My Reading List: 2012 Edition

Ah, 2012, what a most crazy year it was.  My reading list was subject to the almighty 2012 Manifesto (see the tab above, or click here) and the rules established therein.  Overall, it was a (surprising) success.  Roughly 150 books were on the list as of December 31, 2011.  By the end of 2012, I had the list down to 79 books.  Not too shabby.  Additionally, a goal was to utilize the library more and to decrease book spending, and the fact that I spent less than $10* last year on books is astounding.

My actual books read hit 67 for 2012, a 43% increase from the previous year.  Page numbers were almost identical, with only a 4% increase for this year, although to be fair, my audio book consumption was more for 2012, too.

As always, the monster spreadsheet is available here for your perusal if you're so inclined.  I still very much enjoy the statistical analysis of my books, and I'm ever disappointed with the failures of the system.  Still, I press on.  Enjoy.

Data

     Oldest book: The Children of Odin, by Padraic Colum, 1920
     Audio books: 10
     E-books: 15
     Library books: 20
     Books actually published in 2012: 6
     Books forsaken: 2 (The Brothers Karamazov & The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft)
     Books from publishers, et. al received: 11
     Books from publishers, et. al reviewed: 8
     Most popular author: Brian Michael Bendis
     Most popular publisher: Marvel Comics
     Busiest reading month: January
     Total Page Numbers: 16172
     Average Book Score: 3.45
     Weighted Average Book Score: 3.44
     Female/Male Ratio: 2/33

Much of the early part of the year was spent reading through a giant stack of Daredevil comics that my buddy Adam let me borrow.  Truly, it was the entire run of Volume 2, which took over 120 issues to complete.  This was an excellent series to read and it showed me how wonderful Brian Michael Bendis is when he's behind a pen.  Another point of interest is how close the average book score is to the weighted average, meaning that my (somewhat arbitrary) enjoyment was correlated with page count.  And most staggering of all is the embarrassingly low F/M ratio.  I really want this number to go up, but sadly my genres of choice are mostly dominated by male authors.  Regardless, there are plenty of female authors on my radar (and my TBR), and I hope to get to some in 2013.

The sub-genre breakdown is much the same as previous years.  Not much need for explanation here but to note the sub-genres that are missing from previous years.  (It's also interesting to me to see how my mind seems to jump to classifying a genre and sub-genre, and I wonder if when I look at this list again if my opinions will change.)

Favorites

This year had three standout fiction books that really were wonderful stories, one non-fiction work, and a run of comics.  All of these earned 5 stars on my GoodReads scale.  (Reviews are linked.)

     The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch
     Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
     The Reapers Are the Angels, by Alden Bell
     The Hole in Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns
     Daredevil Volume 2: Assorted TPBs (from Volume 4 through Volume 13), by Bendis

To pick a favorite from this list would be based on mood and whim.  Lies was twisted and insanely fun.  Stardust brought a smile to my lips and I read is basically twice.  Reapers blew me away and took a piece of my heart with it, giving me one of the best protagonists I've read in ages.  Hole was matter-of-fact with the current situation in the world, of how many people die annually of stupid stuff, of how many children suffer needlessly, and this book helped shape me.  And Daredevil, as I've already mentioned, was a fun (and merciless) set of comics, especially BMB's section.

Other Things of Note

Since my new commute is longer I've been listening to a lot of audio books.  I expect my numbers for next year to be even higher in this category, assuming my cd player keeps up.  I'm really enjoying The Wheel of Time in this manner, whereas when I tried to read the physical books I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy looking at a dirty bowl.  I may try Jim Butcher's Dresden Files this way, too.

A tragedy that my new house is in a new county with an impoverished library.  How I miss my old one.

The 2012 manifesto was a fun thing to try.  I like looking at that tab and seeing all the crossed off books.  While I'm thankful to have done it (and stuck with it!), I'm glad to have more freedom now if I so desire.

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*See the actual manifesto for a more thorough explanation

Neverwhere Group Read Conclusion

"Mr. Vandemar's voice was a night wind blowing over a desert of bones."

Indeed, there we have it. Neverwhere, gone just like that. No more Door or Richard or de Carabas or Hunter or any other of the bizarre and surreal things one might encounter in the world of London Below. The mystery has been solved, the enemies have been relatively vanquished, and the world has been put back to its correct tilt. Mostly.

What am I to say about this fascinating book? What stood out to me? The fact that the book was a non-stop, action-filled, page turner goes without saying. The cast of characters is brilliant. Door maintained her aura of mystical powers, as well as her righteous anger at her families massacre. Hunter--poor, poor Hunter--was the betrayer, unexpected, and her demise was terrible. It left me wanting to know so much more of her past exploits to better understand her desire to slay the Beast. The marquis de Carabas died and came back through machinations I didn't entirely understand to fulfill a favor and take on another. Wow. Islington being a horrible monster was also a surprise.

But what of Richard? Did his life change? Did he grow and develop? Yes, through the Ordeal, and then again at the slaying of the Beast. He saw what his life was and how meaningless it was. Gaiman kept me confused and intrigued, wondering if perhaps Richard really was cracked in the head and London Below was simply imaginary. I honestly did not know, and I suppose if I thought hard enough I could argue either way. Perhaps he really is a loon and has made it all up, but I don't think so. And after leaving London Below he could no longer live with himself and his dull and unexciting life.

This part reminds me a lot of a person that plugs in and does missions/humanitarian aid in our world. Often the people that do this literally have life changing experiences and it's hard for them to return to their normal life unchanged. This mindset is exactly how I imagined Richard's.

I very much enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. It was thought-provoking and entertaining. Gaiman kept me in the dark through much of the novel (and in parts after), and I'm once again glad that such a writer exists. Thanks, Mr. Gaiman, for giving us the tale. And thanks Carl for finally giving me the nudge to pick the book up off my shelf and dive in.

Neverwhere Group Read, Part 1

Blogmaster and Gaiman-aholic Carl V., over at Stainless Steel Droppings, has been a longtime staple in the blogosphere.  His posts are thoughtful, erudite, and fun, and I enjoy reading his opinions on various genre books.  So when Carl decided to host a Group Read with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, a book that's been on my TBR for far too long, I decided that I'd jump on board if my schedule allowed.

Well, I started the book a fortnight ago, and by golly, I couldn't help myself.  I finished the whole thing, not in one sitting, mind you, but I could have.  Goodness gracious, that Gaiman sure can tell a mean story.  Anyway, I'm still participating in the Group Read, but with the unique position of a first-time reader, but having already finished the darned thing before we even started.

You can check out Carl's post here with his questions.  Other's'll be linked from there, I gather.

1. What do you think of our two villains thus far, Messrs. Croup and Vandemar?

"Her days are numbered, and the number in question isn't even in the double digits."

Mister Croup and Mister Vandemar are fiends, impeccable and charming, ruthless and lethal.  I love the banter between the two, but their amorality is truly terrifying.  I'd never want to meet the gents, that's true.

2. Thus far we've had a small taste of London Below and of the people who inhabit it. What do you think of this world, this space that lies within or somewhat overlaps the space the "real world" occupies?

I don't see this as anything unique or original, but the way that Gaiman does it is nevertheless very Gaiman.  I definitely want to know more about London Below and the whys and wherefores of the place, that's for sure.  It kind of reminds me of parallel universe theories and whatnot, only with a fantastical skew.

3. What ideas or themes are you seeing in these first 5 chapters of Neverwhere? Are there any that you are particularly drawn to?

One major theme I immediately picked up on was the descriptors used for the London Belowers.  Gaiman describes characters as animals--all of them--and in my mind I can't help but see some amalgam of animal and human, twisted and alien, yet familiar.  I really like the way Gaiman describes things, and Neverwhere represents this wonderfully.  I think I highlighted pages worth of wonderful prose and language.  Some of my favorites are below.

"Her skin was the color of burnt caramel, and her smile would have stopped a revolution."
"Door said nothing, fairly meaningfully."  

