As an avid reader, a lockdown in cold weather months is a bit of a godsend. In the last three months of 2020, I spent a HUGE chunk of time curled up with books. I wrote about the books I read earlier in 2020 here and here. But let’s talk about what I read from October – December 2020.
Quick note: I don’t do balanced reviews. This is just about whether I liked it and why you might, too. Cool? Cool.
Fall of Hyperion (by Dan Simmons)
This is the second book of a duo. I read the first, Hyperion, over the summer. The first spends most of its pages setting up the story that plays out in the second. A few things felt a bit unresolved at the end, but ultimately it was an exciting ride and I whizzed through it as quickly as I did the first one.
Did I Like It?
Sure did! I can actually imagine rereading the series, and maybe reading the other duo the author has written. If you haven’t read the first one, this one will be a bit hard to get into. The first is necessary for all the world-building, and the information isn’t reviewed deeply in the second. But if you like sci-fi, this one is a solid pair.
Wheel of Time series, books 1-7 (by Robert Jordan)
I always thought that I didn’t like fantasy. I don’t know what inspired this conviction, but it’s guided my book choices for most of my life. Maybe I read some in middle school and didn’t care for it, but starting about 7th grade, I never went for fantasy. Actually, I read every Redwall book published through 2004. And I was huge on Harry Potter until the fourth one gave me nightmares and I paused on that series…that was probably what did fantasy in for me.
Anyway, Wheel of Time is Zack’s favorite series and it’s been sitting on our shelf, quietly mocking me for years. So in October, I picked up the first one.
Aaaand here we are, two months later, and I’m halfway through the series. The books average 826 pages each. I’ve read 7 of them. It’s been a lot of reading. Jordan does well setting a rhythm for the books. There’s always a great hook at the beginning to get the action rolling. The middle half of the book is all about moving characters around and setting the scene for the last quarter. If you get within 200 pages of the end, you can’t stop. I’ve spent several nights sitting up past midnight, Zack snoozing next to me, because I need to get to the end.
Did I Like It?
Oh yes. Very much so. I’ve heard that people reading them might find some fantasy tropes a bit overdone, but these books created many of the tropes. If you struggle with the military machinations of Tolkien and aren’t interested in the rape scenes that are all over Game of Thrones, this series sits in the sweet spot. Jordan does an incredible job of creating the world, with a variety of cultures and depth to the history. He uses the length to develop a huge cast of interesting characters, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. There’s a bit of romance, but it’s a pretty light touch. There are battles, but they’re exciting and it doesn’t take three damn chapters to cross a field (I’m looking at you, Return of the King).
Personally, having a husband and a couple close friends who are avid fans have only made it more fun to read, discussing plot points and characters. If you pick these books up, please let me know. I’d love to chat about it with you!
How to Break Up with Your Phone (by Catherine Price)
I read through this in a day between Wheel of Time #5 (The Fires of Heaven) and #6 (Lord of Chaos). I noticed how much time I spent scrolling my phone, heedless of the time passing. Whenever I put the phone down, I wasn’t happy with how I spent my time. So I did what I always do when I notice something I want to change in my life: I googled it. And found this book.
In it, Price lays out a 30-day plan to assess your relationship with your phone, building mindfulness techniques to notice what triggers you to pick up your phone and making a plan for what you’d rather do with that time. It culminates with 24 hours without screens and a few days of reflecting on that time. When you bring screens back into your life, you should be able to do it deliberately.
Did I Like It?
Yup! So much so that Zack and I are about halfway through the 30-day plan. Our screen fast is on Saturday and I’m STOKED.
Price does a great job of laying out the research about how our phones hook us. Her nonjudgmental tone is right up my alley, too. She spends a lot of time telling you to do you – as long as your phone use is in line with what you want it to be. I’ll probably do a full writeup on this book when we’re done with the 30 day fast. Stay tuned!
Well, that’s what I read over the past three months. It’s been mostly Wheel of Time, and to be honest, the next three months probably will be as well. I really want to see how this massive tale wraps up. Until then…has anyone read anything good recently? Once I’m done with that series, I’m going to need recommendations.
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