waiting on wednesday (77)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I believe that Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland books are a big part of the reason I've fallen back in love with middle grade (books aimed at readers ages 8-12... what I would have called 'Juvenile' growing up) fiction. I adore the whimsy inherent in Valente's descriptions, the inventiveness of her settings, and the overall magic of her stories.  I think these books are new classics, and I can't wait to have a set of them all lined up on my shelf together, to read over and over, whenever I need a bit of the fantastical to inspire my day-to-day life.  While I haven't read the third book in the series yet, I read, reviewed and loved The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland, and the short story The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland (all titles shortened for convenience, you understand).  Thus it should come as no surprise that I can't freaking wait for the latest in the Fairyland saga, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland. It will be released by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan) on March 3, 2015.

When a young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Golden Wind, he becomes a changeling – a human boy -- in the strange city of Chicago, a place no less bizarre and magical than Fairyland when seen through trollish eyes. Left with a human family, Hawthorn struggles with his troll nature and his changeling fate. But when he turns twelve, he stumbles upon a way back home, to a Fairyland much changed from the one he remembers. Hawthorn finds himself at the center of a changeling revolution--until he comes face to face with a beautiful young Scientiste with very big, very red assistant.

Time magazine has praised Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland books as "one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century." In this fourth installment of her saga, Valente 's wisdom and wit will charm readers of all ages.

What books are you waiting on?

five discoveries in five years

Five years ago today I started blogging. The blog began as a promise to myself to begin 'something good' in the midst of one of the toughest years of my life. And for a while I didn't have a defined blogging identity. In those first few months I brought up books only rarely. Interests (like blood) will out! I found myself reading book blogs, and thinking, "I could do that. I could talk about books." By July 2009 most of my posts were book-related.

One of the wonderful side effects of jumping into this world has been new book and new-to-me author discovery. I feel incredibly lucky to have found new standby authors. I trust their stories: for entertainment, wisdom, emotion, and always, always beautiful writing. So on this fifth anniversary of my blog, I'm highlighting five authors blogging has introduced me to.  Many thanks to Charlotte and Liviania for the idea!

Patrick Ness – The Knife of Never Letting Go was one of the first dystopian novels I read back when that trend was just beginning. I believe it was on a list at Rhiannon Hart's blog along with The Hunger Games (which I ugly-cried in public over). That was enough to get me to try it. And then a little later I read A Monster Calls and realized that making me cry and cringe and FEEL was going to be Ness' modus operandi. He writes powerful fiction and incredible voices. I think I will always look forward to his next project.

Meljean Brook – Velvet at vvb32reads was one of the early cheerleaders for steampunk, and I took part in several challenges and events that she put on, including the Iron Seas challenge, which featured Meljean Brook's books. ZOMG, these are *amazing* and worth a read even if you usually stay away from romance as a genre. Brook writes seriously wonderful characters, who are surrounded by amazing world-building, and you get a guaranteed happy ending. What could be better?! I count down the months to every single new release.

Sherman Alexie – I was introduced to Sherman Alexie in my first year of blogging by Leila of bookshelves of doom and Steph Bowe.  And I’ll be forever grateful to those two, because Alexie is one of the greats of our time.  You can’t go wrong, whether you choose his YA classic The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or a short story collection like War Dances.  Alexie’s insightful writing is commentary as much as entertainment, and important as well as beautiful.

Catherynne M. Valente – I discovered Catherynne M. Valente by following a link on Neil Gaiman’s blog (I'm pretty sure that's where I found it?!).  My love for Gaiman’s fiction preceded blogging, so I was already in the habit of reading his updates.  And then one day he mentioned Valente, who wrote The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making as a serial novel/desperate call for help.  Valente’s struggles spoke to me, but the book even more so.  The story is such a lovely, bizarre, fantastical tale of Fairyland that I made a place for it in my heart, for always.  I’ve since read several other Valente titles, and I always feel a sort of reverence or wonder for her way with words and her imagination at large. 

Sharon Shinn – I can’t remember who introduced me to Sharon Shinn.  I would say Angie of Angieville (she’s a huge Shinn fan), but according to my review of Archangel, my first taste of Shinn was Angelica, and I don’t believe Angie reviewed that one.  ANYWAY.  Blogging not only introduced me to Shinn’s sci-fi series featuring angels, but to her writing as a whole.  Which is always delightful and thoughtful, as well as wrought with feeling and romance.  I pick up Shinn novels like clockwork now whenever I feel the need for speculative fiction that will turn me inside out and make me swoon.

