"The Stone Sky"

 

Three Hugos in a row!
What are the odds?

 

"The Stone Sky" is the final installment in N. K. Jemisin's fantasy trilogy, preceded by "The Fifth Season" and "The Obelisk Gate" (also featured on this blog).¹ I originally discovered the series on a list of recommended dystopian novels, and the first two books are fascinating examples of worldbuilding. The story takes place during an eponymous fifth season, or climate apocalypse, and the characters struggle to survive while their dystopian society denigrates into a collection of warring city-states. In this final volume, the society's origins are revealed, and the main characters must choose which ancient wrongs to right and which to let stand.

Brief thematic discussion below.

"Letters from a Stoic"

 

I don't often see marble busts with
facial hair; looks hard to carve!

"Letters from a Stoic" – another of my book group reads – compiles 124 letters written by Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca to his friend Lucilius. Seneca writes about daily life and current events, using them to expound upon the stoic philosophy of living a good life by cultivating virtue.

Contrary to the common modern take, Stoicism is not about covering up emotions (keeping a stiff upper lip, as the British might say); that's a caricature created by the Epicurean critics of Stoicism. Stoics returned the favor, and now we typically think of Epicureans as incorrigible hedonists. It's pretty ironic that these days, each philosophy is best remembered for what its critics, rather than founders, had to say about it.

"Mother of Learning"

Not the actual cover art for this month's review

"Mother of Learning" is a fantasy novel with an original premise. Zorian is a young wizard studying at the premier academy of magical arts in his homeland's capital city. As he returns to school for the fall term, Zorian is unaware of political machinations taking place behind the scenes, and he soon finds himself trapped in a time loop he can't control. The novel was originally published in serial form by amateur writer Domagoj Kurmaic, Dickens-style, but I read the whole work in about six weeks — which is coincidentally about how long it took me to get through "Great Expectations."

"The Art of War"

Big red book

I picked up "The Art of War and Other Classics of Eastern Thought" thanks to a $5 off coupon on Barnes & Noble classics. This volume includes "The Art of War," the "Tao Te Ching," various writings of Confucius, and more, but at this point I've only finished "The Art of War" (with commentary).

"The Obelisk Gate"

 

That's two Hugos in a row

 

 

"The Obelisk Gate" is the follow-up to "The Fifth Season" and I believe the only sequel I've written about on this blog.¹ I read the previous book back in 2016 and consider it a great example of effective world-building, so I'm a bit surprised that I forgot about the series until this year.

A couple plot points from the first book are mentioned below.

"Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"

 

"In the beginner's mind there are
are many possibilities; in the
expert's mind there are few."

I initially heard about "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" on a podcast I listened to a while back. The book sounded kind of interesting, but I promptly forgot about it until this year, when a book club I follow added it to their list. I'm glad I participated – it turns out that virtual book club discussions on Zen Buddhism attract really interesting people. But first, the book.

"The Plague"

 

"La Peste" en français

Though it's been a couple months since I finished reading it, I still haven't decided whether "The Plague" is a bit too on the nose – or the perfect book – for this COVID-19 era. It tells a fictional tale of bubonic plague in a coastal city, following the lives of various citizens as they look for meaning amidst the suffering. Much of the human experience is on display: selfishness and greed and denial, yes, but also empathy and care and even heroism found pursuing a shared purpose. It's part philosophy, part psychology, and fully profound.

A few of my favorite passages follow¹.

"The Fire Next Time"

"God gave Noah the rainbow sign.
No more water, the fire next time."

"The Fire Next Time" had been recommended to me several times in the past, and 2020 is the year I finally read it. Baldwin's work is a powerful personal account of race and civil rights, told in two essays. First, a letter written to his nephew on the 100th anniversary of emancipation; second, Baldwin's observations about religion and race in America.

"A Gentleman in Moscow"

 

Not his everyday view

I'd categorize "A Gentleman in Moscow" as historical fiction with a humorous slant. The titular gentleman is Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who returns to the country after the Communist revolution of 1917. To his own surprise, rather than being put to death, he's sentenced to live under house arrest in the Hotel Metropol in the center of Moscow, never again to leave its premises.

A few first chapter details below.