4. We've met a number of secondary characters in the novel, who has grabbed your attention and why?

I was immediately struck by the marquis de Carabas.  His roguish demeanor and charm make me immediately suspicious, but at the same time I can't help but like the guy.  I love how he bargains with favors and how he's always pulling out things from his many pockets.  

5. As you consider the Floating Market, what kind of things does your imagination conjure up? What would you hope to find, or what would you be looking for, at the Market?

I picture a bazaar like place, crowded with all sorts of people (some clean, others awfully dirty) and goods.  I also picture a flea market like place, where there's so much treasure buried in the junk that it's hard to have a go through it all in the short amount of time allotted.  Me, I'd be happy with a nice bowl of curry and a comfy bench, just to sit and watch the people all around.

6. If you haven't already answered it in the questions above, what are your overall impressions of the book to this point?

I think my intro answered this, but I'll repeat.  I was so hooked by the first few pages that I couldn't help but finish the book.  There was no putting it down and reading it at the pace of the Group Read.  

One thing that I should remark on about Gaiman is that, at least to me, every one of his novels take some time to get a handle on what exactly is going on.  I think fondly of American Gods, but I know that there's a lot that I didn't get or understand.  To a degree, this is true with Anansi Boys and The Graveyard Book, too, and the same goes for his short story collections.  The first several pages of Neverwhere had me hooked, yes, but I was also confused, not able to fully comprehend a picture of Door or Croup or London Below or the marquis or so many other things.  Richard made sense, and I related to his lack of understanding and wanting to question things.  Things are simply presented as truth, and the Reader is simply forced to accept it.  (This especially rings true with American Gods.  I'm going to have to re-read that one of these days and see if it makes more sense now.)

I guess my point is that I've noticed this trend in many Gaiman stories... and I like it.  It's fun having wool over the eyes from time to time, and maybe that's part of the reason why I love Neil Gaiman's writing so much.  Perhaps I'm not alone.  Anyone else have trouble with a first time experience with a Gaiman book?

Dostoevsky and Doritos

Many proclaim Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov to be the greatest novel ever written.  In part of my 2012 Manifesto, one of my hopes was "to finally read The Brothers Karamazov."  I started it in January, reading from the Constance Garnett translation that I own.  I trudged along for a bit, weighted down by the heavy prose and extremely long monologues.  Around page 60 I went to the library and checked out the Larissa Volokhonsky translation, as it was said to be truer to Dostoevsky's original tone.  I read on, still wondering where the story was going, still determined to make it through the 750+ pages.  Around page 100 I paused and read another book (The Reapers are the Angels, which was excellent, review here) to give myself some space, take a deep breath, and ready myself to jump back in.  By page 140ish I had stabbed myself in the eyes repeatedly and rued the day I decided to read this book.  My personal struggle with forsaking a book still is tough.  At 160ish I gave up.  I didn't care about anything that was going on.  I suppose all Russians in the 1800s were maniacal philosophers, from the peasants to the high-ups.  Not only that, they were all apparently somewhat psychotic and prone to outbursts of unequivocal rage/despair.

I quit.  Mom assures me that Crime & Punishment is the better book.  Mayhap I'll try it out sometime and see if my opinions of Mr. Dostoevsky change any.  If so, I may consider Karamazov again.  Or maybe I just need to be much older and wiser before attempting this again.

If Dostoevsky is depressing and dense, Doritos is the exact opposite.  I've long been a fan of the crunchy goodness that the chip brings to any type of food.  Eating a pizza?  Tastes better with Doritos neatly arranged on top of a slice.  Is that a bowl of soup?  Better crunch up some Doritos and pour them in, like you would a cracker.  What's that?  You're eating a sandwich without chips?  Fool.  You know better than that.  It's true.  If I have an addiction in my life, it's to Doritos (and pops, too, which you probably could have surmised).  I seriously eat them with almost every meal that I consume.  If you think I'm joking, well, you'd be surprised.  I think I go through a bag or two a week, and that's the 13oz size.  In my opinion, all foods benefit by adding Doritos to them.  (Mmm.  We made a meatloaf with Doritos crinkled on top once.  Delicious.)

I realize how unhealthy this sounds, and believe me, I wish I didn't desire the things so much, but I do, and there's little I can do to stop myself.  It's bad enough that if I see a flavor I've never had before that I impulsively buy it immediately.  I'm normally a store brand kind of shopper, but with these bad boys I have to have the name brand.  There's just something magical about the crunchy, cheesy bite of heaven that I find superior to any other chip on the market.

Current Updates & Link Love

(Because I haven't put a picture of Avonlea up here in a while.)

• Keisha is blogging now.  She's chronicling motherhood and Avonlea.
• I bought my PE CERM12 manual the other day.  Truly defines what a tome is.  According to Amazon, it weighs 6.7 lbs and is 1552 pages.  I'd guess closer to 10 lbs and 1600 pages.  I'm already dreading the studying it's going to take to pass that darned test in October.
• Oddly enough, this does not count as a book purchase for my 2012 Manifesto, as it's not really a book to read, per se, but a book for work.  Kind of.
• February is here and I'm making headway with my TBR.  I've been doing a lot of comic book reading, but also quite a bit of STAR WARS novella work, too.  All have been quick, fluffy reads.  I should probably break that up for when I start The Brothers Karamazov, but I doubt that'll happen.
• Anyone else use freegal through the library or Noisetrade?  I've been getting a lot of top-quality, free songs of late.
• I was asked to play guitar for a little concert at a coffee shop this Saturday night.  Makes me a little nervy playing in public like that.  I said sure, cause I just like setting challenges for myself and rising up and above mediocrity.  Being out of my comfort zone is getting easier and easier in some areas...
• Last Saturday we had a most amazing night of worship.  A few weeks ago we were talking about things to do to become a more biblical church*.  Worship is a lifestyle, and praising God should not be confined to only Sunday mornings.  So we created WORSHIP 8:03.  Our goal was to create an environment solely dedicated to worshiping God however you wanted.  My part was playing guitar and helping lead worship on stage.  We had 30-40 show up.  There was an open communion.  I think it's safe to say that there was a general spirit of unity and worship among us there.  I know I loved it, just praising my Creator and Savior, thanking Him for His love and mercy.  It was much needed.  In fact, we're already planning our next one for March.
• I was contacted about having one of my reviews used for promotional purposes.  I said yes, and if it goes any farther, I'm sure I'll put it up here.  Until then, I'll just stay hush-hush about which book.
• Omelets are without a doubt the best breakfast food.  Thankfully, Art of Manliness has put up a new article on how to make better omelets.  (Sometimes mine are great, sometimes they look like a cat threw up in a skillet.)  This is a companion to their most excellent "How to Make Better Eggs" post from a few months back.
• I finished reading my chronological bible reading plan yesterday.  Took eleven months.  Here's the new one I'm starting tomorrow.
• Much more going on, but I'll just keep all that quiet for now.

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*Yes, I realize that "church" in this sense goes directly against my principles.  Nevertheless, it's another example of an English word that has multiple meanings and falls apart under minor scrutiny.  In general, whenever I mean the "church" as the bride of Christ and a unified, global body, I prefer to write "Church."  Whenever I mean a localized, unified body, I again prefer "Church."  When I mean the building where the Church goes to, this I refer to as "church."  

Jeff VanderMeer's "The Situation" as a comic on Tor.com

Possibly the most enjoyable read for me in 2011 was Jeff VanderMeer's The Third Bear.  It blended weird with brilliant prose and wonder, and I think fondly of the book.  Today, Jeff VanderMeer and Eric Orchard have released Part 1 of 3 collaboration to re-tell a short story from The Third Bear titled "The Situation."  From my review,

"The Situation" is baffling. Part office-life, part post-apocalyptic, part Idon'thaveaclue, this story sealed the deal for me. I read it after reading "The Third Bear" (which I recommend you do as well, even though it doesn't follow the story in the layout of the book) and noticed a few coincidences that I could not ignore. I'm not sure at all how to describe what's going on in this story, but I highly recommend you read it.

