It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
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This book is the best new fantasy book I have come across in a very long time. Valente draws upon an impressive array of mythological creatures from various cultures, bolstered by her own imagination, to populate Fairyland. My favorite character was a Wyverary, whose mother was a wyvern (French dragon-type creature with only two legs) and whose father was a library. Valente also succeeds in striking the perfect balance between the wonderful, the challenging, and the terrible in Fairyland. This book is engrossing and transporting from beginning to end.
I hadn't been a reader for a while, and this book re-ignited my love of books. As an adventure book, this may be the best I have ever read. The close relationship that these men on their balsa wood raft develop with the sea is one that few modern people will ever know. Strange fish jump aboard their raft and the night is lit by the stars above and the phosphorescence of the creatures below. Of course, as a scientific or anthropological tome, this book has little (if any) merit. But, rather than detracting from my enjoyment of the book, Heyerdahl's strange theories about native peoples worshipping redheads (guess what color the author's hair is?) first made me chuckle, then led me to think about what other explanations there were for the cultural patterns that he found.
This story is likely to shake any parent or parent-to-be to the core. What happens when your child is your worst nightmare? Despite being raised in a loving household alongside several happy and healthy siblings, Ben is violent, uncontrollable, and insatiable. His destructive behavior spells the end of the family's bucolic life in the English countryside and forces his mother to choose between caring for him and caring for the rest of her family.
If librarians aren't already your heros, they will be after you read this. From the monumental feat of suing the Attorney General to protect patrons' privacy to the surprisingly commonplace task of cleaning up poop in the stacks, these real-life stories about librarians will have you redoubling your respect for these smart, and often saucy, denizens of the Dewey Decimal system.
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Looking for a flat out FUN read? Here it is! Shteyngart gets started with an ex-Russian naval officer who talks to his fans (yes, the ones that blow cool air around the room), and doesn't let up for a single page after that. But, although this novel will have you laughing out loud, it still has substance. The relationship and personality quirks feel incredibly true to life.
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Emily Otis has commented on (10) products.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente
Emily Otis, January 1, 2012
This book is the best new fantasy book I have come across in a very long time. Valente draws upon an impressive array of mythological creatures from various cultures, bolstered by her own imagination, to populate Fairyland. My favorite character was a Wyverary, whose mother was a wyvern (French dragon-type creature with only two legs) and whose father was a library. Valente also succeeds in striking the perfect balance between the wonderful, the challenging, and the terrible in Fairyland. This book is engrossing and transporting from beginning to end.Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft by Thor Heyerdahl
Emily Otis, February 18, 2011
I hadn't been a reader for a while, and this book re-ignited my love of books. As an adventure book, this may be the best I have ever read. The close relationship that these men on their balsa wood raft develop with the sea is one that few modern people will ever know. Strange fish jump aboard their raft and the night is lit by the stars above and the phosphorescence of the creatures below. Of course, as a scientific or anthropological tome, this book has little (if any) merit. But, rather than detracting from my enjoyment of the book, Heyerdahl's strange theories about native peoples worshipping redheads (guess what color the author's hair is?) first made me chuckle, then led me to think about what other explanations there were for the cultural patterns that he found.The Fifth Child (Vintage International) by Doris Lessing
Emily Otis, February 17, 2011
This story is likely to shake any parent or parent-to-be to the core. What happens when your child is your worst nightmare? Despite being raised in a loving household alongside several happy and healthy siblings, Ben is violent, uncontrollable, and insatiable. His destructive behavior spells the end of the family's bucolic life in the English countryside and forces his mother to choose between caring for him and caring for the rest of her family.This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All (P.S.) by Marilyn Johnson
Emily Otis, February 17, 2011
If librarians aren't already your heros, they will be after you read this. From the monumental feat of suing the Attorney General to protect patrons' privacy to the surprisingly commonplace task of cleaning up poop in the stacks, these real-life stories about librarians will have you redoubling your respect for these smart, and often saucy, denizens of the Dewey Decimal system.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
The Russian Debutante's Handbook by Gary Shteyngart
Emily Otis, February 16, 2011
Looking for a flat out FUN read? Here it is! Shteyngart gets started with an ex-Russian naval officer who talks to his fans (yes, the ones that blow cool air around the room), and doesn't let up for a single page after that. But, although this novel will have you laughing out loud, it still has substance. The relationship and personality quirks feel incredibly true to life.1-5 of 10next