I’m trying to be better about writing here, so you can look forward to these dispatches, at least one a month. A little recap, a little book recommendation, a little teasing for the future, all rolled up tight, right here. Like a piece of sushi. But I’m the sushi?
Let’s move on.
I came into 2017 with a few goals, as detailed in my last post, but above all, this: to treat myself better, and in doing so, pick up behavior and patterns that make my life better as a whole. This meant: more gym, less sugar, more veggies, less beer, more self-reflective kindness, less self-inflicted deprecation. Some of these things are easier than the others.
But I joined the gym, and though some weeks are tougher to make it than others, I’ve been going as often as I can. There was a dip in willpower after the Inauguration of the The Beast, (which is what I’ll be referring to our current puppet-in-chief on this blog), but I’d like to think I wasn’t the only one that happened to. But I’m back at, I’m tracking what I eat, and I’m going to the gym consistently. I’m not too obsessed with weight numbers at the moment, more just trying to get the habit of the gym to stick, but I’m currently at 228 or so; not my best, but not my worst. Hoping to drop down towards the 220 end by February-early March. I’ll keep you updated!
It does feel good to be back at the gym, working out. So much of my day is being plugged in, being online, being aware of data and trends and the like, that there’s a euphoria to simply putting headphones in, hiding my phone, and just . . . running. Watching my breath, feeling my pulse throb in my neck, feeling my face heat and track the sweat falling down my eyebrow. It helps keep me in the moment, something else I’m still learning to do. So I’m going to keep at it.
Work has been going well; learning more and more each day in the weird and wild world of SEO, and Search. Definitely still enjoying the new gig, and it’s a pleasure getting to know my colleagues more, now that I have more a chance to work with them.
Writing continues apace! I’ve got some short stories making the rounds, so collective fingers crossed for them, please. Meanwhile, work on the new novel goes on; a few more chapters done, and getting a better pace and rhythm with it, which is always exciting. I wrote a piece for Tor.com about the amazing show, Critical Role, which you can read here. Also, my new review for Barnes and Noble SFF Blog has gone up, talking about the new collection from Serial Box, Bookburners!
Reading wise, this was a very fantastic month for books. I have a review or two for the ones below, so consider this a quick snippet of thoughts:
The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller – YA debut novel by a good buddy of mine, about a young, gay teen in upstate NY who thinks that by starving himself, he gains access to supernatural powers, which he’ll use to discover the truth about his sister’s disappearance, even if it means confronting the school superstar, Tariq. I already wrote about this amazing novel a bit here, but I’ll just say again: this is a breathtaking debut, and Sam, already known for his stellar short fiction, is going to blow up in a big way with this novel. I loved the ever-living hell out of it.
Crossroads of Canopy by Thoraiya Dyer – Epic fantasy debut involving giant, magical rainforests, reborn gods, and a stubborn as hell protagonist. Review to come on BNSFF. Definitely enjoyable, though I had my nitpicks.
Bookburners by Max Gladstone et al.; review above. An awesome, campy, pulpy, fun and horror infused romp through the worlds of magic, mysticism, and myth, written by a group of very strong writers. A great Warehouse 13 or The Librarians feel to it, if that’s your jam. Definitely recommended.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders – His debut novel, Saunders does to novel narratives what he has done to short story narratives: turns them on their head, disassembles them, reassembles them into something totally new, while wringing out your heart from end to end. Not a novel to be missed.
Skullsworn by Brian Stavely – An epic fantasy stand alone returning to the world of his previous trilogy, Staveley doesn’t miss a damn beat, as we follow Pyrre, a potential priestess of the god of death, Ananshael, as she goes back to the city she was born in, to finish her pilgrimage and deliver seven people to her patron. Including someone she loves. One problem: Pyrre’s never been in love. When I told my Dad this premise he went, “Oh, so love on a deadline!” which is just fantastic. I really love Staveley’s work, and this is no different. Philosophical, gut-wrenching, lovely, funny, and violent, while further deepening the mythos of the world. I’ll never get tired of his work.
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett – The final book in his Divine Cities trilogy, Bennett knocks it out of the park, as Sigurd Je Harkvaaldson dedicates himself to hunting down the people responsible for assassinating his best friend and former Prime Minister of Saypur, Shara Komayd. Everything is firing on all cylinders, and I was in tears by the end. This is a beautiful, hopeful, tragic, but joyful novel, and you definitely need it when it’s out in May.
And that’s January!
Keep fighting. Keep resisting. Keep being amazing.
I’ll be back on here soon.
I promise.
Martin Cahill 