The artwork by Orchard is phenomenal.  It's style fits exactly how I imagined VanderMeer's world, capturing both the mood of the story and the horrifying beauty described therein.  If you've not read VanderMeer's book, then you really should.  It's so unlike anything else I've ever read.  What's more, if you love good art and a captivating story, then check out Tor.com's "The Situation."  No background knowledge is necessary to enjoy the tale, though it probably makes understanding it a little easier.  I'm looking forward to seeing the remainder of the story.

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Images are from Tor.com, created by Eric Orchard.  For more, follow the link here.  And while you're at it, Ken Scholes' If Dragon's Mass Eve Be Cold and Clear was another excellent freebie posted up on Tor.com.  Part post-apocalyptic, part haunting tale of hope, this story had Santa as a sword-wielding, Christ-like myth.  I thought it would be silly.  I was dead wrong.  Just reminds me that I really need to read Scholes' novels, as I've been more than pleased with his shorts I've read.

My Reading List: 2011 Edition

(RSS & Email Readers, please go to the blog proper to see the visual aids and charts.  This post makes more sense that way.  Sorry for the inconvenience.)

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And so here we are again, dear Readers.  Another year behind us, a bright, new shiny one just around the bend.  As always, I've kept up with the general statistics of my reading life, because knowing this trivial information thrills my soul to no end.  This year I read 47 books, a 35% decrease from 2010's 71 books.  However, taking page numbers into the mix, I read ~15626 pages this year, which is just a 14% decrease from last years.  Considering that I had a baby in June, I'd say that's pretty darned good.

If you'd like to look at the monster spreadsheet I keep that contains all of my statistical data, you can go here and browse around.  The link should default you to the 2011 tab, but if not, just click the appropriate year at the bottom.  This is my third year of running the sheet, and it's interesting to compare stats between the years, too.

Data

Oldest Book: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, 1965
Audio Books*:  7
Kindle Books:  7
Library Books: 23
2011 Books (Year Published): 10
Books Forsaken: 1 (In the Shadow of Swords, by Val Gunn)
From Publishers/Authors Received: 15
From Publishers/Authors Reviewed: 11
Most Popular Author: Mike Mignola and Alvin Schwartz
Most Popular Publisher: Dark Horse, Del Rey, and Waterbrook Multnomah (all with 5 books)
Busiest Month: January (8 reads)
Total Page Numbers: ~15,626
Average Book Score**: 3.63
Female/Male: 3/35

Like previous years, graphic novels and comics command a major portion of the year's reading.  However, considering page counts, the graphic section accounts for only 2500 pages or so, a paltry 15%, as opposed to 28%.  Nevertheless, the point of the graph is to display percentages based upon the number of books read, ignoring completely the thickness of the book.  Because of my personal qualms with classifying a book in only one genre, plus my disdain at using "graphic novel" as an umbrella super-genre, I've broken down the data into a more sensible chart.


This chart makes a bit more sense, but I'm still not exactly comfortable with it.  Books have far too many cross-genre aspects for me to qualify one novel as one thing over another.  Still, I try, and for these charts, I've used the predominate genre (as determined by me) to populate the data fields.

It's fascinating to me to see how my reading habits have changed***.  Five years ago, practically all of my reading was SFF and Graphic Novels.  Non-fiction was laughable.  Now, thanks to a few generous publishers and a more mature outlook in life, I read Christian Non-Fiction (which I deem as "Christian Thought") about as much as anything else.  I've learned much from this experience, and I'm glad for it.

Favorites
Picking out my favorite book of the year is unfair.  (The extreme fanboy in me screams Pat Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear.)  There are several books I've read that I've ranked a 4 or higher on my scale, and truly all of those are recommendable.  Nevertheless, below are the books I'd select as my favorite 2011 reads, linked to my review.

The Third Bear, by Jeff VanderMeer
Hellboy Volume 9: The Wild Hunt, by Mike Mignola
The Wise Man's Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss
Just Do Something, by Kevin DeYoung
I Am Not A Serial Killer, by Dan Wells
The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski

If hard pressed, I'd possibly say that Jeff VanderMeer's The Third Bear is my favorite read of the year.  From my review, I said,

There's really no good way to describe this book. It defies genres. It defies expectations and normal thinking, subverting tropes and typical story-telling methodology for something unique and unforgettable. There are some stories that, upon completion, I couldn't bring myself to describe coherently, even if the tale was spectacular. This holds true for many of the stories, the inability to put into words what you just read, but it only serves to make the reading experience all the better.

Seriously.  It's the strangest book I've ever read, and I was mesmerized by it.  Arguably, my favorite traditional SFF novel has to be The Wise Man's Fear.  I've been on the Rothfuss train literally since the month his first novel came out, and I've not looked back.  WMF was everything I wanted it to be, even if it was a bit winded.  If we're thinking of life-changing books, Kevin DeYoung's Just Do Something rocked my world, shifting around how I thought about making choices and paths to travel in life.  It was such an excellent (and short) read that I gave away copies just so others could read it and be free.  The most unexpected book was Dan Wells' I Am Not A Serial Killer.  Simply, I read it in about 5-hours.  I could not put it down.  It was fresh and fun and creepy and I'm ready to read the next book in the series.

As for disappointments, the Star Wars EU series Fate of the Jedi has been stagnant.  Fortunately there are but two books left in the series, which will be finished up next year.  I'm ready for the EU to get back to some good stuff, but alas, I don't have high hopes.  I feel practically the same about Terry Brooks.  His Bearers of the Black Staff was rather droll and unexciting, and I don't know whether or not I'll even finish the other half of the duology.  I also managed to pick up a forsaken book from last year, The Great Hunt, and finish it, though I'm not sure why.  It was better this year, but still held nothing to pull me back into The Wheel of Time.  Finally, GRRM's Dance with Dragons was good, yes, but ultimately a let-down, too.

I'm also disappointed by the lack of diversity in the authors I read.  Look at the F/M ratio.  I shudder to think about ethnic diversity.  Going out on a limb, I'm guessing the general author profile is a middle aged, white, educated, American male.  I'd like to mix this up somehow.

Next year should be a most interesting year for books.  I've laid down my 2012 Book Manifesto and firmly plan on sticking to it.  This should help with my bland diversity somewhat, but it won't be a panacea.  I also regret not getting to read The Alloy of Law, so I hopefully will get to that in 2012.

The year has been a slightly better than average year in reading.  There were wonderful books, and there were not so wonderful.  All in all, it's really a joy to read, and I do it because I love it.  I'm glad to be able to share my recommendations to you fine folks that read the blog, and thanks for coming back to listen to what I have to say.  If you've any questions about the data or my spreadsheet, ask away.

Now on to finishing up the still-reading and dive headlong into the TBR.
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* All audio books were borrowed through the library, and thus are included in the library numbers, too.
** This is an arithmetic average of the books based upon the GoodReads 5-star scale, modified for my use to include halfsies.
*** See the bottom chart in the spreadsheet for this graphic.

A 2012 Book Manifesto

For 2012 I want to do something different.  Something that will involve commitment and patience.  Something that also will clear up a lot of the TBR pool.  Something I've been thinking about (and alluded to) for a while now.

Declarations

• I will not purchase any new/used books in 2012.***
• I will read only from books I own or can attain freely (ie, library, friends, publishers, et al.)
• I will will read only selections from my GoodReads To-Be-Read shelf (dated 12/31/11).  This is currently visible on the right side-bar.

Reasons

• I won't have to spend money on books.  (Granted, I don't spend that much money on books as it is, but even so, in principle, I'm saving money.)
• I can finally dwindle down my TBR pool and read things I've been putting off forever.
• To see if I can actually do it.  Self-discipline is a tool that needs to be used more, as its benefits are manifold.

Exceptions

• I will continue to make my monthly trek to the comic shop and pick up the newest issue of Fables, as has been my wont for some time now.
• I will purchase anything Pat Rothfuss releases, though the only possibility (to my knowledge) is a potential novella.
• If I receive gift-cards to bookstores during the year, I will use them, as I'm not spending any of my money.
• ***If I get an amazing deal through my Kindle with Special Offers, then I'll likely gobble it up, as these offers are usually $1 or $2 for a book and not altogether common and I would be a fool to turn my nose to the offer.

