Susie’s Comments (group member since Dec 14, 2018)

Susie’s comments from the Devon Book Club group.

Ian wrote: "'ve had loads of great feedback about our theme weeks and so, this weekend, I'm introducing a new one - but with a difference. Instead of featuring writers from particular genres, for the next week..."<

Thanks to Devon Book Club for another enjoyable Monday evening twitter chat, this time all things blogs and vlogs. I find blogging to be a really varied and creative tool to connect to one another. I remember when I first started blogging, at about the same time I joined Twitter. Whereas Twitter left me at times dumbstruck by the thought of so few characters, blogging was a place I soon felt at home. If books are the window to the soul, blogs add an extra personal touch.
I see Michelle Werret's blog on this page. One of my favourites for whenever I want to step into nature. The writing is beautiful and totally immersive. Time has been short this week, but I look forward to checking out other great sites mentioned on this stream.

Ley wrote: "Had a look at the books, right up my street. Pleased to see that we have the first book in Devon Libraries, once I've ploughed through my current pile I shall put in a reservation."

I hope you enjoy...

Thank you for having me, Devon Book Club xx

Thanks to everyone for their participation in #fantasyfortnight. More great recommendations and interesting chat transpired from yesterday evening's #devonbookhour. I've really enjoyed the ongoing discussions and thought provoking contributions. As well as being introduced to work from local authors. My reading list has grown and I look forward to hearing from more featured writers over the coming days. For now, I thought I would share a list of books recommended by our group on Twitter's #devonbookhour - or at least the titles I managed to get down. It's a wonderfully eclectic mix, perhaps representative of this diverse genre. Feel free to add your own.

Brandon Sanderson; Skyward – Cytonic series
Carlos Ruiz Zafon; Shadow of the Wind (set in 1930s Barcelona, has fantastical elements)
Charles Stross; Trader War Books
Clive Barker; Weaveworld
C.L. Polk; Witchmark (&sequels)
Corry L. Lee; Weave the Lightning
Douglas Adams; Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Edith Pattou; North Child
Frank Herbert; The Dune Saga
George Martin; Game of Thrones
Iain Banks; The Crow Road, Espedaire Street, Consider Phlebas
Jen Williams trilogy; The Copper Promise
Jostein Gaarder; Solitaire Mystery, Sophie’s World
Juliet E McKenna; The Green Man series
Katharine Addison; The Goblin Emperor
K.V. Johansen; Gods of the Caravan Road
Laurie J Marks; Fire Logic
Liz Williams; Comet Weather
Malorie Blackman; Noughts and Crosses
Margaret Atwood; The Handmaid’s Tale
Melinda Salisbury; State of Sorrow
Melissa Bashardoust; Girls Made of Snow & Glass
Naomi Alderman; The Power
Naomi Novik; Spinning Silver, Temeraire
Neil Gaiman; The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Nicholas Pekearo; The Wolfman
N.K. Jemison; The City We Became
Nnedi Okorafor; Who Fears Death, The Book of Phoenix
Octavia Butler; Kindred, Fledgling
Patricia A. McKillip; The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Raymond Feist; The Magician
Rob Cowen; Common Ground
Robert Silverberg; The Face of Waters
Samantha Shannon; The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Bone Season
Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Mexican Gothic
Stephen King; The Green Mile
Susan Cooper; The Dark is Rising
Susanna Kearsley; The Rose Garden, Mariana and the Winter Sea
Tasha Suri; Realm of Ash
Ursula Le Guin; Tales of Earthsea, The Lathe of Heaven
V.E. Schwab; The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Victoria Osborne Broad; Jewels of the Rainbow Trilogy

Last thought of the evening: love how this genre can challenge the status quo, as in Naomi Alderman's 'The Power', and Malorie Blackman's 'Noughts and Crosses''. Subverting power dynamics, fostering empathy, might just provide a catalyst for change? #devonbookhour #fantasyfortnight

Hi Cynthia, Welcome to Devon. As a writer I can relate - writing is something I also find to be grounding.
Your message made me think of novel nights, a local writing initiative where writers can meet at online events, such as the Novel Nights Virtual Cafe held on Saturday mornings. The next one is 6th February. You can find them at:
www.novelnights.co.uk
They also organise other events including open mics, and writing masterclasses with successful, well-established writers. I sometimes join in with the Virtual cafes, and the open mics, All events are currently held on Zoom, so express an interest and they will email the links.
Good luck with your submissions.

One of the sub-genres of speculative fiction that I'm really enjoying is African Futurism. Nnedi Okorafor writes in this genre and is one of my favourite authors. Her novel, Who Fears Death, stands out for me in relation to an earlier comment about representation of women/girls' experiences. Set in post-apocalyptic Sudan, I was drawn into this magical story and the Sudanese desert landscape. The author tackles hard-hitting themes which continue to impact on women and girls today, with sensitivity and insight. It was a powerful and poignant read that felt to be an example of how stories can give voice to marginalised people.

