The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

Finished November 16

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

This novel adds an element of fantasy to our own world. The time is 1983 and Susan Arkshaw, who has lived in the country with her mother has decided to take the time before she starts at art school to look for her father. She doesn't have much to go on. She has a few names, including one who sent holiday cards to her mom and her regularly. She starts with this, a man named Frank Thringley in London. She senses right off that he isn't her father and that things are quite right and determines to leave after staying the night. But during the night she wakes to find that someone has turned Frank to dust by the prick of a silver hairpin. She surprises the man, Merlin and threatens him with the police, but soon finds herself following him out the window as they both flee something else that threatens. 

As she learns of strange creatures such the Shuck, as the two walk through the night, they share their stories. She learns about the booksellers and the differences between the right-handed and the left-handed in skill set, and how they police the interaction between the mythic levels of the Old World and the reality of the human world. They are soon rescued by the police, and Susan is provided with a room in a safe house and finds herself a job. 

As she renews her acquaintance with Merlin, and meets his twin sister, she gradually gets to learn more about the strange elements of the world she hadn't been aware of before and finds herself involved to an extent she didn't expect. 

I really enjoy Garth Nix and his stories, and this one not only has great fantasy elements, but also lots of humour. There is also an attraction between Susan and Merlin and others also notice. I definitely found this novel hard to put down, and I'm interested in reading more of this series. 

The Library of Borrowed Hearts

Finished September 17

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

This contemporary novel is set in small town Washington state, where main character Chloe Sampson had to give up her dreams to leave college to look after her younger siblings when her mother abandoned the family. Chloe loves her siblings and is close to them all, and loves her work at the local library, where she works with best friend Pepper. When she finds a book in the library's basement with messages between two people written inside, she finds herself drawn into this historical mystery. She wants to know the story of the two young lovers who used the book as a way to leave messages for each other. 

Her grouchy hermit of a neighbour Jasper Holmes also takes an interest in the book, and this draws her and her family into his life. 

When Chloe finds that this isn't the only book the couple used, she finds herself on a search for other books. She also finds herself looking for clues to the identity of the young people in question. She finds the identity of the young man first, but struggles to figure out who the young woman is. When a young man enters her life through the escapades of one of her brothers, she finds herself opening herself up to new dreams. 

I enjoyed this book-centred novel, and the story of both the historical lovers and the current day characters. Chloe's siblings are interesting, particularly her brother Aloysius (aka Noodle) who has his own struggles. The book offers up plot surprises and new opportunities for many of the characters. Very enjoyable. 

The Iron Knight

Finished May 28

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I started this series years ago, but got sidetracked at some point. This is the last full novel in the series, with another book that I haven't yet read that has three short novellas that are between the four main books in the series. Here Ash, the Winter Knight has renounced his claim to the Winter throne, leaving his mother Mab, and going in search of how to become human so that he can join Meghan, the Iron Queen as her supporter and protector, as well as lover. He starts off with his rival and friend Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck, a faerie from the Summer kingdom. Along the way the gather other companions and guides including Grimalkin, the cat. 

He must journey along the River of Dreams to the End of the World, and there he must go through the Testing Grounds to gain his soul and become human. Along the way, there are many trials, that he and his companions must endure. 

This is the story of a quest for something that brings unexpected knowledge and challenges. Ash learns that along with gaining a soul as a human, he must also learn weakness of the flesh, conscience, and mortality. Being human is not what he thought is would be, and he must face the question of whether this is really what he wants. 

I liked Ash, and found the companions interesting and surprising in their own ways. This is a series that is well thought out and feels satisfying. 

The Invisible Library

Finished May 21

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

This book starts a series, and is a fantasy book with an interesting, for me at least, focus. The library of the title is a place that exists between worlds, as a kind of gateway. It takes up a lot of space, and has multiple rooms, all filled with shelves of books, with nooks where computers exist, for looking things up, writing reports, communicating with others, etc. That's pretty interesting as a construct for me. The idea of nearly endless books is fascinating. The library collects books from different worlds to strengthen the connection with those worlds. The senior librarians determine what books to collect and send junior librarians, like the central character here, Irene, out to get them. 

The worlds are different versions of our world. Sometimes only slightly different, sometimes vastly different. The library tries to keep things in balance. Too much technology can result in a tightly ordered world with no creativity. Too much magic can result in a world of chaos. The world that Irene and the trainee that is assigned to her, a man named Kai, is leaning towards chaos. 

