The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21416536-the-complete-fiction-of-h-p-lovecraft?from_search=true

This is a newly released, beautifully bound collection which includes all of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction. The Macabre Stories, The Dream Cycle Stories, The Cthulhu Mythos... they're all here. 

For those who are unfamiliar with Lovecraft... he is the creator of Cthulhu, not to mention the Necronomicon. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, let me just say that his fiction inspired Stephen King, H.R. Giger, Guillermo Del Toro, John Carpenter, Neil Gaiman and countless others. Movies with Lovecraftian themes include Evil Dead, The Thing, Re-Animator and Cabin in the Woods. If you're into video games... Dead Space, World of Warcraft, Skyrim and Amnesia all pay homage to Lovecraft.

Basically, if you like horror and you haven't read Lovecraft... You better get on that.

Lovecraft's own quote sums up his particular type of horror best:

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

From tentacled beings beyond human understanding to ancient family curses to mysterious dreams, Lovecraft is about the unknown, the incomprehensible, the things which drive a person mad - over time or in an instant of sheer terror.

If you are or know a fan of horror, this is a must have collection.

18 days until Christmas!

Claymore by Norihiro Yagi

 until Christmas!ge source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/777423.Claymore_Vol_01?from_search=true

Claymore is a fast-paced manga set in a world where monsters called Yoma devour humans. Yoma are incredibly strong, difficult to kill, and can disguise themselves as humans. A mysterious organization has created half-human, half-Yoma female warriors, called Claymore for their massive swords. These silver-eyed women travel the land killing Yoma - for a price.

Claire is one such warrior, and she ends up with an unexpected travelling companion in Raki, a boy whom she saves from a Yoma in his village. As they complete the various jobs assigned to Claire by the Organization, Claire begins to learn that the fight against the Yoma is not what it seems.

Though I try to avoid ongoing manga series (because you just never know when or if they're going to end), I couldn't help but pick up Claymore. The style is neat and appealing, the story is engaging and mysterious, the characters are interesting and complex. Nothing is as it seems in Claymore and you'll find yourself constantly surprised by what happens next.

If you love monster stories, fantasy settings, high-action and strong female protagonists, this manga is for you. You can also check out the anime, which is incredibly loyal (with the exception of the last couple of episodes). If you enjoy the anime definitely pick up the manga and find out what happens next!

(By the way... my cat Raphaela is named for one of the characters from this series. You'll understand if you read it...)

19 days until Christmas!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus?from_search=true

The Night Circus is a wonderful read for those who enjoy romance, mystery, and period pieces with a generous helping of magical realism.

Le Cirque des Rêves is a mysterious circus that appears at night and then disappears again - no announcement, no warning. Its attractions are otherworldly and magical, but it is also host to a fierce competition. Celia and Marco, both gifted with unbelievable abilities, are entangled in a longstanding duel between their masters. Only one can win and only one can survive. But how can they continue as their feelings for one another grow? How can they stop when they are bound by unbreakable magic to participate?

What I particularly loved about this story is that the competition is entirely nonviolent. Both Celia and Marco's magic is beautiful and creative, not destructive. The Night Circus provides a refreshing take on conflict and competition. The cast of characters all have subtle eccentricities which make them enjoyable and complicated. The alternating time frame and detailed settings, combined with an immersive narrative, create an atmosphere that is dreamlike and artistic.

If you dream of masquerades, fortune telling, and romance under the stars... the Night Circus has everything you are hoping for and more.

20 days until Christmas!

Children's Stories by Various Authors

When we pick out books for children, we often think of a few select authors: Dr. Seuss, Robert Munsch, Mercer Meyer, Eric Carle etc. While the Cat in the Hat, the Paper Bag Princess and the Hungry Caterpillar are all wonderful books, today I'm taking the time to highlight some other greats that may be less familiar.

Five Famished Foxes and Fosdyke by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illustrated by Henry Cole

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/733013.Four_Famished_Foxes_and_Fosdyke?from_search=true

A friend bought this book for my daughter, choosing it because it had been one of his own favourites. When I read it later, I fell instantly in love with its clever story, fantastic wordplay and oh so important message.

It tells the story of a family of foxes and how they try to feed themselves while mother fox is away. While five foxes fuss over hunting at the farmhouse, Fosdyke flambées, fries and fricassées up his favourite: French food! This loveable story reminds children to be themselves and that they are important, whoever they choose to be. Because: "A fox is a fox, whatever the food!"

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/490867.Knuffle_Bunny?from_search=true

Knuffle Bunny is a hilarious "cautionary tale" about a toddler's favorite stuffed toy getting left behind at the laundromat. But how can Trixie tell her dad what's wrong when she can't talk yet?

Beautifully told with cartoon illustrations on black and white photographs, this simply worded tale is enjoyable for even very young children and toddlers. Parents will laugh at the familiarity of the communication break down between parent and tot, and the antics that inevitably ensue.

Journey by Aaron Becker

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262290-journey?from_search=true

A stunning picture book, Journey is about the power of the imagination and is told through illustrations alone. With nothing but a piece of red chalk, a lonely girl embarks on a fantastic adventure through colourful and vibrant worlds.

Adults and children will love picking out details on the large, bright pages and the theme makes it perfect when you're trapped inside on a rainy day.

