What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #7

I've been reading, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to post about the books, until today. It's warmer here in Dallas, so my extra cozy down comforter is packed away. I am mourning its extended vacation while I curl up with my books at night. 

Now on to my book blogging selections...

I finally finished Patricia A. McKillip's Od Magic. Ms. McKillip is a fantasy writer and I love her work, but sometimes, as you probably all have experienced, if you're in a mood, it's hard to get into a story. Even though this book is beautifully written, it took me two months to read it! Anyone who knows me realizes I live on books, not air. This was a huge deviation from habit for me! That said -- the book had a great message for me. Fiction is subjective, so maybe you will take away a different one. The plot centers on the Od School of Magic, which is controlled by the King and his court. They don't want anyone practicing illegal magic that could harm the kingdom, so they monitor everything very strictly. There are a few love interests along the way, but for me, the message was that freedom of speech and the right to the pursuit of happiness are wonderful!

After reading Od Magic, I moved onto Delia Sherman's Changeling. This YA book is a delightful trip through the world of the Fae in Central Park, New York, and The New York Between. If I had a daughter, I would share this book with her; it's that entertaining! The main character, Neef, a young changeling, violates the Green Lady of Central Park's geas during the summer solstice. She eventually meets the fairy that she was switched with at birth and they go on a quest to get back to their rightful homes. Along the way, you meet so many colorful characters; I can't name them all here, but my favorites definitely center around Neef's fairy godmother and her time spent in the museum. This is a quick read, but a memorable one.

Then I switched gears from fairies to ghosts in Sarah Waters's gothic novel, The Little Stranger. This book had a really great depressing ending. Nothing ended happy and I love that she went there. The story centers on a rundown mansion in 1940s rural Warwickshire, England, Hundreds Hall. Strange happenings are afoot, beginning with the odd party incident surrounding the Ayres's family dog, Gyp, and a visiting girl. However, while this ghost story kept my interest, I think it could have been a bit shorter. It did seem to drag at times, but I still recommend it, if you are a lover of gothic novels.

As always, happy writing and happy reading to all!

What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #3

Last night I pulled an all-nighter to finish reading The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales. This collection is part of editor Ellen Datlow's and editor Terri Windling's ongoing series celebrating myth and contemporary fantasy around the world. Both women's professional credits are enough to ensue writer envy. They are very successful and savvy women with good taste in writing, which is why I know when I pick up one of their collections, it will deliver a beautiful journey. Also, most of the authors featured in the collections edited by Ms. Datlow and Ms. Windling support The Endicott Studio, "dedicated to myth and its expression through literary, visual, and performance arts," as the site reads. (If you are a fan of world myth, digital art, or good writing, you should really check out the links in these posts). The sites are beautiful and informative.

I always read the introductions to these collections because unlike some, they are actually entertaining. Right away, I was drawn into the book. Pat Murphy, the first author in the collection, wrote a killer story featuring Coyote as a woman, which is not unheard of, but pretty rare to read. Usually, Coyote is featured as a man.  One Odd Shoe left me with a good smirk on my face.

The next tale that stuck with me was written by Delia Sherman. The Fiddler of Bayou Teche tells the haunting story of a beautiful woman outcast in her bayou community because of her looks. She may be an outcast, but she will dance you straight out of town and then some!

There were four other stories that I enjoyed too. The first was Friday Night at St. Cecelia's, by Ellen Klages , which took an interesting modern approach to Queen Mab, the fairy, and also incorporated one of my favorite pastimes -- board games. The second was by Katherine Vaz, The Chamber Music of Animals.  Now this story caught my attention because it dealt with a beloved childhood stuffed animal, something I could relate to and have written about myself, and a son dying of leukemia. Her Portugese-American background gives her work an exotic, flavor of myth I cannot get enough of and I highly recommend any of her writing. The third story reminded me of living in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the hikes I would take with my family out in the desert. It's The Senorita and the Cactus Thorn, written by Kim Antieau; the tale of a woman who is trying to impress her future mother-in-law with a twist. And the fourth and last tale was The Dreaming Wind by Jeffrey Ford; a delightful, whimsical story of a town caught in the spell of a dreaming wind.

If you like what you read in these collections, Ms. Datlow and Ms. Windling have thoughtfully included a list of fiction, non-fiction, and trickster studies for further reading -- another reason why I love their contemporary fantasy collections because I can always get my hands on lots of good new reading to keep me up at night!

I hope you pick up this book and find it as much of a treasure as I do.

As always, happy writing and happy reading to all!