2023 MARCH READING LIST

For whatever reason, March was a slow reading month.  I just finished Alan Bradley’s series and the Poldark season and suddenly had a panic about not finding any more good books (which is a ridiculous thought, but I have it every time I finish a series).  I reached for a “blind date” book at the library and a classic.  

What turned out to be random choices provided me with a neat comparison of new fantasy writing vs old fantasy writing.  I love the classics and so it was not a surprise that classic was my preferred read for the month.  Nevertheless, I did learn something from each of the books I read that I hope will help me with my own writing journey.

Here are the books I curled up with in March:

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC BY V.E. SCHWAB

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

This was a book that I found at the library as a “blind date with a book” event.  I see this every February at my local library but I have attempted it only once before with not a great result. This year I am trying to be open to more books not choosing a book based on looks. ;)

The words for my blind date were fantasy, magic, parallel universe and first in a series, all the descriptions grabbed my attention. What I opened to find was a book by V. E. Schwab. Ironically, just a couple of weeks ago a friend gave me her special edition copy of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. 

The book itself was ok and was fairly well written.  I just never caught onto the different worlds and I did not feel as though Delilah and Kell had either chemistry or a lasting connection.  This alone prevents me from reading on in the series.  Even the story of the different Londons was still enough to capture my imagination, perhaps because there was not enough world-building in the beginning.  I love history and the intersection of sci-fi or fantasy with the past is incredibly interesting, but this book just did not hit the mark for me.  

*What I learned from this read was the necessity to dig deeper into writing descriptions of the setting.  I have some knowledge of the reign of George III, but so much emphasis was placed on the magical world and done at such a rapid clip that I could not pause and enjoy the world that was created.

THE HOBBIT BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. 

I wanted to reread The Hobbit both for my own amusement and to see if my son, 8, was at an age where this book could be added to his circulation of books.  No surprise, but again enjoyed this read and being transported into another world.  It is interesting, that a world with hobbits, dwarves, orcs and dragons seemed more real and possible than the book I read earlier about magic in different London’s in the time of King George III.  If that book was a flash to the imagination, then Tolkien’s writing is a cozy, deep, rich read where the one is carried away into Middle Earth and can feel like one is traveling with the characters.

The more I gain knowledge of what came into play with authors and their writing, the more I understand the process and appreciate the vulnerability of great writers.  I am a fan of the writings of C.S. Lewis and when I read about his influence on The Hobbit and other writings of Tolkien I understood even more how the story took shape and eventually published.  

My son has told me he is not ready to read The Hobbit nor is he ready for Harry Potter. He is a confident kid and if he tells me he is not ready then I have to trust his instinct.  Even so, I am looking forward to sharing this world with him and breaking into other classics as he gets older. As for now, I enjoyed rereading a classic and it brought back fond memories of my youth.

*What I learned from reading this classic again was the enjoyment of descriptive writing.  The first pages nestled me deep within a hobbit hole and I fully emerged in the world going forward.  I also liked the pacing of this book and the solid connective links between scenes.