Tag: Tolkien

Best Books of 2021

What a year. Apparently, strife is good for reading. And that is borne out again and again. In 2020, I could only find comfort in Agatha. Which helped me achieve one goal, at least – I finished my complete read-through of the Poirot series at the end of 2021!

In 2021, though things were hectic and hard and at times joyous and busy and yet again difficult, I was able to make my reading goal the earliest I have ever made it. I had a goal of 100 books, and reached that milestone in mid-December. So that means on New Year’s Eve, you did not find me cramming three novellas! It is a little freeing. That final week of the year, when I usually alternate between cleaning my office and reading, I was able to just relax. (Okay, I crashed, but sort of the same thing, right?) I ended up reading 105 books in 2021, the most ever.

So what did I read, you ask?

It was a GREAT year for good books! I started off by being a judge for the Minnesota Book Awards (which really gave me a jump on the reading goal), and some of those have stayed with me. I read a lot of Agatha, and a few craft (writing) books, and some great nonfiction. I read 35 out of my goal of 50 books that I already own (though I fear a lot of those were new acquisitions). Here are the titles that have stayed with me, that I may like to revisit in the future, and that I would highly recommend.

Nonfiction

I participated in Nonfiction November on IG for the first time, and what a great way to get in some nonfiction! I used to read it a lot, but that has slowed since I quit reading business books and apparently haven’t run up against much self-help that called to me. Several titles from November were winners.

Wintering by Katherine May

I have recommended this one to everyone I know, even though it actually might only be for those who are experiencing a certain lull in life. It is for those who find themselves somehow fallow, in a liminal state where they are not quite feeling their old selves, but not quite sure they want to go back to that either. It might be an illness, a family member needing caregiving, a job or career changing abruptly – whatever it is that threw you off, this is a good seed to start you off in a new direction. I say I have recommended it widely, and that’s because you just never know who might need it. But it definitely is for those in a certain state of mind. I passed it by last year, and then randomly picked it up at Target this fall, saw the word ‘fallow’ in the jacket copy, and tossed it right into the cart. I may just read it again in January. It is that good. Why? I really can’t explain. Mostly because May, in detailing her own struggle, gives you permission to have a struggle yourself. It’s okay. It will be okay.

 

On Writing by Stephen King

I eschewed this for years, but picked up a copy on clearance a while back, thinking I might read it some day. I am simply not a fan of his fiction. But this is wholly different. I don’t know what I expected, but I did not expect such direct, clear advice. I am glad I finally cracked it open, and it’s going right back on the shelf, with all the tabs in place. There was so much good advice here, I can definitely see myself reading it again. I had set myself a goal to read one craft book a month, and this was only my second for the year. But I found it more helpful and more engaging than Bird by Bird, which I read earlier in the year.

 

Agatha Christie’s Poirot by Mark Aldridge

This got some mixed reviews, but I simply loved it. It is a compendium of all things Poirot, but not really the biography that maybe folks were expecting. It goes through the books chronologically, and talks about adaptations, shows different covers, and goes into how Agatha felt about how things were going. Her frustration with finances was palpable. So I think this suffered from misleading billing. It is more about Agatha’s career of Poirot rather than Poirot himself. Why she didn’t want a movie made, how difficult it was to deal with studios, and what she worried about. I love behind the scenes publishing talk, and I love hearing about different editions of books, so this was right up my alley. I especially loved the discussion of the short stories, which helped me to realize that there are still several I haven’t read! So much the better. More Poirot for me. This one is a lot of details, but a beautiful volume with lovely full color accompanying illustrations. A very enjoyable read.

 

Fantasy

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

This was a beautiful piece of story. I was blown away by the big reveal, and the way that this universe was enlarged during this story. I mean, it’s already two universes! But whoa, she went full creepy here, and I only hope that there are more in this series. It is Middle Grade, but at the higher age range, I think. It definitely is a creepy series to start with, so just be aware of that. This title plays for the highest stakes, and the setting of New Orleans is just fantastic.