We get a sense of what can happen as Irene finished up a case as the book opens, using her skills and her knowledge of the special Library language to control things. This glimpse is intriguing. 

They arrive in an alternate London through a gate inside an office in the British Library. The book they are seeking is rare and, when they arrive, has already been stolen by someone. The person, a vampire in this case, that bought it recently was killed. They soon discover that they are not the only ones seeking the book, a book of tales by Grimm, and that one of those is a fae. 

The mix of magic and reality is done well, and some of the elements of attack are unexpected, consisting of creatures that we normally don't think of as in the context they appear in, or that fit the context by attack in unexpected ways. 

There is also the idea of dragons as creatures on the side of good. The dragons are on the side of order not magic, and have their own abilities in doing this. There is also an element of peer rivalry between Irene and another librarian, which influences the plotline. 

A book that had me engrossed and amused at the same time. I liked the touches of humour that existed within the book, and the underlying tensions between some characters that were attracted to each other. All together a fun read. 

The Dream Thief

Finished October 25

The Dream Thief by Shana Abe

This is the second book in the Drakon series. They are set in the late 18th century. I've read the third book in the series Queen of Dragons, so I had some sense of where this book would end up. The Drakon are people who can transform from human to smoke and to dragons. Most gain this ability during their late teens, but not all. 

Amalia (Lia) is the daughter of the leader of the clan and she doesn't have the ability to turn, but she does have other abilities that she keeps to herself. One is to recognize real gems, like diamonds, sapphires, etc. including being aware of them from a distance. One that she has sensed for a long time is Draumr, an infamous diamond buried in the mountains of Carpathia, that has the power to enslave the drakons. It was buried by a princess of the clan who died doing it after being enslaved for years to an ordinary man. Her other gift is that she dreams the future, and she knows that it is a man with special skills who will go after Draumr. 

Lia is sent to boarding school in Scotland, but her knowledge of the future enables her to prepare in some ways for that, things like learning the languages of Hungarian and Romanian. She is also aware that Zane, a man rescued as a child by her mother, and who thus knows about the drakon, is a skilled thief who will be the one to go after the diamond. She approaches him when she is very young, but he rebuffs her. 

So when he is hired to go after the diamond, she must use her skills to follow him, and then travel with him on this journey. Along the way, she learns more about her own skills and abilities and finds herself capable of even more than she realized. 

We also see how capable Zane is, with his weapons knowledge and preparedness, and his ability to move quickly and surreptitiously when needed. 

In Romania, we also see the current Prince Imre of the castle where the diamond is, a man of drakon heritage, who lacks the ability to turn, and his bride Maricara, a child taken against her will from her peasant family because of her turning ability.

This is a story with strong protagonists, Zane and Lia, as well as other strong female characters, which I liked to see. It is also a story of control and power, and how that can corrupt and taint relationships. This story has a journey that is difficult and fraught with setbacks and hurdles from arson to snowstorms. 

A very enjoyable read. 

Miss Benson's Beetle

Finished January 10

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

I've loved all Rachel Joyce's books that I've read, and this is no exception. The story is set in 1950, with two main characters. The titular Miss Benson, Margery, is in her late 40s, single, and teaching domestic science at a girl's school. This is not how she envisioned her life. She hasn't been happy for years, and for her the last straw happens when she finds her students passing around a caricature of her and laughing. She breaks, first leaving the classroom and then taking random items as she leaves the school, never to return. As she thinks back on her life, she reflects on a book her father showed her when she was a child with a picture of a rumoured beetle in a far away land. That picture led to a lifelong fascination with beetles, and she is now drawn back to that moment of captivation and happiness and decides to go look for that beetle. 

There is much preparation to be done before going on such an expedition, and Miss Benson orders supplies, sells some of her belongings and advertises for a paid assistant. The first applicant she interviews is a war vet who had been a Japanese POW. He is twitchy and a mansplaining type, and Miss Benson knows that he is not what she wants. One woman looks promising, but her rigid organization gets her ferreting out Miss Benson's secret and bailing out with little time to substitute, so she ends up reaching out to her final applicant, Enid Pretty. Enid is a force to be reckoned with, able to make almost any situation turn in her favour, and yet completely unsuitable for what Miss Benson was looking for. 

Given their times, the journey to their destination, the northern reaches of New Caledonia, is long and sometimes with delays. As they travel by ship, flying boat, motor vehicle, and their own feet, they get to know one another extremely well, and gradually open up to each other about their pasts and what led them to their present. 

