A JET Reader (Year 1, Fall Semester)

In an attempt to encourage more updates, I’ve decided to re-instate the Reading Update posts (because that’s usually what I’m doing if nothing else worth writing about…). I wish I could talk about the books from this summer, too, but that would be too much to review and would shut down the process entirely
(Edit: So I thought at the time and yet here’s that unicorn).

(Wow, it's been 6 months?! I've already been here for half a year? I haven't read that much...)

And so, The JET Year One reading list:
(Roughly starting from when I arrived in Japan around August 3rd)

READ:
Chronicles of Elantra: Cast in Fury
Chronicles of Elantra: Cast in Silence 
The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero
Northanger Abbey
North and South
Daughter of the Forest
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Chronicles of Elantra: Cast in Chaos

READING:
A Discovery of Witches
Cold Mountain
The Name of the Wind
Mistborn: The Well of Ascension 

PLANNING TO READ:
The Third Kingdom
Ready Player One
Chronicles of Elantra: Cast in Ruin
(any and all of the eReader books I want to re-read)

Listened to:
The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune
The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena



Chronicles of Elantra IV-VI: Cast in Fury, Cast in Silence, Cast in Chaos
(Rec. by Katie)
I feel a bit guilty that these books sort of run together to me, but considering that the author writes them to have such drastic cliff-hangers, and to have them follow each other so tightly chronologically, it’s a small wonder. That being said, this sixth installment of the Chronicles of Elantra series held up with the others. While keeping the current crisis at the forefront of my mind, it also added to past and set up for future developments to happen between the main characters. To put it plainly: there is going to be a reckoning between Nightshade, Severn, and Kaylin soon, and the Dragon Emperor isn’t going to be put off forever…

The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena
I had been holding out as long as I could to be able to read a few of these in succession. After finishing the first series headlined by Percy Jackson two summers ago (during the previous book updates, no less), I greatly anticipated this follow-up series. Unfortunately, only the first was available on eBook from my library while the other two were on audio. I was reluctant, but after tearing through the first one (with its typically infuriating cliff-hanger) I broke down and reserved the audio books. The format was actually rather conducive to my autumn habits of wandering in the forest and following where my feet took me, as well as the story being a satisfying continuation of the teenage demigods. (Now to wait for the one just released in October to be added to the library...)

Northanger Abbey
Nostalgia at its finest. I admit that one of the reasons I wanted to re-read this was to watch the Masterpiece Theatre's adaptation with Felicity Jones and JJ Feild (and Carey Mulligan and Liam Cunningham). I always felt a kindred spirit in Catherine, and love getting swept away with her story as she did with others. Miss Austen's voice is lightest in this novel, and her storyteller air is as much of a draw as the earnest characters with. This story and its characters struggle with Pride and Prejudice and Eleanor of Sense and Sensibility for the first seat on my Austen shelf of esteem. (oh, and then I remember Anne and Persuasion and everything goes out the window again...)

North and South
It was remarkable to feel the change storytelling for serial installments in the 1850s affords when compared to novels in the early 1800s. The quick pace and emotional and psychological insight created an engaging read from the very first pages. While I will always admire the subtly, satire, and irony of Miss Austen's novels, the poetic and lyrically descriptive world of North and South made it an instant favorite. The social and class struggles are a bit more relevant as well, navigating the intricate relationship of profession, wealth, and pedigree as well as social associations.

Daughter of the Forest
This reunion was a long time in coming. And even though it left me bereft afterwards in much the same state it had last time (which was also the last time I was in Japan), it was a welcome melancholy that made me feel as rooted and grounded as the forests and mountain I read beside.

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) (Rec. by Valerie)
Mistborn was a refreshing sci-fi/fantasy read and a credit to my love for this genre. Ignoring the excellent writing, relatable and yet still surprising characters, and dynamic flow of the story, the basic premise is unique and instantly piqued my curiosity. Instead of following a hero on his prophesied quest to defeat the Darkness threatening the world and then assuming its rule (which, I have to admit, could be the incredibly vague (yet accurate) plot summery of one of my favorite series), the story takes place nearly 1,000 years later. The political, psychological, and physical oppression of a people barely able to entertain the notion of hope creates the stage upon which the story unfolds. The existence of Allomancers and Mistborn (who “burn metals” to fuel their abilities) further sets off this story from the usual tales of magic.