Catching up on a really interesting week with #fantasyfortnight. The following Tweet from @BookDevon sparked a train of thought...

"Coming at familiar themes from a completely different angle. Does that free the writer and reader do you think? #DevonBookHour"

For me it does. One of the important themes for me when writing Return of the Mantra was representation of women/girls, as in a range of women with a range of relatable experiences, including hard hitting themes. While YA, I didn't want to shy away from issues around exploitation and violence, and I also wanted to incorporate messages of empowerment and self-determination. The genre gave me great flexibility to highlight difficult issues in a way that felt accessible.
Representation of experiences is something I consider under the umbrella of diversity, in addition to the obvious categories of sexuality etc... I think it's a genre that creates great scope to understand, process, and examine experiences that reflect life, both for the reader and the writer.
The question also applies to my covering of women loving women characters throughout the series. It's something I spent a lot of time considering how to approach, what setting to create around it. In books one and two I consciously decided to normalise it into the society, whereby it is seen on a par with heterosexuality. In book 2, one WLW relationship could be the most stable thing in an unstable world - which I liked creating. Absence of discrimination doesn't reflect society, but can be a model for it. In Book 3, which I am shortly returning to, I have a different approach with 2 different characters, whereby sexism/ownership impacts attitudes and intolerance. So yes there is great freedom in working within this genre. I enjoy the creative lens.

I agree. Exeter has got a wonderfully rich history. I love the architecture and the roman wall. So much to see and explore. I visited the underground tunnels a few years ago. Really interesting, and an eye opener.

Thanks to everyone for a great evening yesterday at #fantasyfortnight. I really enjoyed such a lively chat and input from so many. Also enjoyed reading Michelle's feature piece - Book of Fire looks really interesting and is now one for my to read list. Conflicts with nature are such important themes and ones I enjoy. I look forward to hearing more from our featured writers, and to next week's chat.

From children's books to adults books, there is wonderful scope in fantasy and all aspects of the wider genre, to reflect society and examine the human condition. Some do it through a good versus evil trope, others offer the morally grey. Those that do it well, that give us characters representative of society that we can relate to, with contemporary themes and an engaging storyline, are books I seek to write, and stories I love to read.

I went for a walk to the local park recently, and saw daffodils recently sprouted from the barren ground. Like seeing snowflakes, I find it inspiring to see these tender forms of nature taking on the world, and personally strengthening.

Looking forward to Monday's #fantasyfortnight chat with #devonbookhour. I came across the following quote recently, about the role sci-fi/fantasy plays in young adults, that I think applies to adults too, and is particularly relevant in these times of a pandemic.

"What better way to deal with the uncertainty of this time than with forms of fiction that make us comfortable with being uncomfortable, that explore uncertainty and ambiguity, and depict young people as active agents, survivors and shapers of their own destinies?"

Ian wrote: "Susie wrote: "Little Bee now also added to the to read list, thank you. One of my favourite all time books along these lines is called 'Slave', by Mende Nazer. A hugely inspiring personal story in ..."

The Jungle is also now added to my to read list. Thank you all for these amazing recommendations; very apt for the times we live in. The fact stories like these are being written is perhaps hope for spreading compassion and tolerance. I love cross cultural stories. Others among my favourites, though perhaps in some cases less relevant to modern times, are: Difficult Daughters by Manju Kapur, Forbidden Love by Norma Khouri, Desert Dawn by Waris Dirie, and Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Little Bee now also added to the to read list, thank you. One of my favourite all time books along these lines is called 'Slave', by Mende Nazer. A hugely inspiring personal story in the face of devastating tragedy.

I have added 'Breach' to my to read list. It does look really interesting. And thank you Ian for the very moving video link. Faced with intolerance, sharing these stories may hopefully go some way to creating empathy and understanding that there is only one race - the human race.

Hi John, Your Dream Factory books sound intriguing, and love the cat on the front cover. I also write a blog: www.susiewilliamson.blog Between that and novel writing, it's great to chat with other writers. Best wishes for the New Year. Susie

Hi, Still finding my feet with Goodreads so apologies for the late reply. It's great to find this group. I'm an author, living in Exeter. I write YA fantasy, and my first book, Return of the Mantra, was published this year. Now working on the sequel. As for reading, my favourite book of the year was 'Who Fears Death' by Nnedi Okorafor. I discovered this author this year, and look forward to discovering more of her titles. Always on the lookout for recommendations of fantasy books with strong character arcs.