Aim
I've realised I read a lot of novels, but I am not consciously reading. What I mean is that I don't choose books and think about how they are going to help my writing.
So, the aim of this challenge is to make conscious decisions to read books that will help me with my writing. These books will mostly be sci-fi and I'm choosing them because they have appeared on a list of recommended books in the genre.
My Commitment
This is me publically committing to reading one of these books every month, and afterwards writing a brief summary of what I liked and what I learned from reading it.
The Books
Below is a list of the books I could read. I am open to recommendations, if anyone has any. They are in no particular order.
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine
- Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie
- The Blazing World, Margaret Cavendish
- The Left Hand Of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
- Rosewater, Tade Thompson
- Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
- Our Wives Under The Sea, Julia Armfield
- The Secret Gift, Bethany Atazadeh
- Monstrous Regiment, Terry Pratchett
- The Simoqin Prophecies, Samit Basu
- Shikasta, Doris Lessing
- Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
- Double Star, Robert A. Heinlein
- Dawn, Octavia E. Butler
- The Intuitionist, Colson Whitehead
- Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
- Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
- The Blood-Born Dragon, J.C. Rycroft
- Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
- This Is How To Lose A Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
- A Closed And Common Orbit, Becky Chambers
- The Outside, Ada Hoffmann
- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse
- Ringworld, Larry Niven
- Saga of the Seven Suns, Kevin J Anderson
- Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer
- The Name Of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
- The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon
January
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Genre
Science Fiction
Published
2019
Rating
8/10
This is a truely extrordinary book, with a use of words and language I haven't experienced before. This is the first in the Teixcalaan series, and follows Mahit, a new ambassador, from a space station outside of the Empire, travelling for the first time to the City (for which the word is the same as for 'world' because the two are so intrinsically linked).
The language is only part of what makes this book great.
It manages to contain all the subtlety and paranoia of politics, and the underlying threat of the Empire, which is what I want from the
Peacekeeper Alliance. Mahit is a thoroghly engaging character, and I love the use of snippets and extracts from other sources which make the universe feel complete.
I would thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Sci Fi and is willing/enjoys having their vocabulary expanded (I was very glad I was reading it on my Kindle so that I could quickly check definitions).
February
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Genre
Fantasy
Published
2023
Rating
9/10
My biggest problem with this book was that I couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I've lost myself so much in a novel, and I immediately bought and consumed the second in the series.
Fourth Wing follows Violet, the twenty-year-old daughter of a General who has high expectations of her daughter and forces her to enter a school of dragon riders, despite (or perhaps because of) her "weak" and "fragile" body.
It was so refreshing to read a book where the protagonist's main battle wasn't about her gender. Violet is constantly fighting with her body and even though I'm lucky enough to not have experienced even close to what she discusses, her battle was so relatable.
Yarros' worldbuilding is extraordinary. There is a map at the beginning of the book, but I didn't feel the need to refer to it. Everything was complete, and I always understood enough when places and areas were referenced without feeling lost. I understood the world, despite how foreign it all is, and I fell a little bit in love with the sinister undertones of the main society. But I do love some sinister undertones.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to lose themselves in a high fantasy world. It has strong romantic themes so it may not be for everyone, but this is absorbing, entertaining and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
March
A Closed And Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Genre
Science Fiction
Published
2016
Rating
8/10
It is so refreshing to read a sci novel which is about a personal journey, without that journey impacting the lives of others. I loved 'The Long Way To A Cold, Angry Planet' and, as this is the second in Chamber's
Wayfarers series, I knew I was going to find joy in this book. But what I wasn't expecting was the cosyness of this novel.
The book is two parrallel coming-of-age stories, of sorts.
The first is that of an A.I. freed from the ship where xyr was born and is figuring out how to navigate the world beyond in a body "kit". The second follows the childhood of the person who freed xem, a genetically-engineered girl who was designed to work in a factory her entire life.
Neither of these storys sounds particularly cosy, but there is something so welcoming and complete about the universe which Chambers has created. It is always wonderful to feel as though you are in the hands of an expert, and while the universe is diverse and complex, information about the worldbuilding is handled with grace. A reader is given no more than they need to understand the story, while hinting at the existence of more.
The word 'charming' can sound condescending, but I was thoroughly charmed by this novel. It is full of ideas and questions about what it means to live and a sapient's need for purpose. It's an easy read with challenging ideas and I would thoroughly recommend this for anyone who enjoys personal stories in their sci fi.
April
Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Genre
Science Fantasy
Published
2019
Rating
9/10
I have never read a Science Fantasy before and, if I'm honest, I wasn't certain how they would work. I am so glad that this was my first foray into the genre. Necromancers and sword fights in space? Count me in!
'Gideon the Ninth' tells the story of Gideon from the ninth planet in the solar system who is called upon by the necromantic Daughter of the House, Harrowhawk, to act as her cavalier. It is full of drama, secrets, politics and bones. Lots and lots of bones.
A lot of the reviews of this book focus on the fact that Gideon, the woman whose perspective we follow throughout the novel, is a lesbian. I'm not saying it's not an accurate point, but it also doesn't feel like a focal point either. Muir handles everything with an understated grace and really brings Gideon to life. She has the energy of Wednesday Addams and Tank Girl all rolled into one and her voice brings a humorous edge to a story which is full of death, deceit and desperation.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was so full of truly arresting imagery that I could visualise so clearly, that it sometimes felt as though I was reading a graphic novel. I would recommend this to anyone looking for some pure escapism. Every character is fully realised, the settings are beautiful and terrifying and there is drama and humour on every page.
