I read four books over the long weekend (we get Veteran's Day off here), and just finished a fifth this morning (finishing it off made me late to work).
For some reason, the books fell into the following two categories (excluding the third, which was read super-fast in order to remind me what the heck had happened previously in the series):
Books One and Two:
Magic Fair Maiden Rescues Knight
Young women treated by condescending yet otherwise intelligent, charming and handsome men as unable to cope with dangerous situation due to their being female wind up rescuing the condescending males through understanding and use of magic/magic rituals.
Books Four and Five:
Bad Husband Attempts To Be Good Father
Early-thirty-something father copes with failed relationship with still-loved ex-wife and attempts to establish/maintain relationship with child resulting from failed marriage while considering his place in his family (natural and/or adopted)/society.
They were all five of them fantasy novels, the first two for young adults, and the last three for adults. Please note that the young women of the first set wind up marrying/otherwise being with the formerly-vaguely-misogynist-now-enlightened men, as that's apparently how it needs to happen in this trope. I have to admit that, while it is an over-used ending, it's an immensely satisfying one.
My favorite is still the one from the Harry Potter series: Young man goes through spiritual refinement in order to become good father. I could go on about alchemy and the whole hero's journey turning out to be the transformation of an average boy into a good father, but I'm at work and you'd probably find it boring. Still, hooray for J.K. Rowling!
This accidental set of pairs leaves me wondering what I should read next, as it seems I should be careful into what themes/memes/tropes I now dip my brain. I should probably start doing some more heavy lifting (Umberto Eco or something), but I'm lazy and am in the mood for lighter fare.
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