Hopes

• Finally read The Brothers Karamazov, 100 Years of Solitude, The Shadow of the Torturer, Peter & Max, and the multitude of random comics/graphic novels that have piled up. {own}
• Finish the Fate of the Jedi series, as I have only two books left.  {library}
• Read a lot of Lovecraft during the RIP challenge for 2012 and possibly The Stand.  {own}
• Read The American Book of the Dead, which I received earlier this year but haven't had a chance to even start it yet.  {own}
• Continue getting free books from the few publishers I receive from, as well as possibly take on some new authors/publishers.
• I hope Justin Cronin's sequel to The Passage comes out, and I also hope Peter Brett's third volume in the Painted Man series is released.  {library}
• The Alloy of Law?  {library?}

There we are.  This manifesto will be stored as a separate page under the appropriate tab above.  Wish me luck.  (This list is subject to change and edits throughout the year.)

Anyone else have any bookish goals for 2012?

A Night of Blacker Darkness, a Review

"Do you ever wonder," said John idly, "why we call buildings 'buildings?' Are they in a state of constant construction? We should call them 'builts.'"

--- 

"Not like that," said John. "More tuneless, almost melancholy--like the whisper of a dying candle."
"I think it's safe to say that no one in this room knows what you're talking about."

A Night of Blacker Darkness, being the memoir of Frederick Whithers, is exactly what the subtitle says it is: a memoir.  Who, you may ask, is Frederick Whithers?  Mr. Whithers was a simple man of the early 19th century, who lived quite a simple life prior to his death, at least according to Mr. Bagsworth III's introduction.  According to official records, Whithers died of consumption while serving a prison sentence for forgery.  But if the memoir is to be believed, he faked his death, rose from his coffin, was spotted by a group of vampires who immediately proclaimed him the Great One, and had an unusual few days of pure  farcical madness as he tried to lay stakes on a ninety-thousand pound inheritance.

To expound on this madness would, I fear, spoil the brilliance of Mr. Whithers' memoir.  There is a great mystery lurking in the plot, drizzled with some fantastic humor so thick that one's willingness to suspend disbelief is almost challenged.  Murphy's Law prevails often, it seems.  The story is hilarious, and I had to stop reading a few times just so I could finish laughing.  John ____* may be one of the funniest characters I've ever read, and his dialogue/musings always cracked me up.

I became aware of A Night of Blacker Darkness just a few weeks ago.  While browsing Kindle book deals, I was looking through favorite authors, and this book came up.  And being a fan of Dan Wells, the mastermind behind this fictitious memoir, and furthermore intrigued because this book is only available as an e-book, I decided to give it a go.  I assure you, it's well worth the $5.

So what more can I say about this book?  It's very well written, though there are a few errors throughout the pages, but not enough to derail the story.  It's definitely macabre, as Frederick's post-prison journey takes him to graveyards, mortuaries, charnel houses, a ghoul's lair, a basement full of vampires, and many other random places throughout Bath and London.  And while the story never crosses into all-out horror, there are traditional elements of horror present.  To me, though, the delight came from the mystery mixing with the antics.  Wells makes use of a few familiar tropes and creates a gem.

I could say much on this read, but so as to not potentially ruin anything, I'll say little else.  If you have an e-reader, you really should read this book.  It's short and can be read in a lazy afternoon.  It'll have you laughing and have you intrigued.  I can easily recommend it to genre fans, literary fans, people that like to laugh, people with e-readers, and fans of Young Frankenstein or Dracula Dead and Loving It.  Better yet, go to Amazon and read the free sample (here).  I heartily enjoyed A Night of Blacker Darkness, and I eagerly look forward to seeing what else Dan Wells has to offer.

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*This surname is intentionally blanked out by me, not in the book.  

Radioactive Aardvark Nationality Domesticated Onslaught Metaphysical

Are you hungry? Are you sick? Are you begging for some bread? She lived with a broken man, a cracked polystyrene man.  I'm a creep.  Apparently it's called ergodic literature, and I kind of dig it, but at the same it's rather exasperating.  Maybe not exasperating.  Maybe tedious.  And sometimes it makes for a Day of Interest if you're up for it.  But sometimes I'm not feeling it, and I'm left following the sentence as it winds its way across pages, over commas and semi-colons, but never a period, and I get lost somewhere along the way.  Maybe you will, too.

Anthropomorphism, start!

She wasn't dead, but she was terminal.  Stop whispering!  She concocted a disease, a rather nasty one, that left her essentially brain dead.  Stop shouting!  At first I held out hope that she would recover, but she didn't, not even after she was supposedly healed.  She crawled, yes, and ticked idly, but she stopped responding and turned blue then black then the lights just winked out and I left her for dead.  I stole everything I could from her carcass, thanked her for being good, and then I went Kevorkian.  I'm a wicked child.

Anthropomorphism stop!

First degree murder is premeditated and planned and done willfully.  Second degree murder is not planned in advance.  Voluntary manslaughter is murder by accident, maybe, possibly, if your lawyer's good enough or you're sincere enough.  Involuntary manslaughter is purely unintentional.  Do not cry out or hit the alarm, you know we're friends 'til we die.  Suicide is self-murder, and can be rendered first degree, second, or manslaughter.  Either way you turn, I'll be there.  Open up your skull, I'll be there.

.wen sa doog sa (ylraen) s'ehs won dna ,yriaf doog a fo ecnatsissa eht htiw efil ot kcab thguorb saw ehS

See what I'm saying?  It's tedious, but once you throw in a mystery, a monster, a thing, a hope, a promise, a chance, a sanatorium, a disaster, an eleven-year old, a foray into foreign language, then you start seeing that there is a purpose to it all, that the ergos one does to understand is intentional and disorienting and disemboweling (okay, I just made up that last bit), and the format is important, as much as a format can be.

As per Demitri Martin, saying I'm sorry and I apologize is pretty much the same thing.  Unless you're at a funeral.  I love the cold snap.  I actually had to close the window last night and throw a quilt over us.  Even the curs were lazy from the cold.  Not-so-subtle-but-profoundly-strong-suggestion: Go to Tor.com (here) and read Kij Johnson's astonishing ultra-short story (like it's totally less than a thousand words, probably more like 500[edit: according to MSWord it's 1,254 {that's MCCLIV to any of you Ancient Romans that are roaming the Nets here, or wayward seventh graders for that matter}]) called "Ponies."  Sit down.  Stand up.  Like, zomg that story was so gooood, and it's so fitting for the RIP challenge, and I really think you should read it and tell me what you think about it.  Reckoner, take me with you.

Life rolls like a Bob Dylan, o'er choppy seas and serene lakes.  All around me winds blow hard, but I myself am fine.  It sucks seeing others maltreated.  Anyone can play guitar.  (Nice Dream)  So I saw that Stephen King is releasing another Dark Tower book, this one called The Wind Through the Keyhole and set between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla.  I can't decide how I feel about this one.  Mostly indifference.  I quite enjoyed that series, but at the same time it was also lacking in parts, especially there as the ka-tet drew near the Tower.  Oy was one of my favorite characters.  Myxomatosis.  I may return to Mid-World, and I mayn't.

Anthropomorphism spoiler!

(It was the computer.  Being dead and now quickened.)

I'm the kind of person that pretty much always sits on my left leg whenever I fold one up beneath my bottom to sit.  For that matter, I almost always cross my left leg over my right.  It just feels wrong going the other way.  Remyxomatoxis.

The Well, it comes.  And with it renewal and hope, but not in us, but in He who made us.  A trip to the orchard tomorrow, where we'll steal apples from the trees and then pay for them, though probably the other way around, cause I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart, and I don't really wanna get arrested, either, and I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over, and U don't have 2 be cool 2 rule my world.  I'm pretty sure someone has replaced my coffee creamer with another creamer of the same design and bottle; instead of the flavor I was expecting this morning (white mocha), I got something oddly reminiscent of banana, a flavor that's universally acknowledged to be deplorable and loathsome to God and man.  But I drink it, eyes darting, waiting to ensnare my assailant.  Ever vigilant!  Ex loganus.

