BW8: Author Bookology - Robin Hobb

 

Happy Sunday!  I recently discovered Robin Hobb and Fitz in the Farseer Trilogy and fell in love with both the character and the story. I know, what took me so long? Fitz was just an amazing character and went through so much and I liked being in his head and seeing how people treated him and how he reacted and how he was able to persevere through all the ups and downs and machinations involved.  He kind of reminded me of Pug from Raymond Feist's Magician's Apprentice but that storyline dragged whereas I enjoyed Fitz's story which captivated me and made me want to read on. 

 I'm in the midst of  #2 Royal Assassin, have Assassin's Quest waiting in the wings as well as Ship of Magic in her Live Ship Trader's series.  No doubt I'll be exploring her complete backlist over the next few years as I have done with new to me authors  Imagine my surprise when I also discovered she used to write under the name of Megan Lindholm.  More stories to explore. 

I also recently "discovered" Fredrik Backman and Rebecca Yarros and am enjoying reading their backlists. 

Other authors whose stories I read again and again and again are Nora Roberts, Dean Koontz, James Rollins, Haruki Murakami, Keri Arthur, and Patricia Briggs to name a few.   I'm a devoted series reader.  When I fall in like with the characters in the first book, I simply must continue.   Not all books are equally good, and some can be duds, but I enjoy their writing. 

Who are the authors that you will read over and over again or will read anything they publish?   Who have you 'discovered' recently?

BW7: Great Literature

 

Every story is a key that can unlock a door we didn’t even know was locked.

Happy Sunday! Great literature is in the mind of the beholder. We each have a personal canon shaped through art, music, ideas, conversation, education, spirituality, and yes, literature, which all goes toward shaping our world view.  I didn't think of it when I was in my 20's and read only science fiction and fantasy.  Reading was only for entertainment and to escape into the world of the story. 

It wasn't until I was older and started homeschooling that I began to appreciate different authors, genres, fiction and non fiction.  How would I give my child a well rounded education as well as give him the desire to be a life long learner?  It involved reading a lot of how to books about the different homeschool methods which I won't bore you with and turning my child's education into a grand science experiment, testing out differing methods. It was a great success for him as well as me because I ended up finishing my bachelor's degree in liberal arts which opened my eyes and mind to the diverse world of stories.  

A few years ago I came across Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's The Danger of a Single Story which I watch every year as a reminder not to limit our reading to the standard classics, but to branch out and experiment with all the genres, both fiction and non fiction. 

To that end, I don't limit myself to the Western Canon or western authors and choose to read widely and broadly. Instead of reinventing the wheel,  check out A Well Read Life recently posted in the linkbar above which has multiple url links to various books and websites with curated book lists. 

Whether you read Great books or good books, the most important thing is the reading and the side benefit of great conversation the stories provoke. 

Happy Reading! 

BW6: F is for Flufferton, Females, and French Fries

 

Happy Sunday! This week we celebrate the Super Bowl, National Flannel Day, Make a Friend Day, Friday the 13th, Ferris Wheel Day, and last but not least, Valentine's day.  

We're all about the ladies this week with Flufferton, female narrators, and series written by women that we need to finish. 

Regency Romances flourished between 1811 to 1820's during the shift from the aristocratic Age of Enlightenment to the artistic movement of Romanticism.  Since the period overlapped the Napoleonic wars, writers expanded on themes of the drama of wounded soldiers, mystery, adventure and of course, romance. The  term Flufferton Abbey was coined by a reader friend since Regency romances, both classic and modern, are light and fluffy reads and most are set in England. 

Female narrators for audio books can make or break the story depending on their voice and acting ability. Check out Audible.com's  Best Female Narrators who elevate every story or Penguin Staff Picks on Wonderful Women Narrators  Two of my favorite narrators are Susan Ericksen for  J.D. Robb's In Death Series and Katrina Lenk who wonderfully narrated The Fire Concerto by Sarah Lendenwich. I hope to find more interesting books narrated by Lenk in the future. 

Stories narrated by a female who are strong, or  unhinged,  written in first person such as N.J. Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy or third person  such as J.D. Robb's In Death series are all great to read. 

Series written by women I particularly need to finish at some point are Robin Hobb's Farseer or Live Ship Traders, R.F. Kuang's Poppy Wars, C.J. Piper's The Night and it's Moon, and Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. 

What series do you need to finish?

And let's not forget love and friendship this week. 

12 novels about female friendship in honor of Galentine’s Day

17 Stunning Friendship Stories to Read Now

Books Perfect for Valentine's Day

“It's finally happened; scientists claim to have discovered the very first person in history who doesn't like french fries. Just imagine the implications!”  ― Graham Parke

Happy Reading! 

BW5: February Escapades

 

The more I read, the hungrier I become. 

Each book seemed promising, each page 

I turned offered an escapade, the allure of

 another world, other destinies, other dreams.

~ Tatiana de Rosnay

Happy Sunday!  It's February which means it's time to escape on another adventure if you wish, or continue with your current adventures in Eastern Asia.  If you wish to move on from reading Eastern classics, one book you will find on most academic great books, best adventure lists or 1001 Books to Read Before You Die is Miguel De Cervantes  Don Quixote. If you haven't read it already, try to make time for it this year.  If you have, you'll remember there were several books mentioned in Don Quixote which may piqued your interest or Books that Drove Don Quixote Crazy.   

February is also An Affair to Remember Month, Black History Month, and Creative Romance Month with Valentine's Day on February 14th.  This week we celebration Spunky Old Broads day (Sunday), Ground Hog Day  (Monday), Feed the Birds day (Tuesday), Thank a Mailman Day (Wednesday), National Shower With a Friend Day (woot, woot) (Thursday), the Start of the Winter Olympics (Friday), and Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor day (Saturday). Just think of all the escapades you can get into this week! 

Whether you need an escape or engage in an escapade, there are plenty of books which will aid in your quest.  

Happy Escapade!