The Bone Clocks, by David Mitchell

As a caveat, this is the first David Mitchell book I've ever read (I didn't realize until I was almost done with it that he was also the author of Cloud Atlas, which just never sounded like my cup of tea.) so I can't speak to how it relates to his other books, though from what I've heard, there are links. Apparently Bone Clocks is the 2nd book in a trilogy, of which The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is the first, but I didn't feel like I was missing any important back story without it, and Bone Clocks stood on its own just fine.

Halfway through, I was ready to declare it the best book I've read all year--fiction, non-fiction, any genre, whatever. The writing is masterful. The characters are so thoroughly well-written that you almost feel like you've met them somewhere. Even the characters that only appear for a few pages come across as three-dimensional, and you can never tell whether someone is going to end up being a major character or not until it happens or doesn't. The story premise, when I finally figured out, kind of blew my mind. I suppose you could argue that it's not that original and unique, but to me it came across that way, and I'm sure that part of that has to do with the way that Mitchell strategically dropped one juicy morsel of information after another every ten or twenty pages for the first half of the book or so, making you work to figure it out, and never for a second doing that my-readers-are-probably-idiots-I-better-spell-it-all-out-for-them thing that has ruined so many otherwise good books for me.

I suppose since it involves paranormal stuff, it counts as fantasy, but one of the coolest things about it was that it didn't feel like fantasy until suddenly, without warning, something fantastical was happening. (Which makes total sense, given that most of the book is written from the perspectives of characters who are just normal people going about their normal lives at first.) A lot of times when I'm reading a fantasy/sci-fi/spec fiction book, I feel like a lot of the lead-up is just kind of laying the obligatory groundwork of introducing people/places/things & waiting for something cool to happen. Not so in Bone Clocks. It's a good while before you get to the paranormal stuff, and by the time it happened I'd gotten so engrossed in the incredible writing and engrossing characters and their stories that for a second I was like, "Holy shit, what is going on!" Which, again, I think is the whole point, since that's exactly what the main character is experiencing.

The story spans sixty-some-odd years and is divided up into sections told from the perspective of several different characters, which gives Mitchell plenty of room to show off his character-writing chops; each character has their own distinct voice and personality, which is even more impressive when you consider how disparate some of them & their situations are. The only reason I'd downgraded to 4 (maybe 4.5?) stars by the end was because there are a few sections I can think of that to me feel like they suffer from under-editing. Which is not to say that the writing and storytelling is not still excellent; just that, in retrospect, some of the sections that I'm sure were intended to paint as complete and thorough a picture as possible of the time and place and current narrator felt a little extraneous & ultimately like they somewhat detracted from the main story.

But still--one of the most impressive books of the year for me, to be sure--particularly in terms of the strength of writing/storytelling and unique/intriguing premise--and since it sounds like most people don't even regard Bone Clocks as Mitchell's best work, I'm sure I'll be seeking out some of his others.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things, by Patrick Rothfuss

First: If you enjoy a clever, well-written fantasy with awesome characters & about 14 different layers to it and have not already done so, you must go back & read The Name of the Wind & The Wise Man's Fear (though Book 3 is not yet out & there is no word yet on when it will arrive). This book takes one of the lesser characters from that series, Auri, & gives us a deeper look at her life & world in a typical week. I suppose you could read it if you haven't read the first two Kingkiller books; there are just parts that won't make a lot of sense.

At ~150 pages & fairly large type, it's not a very long book, but the language is surprisingly dense and not surprisingly poetic; between that & the subtlety of the story (if you can call it a story?), you do have to read carefully and with intention & I found myself more than once going word-by-word over certain paragraphs again because I was not 100% convinced I'd picked it all up on the first read.

As Pat explains in the forward, this story doesn't have most of the features that stories are typically "supposed" to have (plot, conflict, dialogue, etc.), but it is a lovely little character study cut from beautiful language, and if you're enjoying the Kingkiller books so far, you will probably find it to be a nice read & refreshingly different.

