A few months ago I was in a reading slump. Yes, just like a ball player who cannot hit his weight, I was in a deep hole when it came to reading. Now I love to read , but I also love watching T.V. and playing video games. In terms of accessibility reading is third in this list for me. Or should I just admit that sometimes I can be lazy.

Based on my spelling and grammar you probably would never have guessed this but I was an english major in college (back when UMass was ZooMass and not this NewMass garbage.) This was my hay day of reading. Professors would dish out a novel a week and expect close readings and deep insights into the novels. Thank good for Schmoop.com and it’s ability to summarize entire novels into bite sized pieces. (Also a great tip is to look up random weirdos on Youtube who read literary classics we were assigned and play the video on 1.5 speed.) So I guess being an english major actually taught me how to not read and still get some credit along the way.

What is a reading slump

Pretty simple. A reading slump is when you cannot get through a book for an extended period of time. During a reading slump you often switch to a new book before finishing a current book, buy random books and never crack them open, watch a lot of Netflix, watch a lot of baseball, and play copious amounts of Fortnite and NBA 2k. If you suffer from any of these symptoms you may be in a reading slump

How I got out of a reading slump

Thinking back to my time as an english major I decided to reflect on the great novels, The Great Gatsby, The House of Mirth, and of course the The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. This is when I realized these books will not do. Yes we understand these books are “great” and “literary master pieces” but they are just not fun to read. (Some books in college that I actually enjoyed were As I lay dying, Interpreter of Maladies, On Beauty, and Peter Pan.) I needed a book that was fun and actually made me want to finish. So I decided to dive back into the genre that captivates readers around the globe. Young Adult!

Young Adult novels are the best. Whether, it is Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events, or the Hunger Games these books turn the dystopian world they describe feel just like home. These are the books that make you fall in love with reading. The books that kept you up with a flash light under the covers, and the books that you read under your desk in middle school when you were tired of hearing about the water cycle. I got in trouble in 6th grade for reading the final Series of Unfortunate Events book in my Science class while the teacher was talking. Punishing the children for reading….tsk…tsk. Y.A. books really bring you back to the glory days of reading which is why I decided this would be the perfect genre to get me out of my reading slump

Thank You Blink 182

When searching for a book I became quite interested when a saw the name Tom Delonge on the cover. Yes! The singer from Blink 182 and Angels and Airwaves wrote a series of Y.A. novels called the Poet Anderson series. For those of you who know me you know I love me some pop punk and Blink happens to be my favorite band. I have followed Tom Delonge for quite a while and when I saw that he wrote a Y.A. book I was not surprised. My surprise was even less when I saw the book was about traveling into various dimensions via your dreams. Tom is a bit out there but in all honesty good for him for writing a book about something he believes in. That is what CrossRoads is all about after all (:

Poet Anderson in Darkness

Poet Anderson In Darkness is the book that got me out of my reading slump. I finished the novel in only a few weeks and just like getting a hit after slumping at the plate this felt good to finish. Now is Poet Anderson in Darkness a great book….no. Is Poet Anderson in Darkness one of my favorite books of all time…no. But you know what it is an easy read that is a lot of fun. Delonge based the idea of this book on a study on sleep that was conducted at a California University (lets call it Berkley because I forgot the actually school). The protagonist Poet Anderson can manipulate his sleep cycles and lucid dreams throughout the various dream worlds. The book has all the makings of a classic Y.A. novel, a spunky cast of characters that help Poet on his journey, a bad guy who if not stopped will destroy the entire world and of course a love story that makes all of it worth fighting for, for the main character. If you are a fan of blink and enjoy Tom’s imagination then I would recommend giving it a shot. If my last sentence means nothing to you then this would be a hard pass for you. I give this 2.6 mosh pits out of 5.

The Next Harry Potter?

It is hard to argue that Harry Potter is not the G.O.A.T. when it comes to Y.A. novels. I am partial to the Lord of the Rings but since it was composed so long ago it does not fit into what I know consider to be the Young Adult genre. So what will be the next Harry Potter? The Hunger Games came close and became a global phenomenon but does not have the staying power of Harry Potter. I had herd rumors of a series that had been gaining a large following and quickly developing a devoted fan base. And one day I saw it… The Throne of Glass series. This Series is like Vladamir Guerrero Jr, a bunch of hype and a fanatic following that will propel it into the mainstream. After I completed Poet Anderson I knew I had to dive into this series.