May
The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish
Genre
Science Fantasy
Published
1666
Rating
4/10
I'll start with an admission; I didn't finish reading The Blazing World, or to give it it's full title, "The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World". I tried, although how hard is arguable.
I chose it from the list because I felt I had read a lot of really modern books, so I went the other way. Going back as far as the C17th hadn't been my intention, but it was interesting, so I picked it up. I've read some other early works, although this may be one of the oldest books I've read, and I think I struggled with some of the language and phrasing as much as anything else.
The story starts following a woman who is simply referred to as "the lady". After a series of unfortunate incidents she ends up on a boat to the North Pole, where she is transported to another world and eventually made their Empress by marrying their Emperor. At the time it would have been considered a 'Utopian' work, but could now fit into a very early form of Science Fiction.
It made for an interesting read. The fact that it was written by a woman during this time period, and published under her name, and featured a woman in the leading role is all quite exciting, and it's unsurprising that Cavendish uses this platform to commend any women who take an interest in science, philosophy and other (at the time traditionally masculine) persuits. Indeed there is a lot of these kinds of topics discussed within the book itself, with "the lady" marvelling at some parts of the world she finds herself in. This leads to a whole lot of commentary about religion, language and ethnicity which was probably quite radical for the time, but left me feeling quite uncomfortable. This was the point at which I stopped reading.
This is by no means a light, or easy read, despite the fact that it's quite short. But I do think it's good to know where we came from, so anyone with an interest should consider picking it up, even if it's only to read a few paragraphs.
June
??? by ???
Genre
Fantasy
Published
???
Rating
4/10
This month I've decided not to name the book I read. It was a recommendation from a friend and I know they love this book, so I don't want anything I write here to upset them. Equally, I don't like the idea of not praising something that someone has put a lot of effort into and is clearly enjoyed by lots of people.
That being said, I didn't have time to choose an alternative book for this month, and I had some thoughts and learnings from it that I wanted to make note of here. So, here goes.
For me, there were two main learnings from this book. Firstly, it was written in the first person present tense. I've read other books written in the first person and maybe a handful that are written in the first person present tense, and I think it has a lot of positives and negatives. It added a personal perspective to the narrative and an immediacy which could be exciting, but I could see it made it difficult to give a lot of the background a reader needed.
Secondly, leading off from the first point, there was something very stilted and uncomfortably constructed about the story. I could compare it to a story in which a character is walking towards a party where their ex is going to be and they're seeing them for the first time, but rather than worrying about seeing their ex, they're thinking about how that fire escape would be useful if there was a zombie invasion. It doesn't make sense for the character and gives a really clear indication of what the author, rather than the character is thinking about. It's a really difficult thing to catch as a writer because they know what's going to happen next. It can lead to plots that are too neat to feel realistic and really awkward dialogue as well.
These are both things I'm going to consider for my writing.
July
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Genre
Science Fiction
Published
2014
Rating
8/10
This book was recommended to me way back in 2018 and I regret not picking it up sooner. Although I think reading it this side of 2020 may have been for the best!
'Station Eleven' starts the day a quick-acting global pandemic arrives in Toronto, on the stage where a Hollywood star suffers a heart attack. Twenty years later, in a collapsed world, a travelling troupe of actors and musicians move between settlements performing Shakespeare for the small groups of people who remain.
The book moves between the perspectives of various characters at different stages in their lives, both pre and post-pandemic. Reading it with Covid-19 such a recent experience, there was something remarkably familiar about that idea of a time before and a time after and those lost years in between.
I loved the style of writing. The descriptions were filled with similies which felt philiosophical and layered meaning onto some really beautiful imagery. It gave me a lot of things to think about, and I found myself contemplating some of the ideas raised long after I put the book down. I was also left with the distinct feeling that I'm not half as observant as all of the characters in this book! And oh, what wonderful characters they are. Everyone in this book felt three-dimensional and full of hopes and dreams and fears and motivations. Even characters who are named after their instruments have depth.
This book is, perhaps not a light read, but certainly a book of hope and finding light in dark places and the connections we make with people without realising it. I loved it.
August
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
Genre
Fantasy
Published
2003
Rating
9/10
I will freely admit, I've read this one before. However, it was recommended by a friend as his favourite novel and I haven't picked it up since I was a teenager so I jumped at the chance to reread this classic.
'Monstrous Regiment' is the thirty first book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a collection of fantasy satires which he started in the early 1980s. It follows Polly Perks, a barmaid from Borogravia who cuts off her hair, dresses in her brother's clothes and joins the army in order to find her brother, Paul, who is missing in action.
Her fellow soldiers include a vampire named Maladict, a troll named Carborundum, and an Igor named Igor, along with humans "Tonker" Halter, "Shufti" Manickle, "Wazzer" Goom, and "Lofty" Tewt. Not forgetting the magnificent Sergeant Jackrum and the previously desk-bound Lieutenant Blouse, this is a cast of characters that I could read about for hours.
I was already a fan of Terry Pratchett, but revisiting it only made me admire him more. Sure, some of his jokes are a little dated, but his worldbuilding is unparalleled. The way he weaves lore into his story is a true masterclass. It feels comprehensive but is in no way overwhelming and adds to rather than distracting from the main story.
It is also so funny. I embarrassed myself snort laughing in public reading it. I'd like to think I'm funny in real life but I don't think getting comedy into my writing is something I've ever managed. It's something for me to think about.
I would recommend this for anyone who likes a touch of political satire in their fantasy. Actually, scratch that, I think everyone should read a Pratchett at least once, and this is an excellent example of one.
Very nice slection of books. If you're looking for other sci-fi seriesr then i'd definately recommend Kevin j anderson's Saga of the seven suns and Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.
Oooh! Thank you! I’ll add them to the list!