Books

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

"They were without shame and without desire, like the angels. But it is not human to be without shame and without desire."
Tremendous world building that, I will be honestly, has not completely sunk in. It's about an Ekuemn envoy attempting to convince the planet of Gethen to join an intergalactic federation to promote trade of knowledge and goods. The people of Gethen are unique in the sense that they are bisexual in the most literal sense: they are both male and female. It's very intricate, but every couple chapters is interspersed with a segment that is not part of the main story, but provides light on questions that the main story doesn't have the chance to answer.
The main appeal of the story, for me, is the relationship between Genly Ai, the envoy, and Estraven, the first person to welcome Genly Ai and what he'll bring. Their relationship goes through a series of stages but ultimately develops into a "brotherhood." There is a non-traditional love between them and it was very enjoyable as they learned to accommodate each other. The cultural differences were strong, but they sought to compromise. Genly Ai is also a misogynist who primarily viewed Estraven as a man. So his awakening into understanding that Estraven is also a woman was very satisfying.
Prose-wise, this story was a treat. There were several words, however, that I did not know off the top of my head, so I relied on context clues. It relies heavily on description of the environment, as Gethen is a snow planet of inane coldnes from the perspective of a character who is used to a very different weather. The language was overall very beautiful and it was just a delight to read. Slow beginning, but the 1/2 - 3/4 sections were my favorite. The final quarter provided a satisfying resolution.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté

Non-fiction book regarding hard drugs and addiction! 1/3 was anecdotes, 2/3 was science, and 3/3 was policies, suggestions for how to improve said polilcies, and the bones of how to perceive quitting when practicing it. Wasn't a fan of the final third because I came primarily for science and I'm not a spiritual person, but otherwise it was very enlightening!

Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life after Which Everything Was Different

This book is a combination of writing advice and anecdotes. It introduced concepts I hadn't ever considered, which I greatly appreciate, and I hope to implement them in future projects. Maybe I'll keep them. Maybe I won't, but at least I'll have tried something new. I mostly enjoyed the sense of connection I received from the book. Books are a dialogue and this style of dialogue comforted me. He shared the realism of what a successful author experiences. It's very daunting, but I appreciate the truth being said for what it was. I also received several book recommendations, which is great because I need to read more modern books. I'll conquer them as I conquer them.

Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing by John R. Trimble

Largest influence on my relationship with writing. It imparted valuable tips that I take to heart. I reread it every few years as a refresher and each time I derive merit. I strongly recommend this to people who want to improve at writing whether it be essay writing or creative writing or any other form of writing. I'm eternally grateful this book exists.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Great book! I initially read it as a child, so reeading as a person now in their 20s was definitely fun. I'm glad that it held up to what I remember.