Reading challenge recap - re-reading favorite books

In June, I gave an update on my reading "challenge" this year, which was to re-read some of my favorite books. In summary, the challenge has been great. 

These are the books I re-read this year:

• January - Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• February - Find Her by Lisa Gardner
• March - The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
• April - When You See Me by Lisa Gardner
• May - Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson
• June - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 
• July - Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
• August - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• September - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
• October - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• November/December - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 

I only re-read eleven books instead of twelve because The Way of Kings took me longer than I had planned. I enjoyed every book and would rate them all 5 stars if I had read them for the first time this year. Although I had a great time with this reading challenge, I don't know if I'll repeat it next year since there are so many unread books on my TBR list, but I'm definitely more open to re-reading books now than I was before.

After Z-Day holiday sale

You can now buy the Kindle version of the books in the After Z-Day series for only 99 cents each! That means you only have to spend a total of $2.97 for all three books. This sale will last through the holidays. If you're a fan of the zombie apocalypse or want to give a gift to someone who is, consider the After Z-Day series.

• Book 1: Hopeless
• Book 2: Relentless
• Book 3: Soulless

 

George and the Galactic Games has a new cover!

My first published novel, George and the Galactic Games, has a new cover! This is the fifth cover for the book and definitely my favorite. I made the first two covers myself, and I wasn't too happy with either one, so I hired an artist to create a more professional cover. That cover lasted for a while until I tired of it and hired a different artist to create the fourth cover. The fourth one had served as the cover for the book for the last few years, longer than any of the previous three. I wasn't looking to replace the cover until this one came along, and I immediately wanted it to be the new face of the book. I love this cover because it not only conveys a scene from the story, but the style also fits the middle-grade level that is the book's target audience. I have a feeling I'll be keeping this cover for a long, long time.

Special edition books

 

 Midnight Edition of The Dandelion Dynasty from The Broken Binding

To the detriment of my bank account, I have become addicted to buying special edition books this year. If I had to trace the practice to any singular event, it would be Brandon Sanderson's Secret Projects Kickstarter. The premium hardcovers looked so much nicer than regular hardcovers that I wanted to populate my bookshelves with more special edition books. Now, a year later, I have one bookshelf where two-thirds of the books are special editions.

It's not just Brandon Sanderson and his premium hardcovers and leatherbound editions that fueled my new book buying addiction. Social media and the rise of book subscription boxes have made books with stenciled or sprayed edges enticing and easy to obtain. My latest arrival, shown in the photos above, are the Midnight Editions of Ken Liu's The Dandelion Dynasty series. I jumped on that purchase as soon as I saw The Broken Binding advertise the books. Given the amount of money I've spent on special editions in the past year, I need to be better about budgeting my book purchases. Because special edition books are more expensive than typical hardcovers, I will need to buy fewer books than before. That sounds outrageous to a book lover like me, but unless I want to go broke or until I win the lottery, it's the prudent thing to do. On the other hand, I consider it a price worth paying (pun intended) for filling my bookshelves with such pretty books.

The struggles of writing with an all-consuming, stressful day job

For those who aren't aware, I do not make my living as an author. I wish I could, but I don't sell nearly as many books as I need to in order to feed myself or keep a roof over my head. Instead, I have a day job that provides me with financial stability. I'm certainly not unique in that respect. Plenty of authors work a day job as their primary means of income.

I've been able to juggle writing and a day job for many years. All of the books I've written so far have been while I was working a full-time job. However, that has changed in the past year. I released my last book, Soulless, in November. I haven't written anything since. At the beginning of the year, I had fully intended to start drafting the next book in the After Z-Day series, but it's now August, and I haven't written a single word. Last fall, my day job ramped up in intensity to the point where I often work evenings and weekend. Even when I do have time when I'm not working, I'm so mentally exhausted that I can't think about telling a story.

