Howdy,
Happy Holidays, etc, etc.!!!
Just a quick post highlighting some of the more interesting books I've read lately.
The Crusades by Thomas Asbridge
First off, this is an enjoyable history of the Crusades in a single volume. I listened to it on Audible, all 25.5 hours of it. Seriously, if you’re not listening to books on Audible, you’re missing out, big time.
Listening to this book really helped me out during the Great Rewrite and now the Arduous Edit. I thought listening to a book about medieval warfare might help me add some verisimilitude to my fantasy world. 100% true. It was helpful in that respect, but it was even more useful in another way. Basically, I had a situation where I didn’t have a clear picture of the “recalcitrant Eastern Lords” motivations for being a bunch of warmongering jerks. After listening to The Crusades, their motivations became clear – they’re a bunch of religious fanatics. This motivation fits perfectly into the fantasy world and the story as a whole. In retrospect, I can’t believe I had a hard time coming to this realization.
The Wise Man’s Fears by Patrick Rothfuss
Okay. Okay. I like this book. I delighted in it even more than the first book in the series, and I will definitely read the third book whenever it comes out. Buuuuut, I’m not chomping at the bit to read it. I’m not yearning for it like I do Winds of Winter . I enjoy the characters, and the world is full of intriguing mysteries, but, for me, the plot moves at such a slow pace with so many detours that I don’t feel compelled to read it.
Damn Fine Story by Chuck Wendig
I read a couple stories by Chuck. His books are good if you can stomach his highly visible, some might say over-the-top, style. The same is true for Damn Fine Story, if you can wade your way through his crass jokes, there’s some damn fine storytelling advice in this slim volume. I haven’t quite finished this book yet, I’ll probably have more to say in future posts.
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