Reviews - Fiction

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant by Todd Henson

An advance readers’ edition of These Silent Woods, by Kimi Cunningham Grant

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Every so often I like to share something mostly unrelated to photography, though when it comes to creativity I think all pursuits are related. We can learn much from folks pursing arts and crafts that differ from our own. And of course, there’s the simple pursuit of enjoyment, itself, and isn’t that worth something, too?

Today I want to share a book I read which should be available as of today (November 16, 2021). I was fortunate to win an advance readers’ edition of These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant through a goodreads giveaway.

What first struck me about the book, what prompted me to enter the giveaway, was the cover. I loved the design of it, how it was a simple photograph, mostly with dark shades of blue, and a small snow-covered clearing in the lower right with the red house. I liked the placement of the words in the title, how they led you down to the house, and how they changed color from black to red, with the author’s name then in a lighter color. I even liked how the ‘W’ in ‘Woods’ is slightly hidden behind a ridge, helping to convey depth. I think the cover does a great job setting up the story, leaving us feeling curious about this little house all alone in the mountains. It’s cold. It’s quiet. But the house is nestled in and protected by the forest. I could see myself enjoying living in a location like this.

The story was not what I expected, and yet I wasn’t at all disappointed. I just reread the book’s description on goodreads and it does seem accurate. I think I was expecting more of a thriller full of suspense and tension, and there’s certainly some of that here, but I think it’s more a book about people and most especially about a father and a daughter and what one will do to protect and hold on to the other. And it’s a book about subtle mysteries, where the father, Cooper, has already done things to protect his daughter, Finch, but we don’t know right off what those things are or why they drove the two to live in this secluded cabin in the woods. And that’s what the entire book is then about, slowly revealing how they came to be where they are, what kind of people they ultimately are, and how it will all turn out, with plenty of foreshadowing throughout.

I really enjoyed the characters, they felt real. We have Cooper, who’s been through a lot but manages to have a beautiful daughter and does all he can to provide for her. There’s Finch, his young daughter, who loves growing up in the woods and absolutely thrives there, but who also begins to wonder more about the world at large the older she gets. How long can this seclusion go on? There were many touching moments between the two. And we have Scotland, a neighbor of sorts who also lives out in the woods and keeps watch on Cooper and Finch. But why is he so interested in them? Can he be trusted? Over time we meet others, though not many. It’s a fairly small cast.

Being a photographer I loved the inclusion of photography, though it was a very minor part of the story. After all these years of peaceful seclusion they one day begin noticing evidence of a photographer prowling through their part of the woods. What is the photographer doing here? And what do they know about Cooper and Finch?

I also loved the attention to nature and the animals they encounter. In fact, Cooper and Finch aren’t their real names, but aliases to help hide their identify. Cooper is named after a Cooper’s hawk, and of course Finch is named after the species of bird. The setting worked really well and it’s one I’ve always enjoyed, a secluded cabin up in the mountains surrounded by forest with plenty of space for hiking and exploring. When the snow sets in it seems a beautiful location, though you do appreciate the seclusion and the realization they’d have to make do until the snow cleared enough to travel, not that they travel much.

I will admit to occasionally having doubts about whether they’d have ended up as they did, wondering if life would have happened differently outside the story, but these didn’t really detract much. And in at least one case my doubts were later addressed, which I was very happy to see.

Overall I very much enjoyed These Silent Woods and would be up for reading more by the author. The pace picks up significantly towards the end, giving us a bit of that thriller feel, the uncertainty of how it will all turn out, while also weaving in some incredibly emotional scenes. This was a heartfelt story exploring relationships, what we’d do for those we care about, who we are and how the past shapes us, how we look at and judge others, and what sacrifices we’re willing to make for others. A beautifully told story.


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Circe by Madeline Miller by Todd Henson

The hardcover edition of Circe, by Madeline Miller

The hardcover edition of Circe, by Madeline Miller

This post contains affiliate links and I’ll be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, though this won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks much!

Today I’d like to take a short step away from photography and explore another art form, that of storytelling. People love stories, and stories can greatly influence us, often staying with us through the years. Stories can influence how we see the world, and doing so can change how we photograph the world. So today I share my thoughts on Madeline Miller’s book, Circe.