Miss Benson is a lonely woman, with an unhappy childhood, a disappointing coming-of -age experience, and a a lost dream. She is a rule follower, a person who does what is expected of her, until she realizes that she must stand up for herself and her dreams.

Enid Pretty is a charmer, a woman who has compromised for a comfortable life, and who has seen that fall apart. She, too, has a dream that she hasn't been able to bring to fruition, although she has faced most obstacles with a determination that overcomes them. 

I liked seeing this friendship develop and each woman come into her own and the encouragement and support they had for each other. I read this book quickly, almost unable to put it down as I needed to know what happened to theses two extraordinary women. 

The book ends with an interesting interview, an explanation of the inspiration for the book, and some discussion questions. Great choice for a book club.

Journey to the Hopewell Star

Finished December 4

Journey to the Hopewell Star by Hannah D. State

This middle grade science fiction / fantasy novel got me hooked early. Samantha (Sam) Sanderson is just about to turn twelve as the story begins. She's been homeschooled, mostly by her grandfather, as her parents are physicists that work for the government. 

The time that Samantha lives in is our own, but more advanced in terms of technology and space travel. Her grandfather makes dinner using some type of technological device, but in more than just this opening scene situation, technology seems to not work as it should. 

Sam lives on a farm in Nova Scotia, but will be soon moving to town to start school as she's come to an age where she needs more in terms of education than her father can offer. When she goes out to the barn at the beginning of the book, she finds more that she expected, and begins a journey that takes her to other planets, our moon, and even into other people's experiences. This first visit takes her to the planet Kryg under false pretences, but she makes a friend and learns more about both that planet and her own, including the precariousness of both the planets' futures. 

In town, Sam quickly makes friends with another girl and the group of friends that include her. Her friend Kato has a twin brother Kobe who seems to be on the autism spectrum. He doesn't talk a lot, but he seems to be noticing Sam. It makes her feel uncomfortable, but also curious. 

When Sam discovers a new skill, the first person that she shares it with is Kobe. And he connects with her in a big way. Their other friend Simon is a techie and provides insight into the technological side of any situation.

All of the kids are aware of the environmental threats that have been growing on earth, through their own experiences. As they begin to connect these threats to a local corporation and its owner, things may be coming to a crisis in other ways as well. 

I liked Sam's confidence in her abilities, and willingness to try new things, and her selflessness when it came to the larger community's needs. We see this in both small ways and large in her actions and thoughts. 

This book will give kids the confidence that their actions can make a difference in the world, and that kindness and connections are important. 

A really enjoyable read. 

The Skeleton Coast

Finished June 12
The Skeleton Coast by Mardi McConnochie

This is the third book in the series that started with The Flooded Earth. Set in a future time where the earth's waters have risen and humanity has grown more divided, Annalie and her brother Will have set sail to try to find their father Spinner, and are running from the Admiralty, a ruling group that controls much of their world. Along with them are Annalie's best friend Essie, and Pod, a homeless young boy that they found abandoned in the sea in the first book in the series. Also along is Graham, their father's intelligent and often very helpful parrot.
There are many adventures along their voyage from pirates to dog packs, and they must use all their skills and ingenuity to stay together and on their father's trail.
I liked the way that each child brought something to the quest, and that without all of them, they wouldn't be successful. None of them are perfect, but they recognize that and accept it.
This is a story that shows all the children having unique and necessary attributes and I liked that gender wasn't an issue. Bravery is shown by all at different times, as is weakness.
I liked some of the larger issues around fairness and diversity as well.

A Princess of Roumania

Finished March 2
A Princess of Roumania by Paul Park

This fantasy story has elements of magic realism in it. Miranda Popescu was adopted from an orphanage in Bucharest by an American couple, and grew up in Massachusetts. Now a teenager, she has only a couple of close friends, Peter and Andromeda.
What Miranda doesn't know is that she is actually an important player in a struggle for power that exists between the old dynasty that led the country of Roumania, the Baroness Nicola Ceausescu who has had power and struggles to keep it now that her husband has died, and the German man of power who hold Miranda's mother in a remote tower.
As Miranda's aunt Aegypta looks to contact her through dreams and visions, Miranda is set upon by Ceausescu's men who try to capture her and take her to the woman they are loyal to.
As Peter and Andromeda try to protect Miranda, they also become involved, and it seems that at least one of them has inherited this role of protector through lineage and loyalty to Miranda's family.
This is a story of dreams, visions, magic, strange events, time travel, and change.
Miranda is a girl who doesn't really understand what she is meant to do, and as she struggles to find her way, she makes mistakes that put her and those she cares about in peril.
She journeys far and into strange places, and meets strange people.
This is the first book in a series.

