Reading
My reading seems to swing from slow to fast every week like a pendulum. I finished quite a few books that I’d started in the last few weeks. Let’s get straight into them.
I finished The Will of the Many by James Islington. This is the first book in his Hierarchy series, the second of which is coming out this November. We follow Vis, a former prince whose homeland was colonized by the Hierarchy. He gets roped into a conspiracy that has broad implications for the world. The magic system in this book is unique, as people who are lower class (or lower on the pyramid) have to cede will to those higher up in society. It’s a pretty in your face metaphor for capitalism, which is always fun to read.
This book became my favorite of the year when I finished it (though it was knocked down to the number 2 spot later in the week). It was fast-paced, clever, and the worldbuilding was top notch. Highly recommend this novel.
I continued my journey with Pluto, finishing volumes 2, 3, and 4. This manga series is a reimagining of a single arc of the manga Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka. I’m really enjoying this series. Naoki Urasawa’s art style is something I’m familiar with, and his international storylines are something I don’t see a lot of in manga (though I arguably read very little manga). I’ve read other works by Urasawa (Monster) and Tezuka (MW) so Pluto is right up my alley. I’ve requested the final 4 volumes from my library.
On audio, I finished Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes. This is a classic scifi novel which won the Nebula Award in 1966. It’s about Charlie Gordon, an adult with a developmental disability that leaves him with the intelligence of a child. He undergoes an experimental operation that boosts his intelligence. Along the way, he befriends a lab rat named Algernon who’s undergoing the same treatment as him.
The book explores how the mentally disabled are treated, how that treatment changes when Charlie gains intelligence, and how the operation affects Charlie’s relationships and emotional intelligence. It’s a heartbreaking book, and reading about the intense bullying and abuse that Charlie has suffered throughout his life made me both sad and angry. This book was wonderful, and it clinched the top spot for my favorite books of the year.
Two amazing books in a single week. How lucky am I.
I squeezed in The Crooked Banister by Carolyn Keene, the second Nancy Drew mystery in the double-feature book I read a few weeks ago. This one was better than The Mysterious Mannequin, but only marginally. I know these are meant for kids, and they are pretty simple, but I usually find the mysteries exciting at least. This one took place pretty much in one location for most of the book, and there wasn’t really a mystery, only a criminal on the lam. It’s okay though, this book only took a single day to read.
I’ve started a couple of books, both of which will take me a while to finish, I think. The first is The Gathering Storm, the 12th book in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series. This is the first volume of 3 that Brandon Sanderson finished due to Jordan’s passing. This is a re-read for me, as I read this series about ten years ago. I’m only a couple dozen pages in, and this one is almost 800 pages long. It’s okay though; I’m in it for the long haul.
I started listening to The Mercy of Gods by James SA Corey on audio after I finished Flowers For Algernon. I’m a couple of hours in and I’m enjoying it so far. It’s very different from The Expanse, the extremely popular space opera series and TV show, and that’s good. It’s a 14-hour audiobook, so there’s plenty to sink my ears into.
Writing
I’ve given up writing on my tablet. I know it didn’t last long, but this past week, the Word app crashed twice, causing me to lose a good chunk of text. I guess it was to be expected; the tablet is a refurbished Samsung tablet from 2019. It works great as a basic ereader, but it can’t seem to handle anything else. I’m going to go back to my laptop, even though it’s a major distraction machine. Maybe I should start handwriting my manuscripts. Tracking the wordcount would be tedious, but at least I can’t accidentally delete what I wrote.
MYTHOS – First Draft progress report: 17,665/120,000 – 14.7%
+2,891 up from last week
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What have you been reading and/or writing this week? Let me know in the comments below.
The Night Bulletin 