I grew up loving stories of ancient mythology. But the only exposure I typically had to them was film and general mythology books. Film comes with its set of strengths and weaknesses, one weakness often being its shorter length. And the mythology books I read tended to be short passages about a large number of stories from various mythos, often very dry reading. Since then, though, I haven’t read or watched nearly as much as I once did, though I do sometimes pull out Bulfinch’s and read about some event or character.

Over the last year or so, though, I kept seeing references to Madeline Miller’s Circe. Eventually, I decided to pick up a copy and read it, and I’m very glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed Circe. It’s exactly the sort of story I wish I’d had when younger (though written for an adult audience), taking those dry, plodding tales from generic mythology books and giving them the life I’d seen in some of the movies, but on a grander scale and with more depth. Circe isn’t an action packed Hollywood blockbuster, but instead a memoir of the life of a very interesting, though perhaps lesser known, character in Greek mythology.

Circe was a nymph, a lesser goddess, whose father was the great Titan Helios, god of the sun, and whose mother was Perse, the naiad daughter of the Titan Oceanus. I knew some of these names, but it’s been so long since I’d read of them I’d forgotten most of whatever I once knew. Perhaps that increased my enjoyment, making the story seem fresh, slowly revealing other names I knew, such as Zeus, Hermes, Daedalus, the Minotaur, Athena, Odysseus, and many more. As Circe’s life story unfolds, we see her place in the stories of all these others.

The book is told from Circe’s perspective. We feel her pain and anger, her sorrow and love, her longings. And this perspective is an interesting one given she’s a goddess and a witch. And though that makes her very different and in some ways above and beyond us mere mortals, it’s beautiful to be taken into her life and see just how similar are the machinations of the gods, with their petty rivalries and over-inflated egos, to our mortal lives and politics. But Circe differs from so many of her kind, making the story that much more interesting, as she chooses paths most others might avoid.

If you’ve always been interested in, or even just curious about, Greek mythology and want to learn more about these interesting gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters, if you want to know what they felt and experienced in their lives between the great events, then you may very well enjoy Circe. I loved how it weaved together so many stories I was familiar with, but also introduced ones new to me. Madeline Miller has brought to life the character of Circe, taking us from her beginning to her end, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Now I look forward to reading her earlier book, The Song of Achilles.


Favorite Books A - Z: Fiction by Todd Henson

Some of my favorite books, from A to Z. Missing books were borrowed or read as ebooks.

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From time to time I like to talk about things that aren’t directly related to photography, especially when they involve passion and inspiration. And I feel very passionate about and gain inspiration from reading, whether it be prose, poetry, graphic works, or non-fiction.

With this in mind, a couple fiction blogs I frequent recently posted lists with a favorite book for each letter of the alphabet. I thought this was a great idea and loved reading through their selections. It got me wondering whether I’ve even read a book for each letter, so I started going through my goodreads lists and my physical book shelves, and below is what I was able to come up with.

If you enjoy this then try to create a list of your own. It’s not easy, but it can be a lot of fun. And check out the lists that inspired my own:


A - Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds

I’ve loved Alastair Reynolds’ work since I read his first book, Revelation Space. These are far future stories often set in space but sometimes set on planets. Perhaps the fact he used to work as a space scientist helps him create stories that just blow me away.

 
 

B - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief was such a moving story. I couldn’t put this book down. Set in Nazi Germany, about a young girl who finds herself drawn to books. Very touching.

 
 

C - City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

This is the second book of a series, and I’ve still not read the first. But this didn’t stop me enjoying this fascinating fantasy story that felt very different from most others I’ve read.

 
 

D - Dracula by Bram Stoker

I grew up absolutely loving, and being terrified of, vampires. And for me Dracula is still one of the most compelling stories about them.

 
 

E - The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks

This was one of the very first fantasy books I read, and after I finished I couldn’t wait to find and read more. I’ve always had a soft spot for Terry Brooks’ writing, and it all began with the Elfstones.

 
 

F - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. Frankenstein, the book, was so very different from the movie versions I’d seen, and in my opinion, a much more compelling story.

 
 

G - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

What drew me to this book was the title. I was fascinated to learn what it was all about. And once I started reading I soon found myself reading the second and third books in the series. Very engaging and hard hitting.