R.I.P. VI

Ah, September, you come in like a lusty youth and leave like an aged hag.  Wait.  It's still August.  Erm...

Ah, August, your love is as unforgiving as an oven and a splash of grease from the griddle.  Like your nefarious cousin July, your vendetta against humans of the Northern Hemisphere is uncalled for and bothersome.  Would it be too much to ask for a reprieve?  No?  September, you say.  Bah.  If that's so, then I can wait another day.  I'm sure the battle 'twixt the two of you will be heated (pun alert!) and fierce, but there's no doubt that September will prove victorious.  And with her vict'ry comes Autumn.

Autumn, of course, brings about deep stirrings in the heart.  The rush of summer dies (there are no dog days, alas) and the calming, dying, beautiful season of Fall begins.  One cannot help but turn to books of a darker nature in these times, and this is where the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge comes in.  For the last five years, Carl has hosted this "challenge" for the purpose of enjoying the darker types of writing.  Mystery.  Suspense.  Thrillers.  Dark Fantasy.  Horror.  Gothic.  Supernatural.  The things that keep you up late at night, afraid to turn a page, but unable to stop.

Last year was the first time I participated in a RIP challenge, and it proved fun and contagious.  There was no doubt I would be signing up again.  Even without Carl's challenge, this is the season where this type of reading calls to me strongest.

I am officially signing up for Peril, the Second.  The challenge is to read two books that meet the classifications (of which are widely variable).  I intend on dipping into Poe or Lovecraft for some short stories, as well, and possibly some graphic novels, too.  (Carl, methinks there should be a Peril, the Graphica or something...)  With a new baby, I can't say for sure whether or not I'll meet the challenge, but I think it should be no problem.

To Be Read Imbibed

House of Leaves, by Mark Danielewski

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

The Walking Dead Volumes 11-14, by Robert Kirkman

House of Leaves has been on my TBR shelf for a double-plus long time.  I'm a sucker for unique formats, and idly flipping through the book a few years back I knew I'd have to read it at some point.  Likewise, Capote's In Cold Blood is such a defining work of art in the "true crime" genre that I've wanted to read it for a while.  I suspect this will be the most horrifying of all that I read, knowing that the accounts therein are true and could very well happen again.  I also hope to continue in Robert Kirkman's bleak-but-hopeful Walking Dead series, as it's been a while since I last dove into these waters.

If your heart has an affinity for the darker side and you'd like to join in the fun, you can check out Carl's post for a full set of instructions.  Or, if you'd rather just read people's reviews and get some more books for your TBR pile, you can do that to.

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week Two

Very little in the way of an intro for this week.  Carl, one of the best spoken gents on the internet, as well as proprietor of Stainless Steel Droppings, has taken helm of this week's questions.  You can follow his blog here.  Also feel free to check out the Read Along headquarters to see more responses.

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"Kaladin was like a moldy crust on a starving man's plate; not the first bite, but still doomed." (Page 263)

"A man's emotions are what define him, and control is the hallmark of true strength.  To lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling s to be a child." (Page 377)

In a recent interview Brandon Sanderson mentioned that the interludes are meant to show us parts of the larger world since much of the action is focused in one or two places. What do you think of the first two sets of interludes? Any characters or situations stand out to you?

Szeth the Truthless is definitely one of the most interesting characters so far.  His powers are fascinating, but the mystery that surrounds him--what exactly is a Truthless?  why is he in the state he's in?  who's he gonna kill next?--is pure brilliant.  I feel quite sympathetic for him, but I'm not exactly sure why.

I'm equally fascinated by Hoid, a man who's only barely been mentioned thus far, during the first Interlude.  Hoid is a unique character in Sanderson's cosmere, as he (or a man named Hoid) has appeared in all of Sanderson's original fantasy novels so far.  Sanderson has hinted that his books all share the same universe, and I suppose that this Hoid is somehow more important than we currently know.

In small increments Brandon Sanderson is revealing the geology and ecology of Roshar. What are your thoughts on what has been revealed thus far?

The Shattered Plains are mesmerizing.  I love the plateaus and how the armies cross them (bridges, poles, or jumping).  The chasms make peril imminent for anyone forgetful or clumsy, even posing dangers to Shardbearers.  This is a brilliant setting for the novel, methinks.

In particular I'm intrigued by the highstorms and the crem that falls with the rain.  Professionally, I work with rainfall and flooding, and the fact that rain in Roshar is poisonous and heavily polluted is another brilliant world-feature of Way of Kings.  I can imagine the stalactites forming on unkempt houses, or worse, sticking to a condemned man forced to weather a highstorm. 

Other than that, there are so many minor tweaks that make Roshar what it is that I'm sure I keep forgetting things, picturing an Earth-like world as opposed to the one the story's actually in.  Multiple moons.  Rockbuds.  Strange grass.  Orange, blue, and purple wine!  Craziness.

This second section of The Way of Kings featured two distinct story lines, those of Dalinar and of Kaladin. How do you feel this section of the book compares with the first section and what are your thoughts on either or both of these story lines?

No cabe duda, the second section blew the first one out of the water.  The fight with the chasmfiend was thrilling (no pun intended).  The politics of the warcamp intriguing.  The visions of Dalinar baffling.  And Kaladin's renewed zeal encouraging.  Dalinar, and indirectly, Adolin, show one side of the war effort, and Kaladin shows the polar opposite.  This dichotomy is well played and very informative to the reader. 

In particular, Dalinar's visions make him another sympathetic character, though less so that Szeth.  Sadly, I don't see him lasting much longer.  His age (and his decision to abdicate to Adolin) all but beg someone to assassinate or duel him.

I also really liked Kal's flashback scenes.  I love that he's a trained surgeon and that he's a gifted warrior.  Again, the conflicting views and motives make for great storytelling.

In the interview set out earlier in the week Sanderson talked about the Stormlight Archive being a series about the return of magic. What are your thoughts on this, particularly in relation to the visions Dalinar is having during the highstorms?

I like this approach to fantasy.  Typically we see magic dying off and leaving the lands, often relegated to arcane sciences and superstition.  Here, magic definitely has birthed mythology, but also religion.  The Heralds and the Radiants and Voidbringers are definitely magical, but so are the Shards and Soulcasting.  People understand that these things are mystical, and while they're not prevalent, they're at least present.

Sanderson has an open door for where he can go with the return of magic.  Perhaps more and more people will start having visions (like Dalinar, though to me he seems chosen for a reason), or more Shards will be found or the plethora of gemhearts will lead to more Soulcasters.  Dalinar's visions must be foreshadowing, and if that's the shape of things to come, the rest of the book/series will be phenomenal.

There has been a change in this second section of the nature of the quotes prior to the beginning of each chapter. What are your thoughts on the opening lines featured in both sections of the book to this point?

I think everyone must have forgot about the pre-chapter quotes last week.  I meant to say something, but it slipped my mind.  Book One's quotes have me perplexed.  Who is keeping these things recorded?  Do all men and women get some sort of erratic "vision" when they die?  Are they somehow related to the spren?  Soulcasting?  This, coupled with Kaladin hearing a dying bridgeman's last words, have me eager to find out the importance of these quotes.

Book Two's pre-quotes were in the form of a letter.  I wasn't as intrigued by them, though they did offer some insight (albeit obfuscated and minuscule) to the world.  I particularly liked the section written to the immortal recipient.

These quotes and letter will undoubtedly be important to the Stormlight Archive, I'm just not sure if we'll find out their significance in The Way of Kings.

In the questions for these first two sections we've talked about characters and the story lines and the world that Sanderson has created, but there are a lot of interesting flourishes and touches to The Way of Kings thus far (shardplate, spren, the actual "Way of Kings" book, highstorms, etc.). Talk about some of the non-character/non-setting things that you are finding either fascinating or annoying (or both) in the book thus far.

