Wow! What a long break. I apologize for the extended absence, but life has been a bit hectic this past month! Now with things (slightly more) on-track, I’ve been able to gather my thoughts and organize my bookshelf (true story.)
As I mentioned before I went on hiatus, I only had a small handful of books lined up for my winter reading list. Well, friends, I am pleased to say that I have not only finished some books, but I’ve acquired even more. (But really, are you even surprised at all?)
I did finish Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House in January, but having started the novel in December, I decided not to count it towards my 2020 reading challenge. It was an absolutely amazing book, and I’ve been recommending it to literally everyone. It was first on my “Winter Reading List,” back when the list consisted of only three titles. Since then, I’ve bought several books, and finished another.
Having finished Ninth House, I got started on This Is How You Lose The Time War. It’s an epistolary-style science fiction novel about two time agents communicating with one another through and across time. The characters are complex and have desires and motivations that go against their initial instincts, and they create (and solve) conflicts based on those desires. I really loved the world that Gladstone and El-Mohtar created by virtue of its simplicity. It truly allows the reader to develop the world for themselves and immerse themselves in the reading of the letters.
Right now, I’m (mainly) reading Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone. It accompanies me on my train rides to and from work, and I’ve found myself tearing through it almost as fast as the train is travelling. Adeyemi’s writing is evocative and crafts a world unlike any that I’ve ever read before. The magic and the origins of magic are realistic and the methods by which magic is used creates stakes and conflict.
But—! Without further ado, the rest of the troupe comprising my Winter Reading List!
- This Is How You Lose The Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar (read)
- Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (in-progress)
- A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
- Nobody’s Victim by Carrie Goldberg
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
- All Systems Red by Martha Wells
I know, I know, it’s still a very short list. Rest assured that I’ll be abusing my local library for titles like The German House by Anette Hess and The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Waters. Don’t doubt that I have my eyes on an entire host of books (it’s just that I’m a student with no money! Cut me some slack!) Agh! And how could I forget The Nobody People by Bob Proehl?!
I’ll be working my way through these and attempting to restrain myself from buying more books until this list has been exhausted. And even so, there are so many more books scheduled to be released in the coming months! Like In the Shadow of the Sun by E.M. Castellson (Feb. 11) and Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller. So many books, so little time—as they say.
Which books are you tackling in 2020? Leave a comment!
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