A few weeks ago I had this idea to kick off a tradition of rereading some of my favorite books during my favorite time of year. In Florida, April turning to May marks the best part of the season. It’s the beginning of summer (for us, anyway) where the ocean warms up, there’s a breeze in the air, and the temperature peaks between 85-90 degrees. It’s delightful. Then, true summer hits and we’re a hot, humid mess of a state. Fortunately, I live near the beach, so the summer is more enjoyable for me than it is for my inland counterparts. You’ll still here me complain about the annoyances of being drenched in sweat while walking from my house to my car, though.
Before we enter months of perpetual sauna, I wanted to celebrate this time of year with some good books and cheer. Too cheesy? Then you’re in the wrong place, my friend.
I’ve always been a fan of rereading books. I think most people who read a lot are in the habit of rereading their favorites now and again. We re-watch TV shows and movies all the time, so it’s only natural we would want to reread books as well. Upon each reread, I find I usually pick up something new about the book that I hadn’t noticed before. I’ve noticed I also read the books a bit faster than I would something I’ve never read before because I know what’s about to happen. There is also the option to skip the passages I don’t like, which is a luxury I didn’t have the first time around.
So, I gave myself the month of May to do my rereads (along with reading some additional books for my blog). Next year, I will endeavor to do the same thing, but with some of my other favorite books. In total, I read eight novels for the month of May which is two books per week. Six of them were for my rereading project, and I figured I’d give them a short review below and talk about why they’re some of my favorite books.
1&2-Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
I decided to begin my rereads with the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology by Leigh Bardugo. I may or may not have been inspired to reread them after watching the new Shadow and Bone series (which was phenomenal) on Netflix. These novels combine several of my favorite things including but not limited to: fantasy, heists, murder, mystery, murder mystery, and more!
Beyond that, they’re beautifully written, and I’m a sucker for great prose. I frequently find myself feeling both wistful and nostalgic for a world that doesn’t exist. While Bardugo is adept at painting vivid pictures of the world itself, her real skill is in capturing the essence of her characters. The novel switches points of view between six different main characters, and I love every one of them. This is an impressive feat, especially considering I normally hate constant POV switching in books. Quite often there are certain plots or stories I favor over the others, and this makes the less-interesting chapters a drag to read. In Bardugo’s novels, the story is equally engaging no matter who is telling it, and through this style we get to know each character on a very personal level.
I think what I like the most about these books is how she portrays the characters’ struggles. They don’t know all the answers, and while they’re considered the “good guys”, they all have to do bad things to survive. There’s a moral ambiguity that’s used to showcase the complexity of being human. Each character has to decide what they can and can’t live with, and as the reader we’re able to watch them grow and find purpose as the story goes on.
Also, the heists are extremely entertaining. Think: Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Oceans Eleven in a steam punk universe. I HIGHLY recommend these books. Also, I do recommend the Shadow and Bone trilogy as well but I will say there’s a distinct improvement in the writing of the books from the trilogy (which came out first) to the duology.
3-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Remember when I said I’m a sucker for great prose? And for relatable, memorable characters? That’s a common theme you’ll see throughout my favorite novels. I love portrayals of complex characters because that’s what humanity is. We’re not all good, or all bad. We fall somewhere in the middle, and Kesey’s protagonist embodies this to the fullest extent. He’s not a good guy or a bad guy, he’s a person who’s done good and bad things, and will continue to do more of both as we follow his story.
This novel is heavy in it’s use of symbolism and there are also a LOT of strong themes. My personal favorite use of Kesey’s symbolism is through his analysis of people’s hands. The main character is very observant, and one of the things he picks up on are people’s hands and the story they tell about the person they’re attached to. It’s not something I’d ever thought about before reading the novel, but I’ve found myself looking at people’s hands ever since.
Kesey is also hilarious. There’s so much comedy in this book that even though it’s about a sad situation, I find myself laughing out loud every time I read it. You can tell when reading the book that Kesey truly believed laughter is the best medicine, and there’s something just a bit poetic about a book that makes you laugh as it imparts the message of the importance of laughter.
I can’t recommend this book enough. I love it. Everybody should read it. There you go, that’s my review. There is also a movie starring Jack Nicholson. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend that too. You should read the book first, of course, but the movie holds up well when compared to the novel. Plus, the actors are all fantastic.
4, 5 &6-The Lotus Wars trilogy by Jay Kristoff
I rounded out my rereads with another set of fantasy novels, The Lotus Wars by Jay Kristoff. The trilogy is comprised of three novels: Stormdancer, Kinslayer, and Endsinger. Those of you who know Jay Kristoff are likely familiar with his more famous trilogy, The Nevernight Chronicles. I will tell you now, The Nevernight Chronicles is objectively the better trilogy. The characters are more likeable, the pacing is better, the story is more coherent, and Kristoff really finds his voice with those novels. Can you guess which trilogy came first?
Now, The Lotus Wars trilogy isn’t bad by any means. It holds up very well against The Nevernight Chronicles, and fans of steampunk and insurgency plots will likely enjoy it more. But if you read both, one certainly feels more refined. I don’t personally prefer one trilogy over the other, but I read The Nevernight Chronicles last year after the third book was released, so I felt it was only fair that I reread The Lotus Wars this year.
My favorite part of The Lotus Wars trilogy by far is the setting. It’s a fantasy world based largely on Japanese culture. Kristoff does a great job blending fantasy with real-world aspects to where there is a distinct style and setting for the novel. He has an extremely descriptive writing style, but the plot moves quickly enough that you’re not bogged down by the details. I think his writing is a great balance of incredible world-building as well as a page-turning plot.
Sometimes fantasy can have a tendency toward long-winded descriptions that take away from the cadence of a smooth reading experience. Heavy detail can be necessary for world-building, but pages upon pages of detail without furthering the plot is extremely tedious in my opinion. Kristoff manages to incorporate huge amounts of detail into his novels without carrying on so long that we forget what’s happening with the overall plot.
While his characters are sometimes unlikeable, they are always relatable. He paints their struggles in ways that the reader can empathize with, even if we don’t agree with their decisions. I like this style of characterization because every reader will have a different experience. What one reader thinks was the right call, another reader might think a ridiculous decision. This allows for discussion and debate surrounding the novel, and I’m a big supporter of discussing books, as you might know.
I highly recommend this trilogy, as well as Kristoff’s other trilogy. Just read them both, okay? But, there is a catch: These novels are very gritty. If you’re not sure about the grit, read the first page of Nevernight (the first novel in The Nevernight Chronicles) and if you can’t handle that, maybe don’t read his books. Otherwise, if you don’t mind a little grit here and there, they’re very much worth your time.
That concludes my May rereading extravaganza! I was able to read most of these books either outside in my backyard or on a sunny beach day. This really is the perfect time of year in Florida. I’ll be reliving these days in my head for the next few months as I attempt to weather the scalding Florida heat. Wish me luck.
The Lit Wiz