Ah, the kids are back in school and so life is back to calm, right? Except that it’s 2021 and things are . . . interesting in Utah schools, pandemic-wise. My reading suffered this month from the amount of time I devoted to political activism, doom-scrolling, and existential dread. On top of that, all of the SF books I read this month were just ok. I guess you can’t find a favorite every month, but I’m feeling a bit like I struck out. However, one of my nonfiction reads has become not only a favorite, but a book I’m trying to pawn off on all the people I know. So I guess it’s not all bad. I’m hoping my reading pace picks up in the fall.
Speculative Fiction
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie – I am torn about this one. On the one hand, this book has a bunch of truly interesting SF ideas and has been influential in the genre of late. This book left me dying to write something with the central conceit of this story. It’s that compelling. And the world building has so many subtle, well done concepts.
But my experience reading this book was not great. Maybe it was just listening to the audiobook rather than reading, but it took until about 30% into the book before I understood that the main action was taking place in two separate places separated by years. Like, I just didn’t notice. That seems either intentional or like a major oversight and I couldn’t tell which.
And this is one of those books that feels like only the first third or half of a plot. I was just getting to the point where I understood the stakes and the protagonist started using its tools, and then it stopped. I was left feeling frustrated and unsure whether I trust this author with another 12 hours of reading time to finish the plot.
So 5 stars for concept, 3 stars for readability.
Lux by Brandon Sanderson and Steven Bohls – I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, but was disappointed with the conclusion of Calamity, the final volume of the original Reckoners trilogy. It’s interesting to see Sanderson expanding his ability to get books out by teaming up with other authors. Anything that gets more Sanderson out into the universe is a positive to me.
Lux was a mixed bag. The first third of the book focused a lot on the main character’s training to become a Reckoner. I had a hard time getting through it. What I loved about the original Reckoners series was the lore behind the Epics, how their backstories related to their powers and weaknesses, and the creative ways the Reckoners turned these against them. This was completely absent for about 40% of the book.
Once you hit part 2 & 3, things started feeling more like the original Reckoners novels to me. I guessed the main Epic’s weakness pretty early on, which made part of the puzzle pretty boring to me. However, I definitely enjoyed this part of the novel more than the first third. Overall, I have to give this three stars because of the uneven quality. I will continue with the series in hopes that the initial training sequence won’t be necessary in future books, and so I will enjoy them more.
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller – This book is a solid magical realism story for kids. I loved the theme of telling stories, even if they are sad or hard, as an important part of life. The narrative voice really pulls you in: I could absolutely feel Halmoni’s house and hear her speak. There are a few flaws, but overall I can see why this book won the Newbery; very much deserved.
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry – The title pulled me into this alternate history fantasy, but I’m not sure it lived up to its promise. On the one hand, I think the French revolution is perhaps one of the most relevant settings for today’s politics. And it’s super nice to read a historical book not set in WWII.
But I feel like this book would have been better as a straight historical fiction. The magical elements in it are too heavy to be magical realism, but not influential enough on the plot to really justify this as an alternate history. The magic isn’t *the* cause of everything, just another cause of everything. It felt as though the author was paralyzed and unable to actually change anything about history that mattered. Strange & Norrell and His Majesty’s Dragon did the alternate magical history of (just after this) time period better.
On the other hand, the version of slavery the author created is even more horrifying that actual slavery, so there’s that.
Nonfiction
Pocket Workshop: Essays on Living as a Writer edited by Tod McCoy, M. Huw Evans – I think my dissatisfaction with this book has mostly to do with the title. I expected the book to focus on life as a writer (ie practical tips for work/life balance, managing rejection/disappointment, organizing your writing, etc). I got 50% of the way through the book and found most essays to really be writing tips (ie how to write a good ending, effective plot structures, word choice, etc). Since I was looking for what the title said, I was disappointed in getting what I got. The advice itself was not actually bad. I did highlight quite a few things to save for later. But just know that it’s not what it says on the tin.
This is the Plate: Utah Food Traditions edited by Eric A. Eliason, Lynne S McNeill, Carol Edison – Everyone who lives in Utah, has ever visited Utah, is/has been Mormon, or is interested in the Mormon culture should read this book. These essays were a delightful balance between scholarly and mainstream. I learned fascinating stories behind Utah’s iconic foods (like jello, funeral potatoes, and Dutch oven cooking). The book also covers indigenous and ethnic minority food cultures in Utah. Now I finally understand why Utah has so many Greek burger restaurants (Apollo & Crown Burger being the biggest). It was nice to read something that made me feel like not only was my native culture not something to be looked down on, but it was worth studying and celebrating. This book cemented my pride in being a Utah-born girl. It’s no wonder this book won a special award for nonfiction from the Association for Mormon Letters. There truly is nothing like it!