 

 

Unfinished Tales by JRR Tolkien

I don’t know what I expected from this! I thought maybe a bit like The Silmarillion? A mishmash of new things? When really, it is like the best deleted scenes from everything he’s written. We get some of The Silmarillion, some of The Hobbit, and some of Lord of the Rings. There are almost complete background stories on some denizens of Numenor (which I hope is what Prime is playing with), and behind the scenes bits about Gandalf and Thorin and so much more. There is romance and adventure and magic. I just loved these tales. Highly recommend to any fantasy fan, especially if you are looking for something to read after The Silmarillion. And now I want to see all of these slotted in to their rightful places, so we have an epic epic uber fantasy to read!  Alas, Christopher is not here to do that. But at least he gave us these.

 

The Once and Future King by TH White

Since I was ahead on my reading goal, I decided I could pick up some hefty tomes. And when a readalong was announced for this one, I jumped on it, as I had wanted to read this for a while. I am enamored with Arthurian retellings, but thought going back to some of the earlier material was a good idea. I was surprised to discover just how much more there was to this than the little beginning part I was familiar with. Some of the action was hard to read, as I loved these characters so much. It is hard to see them heading to their own destruction. And the ending was bittersweet, but entirely fitting, as this went down in legend just that way. The readalong ended up fizzling out but I am very glad that I picked this up and stuck with it. A beautiful story.

 

The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo

This slim volume seems deceptively simple. It is a facsimile of the Lives of Saints books that the characters refer to in the Shadow and Bone trilogy and beyond. Sure. Just write a book full of miracles. Embellish it with amazing illustrations, and package it in an adorable, gilt-covered volume, suitable for transport. This, my friends, is the brief. And wow, did Leigh deliver. This is freaking BRILLIANT. Each saint is imbued with their miracle, all of them unique, and full of characteristics to make them living, breathing people. And it all jives with the tiny mentions in the various books, including the Language of Thorns stories. Simply. Amazing. Talk about world building. Wow.

 

Historical

Into the Lion’s Mouth by Nancy McConnell

This debut Middle Grade will transport you to 14th century Venice, with all the accompanying politics and adventure besides. Our hero Nico is constantly running from something, whether it’s a dastardly nobleman intent on keeping a secret, or the clutches of a nun determined to send him out of the city. In between all the action, we get glimpses of stunning Venice, and the way the people lived according to what society dictated at the time. This is so well done, and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, Middle Grade or not.

 

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

I picked this up for a readalong since I had liked Rebecca last year. And I liked this one even better! In fact, if I had not read Wuthering Heights first, this one might vie for that place in all-time favorite classics. They seem very similar, but this one has such a naughty vibe to it. There is a stronger heroine, and a bit more impropriety. I loved the ending, and I loved the way that the moors played an actual part in the story, and were almost a character in themselves. So atmospheric, so moody! So much adventure in such an out of the way place. I am now looking forward to Frenchman’s Creek.

 

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

I read this during the summer, in the lead up to the son’s wedding, and it was absolutely perfect for that time period! A great adventure-filled summer read. Just what I needed. And lest you feel like you have to be in just that situation to enjoy it, let me put you at ease. This book was just plain fun. Is it the highest level of literary achievement? Probably not. But if trotting around Europe in the 1800s with pirate run-ins and women behaving not as they are expected appeals to you, then there you have it.

 

 

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Because those of us who had read Northanger Abbey were keen to read some of the ‘horrid’ novels that were mentioned in that one, a readalong was put together of this giant tome. It seems daunting, but in the hands of Radcliffe, it is deftly handled. Be forewarned: she throws in EVERYTHING at her disposal, whether it’s ghosts or kidnapping or inheritance plots or any number of other things. Look, she has a lot of pages to fill. I got through it initially with the readalong, but about halfway through, I was racing ahead, eager to see what on earth was going to happen next. Granted, it is not an easy style to gobble up, and it’s a doorstop, make no mistake. But good characters, amazing romantic settings, improbable run-ins with ruffians, a castle, graveyards, ethereal music, and things that go bump in the night! I can see how a young girl reading this in 1798 would have been so affected. Get past all the commas, and it is just charm itself.

