It’s Wyrd & Wonder again! That means a whole month of awesome people sharing their love of all things fantasy, and I’m ridiculously excited (and bizarrely nervous???) about taking part for the second year in row! There are so many things I want to do, I honestly don’t know where to start.
But when in doubt, I make lists. So let’s break it down!
TBR
These are the books I desperately want to read this month – many of them I’ve already started, but want to focus in on (I read 40 books simultaneously, switching from one to the other and back again as the mood takes me – it slows me down, but then I end up finishing a bunch of books all at once, so it works out). I feel ridiculously spoiled with all these awesome books to read, honestly!
Feature Lists
Last year I had a lot of fun doing my Fantastic Beasts, Here You’ll Find Them posts; rec lists of books featuring different magical creatures. I did one for unicorns and one for dragons. This year I’d like to do one for pegasi, in honour of this year’s Wyrd & Wonder mascot, and one other – but I haven’t decided on the second beastie yet. Suggestions or requests are welcome!
I also want to do rec lists for
- Decadent Fantasies
- Standalones
- So You’re Tired of Greek Mythology
- Wonderful Worldbuilding: Worlds I’d Run Away To
- Amazing Fantasies You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
- Gentle Books for Trying Times
As well as sequels to my Coolest Magical Systems and Coolest Magical Abilities posts from last year.
I don’t know if I’ll manage them all, but I’m going to try!
Essays
I have two essay-things I’m working on and hope to post this month, one about mythopoeic fantasy (which will obviously include recs), and another tentatively titled Being the Fantastic: Reading Fantasy and Living as the Other, where I have Thoughts about outcasts and disability and how much Tolkein would absolutely despise people like me. It might morph into something equally pretentious about The New Generation of Fantasy. We’ll see!
Crescent Classics
The Crescent Classics started when I was 15 and Very Unimpressed with the books I had to read for school – and especially unimpressed because none of them were Fantasy! Which is, as any sensible person knows, the best genre. Who were these fools creating our academic reading lists, and where could I send a letter of outrage???
My teacher would not tell me where I could send a letter, so instead I started making a list of books I thought should be considered classics.
Which were, of course, all Fantasy.
That list has changed – and grown! – a fair bit since then, but I still hope to have a four-part series (one post a week) sharing some of the books on it. What I’d really love is to get a (friendly!) conversation going about whether other people agree or disagree with my choices, and what other books people would make Fantasy Classics if they could.
I’m willing to bet I won’t manage all of this, but it’s going to be fun trying. Let the magic begin!
IMAGE CREDIT: pegasus images by Svetlana Alyuk on 123RF.com
I can’t wait to see some of your rec lists!
Thank you! I’m having so much fun putting them together!
I love rec lists! Very curious about Gentle Books for Trying Times, I need them, I need all the gentle books
I will make sure to get that one done first then!
It sounds like you have a great month planned! I’m so excited for The Jasmine Throne, so I look forward to your thoughts on it. :D
Let’s see if I can stick to the plan XD But thank you!
For other magical creatures, try kelpies, kappas, rocs, sphinx, krakens, manticores, gryphons.
Oooh, great suggestions, thank you!
Hallo, Hallo Sia!
I am in LOVE with your topical discussion post themes!! I need to sort out how to do more discussion posts on my own blog; something I’ve struggled with all eight years I’ve blogged. I just don’t always have extra time to write those up and have leaned on popular memes which I tweak to fit me better time after time instead. However, these topics are right up my street and I can’t wait to see when you post them LIVE. :) :)
We’re so happy to have you as a returning adventurer — your second, our fourth! We’re all going to have a smashingly brilliant May, I can feel it!! :) :)
I think we might read different subniches of Fantasy – as I looked over your TBR but I that is one reason I enjoy reading book blogger’s blogs. To step outside stories I’d read myself and peer into someone elses readerly life and gleam something from their experiences in the stories. I’ve had a good start to W&W this year – 2x reviews are live as well as my Year 4 Intro post where I disclose some of my TBR.
I have more coming but Day 3 for me was a series of starts/stops and not finding the right #nextread. I’ll sort it out but the good news is that we’re all seeking out Fantasy and finding ways to connect to each other in our community. Thanks for being a part of the journey.
Hi!
Oh, thank you! I know, discussion posts are HARD, and reviews are hard enough, right??? But I hope I can get a few of these up and that you can take part in any discussion that spins off from them!
I know it’s only been five days but it’s been an awesome month so far! And it sounds like you’ve gotten so much done already! o.o I am in awe.
Even when you’re comfortable with different subniches it can be so much fun to take a peek at someone else’s. I know I’m checking out all the reviews that show up in the spreadsheet!
Which leads fairly well into: thank you so much for putting this together for all of us. I PROMISE WE APPRECIATE IT EVER SO <3