What am I to do? To start with, I recognize I'm in a phase of life where writing is difficult for me. Instead of churning out words for the sake of releasing another book, I'm waiting until I can focus on writing a good book. I owe that to my readers. Although I'm not writing a first draft, I do think about the story for my next book every now and then. I have a brief outline, and I add to it or revise it when I can. I hope that when I finally have the time and mental energy to write again, thinking about the story in advance will make drafting easier. Finally, I'm still reading as much as I used to. Reading is easier than writing for me because I don't need to be in the proper state of mind to read. If anything, reading helps me de-stress from my day job. I've read some really good books this year, and I'm learning from the authors I read so that I can be a better author when I start writing again.

I don't know when my day job will let up enough to allow me to write, but I hope it's soon. I'm looking forward to writing the next installment of the After Z-Day series and sharing it with all of you.

Thoughts on NYT's 100 best books of the 21st century

After the New York Times published their list of the 100 best books of the 21st century, I saw quite a bit of commentary on it. There was expected criticism of the books on the list and books people thought should have made the list. Other posts from readers talked about how many of the 100 books they read and what their favorites were. I'm going to take the latter approach.

As I combed through the list, I was surprised to find that I only read 7 of the books. The ones I read (and their ranking on the NYT list in parenthesis) were:

1. The Overstory by Richard Powers (24)
2. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (28)
3. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (36)
4. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison (44)
5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (46)
6. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (76)
7. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (93)

There were a few more on my TBR that I haven't gotten to yet, but I also hadn't heard of many of the books. You may also find it surprising that I didn't give any of the 7 books I read a 5-star rating since they are supposed to be among this century's best. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Station Eleven were my favorites from the list, and they both received 4-star ratings. They were good books but not great. In retrospect, I should have expected this because my 2020 reading challenge to read New York Times bestsellers did not go well.

As a curated list, I don't place much weight on the NYT best books of the 21st century because I know that my tastes differ from what lands on their bestseller lists. I did find the online discussions about the list to be a positive outcome because people should talk more about books. The list also provided me with some candidates to add to my TBR. Based on past experiences, I may not enjoy them as much as other books, but IMHO you can't go wrong with reading more books.

Update on re-reading five-star books

At the beginning of the year, I decided that my reading goal for this year is to re-read some of my favorite books. Six months into the endeavor, I'd say it's been a success.

These are the books I've re-read so far:

• January - Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• February - Find Her by Lisa Gardner
• March - The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
• April - When You See Me by Lisa Gardner
• May - Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson
• June - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

If you're thinking, "Half of those books are by Brandon Sanderson," you'd be right. Each month in 2024, I'm planning to alternate between re-reading a Brandon Sanderson book and a book by another author. That I'm willing to spend half of my re-reading allotment on Sanderson is a testament to how much I enjoy his books.

You might have also noticed two books by Lisa Gardner on the list. This was unexpected. I had planned to re-read Find Her all along since it's my favorite Lisa Gardner book and one of my favorite thrillers of all time. However, in reading the book again, I loved it so much that I wanted to read another book in the same series. I don't anticipate re-reading another Lisa Gardner book this year, but she has a new book, Still See You Everywhere, that's on my TBR list.

That highlights what I discovered so far through the six books I've re-read. They are all still 5-star books for me. The passage of time hasn't diminished how much I like each one. Given how well the re-read has gone so far, I wouldn't be surprised to re-read more of my favorite books next year.

The Dandelion Dynasty

I just finished reading The Dandelion Dynasty, and I need to let more people know about it because the series was so good!

There are four books in this silkpunk fantasy series:

1. The Grace of Kings
2. The Wall of Storms
3. The Veiled Throne
4. Speaking Bones

I rated each book 5 stars, which I don't often do even for series I really like. Every book was great on its own, and the end result is one of my favorite epic fantasy series of all time. Among epic fantasy series that are already complete, The Dandelion Dynasty might be my favorite.

There are two aspects of The Dandelion Dynasty that set it apart from other books (not just fantasy books) I've read. No series has taken me on an emotional roller coaster like this one did. Whenever I thought things were going well for the protagonists, Ken Liu would throw a wrench into their plans, and whenever the characters faced seemingly insurmountable odds, a ray of light appeared. It was gut wrenching to read the books, but thankfully, by the time I read Speaking Bones, I was used to the ups and downs, so I could handle what happened and how the various character arcs concluded. But boy, was it stressful, in a good way though.