Pattern Recognition (Blue Ant #1), by William Gibson

The only other work of William Gibson I'd read before this was the Sprawl books, which were futuristic & cyberpunky & just really not my thing at all. Any time I mentioned this, people were like, "Yeah, that's just William Gibson." So I probably wouldn't have picked up another of his books except that Pattern Recognition kept appearing over and over on all kinds of "Best-of" lists from the 2000s.

FIRST: It is nothing like the Sprawl books. NOTHING. Not futuristic or cyberpunky at all. I mean people use email and web forums & what have you, but I think there is only one technological thing that might be sort of speculative, and if someone who works in that field were to tell me, "Nope, we can totally do that," I would believe them. In fact, being set in 2002, it actually comes across as a little dated, technology-wise.

SECOND: I've seen it described in some places as a thriller, which to me just don't scan. In fact it actually felt fairly slow in places. Yes, there is tension & a bit of international intrigue here & there, but those bits are interspersed with plenty of contemplation, philosophy, & inner monologue. Definitely not a fast-paced, action-packed adventure novel.

THIRD: What it does have is a lot of very subtle, delicately-woven-together existential themes, including the relationship between art and commercialism, the relationship between the past/present/future, how the idea of "the future" becomes less and less meaningful as the world changes so fast that we're able to make accurate predictions about it less and less farther out, and of course, to what extent looking for patterns--in art, life, history--is possible and/or ultimately useful.

So yeah. If you're looking for a fast-paced, bleeding edge, super-exciting sci-fi thriller, this is probably not your book. But it's well-written and I liked most of the characters, so if you're into big, deep existential questions & clever handling of subtle thematic elements, you could do worse.

The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity, by Steve Strogatz

I love this book. My only regret is that I couldn't read it in high school, when I was *actually* struggling with math. At this point (having degrees & math & math education & have spent over a decade teaching the subject and/or teachers of it), I read it more from the point of view of, "How could I use pieces of this with students and/or the teachers that I work with?"

In these 30 short essays--a couple of which I had read before in his Time column--Strogatz begins at the beginning (with the concept of counting) and winds his way through everything from basic algebra to calculus to advanced topics like group theory and topology, discussing each topic in a way that is not only friendly and approachable for the mathematical neophite (or phobic), but fascinating. And for all that the book is aimed at a general audience, I have to admit that I learned a few fascinating things about some topics that I didn't even learn in my advanced semester-long college classes. (Did you know there are real-world applications from infinite series? I didn't!)

So yes, this is a book about math, but it isn't just for math lovers. In fact, it's probably more for people who felt like they "never really got it" in school but are maybe just a little intrigued and kind of want another crack at it (in a way that doesn't involve doing homework). I also think it makes a GREAT resource for math teachers. (I used the two calculus essays as introductions to each semester of the course, differential & integral respectively. They give a really great, 30,000 ft overview that I thought might help the students see what it was we were really doing and why before we got bogged down in problem sets.)

The Broken Eye (Lightbringer #3), by Brent Weeks

Friends, you know my bar for epic fantasy is feet-tinglingly high. By which I mean, I hate 75% of it, find 10% of it somewhat passable, 10% reasonably good, 4% excellent, and maybe 1% utterly astounding. Three books in, Lightbringer is still a one-percenter. How does Mr. Weeks continue to impress me? Let me count the ways:

• Many complex, dynamic characters with layers of back-story. Usually I'm impressed if this is more than the main, say, 2-4 characters. In Lightbringer it's, like, half the cast of characters.
• A wide range of POV characters, and it actually works. In fact, I might even go so far as to say it's kind of critical.
• Multiple (YES!! Like MORE THAN ONE!!) amaaaaaazingly ass-kicking female characters that defy tropes & stereotypes.
• Really, really excellent writing. Gorgeous & poetic without getting flowery, & whirlwind snappy when necessary.
• The Bechtel Test. 'Nuff said.
• New spins/fresh takes on what seem at first like old tropes; he doesn't use many, but when he does, there is a narrative purpose that quickly becomes apparent.
• Some of the best dialog I think I've ever read.
• Characters you just can't pin down. You kind of love them and kind of hate them, and just when you think you get who they are and what their narrative purpose is, everything is turned upside down.
• Large-scale narrative planning that is clever, artful, and occasionally makes you think back two books & go, "Oh, SHIIIIIT."
• You will never stop guessing.