Like last week, the spren are still holding my attention.  I cannot dismiss their importance in the grand scheme of things.  Syl's fluttering insights and fuzzy memories seem to point to something, but what that something is I can't grasp.

I'm also very curious to learn more about Dalinar's purging of his wife's memory from his mind.  How is this possible?  And what implications does this have for the rest of the world?  And, dang it, are the spren somehow involved here?

On spren, Axies the Collector and his hunt to find all the spren just whets my appetite.  Does this Axies know Hoid?  Are there beings that are charged to observe things throughout the worlds and archive them or something? 

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week One

I bought Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings the week it came out, nigh on a year ago.  The man writes excellent fantasy novels, with captivating characters, fascinating magic systems, and a well-paced plot.  But for some reason, I never started the tome.  Other books kept cropping up or something else came along that prevented me.

Now, though, with the help of a few other bloggers, I've joined in on a group read.  Together, we'll explore Sanderson's seminal volume of The Stormlight Archive, and each week those of us participating will discuss what we've read, as well as any thoughts/theories we may have.  If you want to get in on this group-read, it's not too late.  Just head here and get yourself started.

Ibeeeg (of Polishing Mud Balls) has put together this weeks round of questions.  The main group read-along blog, Polishing Mud Balls Read-Along Page, is here.  Follow it for the rest of the bloggers taking part of this epic undertaking.  Now, without further ado...

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Before I started reading The Way of Kings, I did have some thoughts on how I would like this story; did you? If you did, how is The Way of Kings actually comparing to those thoughts?

I had no fears of Sanderson letting me down.  Everything of his that I've read--the Mistborn trilogy, Warbreaker, and Elantris--has been highly enjoyable.  I remember Sanderson saying that The Stormlight Archive is his baby, that it's the story he's worked on the longest and has planned out for years.  I was also intrigued by the up-front clarification that this is a ten volume series.  If it's ten books each a thousand pages, that's quite an adventure that I could not afford to pass up.  Plus, with Sanderson's killer work ethic and expediency at book releases, the time expected to wait between novels isn't too long.  There was no way I'd miss this journey.

What do you think of the pace of this story? so far. And what do you think of the prose? Do you think the prose is too descriptive? Not descriptive enough? Give me your thoughts on the writing thus far.

The pacing has been quick.  Very quick.  The opening scene of the battle was breathtaking, and most of Kaladin's stuff has been so far, too.  Shallan's scenes are more like a pot that's simmering, a bit slower, but definitely filled with enough to keep me curious.

The prose is lean, but not too much.  Sanderson's descriptions are perfect for setting the tone that he's portraying.  In battle, there's little description.  In the lull times of traveling, there's more.  For me, it's a perfect balance of a high, epic fantasy with the brisk pace of something lower.

What was your favorite part of this first section?

My favorite part so far (I'm up to 14% complete on my Kindle, or around pg 150) is either Kaladin's labor of carrying the bridge or the curious breaking of the Oathpact at the "Prelude" of the book.  I felt like the bridge carrying ordeal was a grueling and horrifying experience, and the fact that Kaladin couldn't even see as he ran most of the way was wonderful.  And yet I keep thinking back to the Prelude, curious from the characters and the plethora of questions unanswered.

Which character(s) do you find most interesting and why?

I'm really digging the spren.  Fearspren.  Windspren.  Flamespren.  Creationspren.  Anticipationspren.  Logicspren.  So many different spren, and how they just appear at different events (whether seen or not) is just plain cool.

I'm also curious to see how Shallan will accomplish her goal of stealing the Soulcaster.  Surely she and Kaladin are on a destination to meet.  In all of Sanderson's works, his female protagonists are always characters I rally for.  As of yet, I'm not necessarily pulling for Shallan, but I'm intrigued by her ambition (and her Memory magic(?)).

I also hope to see more of Szeth-son-son-Vallano.  His assassination of the king in the prologue was awesome, and I don't think I fully understand the aftermath of the murder and the king's last words.

Kaladin, though, is definitely the most interesting person to read about right now.  He seems like a genuine, stand-up kind of guy, and I'm assuming he'll be the series' hero.  We'll see.

All right, what I really want to know is... what do you think of this book overall? so far. Are you finding the story easy to follow? Are you fascinated, interested? Is the book holding your attention? Are you Bored? Indifferent? Please share your overall thoughts.

Overall, I'm very pleased so far with the read.  The story is fascinating and complex, and I think it'll be a book that I can re-read as the series progresses through the years and take away completely different thoughts.  The unique environments and creatures are interesting; the magic, while currently vague, is nonetheless exciting.  I've stayed up late reading quite a few nights already.  I suppose the easiest way for me to say this is that I've put off reading GRRM's Dance with Dragons until September just so I could read Sanderson's work (and blog with a few others, too).  If I weren't enjoying the book, I'd pick up Dance without a second thought.  As it is, I've not even touched it.

Wise Man's Fear Re-Read: Thoughts, Theories, Things

This post is filled with spoilers, from both The Wise Man's Fear and The Name of the Wind.  If you've not read both, then please, don't read this post.

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I've read Name of the Wind twice, and now I've read its sequel twice (and some parts thrice).  The story is definitely better the second time.  I've been thinking on some of the threads of the tale that Pat Rothfuss is weaving, as well as the implications for the Four Corners' future.  Below are my thoughts.  I would love to discuss any thoughts/theories you might have, either here on the blog, Facebook, or via email.

1.  The pacing is improved this time around, though it's still tedious at times (Ademre, Faen).  Still yet, I marveled over the cultures Rothfuss created, at how intricate and well developed they are.

• Faen is beautifully described and at the same time mysterious and dark.  I love how magicked the Fey are, even though we've only met Bast and Felurian.  This causes them to be highly superstitious (not much different than those in Severen and Vintas), but their superstitions are probably based on fact as opposed to legend. 
  
  
• The Adem, on the other hand, are a simple people, yet highly philosophical.  I am once again fascinated by their double-talk, at how important hand language is. This is still my least favorite part of the book, if only because there is very little going on.  I feel like Caesura is vital to the overall story, especially given its bloody pedigree.  Also, the Adem story of the Chandrian and their old names is definitely important, but I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there.
  

2.  Kvothe's parentage was particularly enthralling as I read.  Having been turned on to the idea that Kvothe's mother was Natalia Lockless, sister to Meluan Lockless, I payed close attention to the parts when Kvothe spoke of his family.  Now, I am fully convinced that Rothfuss is a cunning devil and that Tally is definitely Meluan's sister, thus making Kvothe part noble (and possibly a Lockless heir).  Plus, he says that when he first met Meluan that she looked vaguely familiar (possibly like his mother, who's been deceased now for a few years).  Meluan's resentment of the Ruh could be similar to Petunia's resentment of the magical world in Harry Potter; both sisters were jealous of their sibling for going off and enjoying life.

• Consider the song Kvothe tells Sim and Will....
  
  
  Dark Laurian, Arliden's wife,
  Has a face like a blade of a knife
  Has a voice like a prickledown burr
  But can tally a sum like a moneylender.
  My sweet Tally cannot cook.
  But she keeps a tidy ledger-book
  For all her faults I do confess
  It's worth my life
  To make my wife
  Not tally a lot less
  
  

  It doesn't seem like much, but given how cunning Pat is, read the last two lines aloud and it sounds similar to "To make my wife Natalia lot less", ergo, Natalia Lockless.  That's why she shushes Arliden for his song, to keep her line a secret.  See here for more on this fascinating theory.
  
• The Loeclos box surely is made of Faen-magic/wood.  It's smell is evocative to Kvothe and he vaguely remembers something, and I suppose it's reminiscent of the smell from his time with Felurian.  He mentions time and again how his memory is muddled from his time there, so his recollection of the smell is muddled, too.  Alveron, Meluan, and Kvothe discuss whether or not the contents of the box are precious.  I find this word choice interesting, as it thematically relates to Denna (and her fear of being "boxed in").  What if the box opens simply with "Edro," the word for open Taborlin used, and Kvothe, too, when he jokingly opened the Maer's chest in the Eld.  Kvothe didn't try it, I noticed.
  