The Assassin’s Blade

I decided to start the Throne of Glass Series with the prequels. I thought this would be a good idea, I mean has there ever been a prequel series that has not lived up to the hype or represented the core story well…. no can’t think of any. The Assassin’s Blade is a series of 5 short stories that set up the back story for feisty assassin Celaena Sardothien. It is a must in a Y.A. novel to have a feisty protagonist and Celaena delivers. Each story is anywhere from 50-120 pages and sends you on adventure throughout the world of Erilea. Let me say I think the world is well put together and interesting, and the current conflict revolves around the empire of Adarlan conquering the world. One of my favorite wrinkles from the lore is that the empire has banned magic in all the lands they take over. This is a great way to show how harmful to the world this empire is, I mean who wants to be in a fantasy world with no magic. I enjoyed the short story format as it is a great way to learn about the world this series takes place in as it allows you to explore 5 different settings without feeling like you are being rushed through the adventure.

So here is how I would rank the 5 short stories from The Assassin’s Blade

1. The Assassin and the Desert

This was an exciting tale of Celaena traveling through a scaling desert to train with the silent assassin. Most great Y.A. novels feature a mentor character, you know your classic Gandalf, Dumbledore or Woody Harelson, and the Silent Assassin fits this model. This story has great mythical elements such as the idea of trading years off of your life to get your hands on the valuable Spider Silk, an evil lord who comically keeps attempting to take over the Silent Assassins keep, and a new foreign and mysterious love interest to really make sure this hits all the tropes of a great Y.A. novel. This story reminded me of The Once and Future King, as the Silent Assassin uses animals to teach Caleana new lessons and skills. An interesting plot twist keeps this narrative gripping till the very end. I give this 4.6 King Arthurs out of 5

2. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

Okay if this title does not hook you than you probably don’t have a pulse. Pirates, and Assassins are some of the best characters you can work with in fantasy so putting them all together is a recipe for success. This is the story that kicks off the series of novellas and if you could not tell the title captured my attention. This serves as an action packed start to this prequel and drops you into a fun swashbuckling world full of sea shantys, cutlasses, and lots and lots of ale. My only gripe is that our protagonists cut through these pirates like butter. It makes sense that these trained assassins are super badass but I would have loved to see a little more effort from the so called “Pirate Lord”. I give this 3.8 Jamis Winston’s out of 5.

3. The Assassin and the Empire

The Assassin and the Empire is the final short story and is the precursor for the Throne of Glass novel. This tale provides an interesting look at the dark underworld of this world and deals with the plot to assassinate two major crime lords. This is an important story for the Throne of Glass series as it directly sets up the first novel and provides a pivotal emotional moment for Celeana Sardothien. I give it 3.5 end credit scenes out of 5.

The Assassin in the Healer

When I was reading this tale, which is the shortest of the stories, I did not love it. However, looking back at it I really enjoyed the simple yet sweet symbolism it transcends. The Assassin and the Healer feels the most like a short story as it conveys one salient message within it’s narrative. The story centers around Celeana, the G.O.A.T. Assassin, and a young inn worker who simply both help each other. It shows a beautiful glimpse of kindness in a very dark world. As you read the stories you increasingly see the bleak outlook of this world, making this short moment of kindness a bright and touching moment in the life of Celeana. I give this 3 warm hugs out of 5.

The Assassin and the Underworld

It is tough to pack a large political story in a short story and which is why The Assassin and the Underworld was my least favorite of the five. It was certainly compelling with a very interesting Assassination but it was hard for me to wrap my head around everything that was going on. Maybe it is just my brain…that could very easily be the case. It is certainly a worthwhile read just be prepared for a lot to happen in not a lot of pages. I give this 3.1 youtube recap videos out of 5.

Soap Box time

So not to sound like too much of a snoody McSnoody pants but getting back into reading has been an important and calming presence in my life. With so much time ( and I am extremely guilty of this) on our phones, playing video games and watching T.V., it is freeing to fall back into something that brings me a lot of joy. Young Adult novels were the perfect conduit to get back into reading and if you too are in a reading slump I recommend picking up a novel like this.

TLDNR- READING IS GOOD