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47693.The_Day_I_Swapped_My_Dad_for_Two_Goldfish?from_search=true

This quirky title tells the story a little boy and his sister as they follow the trail of traded toys and pets to find their father, whom they previously swapped for two goldfish. He may not do much (except read the paper), but their mother wants him back and sends them out to fetch him.

With unique and bizarre artwork by McKean, this is a fun read aloud for parents and children. Or if you pick up the hardcover edition, you can listen to Gaiman read it himself on the accompanying CD.

The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogalvie

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13559812-the-worst-princess?from_search=true

Princess Sue knows how it works. She grows her hair, and waits in her tower for a prince to come and save her, but when he finally does, she's disappointed to be taken straight to another tower! When the prince objects to her doing anything but " princess" things, she teams up with a dragon to take things into her own hands.

Great for little girls who love adventure, this convention-breaking story questions the classical princess narrative and throws gender roles out the window. With cute illustrations and clever rhymes too!

21 days until Christmas!

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

 

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling?from_search=true

Are you a fan of high action Teen Fiction? The Hunger Games, City of Bones, or the Assassin's Curse sitting on your shelf? Then Graceling might be for you.

Graceling takes place in a world where some people are born with a gift. This gift, called a "Grace", is a talent at which the individual naturally excels. It could be archery, swimming, music or even reading a person's thoughts. Gracelings are identifiable by their two different coloured eyes.

Katsa, the niece of the king, has been graced with killing. She works as her uncle's muscle, intimidating his subjects and people in the surrounding kingdoms to do as he wishes. When she stumbles upon a bizarre kidnapping that leads her across the kingdoms, she begins to discover more about power and the person she really is.

Graceling is a unique and vibrant story about self discovery, love, compassion and fortitude. It is an examination of self acceptance and violence. If you love adventure, mystery, and romance I definitely recommend checking it out. 

If you enjoy Graceling, there are also two companion novels which follow it. So far I've only read Fire, the first companion, but was as impressed as I was with Graceling. I have high hopes for the second companion, Bitterblue.

22 days until Christmas!

Rat Queens by Curtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20299683-rat-queens-vol-1?from_search=true

Rat Queens is a new, Eisner award winning comic book series that follows a team of four female mercenaries in a Dungeons and Dragonesque setting. The Rat Queens are violent, foul-mouthed and not afraid to get their hands dirty... In fact, they're all too eager to get their hands dirty. The first volume of the series, Sass and Sorcery, follows the Rat Queens as they try to figure out who is hiring assassins to kill them, while fighting to save their lives and their town, Palisade.

The humor in this series is quick, dark and delightfully crass. No punches are held (literally and figuratively) and the content includes everything from disembowelment, to drugs, to drunken sexual escapades (well hello there Orc Dave...).

The characters are, at a glance, modern stereotypes with a D&D twist. Hannah - the no-nonsense, tattooed elven mage.  Dee - the human cleric who is still trying to distance herself from her family's (somewhat familiar) tentacled god. Violet - the dwarf fighter who is considering regrowing her beard now that shaving it has become mainstream. And Betty - the smidgen thief that would live off of candy, drugs and booze if it were physically possible. 

Underneath the sarcasm, the attitude and the penchant for criminal behaviour are believable, emotional characters and complicated relationships with family, lovers, colleagues and rivals.

Upchurch's art style is another asset to the series; bold, colourful but still detailed and attractive, it strikes a perfect balance between cartoon and realism much like Wiebe's writing.

If you're not easily offended and you enjoy over the top humour and action with a high fantasy backdrop, I highly recommend Rat Queens. Especially if you have a soft spot for D&D.

23 days until Christmas!

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

When I was a child, I owned a cartoon called David Copperfield on VHS. It was voiced by Julian Lennon, Sheena Easton and Howie Mandel and was marketed as a Christmas musical. It featured singing anthropomorphic animals, a cheese factory, slave labour and monsters that were essentially cheese-zombies. Looking back, it was really bizarre and had almost nothing to do with Dickens' classic, but as a kid I loved it.

Image source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1116596-david_copperfield/

 

It's what made me pick up the book when I was probably only around ten years old. It was a difficult read for me at the time, but I made it through and it sparked in me a lifelong love of Dickens.

A semi-autobiography, David Copperfield tells the the tale of the eponymous David from birth through adulthood. It is an incredibly human story about a child losing everything and slowly reclaiming his life through hard work and perseverance. And of course with some help from a loveable and complex cast of characters.

If there's one thing I love about Dickens, it's his characters. Always a little bit eccentric - Mrs. Macawber's announcements of spousal loyalty, Uriah Heath's "humbleness", not to mention Betsy Trotwood's hatred of the male gender, her protection of Mr. Dick, and obsession with her lawn. Each character so detailed and believable, their tragedies and triumphs can't help but fill the reader with grief, excitement, pity, admiration, fear and hope.

Even Dickens said of this work: " ...like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield."

And if you aren't a fan of reading classic literature, I highly recommend BBC's television adaptation starring most of the cast of Harry Potter, including Daniel Radcliffe as a young David. Oh, and Gandalf too.

Image Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/quiz/ian-mckellen/
A very grumpy Gandalf...

24 days until Christmas!