Books that represent my crazy year

2020 marked the beginning of a new decade, and weren’t we all so full of hope it would be better and brighter than the last? I think it’s safe to say that our fresh new start was subject to an unexpectedly dark twist. No one could have seen what was coming.

Neither could Alex Stern when she commenced her freshman year at Yale. What was supposed to be the sparkling chance for her to turn her life around quickly devolved into quite the sinister situation, full of death, darkness, and despair…

In Australia, we ushered in the new year with devastating bushfires that burned through the east of the country. Some of the footage of the fires is truly apocalyptic, with the landscape rendered in shades of red and black, and even in far off cities like mine the sky was choked full of smoke.

The scenes were somewhat reminiscent of Scadrial, where ash falls near-constantly from the sky. One could almost imagine that we were embedded in the last chapter of the Mistborn series with the way the community came together even while the land fell apart.

One of the most exciting developments has been starting my very first full time job. After many, many years studying, with my nose permanently wedged in the books, it has been such a rewarding experience…even when it meant getting to know a bunch of complete strangers!

I like to compare this journey with that of Lazlo Strange, though perhaps mine isn’t quite as extreme. But you have to admit: there are many similarities between our favourite bookworm, who leapt at the chance to follow his dreams, and those of us embarking on our careers at last.

COVID-19. In many ways, I needn’t say much more. Just as I was getting my feet on the ground in this new chapter, the global pandemic struck and our way of life changed overnight. Never did I expect the year to go this way. None of us did. And who knows if we’ll ever go “back”?

I can’t help but think of Ellie and her friends, who went off on a camping trip without a single care, only to return to a world forever changed. Conflict. Suffering. The loss of security perhaps never truly appreciated. Differences must be cast aside to work for the good of the whole.

In my city, we’ve pretty much been in lockdown since the end of March. Restrictions did ease before tightening right up again, but for most of this year I’ve been confined to the house with limited opportunities to leave. Even for a homebody like me it’s been hard.

The situation has made me empathise with aspects of what Feyre went through. Fortunately, I have a supportive family and am not nursing a trauma, but I’ve gained an appreciation for what it’s like to be trapped in one place, unable to get out. Can someone come rescue me, please??

A definite high point has been welcoming my new puppy Willow into the family. She’s 100% a little lockdown dog, constantly following myself or my family around and whining pitifully when she can’t see us. That’s probably going to be an issue once we go back to the office…

Mind you, it’s a little like having a daemon. The situation calls to mind the connection between Lyra and Pan, and how being apart is like dividing one’s soul into two. If you’ve read this particular series, you’ll appreciate the significance of that. I think I’ll suffer just as much as Willow!

Throwing myself headlong into my writing and other related creative activities is undoubtedly what’s kept my sane in this otherwise insane year. It’s been a joy to connect with other writers online, both through social media and various beta exchanges. I’ve had fun!

Fun nurtured by a sense of belonging like Frances experiences with Aled. Watching those two work together to create something great is an experience I hope we can all relate to—preferably without the drama! Another thank you to everyone I’ve connected with this year!!