Books are the creative works I get the most time to enjoy. I've always read for entertainment and education. As much as I love books themselves, I usually read primarily for fun. Lately, though, I've been reading textbooks to keep my brain working, too.
Anybody who follows my twitter feed might notice a weird #hashtag I use sometimes- #WoTrr, short for Wheel of Time Re-Read.
One of my favorite authors, Robert Jordan, died a few years ago, nearly done with an epic series (and I mean epic, he died after completing volume 11 of 12) and the mantle has been picked up by Brandon Sanderson.
I've seen this done before and been sorely disappointed, so I was a bit nervous when I heard this news. It turns out, Sanderson is a bit of a genius. Fortunately for all of us who have been waiting patiently for years between volumes during Jordan's long illness. And who were devastated when the treatments that had seemed to be promising ended in his death. Jordan left behind detailed plot outlines, character sketches and volumes of notes and maps, so that the work could be completed.
It turns out, Sanderson was the best choice. He's a fan himself (He even uses the silly hashtag sometimes), and he also seems to understand the spirit of these books and of Jordan, himself. He's worked with RJ's widow and family to fully understand the outlines and reference materials, and he's got a very clear view of the work he has to do. He's taken everything he has and done it justice by extending the series even further, giving the remaining material three books to develop.
I'm deeply grateful for the care that's been taken to finish this huge endeavor. As a consumer, a fan, I'm always so happy when the next volume is published. It's something I've been able to look forward to since my first year of college. I have a vague hope that the last book, A Memory of Light, will be out this year, but I have a feeling it'll be around my 20th anniversary of picking up the first book, The Eye of the World, next year.
E-books have broadened the time I can spend reading. To get ready for this momentous event, I've started my re-read. Each book is over 600 pages and my copies are all hard cover, so hauling them, along with my day to day necessities is a hassle. But the fact that I can download them onto my phone means I have my book at the gym, the park, the pool, wherever I am with the kids or on my own. Honestly, e-books may be the reason I've returned to my habit of daily reading.
Of course, there are many new authors out there. I haven't even had time to read Sanderson's other books, and I'm eager to do that now. Not to mention Martin, a few of Neil Gaiman's I haven't gotten to, and another author I check on every time I'm at the book store-Tad Williams.
I'm so glad to be back to reading a lot.
-Simbelmynë