 

Mystery

I read a LOT of mystery this year, mostly because I judged the genre fiction category for the MN Book Awards. Not all mysteries are created equal. But I want to give honorable mention to two of Brian Freeman’s books. Unfortunately, I keep confusing the two, but only as to which title is which (only because I read them both in the same week). They are both fantastic. One involves resurrecting an old case, with unforeseen consequences, and a child dealing with their parent’s decline (The Deep, Deep Snow). The other has to do with loss as well, but is dealt with in such an amazing, unique way that I don’t want to say anything for fear of giving it away (Thief River Falls). Also, I continued my read-through of all of the Miss Fisher mysteries, but I kind of fell off of those in favor of finishing Poirot. I am excited to continue those.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I simply ADORED this one! So much so, that I almost braved going out to get the sequel at the big after-Christmas Barnes & Noble sale. Almost. What is better than septuagenarians using their skills and lifetime experience to right a wrong? I loved the characters (especially Elizabeth) and I loved the whole setting (English countryside) and it was just a delicious slice of fun. Don’t get me wrong, there are some tough moments here too, because, after all, sometimes bad things happen to good people. But when I get old, I want to move right in to this lovely senior community, and solve cold cases with the rest of them. I am calling this Miss Marple meets Midsomer Murders. Also with vibes of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk or A Man Called Ove. Which is pretty amazing for a murder mystery! Cannot wait to put my hands on the next one.

 

Honorable Mentions

So that brings me to an even dozen. I could really go on. I could tell you to find a copy of Get Idiota if you are able, one of the Finalists of the MN Book Awards, a funny, unlikely farce that involves a drug lord and a pair of hapless reporters. I did not completely fail my craft book goal, either, having read, in addition to On Writing, Bird by Bird and F. Scott Fitzgerald On Writing. I also enjoyed Uprooted by Naomi Novik immensely, and Broken by Jenny Lawson. I discovered the British Library Crime Classics series with Murder On the Cherwell, and want to read more of those (a series of titles by golden age mystery writers being brought back in to print). I also co-hosted a readalong of Eudora Welty’s short stories, but I stalled out back in May and so I need to catch up (yes, on my own readalong) and finish those. I read Mr. Dickens and His Carol and so thoroughly enjoyed it, and it so satisfied my itch for more of A Christmas Carol right before Christmas, that I am now searching for anything else that is ACC-adjacent.

I read the whole Cruel Prince trilogy, and read the second and third books out of order, but found it didn’t seem to matter. And while I enjoyed it, I find that vaguely problematic. I am up to Vol 5 in Sandman, and my favorite so far is The Doll’s House, but I know I will have a new favorite before long. I finally read The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab but still haven’t decided how I feel about it. Might need to read it again to see. I read Priory of the Orange Tree, and was surprised to find it didn’t grab me near as much as one might think from all the hype. I also read Big Magic, and that really deserves a place in the list, yet another one that I passed by when it came out and am so glad that I finally picked it up.

Suffice to say that it was a wonderful year. All the Agatha was good, I got in a few Miss Fishers (my favorite of those was Death Before Wicket), and I read some other titles that I had meant to get to. It was a great reading year. Here’s to 2022 being even better!

Plans for 2022 include reading the Agatha standalones that I haven’t gotten to yet, a few key fantasy titles that I have been meaning to read, and continuing Miss Fisher (next up, #11!). I am taking part in a Queens of Crime readalong that will have me reading Dorothy Sayers and Josephine Tey, finally. I am going to continue Sandman, and work on clearing out my old books, which means I will be reading a lot of random things. And more craft and nonfiction books!

How was your reading year?