My only regret? That I didn't know going in that the last book is scheduled for 2016. :P

#allthebooks #allthewine

It has been So. Nice. Lately to run whenever I feel like, whatever I feel like, at whatever pace I feel like, without any pressure to cover a certain number of miles or complete specific workouts or hit specific paces. In the mean time, I've been indulging in two other equally important parts of life: Books & wine. Which, if you have good ones, it turns out are not a bad short-term substitute for pounding the pavement.

BOOKS:

2014: The Year of the Classics has proceeded pretty much as planned. There have been books I've enjoyed more & ones I've enjoyed less, but I have to say there's been nothing that I've regretted reading. They've all had some value & been worth my time, which I guess is part of what makes something a classic to begin with.

To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I don't fully understand the magic with which Lee has woven this story, but somehow she managed to write a sober, poignant, heartbreaking tale addressing some pretty hardcore themes (race, class, gender, family, community, loyalty, justice, rape, murder, and on and on and on) without it being depressing as hell (though I'm sure having the story told from the point of view of a precocious 7-8 year old has something to do with). I've been avoiding it forever because it sounded so dark and depressing, and though it deals with some pretty serious stuff, it's all unquestionably underlined by the ideas of hope, optimism, compassion, and unwavering belief in the fundamental goodness of human beings.

The Black Prism, by Brent Weeks. I'm always a bit wary of starting a fantasy series because there are just so many ways they can go horrifically bad. The Black Prism was a rare treat, though. Sure, there are a few cliched elements (false/mistaken identity, long-lost progeny of important ruler-person swept up into adventures, powerful beloved ruler-person weighed down by responsibilities/dark secrets/unrequited love), but I didn't mind them because they were executed in such unique and fresh ways, which kept things interesting and (mostly) unpredictable. The young, brilliant, wise, gorgeous, powerful, beloved ruler/religious leader ("The Prism") has a sweet relationship with his mother. His long-lost-suddenly-resurfaced bastard is a sassy, chubby, uncoordinated 15-year-old who is too smart for his own good but has a heart of gold. The ex-fiance for whom the Prism still carries a torch is a hot shit, tough-as-nails soldier & one of his personal bodyguards. Book #2 was if anything better; can't wait to read the last two in the series. (Be warned, though - only the first three of four have been published & there's no word yet on book 4.)

The Farm, by Tom Rob Smith. So this book was based on actual events that happened to the author. In the spring of 2009, Smith received a call from his father saying that he needed to come to Sweden immediately because his mom had suffered a psychotic episode & was in an asylum. And almost immediately after, a call from his mother saying she'd just been released from the hospital, everything his father had told him was a lie, that his dad was involved in a criminal conspiracy, and she was flying to London to explain the truth. You might think, well, obviously, this book has to go one of two ways. Nope. Smith keeps you guessing all the way to the end, with a couple of twists I'm happy to say I never saw coming. Ditto with the resolution. A smart mystery, tight writing, fantastic storytelling, and rich, believable characters? More of this, please.

Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins. After Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates left me rolling my eyes, I wasn't totally sure I wanted to wade any deeper into Tom Robbins. Jitterbug Perfume has become such an iconic book, though, that I felt I had to give it a chance on the strength of the recommendations I've gotten from people who loved it, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it. In a lot of ways this is just the type of book I'm looking for when I've been reading a lot of intense, srsbzns stuff -- it's whimsical, irreverent, and overall on the light-hearted side, but still well-written and possessed of a unique, intriguing plot and interesting, well-rounded characters. A quick, fun read if you're in the mood for something a little quirky & irreverent but still clever & well-written.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. My only complaint about this book is that it was over too soon. Short, cute, & entertainingly written, it's probably just a *little* too serious to properly be called a beach read. A commute read, maybe. Just what I needed to cleanse my palate after Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates.

