Reading Habits

For 2017, I set myself a goal on Goodreads of reading 25 books. I’m currently sitting on 14/25 completed. I am including in that list books I read to my son before bed, and graphic novels. So far, I’ve stuck a lot to my normal reading habits. A couple of Men’s Adventure, some Sword & Sorcery, etc. However, I am trying to force myself to branch out a little bit.

My current reading is The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham. This is kind of a departure for me. Initially, I started reading it because several friends recommended it when I asked about Epic Fantasy with non-human races. And, while technically it meets those two requirements, it deviates greatly from my previous experiences with that sub-genre (admittedly mainly D&D-based fiction).

This book has a lot of political intrigue, and characterization. The first is something I usually don’t get into (and it’s why I never really had much interest in Game of Thrones). However, I am kind of digging it this time around. And that’s probably due to the second item above, characterization.

Like any good book in this genre, there are multiple plot-lines developing at once. Abraham revolves each plot-line around a single character, or small group of characters. And each chapter shifts to a new focus from the previous. As the story progresses, some of them cross over with each other, but the plot-lines remain distinct. I find that I like that. Mainly because all of his focus characters are very interesting. And I find that when I reach the end of a chapter, I look forward to getting to the next chapter about that character. But that eagerness is tempered by the fact that the intervening chapters are just as interesting.

Does that all make sense?

I think the one thing that really sets this apart from my usual fare is a lack of combat and action. Not that it’s absent. It’s just more sparse. Normally if someone isn't getting their skull split within the first chapter, I’m put off. But this time I’m not minding it so much.

I also always have a Kindle on tap to read on my phone when I don’t have my book handy (what I refer to as my “bathroom reading”). I recently finished Charles Gramlich’s Under the Ember Star, and am now working on Ashe Armstrong’s A Demon in the Desert (Grimluk, Demon Hunter Book 1).

Overall, I think I may be able to hit 25 books (maybe more) by year’s end. I’m happy about that.