 

January Readathon and 2018 Challenges

I tackled a couple of reading challenges last year. And they really helped to start my year off right. In fact, they gave me such a huge spurt of accomplishment, I made my reading goal – and knocked out some books I’d been wanting to read for a long time, several of them five star reads. All this to say, I’m here to do it again.

This year, I thought I’d do the #RockMyTBR challenge again, but with a different tack. I’m doing #BeattheBacklist, which involves a little more accountability, a little more checking in. In fact, it looks like Austine put a heckuva lot of work into this!  There is a Bookstagram challenge, teams and prizes. I’m on the Story Sorcerors team. I fell off #RockMyTBR about halfway through, so I still have quite a pile of stuff here that I need to either read or just peruse and unhaul. Continue reading

Tolkien Reading Day 2017

I hadn’t really anticipated becoming wholly consumed by Tolkien during the month of March. But that appears to be what has happened.

First, I heard about this from the bloggers over at Pages Unbound. They put out a call on Twitter for bloggers to take part in their two-week Tolkien blog fest, which would feature posts they wrote plus lots of guest posts. I was happy to write a post about how Tolkien has influenced my work, which can be seen here. And there are lots of other posts about all things Tolkien, so get on over and check them out.

Then I saw a challenge on Instagram. I do a lot of photo challenges (which, if you don’t know, are basically lists of prompts that you interpret and then share with a hashtag), and this was to be a month-long Tolkien theme under the #MiddleEarthMarch tag. I thought that sounded like loads of fun, so I was eager to participate in that. This also included a Lord of the Rings read-along, which was preceded by a read-along of The Hobbit, where we followed along on #febandbackagain.

I had a blast with the prompts, and had fun going through my books and gathering together all my Tolkien-related titles. Come to find out that I actually have a pretty good collection! I am especially happy with a special edition I picked up at a con a year or so ago for $20 – it is the green leather one in a slipcase, with runes on the cover and spine. It’s gorgeous, and a lovely addition to my library (but really, I’m a sucker for anything in a slipcase or a boxset).

On my #RockMyTBR challenge, I had already ear-marked a Tolkien title, The Silmarillion, for April. But I substituted the above titles, which was handy because I found that either I do not own The Silmarillion or I simply couldn’t find it. I just swapped my previous March title with April. And then GoodReads changed its rules so that you could count rereads as part of your challenge goal, so that helped speed me along.

Before I saw the Pages Unbound post, I honestly didn’t even realize there was going to be a Tolkien Reading Day in March. March 25 is the anniversary of the day of the defeat of Sauron, in case you are wondering. The celebration is sponsored by the Tolkien Society, and there are lots of celebrations worldwide. This worked out perfectly for me, since I read that scene in the book on the night of March 24! I was able to keep on track with my reading in the read-along, though I am sad to say that I hardly read anything else during March. But it was worth it.

I never read The Lord of the Rings until after college. So this was only maybe my third time reading the series. The last time was when the movies came out. When I was in high school, fantasy was a class for stoners and slackers. I loved English and reading, so instead, I took Shakespeare and English lit. Well, let that be a lesson to you. Don’t skip a class if it sounds interesting! Had I taken fantasy in high school, I might have been a decade ahead on my Tolkien obsession!

And now I am well and fully hooked. I have always loved the movies, and my son and I did a binge watch of the extended version DVDs over the holidays. So that set me up nicely for all the reading. Now I am looking forward to The Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion. I have been looking around, and it sounds like this is the order which is most recommended in reading Tolkien (that is, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion).

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming Beren and Luthien, which is being released in May, and was edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee. Many Tolkien fans will know that this story of star-crossed lovers was very close to Tolkien’s heart. He even had the name Luthien engraved on his wife’s headstone when she died, and then instructed that Beren should be engraved under his name (they share a headstone).

I’ve long had a wish to go to Oxford, and see his haunts. I would also love to go to New Zealand, where you can see the set for the Shire, and have lunch at the Green Dragon. So go ahead, Tolkien merch, take all my money! I don’t even care.

 

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