening to hear Taako’s character voice so you can read it in those dulcet tones, in my humble opinion.

I also read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I kind of jumped on the bandwagon for this one after hearing many people, including my pen pal, rave about it. I especially felt the need to check it out after I heard that the sequel, The Wicked King, had just come out in January. To be honest, I didn’t love this book as much as I had hoped to. I think my main issue was the fact that it was written in first person, present tense. I know that seems like such a minor problem but I really struggle to read books written like this. I’m not sure why, but it really takes me out of the story. I also felt like the first half of the story dragged a bit. But the second half of the book managed to ensnare my interest enough that I will definitely read the second one. I just really need to know what happens. I also grew to like the main character a lot more after the decisions she made towards the end of the book (no spoilers here!).

Last (but certainly not least) is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Again, like The Name of the Wind, this is a book I’m a bit late on (considering it was published in 1992). But, after I finished it, it immediately joined the ranks of My Favorite Books Ever. I know many people love this book and I can one hundred percent empathize with why. It was incredibly dense, making it a slow read, even with how much I enjoyed it, but I found that the style lent itself perfectly to the themes Tartt was exploring. Speaking of which, dark academia was not a genre I realized I loved until I finished this book. I just really enjoyed that the focus wasn’t on a whodunit but more of a whydunit. I also have to admit that I am a sucker for deeply flawed characters. There’s something about reading about the weaknesses and, in the case of this novel, the evils of human beings that I find really intriguing. I don’t find the same kind of satisfaction reading about characters with only one or very few flaws. Fiction is exactly the space to explore the failings of people and there’s little I enjoy exploring more. This book is now on my list of auto-recommendations, alongside The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, and Hounded by Kevin Hearne, among others.

(I didn’t find this out until after I had finished the book, but Donna Tartt is actually from the Mississippi Delta and attended the University of Mississippi for a while which, while I suppose is not really relevant in a meaningful way, made me like her and her novel more)

And that’s all I have for y’all this entry! I did start the sequel to Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett, All the Wandering Light, last night and I’m already 160 pages in. Needless to say, I’m enjoying it!

Thanks to those who have already donated to my GoFundMe since I set it up including Skyler Knapp, Tricia Ambeau and Mike Nowlin! I appreciate your support in my trying to get back to my favorite place on the planet to continue my education. Much love y gracias for todo!