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Books

Over the years, there have been many books that have influenced how I see the world. Those books have come from a wide range of genres and below I've given a little description of each. 

FICTION

  • The Last Herald Mage trilogy, by Mercedes Lackey. 

    • This trilogy is set in the world of Valdemar. It is a high fantasy dealing with the life of a group of special individuals called Heralds.  They are incorruptible, good hearted, and have Gifts. This trilogy was my first glimpse at the world of Valdemar, and also my first foray into the fantasy genre.  The trilogy follows the life of Vanyel Ashkevron.  ​He is misunderstood by his family, and is sent to live under the supervision of his Aunt Savil in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar.  Savil, is a Herald.  Vanyel eventually realizes that he is gay, and falls in love with a Herald trainee.  I won't go into further detail.  The books are beautifully written. There is laughter and tears and it taught me how painful a book can be and still evoke wonder and love.

  • Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.

    • This is the first book in a serial.  It is science fiction at it's best and was the first sci-fi that I read. We follow Andrew Wiggins and his siblings, all geniuses in their own right, as they grow up in a futuristic society whose main concern is the growing threat of a species of alien called the Buggers.   Andrew, or Ender, is sent to a battle school situated in space, where children as young as 5 are being taught battle tactics and strategy.  Another heart wrenching story. So well done.  It opened my eyes to the worlds beyond.

  • The Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon

    • Thousands of years ago, the god Apollo created a perfect race of people called the Apollites.  As is the case with most old Greek tales, there was a betrayal and Apollo cursed them to die a horrible death at the age of 27.  The only way to counteract this fate is by draining humans of their life force.  And so, the daemons were born.  They became the plague of humankind until Artemis began recruiting her own warriors, the Dark Hunters.  Those dying on the battlefield whose soul cried out for vengeance were given a chance to exact revenge on those who wronged them in exchange for an eternity of servitude hunting down and killing the daemons. The Dark Hunters are wrangled by Acheron, the oldest of them, originally from Atlantis. The world is set mostly in modern day New Orleans, with certain books taking place in various other cities in the US.  It was one of many series that showed me romance wasn’t all the same. It can be dark and gritty and painful. And still beautiful at the same time.

  • The Hollows by Kim Harrison

    • In the aftermath of a pandemic caused by a virus transported accidently in genetically modified tomatoes.  Witches, werewolves, vampires, and demons (among others) are species that weren’t as susceptible to the virus.  They stepped into save the world after a significant portion of the humans are killed off by the virus. The story follows Rachel Morgan, a witch who teams up with a living vampire and a pixie to form their own firm that takes on jobs such as finding lost objects and recovering stolen items. It is in turns a funny, sad, frustrating, heartwarming, and sometimes down-right zany ride.  I LOVED this series.  Alas, it has been completed and it was a sad day when I read the last volume. UPDATE 9.22.21: IT"S NOT OVER, I recently found out a new book is coming out. HAPPY DAYS!!! 

  • The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs (and a spin off series Alpha and Omega)

    • Mercedes Thompson is a VW mechanic and also a skin walker that turns into a coyote.  She delights in pissing off her alpha werewolf neighbor.  She doesn’t try to get into trouble, but it just seems to find her. A wonderfully written urban fantasy with a strong female protagonist.

  • The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

    • Ah Harry Dresden.  What can I say about Harry?  Well, for starters, he’s a practicing wizard who is also a private investigator in modern day Chicago.  He is sarcastic, funny, a bit of a goof, and deadly with fire. This was my first foray into urban fantasy (other than paranormal romance) and I can’t get enough. The books in this series contain some of the funniest and most heart wrenching scenes I’ve ever read. 

  • The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward (And it’s spin off series, Black Dagger Legacy)

    • The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of warrior vampires that were bred to fight against the Lessening Society, a group of humans that have been altered by the Omega (their version of the devil) for the sole purpose of destroying the vampires. They are bigger, stronger, more intelligent, and more volatile than the other males of their species.  Their leader is Wrath, the rightful heir to the throne.  This series is amazing.  Action packed and filled with snarky males and intelligent females.  It shows just how dark and gritty a romance can be. It was also the first main stream series I’d read that is primarily a hetero series, but has more than one book dedicated to a same sex couple.

  • MORE TO COME---work in progress :)

NON-FICTION

  • Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris

    • Dan Harris is a news anchor that once had a break down on live television.  A former foreign war correspondent, he had spent years self-medicating with various things (some not legal).  It all caught up with him and he knew he needed a change.  He fell into meditation nearly by accident.  He raves about how it has changed his life. This is actually his second book about meditation, the first being 10% Happier.  Which is also the name of his podcast. I list this one because I read it first, which led me to the second.  It is a straightforward, blunt take on meditation and the benefits it can provide.

  • Atomic Habits by James Clear

    • James lays down a solid explanation of how tiny habits can lead to big changes over time. 

  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

    • This was the first self-improvement book that really resonated with me. I liked it because she had the same problem I did.  There was nothing horrible about our lives.  So many self-improvement books out there tell stories about abuse, or horrible illnesses, or deaths.  Things that shock someone into realizing a change is necessary.  Those events act as a catalyst to get the ball rolling.  But what about the rest of us?  I’ve had no big event.  Just a general dissatisfaction with my life.  I had an ‘aha’ moment, but it was a tiny, insignificant thing.  Ms. Rubin has the same issue.  Most things in life were good, but they weren’t great. Even though our circumstances were different, I could relate.  The book follows her journey toward being happier in her life.  She has a few other books that I’ve also read, but this one sticks with me the most.

  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

    • Ah, Miss Brené.  I’ve read several of her books.  Every one of them had been worth the read. My first introduction to her was the TED talk on vulnerability.  I think this is true of most people.  This book has one of my favorite quotes of hers, “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.  It’s going to bed at night thinking, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.” Nuff said.

  • Minimalism by Joshua Fields and Ryan Nicodemus

    • When I first heard about minimalism, I like many others, had a really bad first impression.  I saw images and heard stories about the practice taken to an extreme, like the guy that only owns forty something items, and cold houses built of concrete and slate. If that’s your idea of minimalism, more power to you, but it wasn’t for me and turned me off to the idea for a long time.  Enter Josh and Ryan.  The way they present minimalism is completely different.  The truth about minimalism?  That it is different for everyone.  It isn’t about one look or a number of items that you own, it is a mindset.

  • MORE TO COME---work in progress :)

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