• Could Arliden also be more than meets the eye?  Perhaps somehow Fey related/descended?  He's a skilled musician/rhymer, something we know the Fey are.  Or, possibly the Ruh are somehow related to the Fey?  Not really sure about Arliden.  But we do know that the Lockless family is very old, and so are the Ruh, and Kvothe being from both bloodlines could explain some of his peculiarities. 
  

3.  I also wondered about Denna's patron throughout this read.  Where once I didn't care much about her patron (or her, for that matter), now I'm more than a bit curious.  I suspect it to be Bredon, based in part on certain descriptions and certain actions.  Both are apt dancers.  Both enjoy games.  Both enjoy their privacy.  Plus, the Ctheah said Kvothe had met him, and this twist seems like the right twist (though it could also be the obvious choice and therefore not a likely possibility).  Bredon seems kind, but he has a temper, too (like when Kvothe's distracted and not playing well), which would likely yield to him beating Denna whenever he's angry.

• The first read Kvothe & Denna's relationship was annoying.  Now, it's still annoying, but less so.  Both are young and stupid.  Neither come out and express themselves, explain their broken histories, or tell their life story.  What a shame, too.  If only they'd communicate then things could be so much better.  (I'm thinking of Lost here.)
  
• Bredon must be more than meets the eye.  When Kvothe is going through the papers with rumors and whatnot on them, there are some rumors that Bredon does pagan rituals and has evil relations.  Then, when Kvothe is preparing to leave Severen, he gives the papers over to Bredon, mentioning that the man may find them entertaining.  This nonchalance seems too forced (perhaps I'm reading into it), but why else would Pat bring it up again?  This could be a plot device for Bredon.
  
• A final possibility is that Denna's patron could be none other than Cinder himself.  There are some theories to this, and possibly even Bredon being Cinder (or related), but I'm not entirely convinced this is so.  Still, this line from one of the last chapters caught my attention (while in Bast's POV):  "Nothing but ash and cinder lay inside."  With the two words juxtaposed, Rothfuss could be cleverly dropping hints.  There's some weight to this, I think, but again, I'm not sold on this idea.
  

4.  Pat overuses the word "speculative."  This is nitpicking, but it's also grating, though I suspect unnoticed by Pat and/or his editor.  I'm talking about "so-and-so gave you-know-who a speculative look" type sentences.  These pop up all over the place.  All over the place.

5.  Another very interesting thing throughout this book is the role the moon plays.  People swear by the ever-changing moon.  They tell stories about the moon.  Auri's appearance (and Denna's, too) seems related to whether or not the moon is out.  Even the Fey regard it as something important.  I didn't notice how often the word "moon" appears, but it's presence is overwhelming.  This gives even more weight to the story about Jax and his stealing the moon.

• Think of Elodin's question for Kvothe as he's going through the admissions process for the first time in Wise Man's Fear.  Elodin asks, "Where does the moon go when it is no longer in our sky?"  Elodin obviously knows much (Kvothe recalls Master Namer's eyes when he's in Faen and that they are similar to Felurian's), and his inane babbling turned out rather purposeful in the end.  So is this question important?  Maybe.  Is it a subtle hint?  Possibly.

6.  We know the frame story, the story in the present, is a tragedy.  Kvothe remarks to Bast that "we all know what kind of story this is."  Something so catastrophic has happened to Kvothe that he no longer is himself, it's as if he's locked away a part of his name and has been rechristened as Kote.  This tragedy is likely the death(s) of Denna and/or many other friends due to some rash action made by a foolish Kvothe.  As such, this has me thinking about the conclusion of the book, of the trilogy.  Will there be resolution?  Yes, Rothfuss is too much a storyteller to not leave things unresolved, as stories must have endings.  But will the ending be satisfying?

• Remember when Kvothe tells the story of the old man and his search for food & fire?  (Chapter 38, "Kernels of Truth")  Sim (or Will, I cannot recall, but it sounds like Sim) is upset at the ending, claiming the story wasn't really a story at all.  Sim asks Kvothe, "Why tell a story that's not entertaining?"  Kvothe answers, "To help us remember.  To teach us... things."  I speculate that this is Pat foreshadowing the conclusion to The Kingkiller Chronicles.  The ending may seem disappointing (or inconclusive), but that's not really the point.  The point in Kvothe's story (to Chronicler and Bast, and the reader) is to teach us things, but it's also to help Kvothe remember who he was and who he still is.
  
  
• Perhaps these books will end with Kote becoming Kvothe again and there will be more books where he puts to right his wrongs or something.  This, I hope, will be the case.  Pat has already said he's got more stories to tell in Kvothe's world.  (As an aside, I wonder if Pat skipped over the ship wreck chapter to leave it open for a possible novella or short story some time down the road.)
  
• On Kote becoming Kvothe, recall when Kvothe asks Elodin about what he thinks about a woman that keeps changing her name.  Elodin reacts as if that's something terrible to do, and his reaction implies that it's entirely possible.  Perhaps Kvothe changed his name to Kote for a time, though I think Kvothe is wanting to get out (such as when the hired soldiers fight the innkeeper and Kote remarks that he nearly forgot himself there for a moment).
  
• Finally, could Kvothe have become an Amyr and made some choices that were for the greater good?  We see his guilt over killing (bandits, false troupers), though they were for the greater good and justified.  What if Kvothe became an Amyr and then found out the group was as sinister as the Chandrian and then abandoned his old self to become Kote?  (Ironic that Kvothe changes his name to Kote, similar to Denna constantly changing her name to D-----.)

 A lot of great discussion (and fodder for this post) can be found on the Rothfussians group on GoodReads, and also Jo Walton's exhaustive re-read of NOTW and WMF at Tor.com. 

Again, I'd love any thoughts on Kvothe and his story if you've a ha'penny to spare.

The Strange and Wonderful Life of Logan K Stewart

So here I am, thinking about what to think about.  Writing on writing or listening to someone give a talk on being a good listener.  Watching the hands of the clock go tick tick t i c k   t   i    c      k on out to infinity.  Wouldn't it be crazy if the second hand moved counter-clockwise?  And why's it called counter-clockwise?   Why not anti-clockwise or double-plus-ungood-clockwise?

I'm making my way through Fragile Things, a collection of Gaiman short fiction and wonders.  Here's a link to "The Fairy Reel," a poem that begs to be read aloud over and over again, and best when done by the author himself.  I'm also making my way through Maria Tatar's Annotated Classic Fairy Tales as well as her Annotated Brothers Grimm.  Oh, and then there's Joanna Cole's Best-Loved Folktales of the World, too.  It's been rather interesting.

I spent a few hours last Friday morning discussing some interesting stuff, and after that was over, I went to the coffee shop and spent a few hours reading through The Book of Numbers and thinking about how much God loved the Israelites.  Some time later a man sat down beside me and we had a nice, lengthy conversation about the bible, difficult translations, and guitar.  "Alas," said I, looking ruefully at my flip flops and the pouring, cold rain outside.  "I must be off."  And I apparated to the library, where I spent some time leafing through books and working on a short story.  I've had ideas for "The Doom of the Salt People" in my head a while now, and since I was off and it was raining and the music was good, I went on and pounded out a bit.  Part 1 is available here, if you're interested.

Someone clicked the Next Slide button on the Powerpoint and then I was home, cooking Keisha supper, A) cause I'm sweet like that, B) cause I like to cook, C) cause we ain't had us a date night in a good long time and me cooking seemed like the right thing to do.  Grilled salmon, baked potatoes, sliced carrots, and my universally acknowledged, globally accepted three-pasta-four-cheese macaroni & cheese.  Some wine would've been perfect, but Keisha's got the darling growing inside her and I can't/won't drink an entire bottle, so we dined with unsweetened tea instead.

