Hi Again!

Twice in two months! I know! Things are changing around here :)

I finished an AMAZING book last week and I have to write about it. It's one of the best books I picked up since Harry Potter. No joke.

It's called The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss


It's been a long time since I've read book this good. Sometime I've found one that engaged me as well as this one but it's over just as I'm starting. This one was a week's worth of delight.

I loved a lot of things about this book:

One - the writing. It's been a while since I've come across such patient writing. It's not writing that's trying to convince you or charm you or condescend to you or shock you. It's just telling you a glorious story patiently, effectively, and brilliantly.

Two - I love how this is a grown up book. As in, this was written by a self-respecting adult for other self-respecting adults. It nobly steered away from any inappropriate sexuality. It was still there of course, this a story about how a boy became a man. But it's never abused, it's treated with the dignity it deserves. I appreciated that down to my bones. By so you can sense what a real hero the protagonist, Kvothe, is. This is a book I'd read to my kids but discuss with my professors as well. That's a RARE thing to me and I appreciated it more than anything.

Three - this book is laced together with love. It's a love letter to Stories. It's a love letter to Music and the Theater. It's a love letter to Family. It's a thank you note to Struggle. It's letter of recommendation for Nobility and Humility. It comes from such positive places it's impossible not to feel like a better person after reading it.

Four - I love how brave this book is. It directly addresses Religion and History and Faith and Spirituality. It's honest about the veracity of each. It's unapologetic about the good and bad each one has and what a vital roll each one has with our day-to-days. It was refreshing to be able to engage that part of my person and heart with this story because it's not usually not addressed like this in modern Fantasy works. Usually it's much more glib.

Fifth - I love how I didn't feel lied to by this book. Sometimes when you're picking up a "Fantasy" book it's good but it feels a bit plasticy. Almost like a show at Chuck E Cheese. You're entertained by the painfully stiff audio-animotronic 6' mice and beavers but well, much like the pizza there, they leave you feeling unsatisfied. This book feels like a walk through a museum. You feel nourished as well as entertained, you feel spoken to, not spoken at and I deeply value that.

So all that quality combined with a story about the Fae and magic and battling the demon forces of a world and commanding the elements makes for a VERY good read. The next one can't get here soon enough.