The Castle in the Sea

Finished October 9
The Castle in the Sea by Mardi McConnochie

This is the second book in the series that began with The Flooded Earth. The boat the children are on has hit a storm as the book begins, and the sea is very rough. Annalie is safety conscious and makes everyone put on their life vest, and they struggle to put the sails down, but the mast is damaged before they complete it and two people have gone overboard. Annalie is torn over what to do, but sticks with the boat. After the seas calm she goes searching, and we see the story from both her and her brother Will's point of view. With pirates in the waters, the Admiralty still searching hard for them, and their options limited, the four struggle on, still searching for Annalie and Will's father Spinner.
This is a story of resilience and determination as the four children use the resources and skills they have as they deal with new and often frightening situations. The terrible strength of water arises more than once here, and they learn to look for solutions that are not always the obvious ones. I enjoyed seeing the characters develop further. Pod comes out of his shell and Essie shows new determination. Annalie surprises the others with the things she is able to stay calm in the face of. Looking forward to the third book.

Where the Wild Cherries Grow

Finished September 29
Where the Wild Cherries Grow by Laura Madeleine

This light novel takes place in two time periods, 1919 and 1969.
In 1919, Emeline Vane, a young woman, is still grieving the loss of all but her youngest brother, Timothy, in the war, and the deaths of her parents. Her father had left the house that they lived in on the coast of England, but no money. Her uncle has agreed to pay for the schooling of her young brother, but is insisting that the house be sold. Emeline is in a state of grief in which she is barely surviving. She is not eating, and for her the house represents the last bit of their family life.
When her uncle arranges for her to be sent away to a rest home in Switzerland, she seizes a moment in the train station in Paris and runs away.
She has no money, and no destination. She only knows that she doesn't want to be shut away for her own good.
In the later time period, Timothy's daughter is seizing a time when her father is very ill in hospital to seek to declare her long missing aunt dead, so that she can sell the estate to a developer. Because of the rush she is in, she goes to the lawyers who have been looking after the estate for all these years, a small firm, where a new lawyer, Bill Perch, is given the task as his first case. Bill goes to the house and finds information there that shows Emeline's state of mind, but there is something about her and the situation that makes him want to do the job right and try to find her if she is still alive.
As Bill follows in Emeline's path, we see him grow into a determined young man, as we see Emeline find a new future for herself that is not so very far from where she left.
A story around grief, love, and faith that hooked me and kept me reading.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Finished March 26
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaera Patrick

This novel begins with Arthur Pepper, a widower in his sixties, finally tackling get rid of his late wife's personal effects a year after her death. As he goes through everything, he comes across a small heart shaped locked box that he doesn't remember having ever seen before. Arthur was a locksmith before he retired, so picking the lock is not a big deal for him. Inside the box he finds an old-fashioned gold bracelet with several charms on it and a heart-shaped clasp. He doesn't remember ever seeing his wife Miriam wearing the bracelet, but wonders at it and the charms. The charms are an elephant with a green gemstone, a tiger, a thimble, a painter's palette, a heart, a flower, and a ring. As he looks more closely at the elephant, wondering what the jewel is, he notices some markings on it. He manages to decipher the markings as a long number, and determines that it seems to be a phone number, one in India.
Acting on the spur of the moment, Arthur decides to call the number, and finds out from a man in India that Miriam lived there as a young woman, and that the elephant is indeed from there, and the gem is a real emerald. As he learns from the man some information about his wife's time in India, he begins to wonder what else he didn't know about his wife, and what significance and origin the other charms on the bracelet have.
As Arthur reaches out from his self-imposed routine, he finds out more about Bernadette, the neighbour who has been dropping off food, and helpful information since his wife's death. As he accepts some help from her, he also meets her son Nathan, and after a rocky start with the young man, finds more in him than he first guessed.
Arthur's daughter Lucy who lives nearby visits him from time to time, but she didn't attend Miriam's funeral, something that he has never understood. As we discover Lucy's reasons behind this event, and we learn more about her struggles, so does Arthur, and he begins a new and deeper relationship with his daughter. His son Dan hasn't been home in years after emigrating to Australia and starting a family there, and Arthur is sad about the lack of a real relationship with him as well.
This book shows that people are often more complex than we realize, and we often don't know as much as we think about even those closest to us. It also shows that loss of a partner doesn't mean that that one can't find new reasons to enjoy life.

