Wolf crawl, kingdoms and forgotten legends
A closer look on some of my current reads so far this year.
«You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming»
- Pablo Neruda
Spring finally arrived and with it a long needed kickstart. Those last weeks of winter are always a little hard on me, I suppose it is because I am so very ready for spring and so tired of winter. Honestly, I found this particular winter to be extra hard, I was literally counting down the days for it to be over as I was so fed up with it.
As it turns out, all you need is a holiday and then you’re fine. Easter really helped me reset, as I decided to have a quiet week, nothing big planned. Just me, a good tea and some Nordic noir - maybe a little fantasy on the side. It was great!
Reflecting on the past few weeks I can conclude its been a good reading year so far. Overall I have held a steady pace on my reading, had some good rereads, found some good new books, discovered that my taste has been refined and I have even decided to break up with an author.
Since last time, this is what I have read:
DNF:
Fantasy has been a more of a hit and miss lately - I dragged myself through House of Flame and Shadow, which is one of the reasons why my reading slowed down. It was a horrible read and you can read why here. The Nordic noir did not disappoint, but I have to admit that I enjoyed Brekke’s book more than Moore - there is just something about Scandinavian authors who do this genre so well.
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey was a fantasy read from the TIME list, but alas it was a book that quickly ended up on my DNF shelf. It was just not engaging at all, and even when I tried pushing on just a little to see if things would pick up - they never did.
On the bright side both Red Country by Abercrombie and Five Children and It by E. Nesbit brightened my day. Red Country was a great read, one of the better of the standalone books from Abercrombie - and it kicked me right into the next Abercrombie read as I can’t leave this author alone. I adore these books and The First Law trilogy is an unforgettable read, that will always be on my recommendation list.
The puppets and their puppet master
My current reads are all about kings and their kingdoms. First out is Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which has proven to be one of those books that I just misjudged the very first time I tried reading it.
The first time around I struggled a lot with the writing style, and I just could not seem to get into the story - even when its one of my favourite historical periods. The Tudors are some of the most fascinating historical figures to me, and wayback when I wrote a paper about the women who served Elizabeth I, there was no way back from my fascination of this period.
It took some time to get used to Mantels style, but now, after having joined the Wolf crawl, I am convinced that this is going to be one of my favourite reads of the year. And my expectations for book two are insanely high right now.
It is hard to pick out one favourite thing, but if I have to point out one: it would be the dialogue. My oh my, how I have enjoyed it! There are so many quotes that I have highlighted, the unsaid things, discussions between characters and the underlying vibe of it all. Mantel has really done an amazing job of bringing these characters to life.
One of those are the conversations between Cromwell and Katherine of Aragon that has been on my mind lately is this one:
She sits for a moment, irate.
«Master Cromwell, I know I have failed you. That is to say, I have failed your country, which by now is my country too. The king was a good husband to me, but I could not do that which is most necessary for a wife to do. Nevertheless, I was, I am, a wife - you see, do you, that it is impossible for me to believe that for twenty years I was a harlot? Now the truth is, I have brought England little good, but I would be loath to bring her any harm.»«But you do, madam. You may not will it, but the harm is done»
«England is not served by a lie»
In moments like these I cannot but help picturing Katherine of Aragon portrayed by Maria Doyle Kennedy in The Tudors. There was just something about her portrayal of Katherine that was captivating, raw and so stoic - her voice is what remains the clearest to me, and whenever I read Katherine’s dialogue in Wolf Hall, I swear I hear her voice. I can picture her mannerisms, her voice, how she remained so faithful to herself and what she knew to be true, when everyone around her pressured her to admit a lie.
Anne Boleyn has been portrayed by so many actresses over the years, but like with Katherine, there is only one Anne Boleyn in my mind - Natalie Dormer. She captured the vibe of Anne, the smirk, the little nuances of her character and how she played the cards she had been dealt. Unforgettable!
The weekly updates and the discussions have been another highlight with this read. Its been such a good experience to read along with others, see their thoughts and discussions - which has also made this book an even more interesting read as different people notice different things in it, and whenever I’m confused or stuck at something - there was always an answer to find. Community at its best!
I am so close to the end. So close! And by the time this newsletter reaches you, I might just actually gone ahead and finished it, because I cannot wait. I am so ready for Bring up the Bodies to be my companion as we march towards summer.
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Rebels and legends
It is funny that I am currently so wrapped up in kings, kingdoms and politics - just in different genres. One of my current reads is The Grace of Kings, book one in the Dandelion dynasty by Ken Liu - a book from the TIME list.
Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.
Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.
Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.
Already by the first chapters I had a few what just happened now moments, and it has so far been a joy to read. This is what I love about the genre, fantasy settings, great characters, dialogue that keeps me engaged and makes me laugh when it needs to. So far this is a promising read and if it continues in this direction I am looking at getting the rest of the books in series as well. Both book one: The Grace of Kings and book two; The Wall of Storms are on the the list. Hopefully it will live up to what this first book is shaping out to be.
«Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them»
- Lemony Snicket.
By now you must know I always have an audiobook as an extra read and this month I have two nonetheless. I am continuing on the Abercrombie fan train with another of his series: The Age of Madness, where A Little Hatred is the first book out. And how can I not adore it? It kicks off Abercrombies new series with a bang and with our trusted narrator guiding us through this age of madness - it cannot possibly go wrong.
In the spirit of the legends of kings, I decided to use my one credit this month on Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. So far it’s been a delightful read, that has hit home not just for me within the genre itself, but also with the historian in me who just has a sweet spot for all things surrounding legends. At this point I am only a little over two hours in, out of a total of 38 hours of listening time - but this narrator. Bill Homewood, has an amazing voice. The perfect voice for the legends of King Arthur and the knights of the round table.
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With spring comes a newfound inspiration, everything feels lighter, more alive after a couple of months in the dark. I am happy to have found my way back out of a winter slump and enjoying the different books that I am currently reading.
My TBR pile keeps growing, but instead of stressing me out - like it used to. I know look at it like a collection of undiscovered territory, someone compared it to like a wine cellar. With great wines of different ages to pick and choose from, something that will fit to whatever meal you are having - and that is a great way to look at it all.
Until next time,
happy reading ✨