I have also never saved quotes from a book like I did with these. There were so many nuggets of wisdom littered throughout each book that I found myself wanting to write them all down. This series could serve as philosophy text as easily as an enjoyable fantasy story. I didn't get to take all the notes I wanted to, so I will definitely need to re-read the series and jot down everything that I found noteworthy.

Not only did I think The Dandelion Dynasty was a wonderful series, but I also don't feel like it's gotten the recognition and popularity it deserves. I hardly hear anyone talk about it, so I want to promote it as much as I can. If you're a fan of the fantasy genre or just want to try books that are thought-provoking with brilliant world-building and character development, give The Dandelion Dynasty a read!

Large print books

 

As I get older and my eyes lose the sharpness of youth, I appreciate large print books more and more. It's hard to believe that until about five years ago, I didn't know about large print books, and it hasn't been until 2022 that I started reading them. Before the pandemic, I'd noticed that there's a large print books section at my local public library, but the selection was limited, so I didn't browse there. It was only after a book I wanted was only available in large print that I checked one out, and what a game changer that has become.

Most of the books I read are still the regular variety rather than large print because it's easier to buy books in regular print, but when I go to the library nowadays, I head for the large print section first. There still isn't much of a selection, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find new releases in large print that aren't available in regular print. Perhaps most patrons aren't aware of large print books yet, and I'm happy for their ignorance to continue.

When I read a large print book at home, I can do so without my reading glasses, which is a welcomed blessing during early mornings or late nights when I don't want to wear my glasses. It's always jarring when I switch from a large print book to a regular print book because the font size of regular print books looks so small in comparison. The transition also reminds me that I need to put on my reading glasses. 

I would read large print books primarily if there was a wider selection of them. I also wish there were special editions in large print. I've been buying more editions of books with special covers, stenciled edges, or other extra treatments, but I haven't seen any in large print. Hopefully, with the growing popularity of special edition books for book subscription services, someone will cater to the large print market too. When that happens, large print books will likely become my default book format.

Long books that would be 5 stars if they were shorter

I just finished reading two long books, each over 800 pages in length. Both books are good but would have been better if they were shorter. The stories were great, I liked the characters, and I liked the writing. It just felt like a chore sometimes to wade through all the pages.

I have nothing against long books. Some of my favorite books ever are over 500 pages long, but they were books that managed to hold my attention throughout. The challenge with long books is that there are bound to be sections that are less engaging than others, and in some cases, those parts of the book drag me out of the story.

Curious about which books would have been 5 stars if not for their length, I looked at the 4-star books I read in the past three years to see if length was the main reason any of them didn't receive a 5-star rating. For purposes of this post, I define a long book as one greater than 500 pages in length. That's an arbitrary number since some people consider anything longer than 300 pages to be long, and others devour 500-page novels without blinking.

I've rated 128 books as 4 stars since the beginning of 2021, and here are the ones that could have been 5 stars if they were shorter:

• Gilded by Marissa Meyer - The description on the book jacket was interesting, and I wanted to read about the premise, but it took a long time for me to become invested in the protagonists.
• Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore - I found it interesting that the first two books in the Graceling Realm series were under 500 pages long, and I rated them 5 stars, while the last three books were over 500 pages, and I rated them 4 stars. Correlation? Causation? You be the judge.
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - the first 100 pages or so of this book were great, but by about page 200, it felt repetitive. If the book ended at less than 300 pages, I would have likely given it 5 stars. 
• Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney - I started reading the Gray Man series after the first book (which was less than 500 pages long) got me hooked. Gunmetal Gray is an example of an entry in the series that was still good but felt repetitive after a while.
• The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan - I've read the first three books in the Wheel of Time series, and I feel like they're all too long, but I'm choosing The Dragon Reborn because this could have been 5 stars if it were shorter.
• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - This is the book that got me thinking about the topic. Whenever I sat down to read it, I would be engrossed for a while, and then it felt like a chore to continue reading. It took me longer than normal to finish this book, but I'm glad I did.