 
 

H - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

How could I possibly leave out Douglas Adams? Such a funny, fascinating, and strange story, it will likely always remain a favorite.

 
 

I - It by Stephen King

It may be my favorite Stephen King novel. He does such a great job writing kids, I just find myself being sucked into their lives and all the troubles they find. Granted, I was a little disappointed with the ending, but overall It still remains a favorite.

 
 

J - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Recreating dinosaurs. What could possibly go wrong? The movies were fun, but as is almost always the case, I find myself much preferring the book.

 
 

K - Kabuki by David Mack

This is the only graphic work I chose to include in my list. I wanted to keep it just prose works, but Kabuki had such an impact on me I had to include it. David Mack has written a fascinating set of stories, but I’m also drawn to his incredible art, which is very different from anything I’d ever seen in comics. If I were to choose a prose novel instead of these graphic ones it would likely be The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan.

 
 

L - The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I’m treating this as a single novel instead of a trilogy. This is another work that had a tremendous impact on me growing up. After reading Terry Brooks I’d heard about Tolkien so I gave him a try. And I’ve been reading him ever sense, sometimes rereading this series, and sometimes reading from his other works.

 
 

M - The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian was a very personal story with a protagonist I immediately liked. How do you survive on Mars when you’re left there alone with limited resources? Great story.

 
 

N - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Patrick Rothfuss has a way with words, and this is one of my favorite books both for the story and the way in which he tells the story. I look forward to rereading it before the final book in the trilogy is released.

 
 

O - The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Such a short and beautiful story. Neil Gaiman is another who has a way with words, and whose works really draw me in. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully magical modern fantasy.

 
 

P - Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Pawn of Prophecy is the first book in a longer series, the first I’d read by David Eddings. I don’t recall much about them now, other than knowing I thoroughly enjoyed them when I was younger.

 
 

Q - Quarantine by Greg Egan

Quarantine was the first book I read by Greg Egan, and I loved it. He took science fiction in directions that were new to me. His stories can be very cerebral and full of ideas.

 
 

R - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I was the perfect audience for Ready Player One, having grown up with the games and movies referenced in the story. A fast paced and fun read. I had a hard time picking just one book for R, and so I’ll also mention Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, the first book of his I’d read.

 
 

S - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I was entranced by The Shadow of the Wind and would very much like to reread it soon. I love books about books, and so a book about a hidden library of forgotten books was right up my alley. A magical story. As with R, I had a very difficult time choosing just one book, so I want to mention The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss, a very different and personal sort of tale that has really stayed with me. Both beautiful books.

 
 

T - Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein

I had to include Heinlein somewhere in the list. I’ve not read one of his books in quite some time, but growing up I loved them, and Time Enough for Love was one of my favorites.

 
 

U - The Unreasoning Mask by Philip Jose Farmer

A strange but fascinating story, possibly the first I read by Farmer. I certainly hope it isn’t the last I read by him.

 
 

V - The Vagrant by Peter Newman

This book differs from most of the other speculative fiction I read, and it really drew me in. A main protagonist who never speaks? I wouldn’t have thought it would work, but it did. This was the strongest book of the series.

 
 

W - A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

I had to include Ursula K. Le Guin in my list somewhere, and where better than A Wizard of Earthsea. Long before Harry Potter, this was my introduction to a school of wizards and the problems kids can cause, both for themselves and others.

 
 

X - Xenogenesis by Octavia Butler

I read Xenogenesis as a single book instead of the originally published series. This was my introduction to Butler, and it left me wanting to read more of her works.

 
 

Y - A Bad Spell in Yurt by C. Dale Brittain

I didn’t have anything that started with Y so I had to get a little creative. A Bad Spell in Yurt is a simple, fun, fantasy read. It’s perfect when you want an entertaining story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

 
 

Z - . . .

I have nothing yet to fill the slot for Z, so I wasn’t quite able to finish the list. I do, however, own a couple Z books that may one day let me complete this. The most likely book to one day fill this spot is Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi. I have, so far, enjoyed everything I’ve read by Scalzi.


And, of course, this being a website mostly about photography, I’m also working on a list of photography books, as well as non-fiction books. I’ll post those in the coming weeks, though they may have more missing letters than did this list.