I just finished Rothfuss’ debut fantasy novel, “The Name of the Wind“. 2 years ago I would have raved about this book, how Rothfuss has taken fantasy in a good direction, away from the tired old plots and character templates. But, in those last two years I’ve read George R. R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” series. Martin has raised the bar so high, he has changed the genre… That is a post for another time, though. Rothfuss keeps his book in the well-defined boundaries of traditional fantasy, where he differentiates himself though is his ability to tell a story. “Wind” introduces us to the hero Kvothe, but much more, it introduces us to his world and it is here where Rothfuss caught me. The book is the first in a proposed trilogy and it captured my attention enough to look forward to the next one.
I’ve started reading “The Better World Handbook” a guide to living ethically and sustainably in today’s world. The guide starts (and this is as far as I have gotten) with why change is necessary and how individuals can effect that change in the world, even if they are doing only small things. I’m looking forward to reading it in it’s entirety and seeing how good a resource it is…