We've started watching Fringe (thanks Netflix & library!), and we're both really enjoying it.  It's like X-Files meets Law & Order / CSI or something.  So far, so good.  Somehow, we've still not finished Battlestar: Galactica (thanks Netflix & library!)  I think I can only take that show in doses.  I love it, but it's so tense and the drama is so emotionally charged that it's quite difficult to take down so many episodes at once. 

All I know is that it feels great to have my own guitar back in my hands, y'know?  There's just something about the way my baby feels.  I know its neck like a good simile.  My fingers know what fretboard they're used to.  Just how much to move and how much to press.  It's all good, now, but it was ungood a week ago.  Longer, even. 

Yeah, I got my TOMS last night.  Alex & Rachael are getting married next month, and as a groomsman, I got a pair of TOMS.  TOMS all around.  It's the first pair I've ever owned, but they're danged comfortable.  Plus, their mission statement is "with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.  One for One."  Quite the awesomeness, methinks.  Check out their website if'n you wanna.  Mayhap something'll tickle your cat fancy, do ya kennit?

Go wish Dave a happy 500th post while you're at it.   Tell him I said hi while you're at that.

Remember me to one who lives there.  She once was a true love of mine.  I feel like I could go on and on and on here, as an ellipsis shooting off into infinity.  I've still not touched on Saturday and its happenings, nor on the fantastic Palm Sunday service we had at church yesterday (yes, there were 4 donkeys, yes there were accidents in the church, yes it was awesome).  Yet, an ellipsis knows its place.  It cuts itself off at three dots, though if it ends a sentence there should be four.

I'll just wrap it up with this.  Breastfeeding class was last Thursday night.  I've never heard anyone say "breast" or "nipple" or "mouthful of breast" so much in my life.  The class was highly informative and tedious.  It easily could've been an hour shorter, but the teacher repeated herself at least three times after every point she made.  She'd basically say the exact same thing over and over again, driving home the point until everyone understood it very well, though she would usually rearrange her words or slightly tweak herself.  For very important things, the teacher would repeat herself, sometimes two or three or four times, making sure everyone understood what she was saying.  It was very informative and mentally taxing. 

Still no public revelation on our daughter's name yet, though it is literary, for you wondering minds....

My Reading List: 2010 Edition

RSS readers (and, inevitably, Facebook readers), this post has some java script that doesn't show up on my Google Reader feed, so you may want to click over to get the full effect.

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As with last year's post, I reflect the same sentiments that this idea is not original, but it is mine.

This year, I have kept a fancy spreadsheet with all sorts of bookish information on it and personal notes on the books read.  If you would like to see all the data, click here.  (Conveniently, this spreadsheet also includes a tab at the bottom for 2009's data.)  In total, I've read 71 books, compared to 2009's 55, an increase of 29%.  The collected results are below.

Data

Oldest Book: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1954
Audio Books*:  11
Library Books: 41
2010 Books: 17
Books Forsaken: 1 (Robert Jordan's The Great Hunt) 
From Publishers/Authors Received: 11
From Publishers/Authors Reviewed: 9
Most Popular Author: Robert Kirkman
Most Popular Publisher: Image Comics
Busiest Month: September (17 reads)
Total Page Numbers: ~18,152
Female/Male: 10/30

As you can see from the Genre Breakdown, almost half of my reading this year was spent with graphic novels or comics, at least from a quantitative point of view.  Page-wise, graphic novels only accounted for 5430 pages, a modest 30% (compared to the 46.5%).  This is strikingly similar to last year's chart, and, since I still don't consider "Graphic Novel" a genre, I have crafted a sub-genre breakdown of reads.


This chart is eliminating the "Graphic Novel" genre class and instead looking at a broader spectrum.  Several of these can (and do) overlap, so really this graph doesn't serve much of a purpose but to give you a different perspective.  Heck, the same thing applies to the main genre filter, too.

Favorites
It's hard to pick favorite reads.  There are so many things that go into the choice that this list could change at any given time.  Still, I have endeavored to create some sort of list here.  Each book is linked with a review/thought if applicable.  They're also in no order.  And I struggle to know whether or not to include re-reads, so I've tried not to but for one...

The Warded Man, by Peter Brett
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Hellboy Vol. 5: Conqueror Worm, by Mike Mignola
Consider the Lobster and Other Essays, by David Foster Wallace
The Passage, by Justin Cronin
The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susanna Clarke

The Warded Man is without a doubt the best fantasy novel I've read this year.  It was fresh, exciting, and the story was just flat out awesome.  The same can be said about Collins' Hunger Games series.  These books were brilliant, and I read all three this year.  A friend loaned me DFW's essay collection, and this was a fascinating book that I recommend everyone give a go.  The Passage was much hyped, highly acclaimed, and held up pretty good to the high expectations I sat for it.

As always, there were plenty of things I didn't get around to reading, and my TBR pile only increased.  One novel I hoped to knock off was One Hundred Years of Solitude, but I never even cracked the spine.  The same goes for any Dostoevsky.  I also only read one STAR WARS novel, sadly, but I hope to rectify that soon.

There were a few disappointments, too.  For one, Bill Willingham's excellent Fables series took a blow with The Great Fables Crossover arc, but fortunately recovered by issue #100.  Also Ted Dekker's Green was a huge letdown, cringe-worthy at times in its awfulness.  Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold was another tragedy, focusing too much on stalling the plot, lengthening the pages, and its lack of any likable characters.

In the end, 2010 was another great year spent with books and comics.  I accomplished a lot, and I've plenty left to get through.  March will bring Rothfuss' newest (and long-anticipated) Wise Man's Fear, which has been pre-ordered for a while now.  There's also supposed to be some kind of Brandon Sanderson Mistborn novella sometime next year, which should be pretty sweet.  And I won't be holding my breath, but GRRM could even pull something out from ASOIAF if we're really lucky.  Here's to hoping we are.

*Audio Books that were either partially listened to, combined with actual physical reading, or entirely listened to.

Random Meanderings: Books, Concerts, and Questions

1.  Is the word "suck" socially accepted now?  I know it's ingrained in my vernacular, but still, when I use it around my boss or the pastor, it seems strange?  The first time I heard my grandmother say it I nearly died.

2.  Anybody else have trouble spelling beaurau beaureau beureau *spell check* bureau?  Gets me every time.

3.  If you take a vacuum cleaner and put the hose in your mouth and turn it on would it kill you?  What if you plugged up your nose and then did it?  Cause I imagine your lungs and stuff getting sucked up or going crazy.

4.  Don't you hate it when you wake up and your ear feels like it's got water in it?

5.  Is there a rule that says once one vehicle messes up, then the other one is doomed to the same fate?

6.  Even though I've had Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings since its release date, it's been sitting on the shelf just waiting for me to pick it up ever since.  It's not that I don't want to read it, but I want to read it when I can fully devote time and attention to Sanderson's awesomeness.  It seems like a waste, but just knowing I have it now means I got all the time in the world.

7.  So, if a ____ and a _ ___ go to the ______ for ______, then ____ slips _ ____ a ____, what would happen?  I mean, it'd have to be messy, right?

8.  The great debate of what to read next is here.  I have so many things I really want to read, I just don't know where to go.  Ken Scholes' Lamentation has been waiting very patiently; I got a fresh stack of Hellboy's to devour; I'm feeling like a good classic, maybe One Hundred Years of Solitude or The Brothers Karamazov; non-fictional Truman Capote's In Cold Blood has been beating on my brain's door, and so has Abraham's The Long Price Quartet; oh, and the twenty issues or so of Fables to cram in 'ere issue #100 hits shelves later this month.  Instead of all of these, I've picked up Charles Portis' True Grit, a novel that's been in my possession for so long I don't remember when I first tried to read it, and a review copy of sci-fi webzine Residential Aliens #4.

9.  It's good to have Conan O'Brien back doing what he does best: being awesome.

10.  I'm going to St. Louis this weekend to see Iron & Wine in concert.  It's been a while since my last concert, and I'm super excited about this one.

11.  I'm thinking about entering io9's Environmental Writing Contest.  Click here for info.

12.  Yeah, I've already got my HP7 midnight tickets for the imax.  Can't wait.