Rereading My Favorites in Uncertain Times
It might be the same book, but is it the same story?
Please note this was originally published on my Romantasy Realms Substack, but it has been rehomed here.
Hello Readers of the Realm ❤️🔥 This post is a little different from my normal content, but with all the AI slop out there, I don’t think you’ll mind if I share some of my thoughts on how rereading some of my favorite books are helping me cope these days.
These days.
What a benign way of saying, “My world has turned upside down.” Most my audience in based in the US, so you too might be feeling adrift, angry, afraid, or a combination of all three. If this is you—sending virtual hugs. You are not alone. Many of us are going through the motions of our regularly scheduled life—driving to work, putting in eight hours, cooking dinner, folding laundry, maybe even finding a little time to read and write.
It’s so strange, the contrast between the things that haven’t changed much and the horrors that persist.
Watching said horrors play out on a screen is upsetting enough. Watching and wondering if you’re going to see an image of your daughter, who lives in Minneapolis near Powderhorn Park, could easily turn into a waking nightmare. Am I aware that this is how mothers of color have felt, like, forever in this society? Yes, yes I am. And now more than ever we MUST put an end to state sanctioned violence. I don’t care if you are black or white, red or blue, where you were born—because we are all praying for the same thing: for our kids to be safe, for clothes and food and shelter. We’re all one community, and I pray to whoever might be listening to help us make it so. Also I’m taking steps to make sure my mental health doesn’t crack like an egg.
That is where my favorite books have stepped up.
Now, I realize that my last post was hyping up all the titles coming out in the first half of the year. I fully intended on reading them, especially my lovely copy of We Who Will Die, my December Fairy Loot book. But it turns out that not knowing how the story will play out is more stress than my mind and heart can endure.
The solution? Rereading some of my favorites, returning to the characters and worlds I know I love. Who knew that I would crave the predictable? That picking up a book from the read shelf would soothe? So weird so not my norm. But here were are!
To begin my reread, I hopped over to The Romantasy Substack, became a paid subscriber, and started a reread of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas along with that lovely community.
Comfort? Check. Nostalgia? Check. A new perspective? Check and check. This is great, because it means I’m not bored. Even though these are the same pages from before, I am not the same reader. For one thing, the Ivy that first encountered ToG was mother to two teen daughters. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this book: FMC Celeana’s is known for her snarky attitude. Guess what I had to deal with on the regular that was very, very, very tiresome.
I was also a newbie fiction writer and had never even considered becoming a book coach. This was before BookTok and the like, so there was no highlighting as I read, no carefully jotted notes, no true understanding of how important facts can be woven into a tale and look like window dressing. A lot of significant details flew over my head as I listened to the audio while I drove or walked the dog.
Rereading this while also answering the questions posed by Tara over at The Romantasy has allowed me to appreciate the world of Erilea in an entirely new way. Celaena, for example, is now far more funny to me. There are worldbuilding details galore that now feel like I’m finding Easter eggs. I am struck by how incredibly young Maas’ writing voice is. It feels like I’ve gone back in time, and I am appreciating how this good writer is going to become a fantastic writer. Knowing how much she has grown makes me look forward to seeing how much better she will get in time. That’s another way of saying, “I have hope for the future”, a sentiment that as of late has been in short supply.
Bonus points for making me think carefully about the responses I’ve been posting in the comments. The more time I am concentrating on Throne of Glass, the less time I spend worrying about things I cannot control.
Now its time for me to head over to The Romantasy to post my comments on how power works in this court, how Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol exhibit authority, and the risks of intimacy in this dangerous world. (Aren’t these questions great? So much to think about). If you are a member of that community, please join me!
Self-care can be entertaining AND thought provoking!
Have I convinced you to pick up an old favorite for a re-read? If so, drop the title in the comments.
You can also support this Substack by checking out my novel, Rowena’s Song, on Kindle Unlimited. Happy Reading!