The Lost Sisterhood

Finished July 27
The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

This novel alternates between two time periods. The earliest one is around 1250 B.C., in the Late Bronze Age, where the story begins with a young woman Myrina and her younger sister Lilli. The two girls return from a successful hunting trip to find their village changed forever. They must find a new home, and Myrina relies on stories from her mother Talla to lead them back to the Temple of the Moon Goddess where she hopes they will be taken in. It is a long trip with many challenges, not least is the reception at the Temple itself. But this is just the beginning of a longer journey, one measured in years, and taking the two woman and their companions across the Mediterranean to new lives.
In the present day, Diana Morgan is a sessional instructor at Oxford, a philologist and an expert in Greek mythology. When Diana was a young child, her father's mother, her Granny, came to live with them, and she became the recipient of Granny's stories. Despite being told that her Granny had mental health issues, Diana believed in the stories of the Amazons that Granny told, and of Granny's life as Kara, one of them. When a man she's never met before, Ludwig, approaches her to assist at a dig, she is surprised and wary. Despite the warnings of her mentor Katherine Kent, and her colleague James Moselane, Diana meets Ludwig at the airport and finds herself at a dig in the middle of the Tunisian desert. What she finds there makes this a personal quest for her.
Instead of going home, she goes on to Knossos to meet her best friend Bex who is on a dig there and has found something she thinks Diana will be interested in, and Diana finds herself running toward the answers to her questions about her grandmother, away from her professorial duties, and staying a step ahead of at least one group of people determined to stop at nothing to keep her from finding answers. Her journey takes her from England to Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Germany, and Finland.
This is a story of the origins of the Amazons, one that is very believable. This is also a story of women across the ages fighting for the right to live their own lives, on their own terms.
It brings Greek mythology and classic tales alive from Mycenae, Thracia, Ephesos, Troy, and Crete. We see the characters Otrera, Hippolyta, and Paris brought to life.
A engaging quest of a novel.

Going Bovine

Finished February 22
Going Bovine by Libba Bray

This prize-winning teen novel has the read following sixteen-year-old Cameron Smith. Cameron is not in the popular crowd at school, although his twin sister Jenna is. He is a bit of a loner, but has an interest in music, often hanging out at a local vinyl shop, Eubie's. This is where he discovered a little-known Portuguese love song singer known as The Great Tremolo and became hooked on his stuff for reasons he finds hard to put into words. Eubie is trying to turn him onto jazz, specifically Junior Webster, but Cameron isn't convinced.
Cameron's mom teaches English at the local community college and has trouble completing projects. Cameron's dad is a physicist at the local university, a strong believer in old-school physics. Cameron sometimes hangs out with the stoners in the fourth floor men's room, but he isn't as reliant on the substance as most of them, This is where he first meets Gonzo, a fellow student, a dwarf, and a big gamer. When Gonzo moves into his room in the hospital, he finds out Gonzo also has an over-protective mother and a lot of fears.
Cameron starts to have odd visions involving fire, giants, feathers, angels and other things that don't fit into his normal experiences. One outburst causes him to lose his job at Buddha Burger. When his parents take him in for medical evaluation following a try at therapy, medication and an episode, he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, otherwise known as mad cow disease. There is no cure to this progressive neurological disease, but Cameron is admitted to the hospital to undergo some experimental treatments in hope that something might work for him.
It is here that Cameron is approached directly by the angel he has been seeing occasionally, Dulcie, and instructed to go on a quest for a missing scientist that may be able to provide a cure for his disease. He is given vague instructions and told to take Gonzo with him, and the two boys go off on an adventure like no other. Leading them from their home in Texas to the clubs and cemeteries of New Orleans to a cult in Georgia to Florida student parties, Cameron follows the signs as he sees them, dragging Gonzo along with him, finding an additional companion in a Balder, the Norse god confined in the guise of a yard gnome, and with occasional assistance from Dulcie. The fire giants continue to pursue Cameron and there is an interesting development in the growing presence of a snow globe company.
Looking at what Cameron experienced prior to his hospitalization, the reader can see the roots of his adventure. This is an interesting look into the mind, the power of suggestion and the angst of being a teenager. An amazing read.

