Diana Wynne Jones, author of the Chrestomanci series and Howl's Moving Castle has passed away.

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (DAW Books)

On my night table at the moment is The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. It's the first installment of The Kingkiller Chronicles, with the second book of the fantasy trilogy due out in August. The protagonist is Kvothe (pronounced "Quothe"), and we first meet him as the owner of a middle-of-nowhere tavern. He is, it transpires, a legend, trying to live out his days quietly. Tracked down by a historian, he reluctantly agrees to tell his story, and the bulk of the novel then consists of his narration, beginning with his childhood as part of family of travelling players, and moving to his life at University, now a student Arcanist of precocious talent.

My bare-bones synopsis here cannot possibly do justice to the richness of Rothfuss' novel. His world-building is meticulous, with every detail in place, from the monetary system to the names of the days of the ten-day week, and he unveils this bustling, living, breathing world so naturally to the reader that one's first encounter with it feels like a journey home. His prose, meanwhile, is elegant and literate without being pretentious, and his storytelling moving and grave without forgetting to be funny. The book is a triumph, and the wait for the next two volumes is going to be a long one.

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The March / April issue of our newsletter The Bookseller is now available online. The Bookseller is a worthy read for all book lovers. It also highlights events taking place at our Winnipeg, and Saskatoon stores.
Click here to view The Bookseller, Winnipeg.
Click here to view The Bookseller, Saskatoon.

I fall in love with most books I am reading. I am steadfastly fickle in this matter. Whittling out recommendations from my night table stacks is a daunting task, so I have chosen a few special books that have contributed to my journey as a writer. These works not only delighted me as a reader, but also informed my own endeavours - made me ask the questions: How did the author craft this offering? How did they evoke emotion? Conjure humanity? How did they convince me of the authenticity of their created worlds? (With apologies to those omitted, including Shakespeare and Atwood).

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