reading "Mistborn"

I've noticed that a lot of my sentences start with the words "I just read this thing." Seems like I'm always sharing observations that came out of something I read -- a book, a story, a bumper sticker, a blog post, a newspaper article, a magazine profile. I could probably document my whole life just based on the things I've read, because it would show what topics I was most interested in at any given moment. When my son was newly born, almost everything I read had to do with motherhood. When we were preparing to move into our little house, I sought out advice that would help us organize our lives, downsize, and live happily in such a small space. The things I read tend to say a lot about where I'm at and what I'm thinking. For example:

I just read this thing. Well, actually, I just started reading this thing, this book called Mistborn that my husband has been recommending to me for years. Fantasy, as a genre, is not really my jam, but Craig has an enduring, deeply-felt love for it. (Proof: We have a large, framed map of Middle Earth hanging on our living room wall.)

While Craig and I both love to read, both majored in English, both have deep respect for the written word, our literary tastes have very little overlap. If my current reading of Mistborn says anything about the state of my life these days, it's that I'm consciously taking an interest in something that's important to my husband. It's a bonus that the book is well-written and the story, though definitely different from the ones I typically gravitate toward, is compelling.

One of the main characters is Vin (shown here in a piece of fan art by Ella Williams). I'm only five chapters in, but so far, I'm intrigued by her instinct toward self-protection, skepticism, and mistrust. She's experienced serious trauma in her life, so frequently that additional pain and betrayal is what she expects. It seems like the book is going to focus on themes of class struggle and racial segregation; those topics fit in much more neatly with my usual interests. All in all, I'd say Mistborn will be a challenging but worthwhile text. The things we do for love, right?