Obviously, length is not the primary concern when I rate a book, but this exercise reminds me that a book of any length needs to capture and maintain a reader's attention throughout, no matter how many pages it is. It's just a lot harder to do so when a book is long.

 

Forget romantasy, what about romantorror?

Romantasy, or romantic fantasy, is huge nowadays. The bookish part of the internet is flooded by posts showcasing books by Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and others. Last year, Romantasy even became a category in the Goodreads Choice Awards. (The winner, not surprisingly, was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.)

The popularity of this genre that mixes romance with fantasy made me wonder if I've been missing the boat on other genres that are combined with romance? What about romance and horror (romantorror?) Romance and science fiction?

To learn about other Romance+ genres, I searched for Goodreads lists that contain books with romance and another genre. Some other Romance+ genres I found include:

• Romance Horror (yes, Romantorror!) - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/romance-horror
• Romance Science Fiction - https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/15867.Best_Adult_Science_Fiction_Romance_Science_Fiction_with_Romance
• Romance Mystery - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/romance-mystery
• Romance Thriller - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/romance-thriller

Judging by the small sample size provided by these lists, other Romance+ genres exist, but they aren't nearly as popular as romantasy. For example, I've only read two books from the Romance Horror list, two from the Romance Science Fiction list, four from Romance Mystery, and three from Romance Thriller. Perhaps Romantasy's popularity will result in greater interest in these other genres, or maybe romance+fantasy is unique to itself. It's hard to say, but I think I'll try out more romantorror.

Re-reading five-star books

With the number of unread books out there, I rarely get to re-read the ones I love. This year, I want to change that by turning re-reading into a reading challenge. This is partly because I want to revisit some of my favorite books, but another reason is that, after 2023's Year of Sanderson, I want to refresh my memory of the Cosmere. It will also be a good way for me to prepare myself for the release of Stormlight Archive #5 in December. 

My current plan is to re-read a past five-star book during each month of 2024. Some of these will be Cosmere books, and others will be favorites that I want to read again. The biggest problem I foresee will be deciding which of these great books to include since I'm constraining myself to just twelve in 2024 because, after all, there are still a LOT of new books to read. :-)

These are the Cosmere books I'm contemplating:

1. Elantris - Brandon Sanderson
2. Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
3. The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson
4. The Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson
5. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
6. Arcanum Unbounded - Brandon Sanderson
7. Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson
8. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter - Brandon Sanderson
   

 The other favorites I'm thinking of reading this year are:

1. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
2. Wool - Hugh Howey
3. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
   
4. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue - V.E. Schwab
5. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell 
6. Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor
   
7. Bad Luck and Trouble - Lee Child
8. Find Her - Lisa Gardner
9. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
10. The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pakkanen
    

Since these books are among my favorites, I anticipate that this reading challenge will be one I'm guaranteed to enjoy. Depending on how it inspires me, I can see myself doing the same challenge again in the years to come so that I can re-read the five-star books I couldn't get to this year.

Favorite reads of 2023

 

 

2023 was truly the year of Brandon Sanderson for me. Not only did I receive four Secret Project novels (and a surprise short story) and other monthly swag from his record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, but four of his books ended up on my list of favorite reads of 2023. 

Without further ado, here are my top 10 books read in 2023:

1. The Lost Metal - Brandon Sanderson 

My favorite book from 2023 was the only Brandon Sanderson novel I read that wasn't a Secret Project. Just as The Hero of Ages was a great conclusion to the first era of Mistborn, The Lost Metal was an awesome way to end the second era. All of the usual elements of a super Brandon Sanderson book were present in this one. More than any Sanderson book I've read, however, The Lost Metal referenced other parts of the Cosmere, something that any Sanderson fan will appreciate. I know it'll be a few years before we'll see Mistborn's third era, but I'm already looking forward to it!

2. The Final Gambit - Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

The conclusion to the Inheritance Games series and winner of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction was as good if not better than the first two books (both of which made my list of top ten favorites of 2022). Once again, the puzzles and mysteries in this novel were what set it apart from other YA books I've liked, and the whole story of Avery and the Hawthorne family was truly engaging. I recommend this series to all YA fans.

3. Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree

Who knew that a fantasy tale about opening a coffee shop would be so fun to read? I never thought a fantasy novel could feel warm and cozy, but that's how this book left me. I breezed through Legends & Lattes because I was so absorbed in its simple story about a tough orc who hangs up her sword to open a coffee shop, discovering menu items like iced coffee and cinnamon rolls along the way. This was a refreshing escape from the real world, and it's no wonder the book was a 2022 finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy.

4. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter - Brandon Sanderson 

Brandon Sanderson is known for his world building, and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter has some of the best world building I've read in any book. It was a hard call which of the Secret Project books was my favorite, but Yumi just edged out Tress because of the world building reveal near the end of the book. I liked both Yumi and Painter as characters, and the way their relationship grew seemed natural if predictable. It was fun trying to figure out what was happening in the book, and when some of the big reveals came, it reminded me of one of my favorite movies of all time. (I won't spoil it by naming the movie, but I'm curious if anyone else felt the same way.)

5. Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson 

What do you get when Brandon Sanderson writes a fairy tale narrated by Hoid? Answer: Tress of the Emerald Sea, the first of his four Secret Projects. Although this book is unlike his other Cosmere novels in tone, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and Tress has become one of my favorite Brandon Sanderson characters. Sanderson said that he was inspired by "The Princess Bride" when he wrote this story, and I can see the similarities. Whether you're a fan of Sanderson, "The Princess Bride," or a good fairy tale in general, this book is for you.

6. The Grace of Kings - Ken Liu 

I may have found the next fantasy series to rave about. I've heard that The Grace of Kings is a retelling of the founding of the Han Dynasty, but since that is a period in China's history I'm unfamiliar with, I read the book like any other work of fiction. In that respect, I enjoyed it greatly. It took some time for me to get to know the characters, but once I did, I found it fascinating the way they were all portrayed as well-developed individuals with their own desires and moral codes. This was also one of the most thought-provoking books I read in 2023, as it made me ask myself what I considered right and wrong and what I would do in the shoes of the characters. I definitely want to continue reading the rest of The Dandelion Dynasty series.

7. Upgrade - Black Crouch 

As with other Blake Crouch books I've read (Dark Matter and Recursion), Upgrade blends intriguing science concepts with a fast-paced plot that held my interest throughout the book. The topic is particularly timely, given the COVID pandemic and climate change. Without giving away more than what's in the book's description, I'll leave you with this quote from the book: "If nothing changes, we will die off for the stupidest reason imaginable--because we refused, for so many childish reasons, to do the obvious things that would save us." If that resonates with you, you should read Upgrade.

8. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus 

In 2022, I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, even though I didn't think it'd be my cup of tea, because of great things I heard about it, and it turned out that I enjoyed the book immensely and became a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. In 2023, the same thing happened with Lessons in Chemistry. Despite the praise from book bloggers, I didn't have high expectations before I started reading the book, but it sucked me in right away. Elizabeth Zott was a protagonist I immediately related to, and the story itself was thought-provoking, insightful, and entertaining. I really appreciated the way it tackled the injustices of the 1950s and 1960s (many of which are sadly still present today) in a serious yet entertaining way, while weaving a gripping story about Elizabeth Zott's life. I understand now why so many people loved this book.

9. The Sunlit Man - Brandon Sanderson 

It's a testament to how great the Year of Sanderson Secret Project books were that my third favorite of the four books still made my top ten list. The Sunlit Man is the Secret Project book with the most direct tie to the Cosmere, and it was a joy to read it. As a standalone novel, it worked well, and it made me consider re-reading some of Sanderson's prior books so that I can remember the full background. Sounds like a good idea for a reading challenge in 2024. :-)

10. Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Speaking of Taylor Jenkins Reid (see #8 above), she is a master at characterization. I've now read four books written by her, and with each one, I feel like I know the characters as well as I know any fictional character. They are complex and flawed, but I can't help rooting for them, and I miss them when I finish the books. The winner of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction, Carrie Soto is Back is my second favorite book by Taylor Jenkins Reid (after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo), but that still makes it better than most other books I've read. I highly recommend it.