WINE:

This rosé:

Kenneth Volk 2011 La Rosa Loca, Paso Robles. If you make to Paso & like quirky, unusual varietals like negrette, blaufrankisch, & cabernet pfeffer, you absolutely must make a stop. Listing for ~$18, it is a bit pricey for a rosé, but the last time we were there was in the fall & they were clearing it out for 30% off or something, which made it pretty reasonable for a good pink. Would buy again for maybe up to $15ish.

This grenache blanc:

Tangent 2011 Grenache Blanc, Edna Valley (SLO). This, you actually stand a chance of finding outside of the winery, and at ~$15, it's a nice find. Don has a co-worker with a connection to the winery, which is where we learned about it; we also drank a bunch of it in Kauai last fall, since apparently every restaurant there stocks it. When we visited the winery for the first time, we found that we enjoyed just about all of their whites, which are equally reasonably priced.

This Italian-style merlot:

Caperone 2003 Merlot, Paso Robles. Italian merlot??? Yes! You won't find it in stores, but you CAN order it online. Caperone is one of the oldest wineries in Paso Robles & makes several lovely Italian-style reds, all of which we really like. Unlike most wineries, they tend to sell bottles with a reasonable amount of age already on them (pretty sure we bought this 2003 in like 2011), and they're STILL only ~$15, with discounts for half & full cases.

This SLO pinot:

Claiborne & Churchill 2009 Pinot Noir, Edna Valley. Another random find on our trip to SLO last fall. I always kind of cross my fingers any time I open a bottle I know I bought towards the end of the day, so I was incredibly pleased when I opened this a couple weeks back to have with grilled salmon. I don't remember the exact price, but I'm guessing it was probably under $30, and any time you can find a solid pinot for under $30, you're doing quite well.

This single-vineyard Sonoma pinot:

Porter Creek 2006 Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River (Sonoma). More salmon = more pinot. This maybe a little trickier to get without visiting the winery and is a bit pricier (apparently the current vintage will set you back $65? Pretty sure it wasn't *quite* that insane when we bought this one), but GOD was it worth every penny.

So yes. A little break from running is survivable with good books & wine. If you find yourself needing one, you now have my recommendations in both categories. :)

The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer #2), by Brent Weeks

You guys, I was so close to giving this one five stars. In fact, I'd say I'd still give it a solid four and a half if that were an option. The writing is tight and impressive without getting flowery. The Prism continues to be one of the most well-written hero-type fantasy protagonists I've ever read. I continue to adore his kick-ass love interest & her martial arts skills. His insecure-yet-earnest, almost-too-smart-for-his-own-good teenage bastard son is so believable it hurts. Bad guys do honorable things and have understandable motives. Good guys sometimes do crappy things. Ambivalent characters abound. Political machinations are brilliantly executed. And over the course of book two, it becomes clear that certain narrative arcs are coming home to roost, some of them so artfully crafted that they didn't even look like narrative arcs until now. What you thought was characterization was actually plot. What you thought was plot was characterization. He's a clever, calculating man, this Brent Weeks.

Even the things that for me keep it from being five stars really fall into the category of personal preference. For one, I hate battle scenes. (They are Just. So. BORING. If all books with multi-page/multi-chapter battle scenes could just replace them with a single page that reads "They fight," & then list any relevant plot points, that'd be super sweet.) And then there were a couple of rather mushy scenes that kind of made me go, "Ugh, this...", although I suppose they were inevitable in terms of the story and were admittedly skillfully written.

So yeah. My bar for fantasy is high. The Black Prism exceeded it, and The Blinding Knife was even better. I'm glad I didn't hear about these books until the last one in the trilogy (The Broken Eye) came out, because I can't wait to find out how it ends.

(Update: Eff. I just found out there's a fourth book that isn't out yet. *Shakes fist at sky* On the other hand, this does mean that I likely get another 600+ pages of awesome from Weeks, so on the balance I probably come out ahead in this one.)