Currently Booked: The Latest Stack
I read a lot. A LOT. And since I'm always looking for my next good book, I thought I'd start sharing some of what I've been reading. I have a nightgown that reads, "Sorry, I'm Booked Tonight," featuring an owl reading next to a stack of books. Hence the title of this series.
Moving on!
Here are a few of the books I read this week:
Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (YA, fantasy)
I know, I know. I'm super late the party here. But I heard Bardugo speak a few weeks ago, and the (hardcore) fans in the audience got me curious, so let the Bardugo reading begin.
Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy introduces us to the "Grishaverse" (not a fan of that term, to be honest, but that's neither here nor there), a world where certain people known as Grisha practice Small Science, manipulating matter and energy in ways that look an awful lot like magic.
This series, which includes Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising, has attracted a massive following of devoted fans, and I can see why. A young orphan, not exactly the prettiest flower in the bunch, discovers she has an extraordinary ability that could change the fate of her war-torn country (loosely based on Russia). As she learns to wield her power, she attracts the attention of several potential romantic partners. She becomes entangled in a dangerous struggle involving political intrigue, competing loyalties, and the mysterious Shadow Fold. High stakes, great fun!
I really enjoyed these books! I read all three very quickly and found the stories engaging, the writing enjoyable, and the imaginary world one I definitely wouldn't want to live in (too dangerous!) but would love to visit. I hear there's a Netflix version, so maybe this weekend I will . . .
Ninth House Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (adult, dark academia)
After enjoying Shadow and Bone so much, I decided to dive into Bardugo's Ninth House series, which includes Ninth House, Hell Bent, and Dead Beat.
The premise is fascinating: Alex Stern, a young woman with a troubled past and the ability to see ghosts, is recruited to attend Yale, where secret societies engage in all sorts of occult activities.
That said, I had trouble connecting with the characters, and some of the plot developments, especially in the third book, felt a little forced to me. There were some interesting ideas here, but ultimately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the Shadow and Bone books.
Don't get me wrong! These are creative, well-written books. At first, I wondered if I was simply too old (ah, middle age), but Shadow and Bone is technically YA, so perhaps it was the hype (those super fans were really something!) that threw off my experience.
Plotting Your Novel by Janice Hardy (nonfiction)
I picked up Janice Hardy’s Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure to get an overview, but this is really the kind of book you want to keep beside you as you write. It’s full of practical advice for developing and organizing ideas, getting to know your story, and figuring out how to approach its structure.
When I start a new novel, I like to spend a month or more exploring the idea, getting to know my characters, and seeing where the story might go before I begin drafting. I've long been a fan of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Alan Watt's The 90-Day Novel, but I found Hardy’s approach so helpful that I plan to add it to my process when I start my third novel in January.
That's it for this stack! These are some of the books that have been keeping me busy lately (when I should probably be writing).
So, what's on your nightstand these days? I'd love some recommendations!
Peace & plenty,
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