Wonder & Book #26

Reverb10: December 4 – Wonder.
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

Is a sense of wonder something you can cultivate? Maybe, I guess. I did an exercise earlier in the year in which I listed things I’m drawn to, which is really a list of things that I find to be wonderful. I suppose that’s a good way for anyone to cultivate a sense of wonder. I didn’t do it with that intent, it just happened that way. Otherwise, I think it’s a matter of taking a step back and saying, "Dude, that’s kinda cool."

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Book #26 – The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

There. I did it. I made my way through the entirety of the Lord of the Rings saga. I started about two years ago with Tor’s read-through. I finished ahead of schedule because I wanted to finish by the end of the year. Here are my impressions of The Return of the King: In light of the tension of "Shelob’s Lair," it’s a bit slow. I loath Denethor. "The Scourging of the Shire" is bizarrely Orwellian in light of the high fantasy of the rest.

Other reading:
"The Price" by Neil Gaiman – No deep notes on this one. It’s just a solid, enjoyable story.
"Ponies" by Kij Johnson – A parable of icky, squirmy truth.