Hello, darlings! It's Ruthie. I'm here to tell you about something that I've been super excited about...
Brandon Sanderson.
Yes, I'm a geek. Completely and fully. I love all things superhero, most things sci-fi... And I'm really excitable too, so it all works out.
First, can we just talk for a moment about The Stormlight Archive (my personal favorite series by Mr. Sanderson and the one I'm currently rereading) and how characters from the other books keep showing up, more so than any I've caught in the other series? I'll just be reading and all of a sudden, we have characters from Mistborn, Elantris, White Sand, and Warbreaker showing up and let's just say it makes my little fangirl heart very happy.
What I really love about all of his books (besides the amazing magic systems, the fantastic yet relatable worlds, and the mind-boggling crossovers) are the characters. Yes, I'm one of those that gets emotionally attached to the characters. But hey, isn't that what good writing is? ;) I can see in these characters role models for who I want to be. I want to learn about being an awesome leader? Haul up The Way of Kings and learn from Kaladin! I want to learn about being strong and powerful, yet unashamed and embracing of my femininity*? Pick up Elantris and learn from Sarene! I take a lot of inspiration from characters with a strong moral center, regardless of how fictional they or their threat might be. Many of his characters are deeply rooted in their morals and hold strictly to what is right, regardless of what others think. It gives me something to strive for and model pieces of my life after. It really doesn't matter if they're fictional, as long as they're good. (Although I do have to say that traits such as skill in fighting dragons or Surgebinding--no matter how epic--probably won't give you a ton of experience in our sadly Investiture-less world.) There's always a parallel in our world that you can apply the issue to. What are your dragons?
Like how a play shows the possibilities of life through physical movement in a visual fashion, books and stories give you experiences you never could have on your own. They can give you adventure in a battle, strengthen your mind as you struggle to untangle the complex plots, and teach you about dealing with people and situations without any fear of repercussion--because it's not real and not you!
Great learning can come even through fiction. It doesn't have to be a textbook to have valuable knowledge. It doesn't have to be written in some archaic form of English to explain morals and change your life. And it certainly doesn't have to be boring to be "worthy" of being a classic (a book you can read over and over and get something new out of it every time).
Inspiration and growth can come in any form, be it a form of media, a form of art... whatever speaks to your soul. What speaks to your soul?
The thing is, guys, it doesn't matter what people think. There are set standards on what is right and what is wrong. But when something doesn't fall into that category (like your favorite color, your favorite book, or other types of personal opinions), find what is best for you!!! Someone once told me that God is trying to tell you something everywhere you go. That includes lessons about personal traits to develop to become the best version of yourself, which can obviously come through books!
All of you are so wonderful and I just love you. Let me know in the comments what your favorite books are and what you've learned from them!
Love,
Ruthie
*As I was typing this, "femininity" got autocorrected to "felinity." The secret is out... I'm apparently a cat.
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