The Great and Calamitous Tale of Johan Thoms

Finished October 7
The Great and Calamitous Tale of Johan Thoms: How One Man Scorched the Twentieth Century but Didn't Mean To by Ian Thornton

This epic tale follows the life of Johan Thoms, as told by the son of a man that he told it to years later. Johan was born in the village of Argona, near Sarajevo. He was injured as a child and afterward taken on as a protege by Count Kaunitz, the man whose estate he was injured on. Johan developed a love for chess during his time recovering and showed an ability to converse with those from all backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Sarajevo and here developed a close relationship with the Count, a strong friendship with the son of the American Ambassador, as well as a deep love affair with a visiting American woman, Lorelei Ribeiro. The Count was able to arrange for his to get  work, and he ends up through a series of circumstances being assigned as the chauffeur for Franz Ferdinand and his wife as they visit the city. Distracted by thoughts of Lorelei, Johan takes a wrong turn, and Franz Ferdinand and his wife are killed. Johan feels the weight of immense guilt and flees blindly, gradually heading west.
It is Johan's deep belief that he is responsible for all the destruction of World War I and the subsequent historical deaths that followed. It is this deep belief that drives his life and separates him from his love.
Johan finds a travelling companion in a young boy, Cicero, that he befriends in a hospital and the two of them travel on to Italy, and then further, staying for a long time in a small seaside village in Portugal and starting a chess club for youngsters called the Young Hooligans. Later their travels take them to Cadiz, and then to England, and eventually back to Argona.
Throughout the story, Johan finds himself looked after kindly by nurses many times and he sees them as angels in his life.
This story is complex and often sad, but also moving and startling at times. The writing is wonderful. Here is an example from when young Johan tells his father that he has determined that he is an atheist and his father describes his view of religion. "It's like a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't there, but still finding the thing."
Well worth reading.

Archipelago

Finished September 26
Archipelago by Monique Roffey

This novel begins a year after Gavin's home was hit by a destructive wave of water during a storm, damaging the home badly and dealing a debilitating blow to his family. As the rainy season begins again, Gavin's six-year-old daughter Océan begins having nightmares about the events that changed her life, and Gavin finds himself still stuck in the depression that has been with him since that day. He makes a spontaneous decision to take his old sailbook Romany and head west from his home in Trinidad with Océan and his dog Suzy. He has no real destination at first, just moving away from the source of his and Océan's sadness, but his old dreams of sailing to the Galapagos Islands begin to surface.
Gavin regains his old comfort with sailing gradually, and for one difficult stretch advertises for someone to help, bringing a young Swedish woman, Phoebe, into their lives, and breaking into their protective aloofness. Océan's comfort with the sea increases as the trip progresses, and the two find that the sea encourages them to ponder their sadness, which has followed them, and interests them in their lives once more.
The trip takes them from Trinidad first to the Venezuelan Margarita Island, on to Los Roques, and from there to the ABC islands of Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba. Then a long open sea stretch over to Cartagena, on to the San Blas Archipelago, through the Panama Canal and on to the Galapagos Islands.
It also exposes them to fascinating creatures on land and sea, to a wide variety of people and ways of living, and to more sadness and loss and to joy. This is the story of a father and his daughter healing together, discovering together, growing closer, and finding a way to move on. Roffey's writing is easy and flowing, bringing the world around these travellers to life, along with their feelings.
The only criticism I found was towards the end, where I felt the plot manipulated to bring about the ending.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Finished September 30
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente

This children's novel attracted me by the title, but that is just a couple of chapters of the story. September is the name of the girl, and when asked by the Green Wind if she wants to go to Fairyland, she doesn't hesitate. The time is World War II (although not stated explicitly) and her father is off in Europe where the war is, while her mother builds airplane engines. September is quite handy herself, as she proves along the way.
Getting into Fairyland isn't as easy as she thinks, and she finds that there is more than one way of doing it. Once she arrives, she finds that Fairyland itself has undergone a few changes, and the one in charge seems to be a bit of a tyrant, especially compared to the previous well-loved Queen Mallow.
This book talks about losing one's heart and the tendency towards heartlessness in many children, but also the changes that take place as one gets to care about others. September is an adventurous child, but also one who is willing to make friends and take care of those she believes deserve it. She is a good judge of character, and not as heartless as she thinks.
From soap sculpture characters to large dragon-like creatures, from sea creatures to walking lanterns, September finds many interesting friends along her journey. Her actions will bind her to Fairyland in a way she never imagined.
I particularly loved the Wyverary, a creature whose mother was a Wyvern and whose father was a Library. His knowledge is limited to A to L, but very useful still. September herself likes words, and is a reader who "liked it best when words did not pretend to be simple, but put on their full armor and rode out with colors flying."
The Fairyland portrayed here is an interesting one, with certain rules, places that move around, and dangerous forests. A great place for an adventure for a young girl with an attitude.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Finished September 16
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

