Kireth

A stirring collection of short stories. Thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club for recommending this one. So it turns out The Moth is actually a verbal storytelling institute, started in America but travels globally. Because we were reading this book, the AMS ABC went as a group to the Mezrab in Amsterdam which was one of the best experiences of the city for me. Opened me up to a whole new group of people and socialising that I didn't know existed beforehand.

Back to All These Wonders, I enjoyed pretty much every single story. There's a lot to cover but I'll briefly say this: the human condition is vast but relatable, and with the right framing anyone can empathise and understand your story.

Favourite stories TBC

Lessons in Chemistry is lighthearted in its tone, but sharp in its critiquing of the treatment of women in 1960s America. Initially I found myself off-put by the manner in which author Garmus seemed to be inserting herself into the book's setting and time period; I believed her to be a modern young feminist asserting her own experiences onto another space. However, I was amazed to realise that the author is in her 60s, and this is her debut novel to boot!

The reason I thought Garmus was so young is due to the aloof and youthful voice of Zott. Our protagonist is clearly an intelligent person, yet remains muddled in some social situations. I thought every scene involving a pencil was brilliant, and the way she was unafraid to take the fight to every level of an institution, whether university or commercial television.

Another fun read that I may not have picked out of a bookshelf, all thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club.

What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.

Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boasting woman and village leader (names TBC). The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.

Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.

A whimsical adventure that surprisingly carries a lot of character heart. I finally dive into the Secret Projects from Brandon Sanderson over 2 years since their announcement, and over a year since they were released. A few things stand out to me from this first project: this is a much lighter Sanderson novel than I am accustomed to. Compared to Mistborn and especially the Stormlight Archive, I feel that this world was very much designed for a one-off novel and story.

This doesn't discredit the worldbuilding at all! Lumar is a wonderful location, with a truly otherwordly feel due to the oceans of spores dropping from twelve moons. Sanderson's cited inspiration of a proactive female twist upon The Princess Bride can be felt, and TotES has all the trappings of a classic fantasy adventure novel. There's a prince, sorceress, talking rats and even a dragon. Alongside Sanderson's trademark magic that is treated like a science, in the form of Sprouters and spores.

The narration was hilarious, as Hoid goes from cameo to full-blown storyteller in this story. This means there's fun references to the rest of the Cosmere. Some of the magic of Lumar is lost by this interconnectivity, and the modern technological references sprinkled throughout. It also however means there's an element of meta-fiction, which surprisingly adds to the emotional depth of the novel. Whilst Hoid is trapped in a comical state during the novel, Tress undergoes deep character growth and I found myself really going through the journey with her in a surprisingly emotional manner. This is really her novel (with the Dougs), but Hoid drops gems in his narration, some of which are in the quotes below.

There's also an unexpected link to Dawnshard, in that this mostly becomes a novel set on the seas. The story felt light and plot points seemed to whizz by, but this was also a result of shorter chapters and Parts 1-4 being much shorter than Parts 5 and 6. I will say my interest grew greatly after the first act, and the ending was a typical Sanderlanche with some "smack your face" reveals that had me smiling. I loved the simple Chapter titles, and the artwork was fantastic with the cover and endpapers in particular being stunning. Yet I can't help but feel that this was a fun interlude for Sanderson, not the meat of his more developed stories, and it's not just due to the pagecount. With how he was able to write these novels in secret, I am expecting similar depths from the coming 3 novels (plus 1 that was completed after the others, and is yet to be released).

Sanderson said he wrote this for his wife, and I feel now that Hoid is the closest character to the author himself - a worldly and well-traveled thinker, humorous but deeply empathetic, and with a perchant for telling captivating stories. It also made me think of Thom the gleeman from the Wheel of Time series. I look forward to seeing where the next Secret Projects take me, and the stunning visuals they provide.