I've been reading this novel slowly, trying to prolong it as I was enjoying it so much. Harold Fry is a retired salesman for a brewery. He lives a quiet life with his wife Maureen, until one day he receives a letter from a former colleague, Queenie Hennessy. The letter indicates that Queenie is dying of cancer, and Harold isn't sure how to respond. He finally writes a quick note, shoves it in an envelope, and walks out to the postbox. But inexplicably, he doesn't stop there, deciding to go to the next one, and then the next one, and he just keeps walking. He finally realizes that he is walking to Queenie, across most of Britain, a task he is woefully unprepared for. He keeps calling and sending postcards to Maureen, telling her of his progress, and meets a variety of characters, most of whom assist him in his journey. Maureen, at home, also goes through a change as she deals with her husband's unexpected pilgrimage, looking at her own life and the things she has done and said.
Ultimately, it is a story of their marriage, their struggles and the gulf that has grown between them and the events that are now an opportunity for them to bridge that gulf.
The writing is wonderful. We get a sense of Harold's past as we see his mother "She was young, with a peony-bud mouth and a husband who had seemed a good idea before the war and a bad one after it." We see how he learned at a young age "to appear absent even when present".
As he finds himself walking, he finds he is both revisiting his past and really noticing the world around him. He muses "maybe you saw even more that the land when you got out of the car and used your feet." Harold has more revelations as his journey continues. "He saw that when a person becomes estranged from the things they know, and is a passerby, strange things take on a new significance."
A story of a man's life, his struggle to do the right things, to say the right things, coming from a past where he wasn't taught how to do any of it. This is an amazing book, well worth the read.

The Iron King

Finished July 22
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

This is the first novel in the Iron Fey series. Meghan Chase is about to turn sixteen and yet the only ones who seem to notice are her four-year-old stepbrother Ethan and her friend Robbie. Meghan has never quite fit in, something she has felt keenly since her father disappeared when she was six. Now she seems to be noticing odd things like the creature near the computer at school. Ethan is scared of things in his closet and Meghan finds herself wondering what she sees when she looks in too.
When she arrives home from school on her birthday, she finds things changed, particularly her brother. Robbie soon arrives, but when he reveals what she must do to find her brother, she has trouble believing it. Once she arrives in the world of faeries, Meghan learns of the many creatures and dangers awaiting her and finds the truth of her existence, the child of a faery king and a human, someone to be fought after. Her heart leads her both to her brother and towards the mystical faery prince Ash, but will she be able to save Ethan?
Lots of interesting fantasy elements. I always find it interesting to see different authors portrayal of the world of faery and its creatures and this one doesn't disappoint. There is a great story here, with danger, romance, and a girl coming into her own power.

Beasts of New York

Finished February 9
Beasts of New York: a children's book for grownups by Jon Evans
In some ways this book makes my think of Watership Down, but a lighter version ... and with squirrels instead of rabbits. We follow young Patch, son of Silver, of the Seeker clan, of the Treetops tribe, of the Center Kingdom. The Center Kingdom is Central Park in New York City. It is late winter and Patch can't find any of the nuts he buried, and he's not the only one either. Something is going on and Patch is determined to get to the bottom of it. The rats seem to be up to something. In his quest for food, Patch overhears rats and a rogue squirrel plotting and talking about the King Beneath. Then Patch is diverted and must make the quest of his life to find his way back home.
With squirrels, cats, birds, and rats, we get into the lives and behaviors of these animals. Patch has fear, but knows that he must take risks to win his home safe home. He meets many animals on his quest from Zelina, Queen of All Cats; Toro, a loyal blue jay; Daffa, a pigeon with a geographic-centric memory; Karmerruk, a lordly hawk; and White, a lonely albino squirrel. I loved the characters, and the story has a bit of a folk tale feel to it.