Those are my five author discoveries.  Do you have any go-to favorite authors that you discovered via blogging?

waiting on wednesday (51)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I have read some really fantastic middle grade in the last year – stuff that has made my heart break not only for the characters, but for people in general (and for my younger self!).  I’ve also read uproariously funny books, and nightmare- and shiver-inducing ones, too.  Catherynne M. Valente and Claire Legrand wrote two of my favorite books of 2012: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There and The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls.  Both authors have new middle grade books out this year, and I AM EXCITED.  In ALL CAPS.  It looks as though my middle grade obsession will continue unabated.  Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two will be released by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan) on October 8th, and Claire Legrand’s The Year of Shadows will be released by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on August 27th.

September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home, and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers. 

Here is another rich, beautifully told, wisely humorous, and passionately layered book from New York Times-bestselling author, Catherynne M. Valente.

Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year.

Her mother left, her neglectful father -- the maestro of a failing orchestra -- has moved her and her grandmother into his dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat.

Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s help -- if the hall is torn down, they’ll be stuck as ghosts forever, never able to move on.

Olivia has to do the impossible for her shadowy new friends: Save the concert hall. But helping the dead has powerful consequences for the living . . . and soon it’s not just the concert hall that needs saving.

What books are you waiting on?

the girl who fell beneath fairyland and led the revels there

When you come across a book that is wise, true, good, and is also entertaining and wild, you have found a treasure (and some would say, a friend for life).  These sorts of books seemed to be all over the place in childhood, but as soon as the reader is of age to actively search them out, they go missing.  We could spend years speculating about the ‘whys’ and ‘wherefores’ – are children’s books better?  Do adults lack time and motivation to discover that wonder? But that is not the point.  The point, dear friends, is to share just such a find, that you may enjoy it too.

September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September’s shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland’s shadows back. 

Fans of Valente’s bestselling, first Fairyland book will revel in the lush setting, characters, and language of September’s journey, all brought to life by fine artist Ana Juan. Readers will also welcome back good friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. But in Fairyland Below, even the best of friends aren’t always what they seem…

Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland books are rare treasures.  With the first, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, I was gobbled up by the magic and imagination and feeling evoked by the story.  With this second book, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, I was more alive to its nuances, to the changes and differences between it the first adventure, and fascinated by new characters and new world.

September has finally returned to Fairyland.  After a year of hoping and wishing and being watchful every day of the week (except Sundays), she is back.  However, all isn’t quite what it was when she left – Fairyland has morphed and changed and dear friends are far away.  In addition to that, September is growing up and (as the narrator remarks) growing a heart, and this makes things more complicated than ever.  However, her mission is clear: she must travel to Fairyland-Below and stop the shadow exodus.  September is joined on her mission by a new cast of characters, and the adventures she has will not only challenge everything she holds dear, but teach her to think slantwise and sideways as well.

What was absolutely enchanting about the first Fairyland book? Answer: the world and its tone.  Valente’s vision of Fairyland is unique and fanciful and turns traditional tales halfway around while adding a dollop of whipped cream to the top for good measure.  Combine that setting with a witty, kind and knowing narrator, and the story seems meant to leap into your heart.  In this second installment none of the charm is lost, but there is a slightly darker edge, a loneliness that wasn’t there in the first. September (and the reader) must work harder to trust and find friends – she weighs her actions, hesitates – all the things that creatures do as they grow up.  It makes for haunting reading.

In all, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland is a spectacular sequel, and a book that deserves a place on your shelf.  It has a character named Halloween, which is practically perfect for the season.  I urge you to read it and its predecessor and fall in love with the magic of Fairyland.

Recommended for: fans of magic and wisdom and stories that fit all times and all ages.

Fine print: I picked up an ARC of The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There at BEA in June 2012. 

a feast in fairyland-below

One of my favorite books last year was Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.  The story combined all of the magic of Fairyland with the heart of a brave heroine and the superior writing of a classic.  I came away in awe of Valente’s talent with words, and as soon as I heard about a sequel, I knew it would be a book to feed my soul.

And speaking of food… there is nothing quite like a description of magical victuals, is there?  This scene comes from a Feast (which always precedes a Revel) on page 120 in The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There.

“The central boulevard of Tain, which A-Through-L could have told them was called Fool’s Silver, erupted with long tables full of the delights of a dozen cuisines.  Goblin tarts and Nuno honey in rock-crystal jars, steaming Spriggan pies of heartberry and blisspeach and pumpkin and moonkin that got bigger and smaller as you grasped for them, green and healthful Gnome soups overflowing with hexweed, passionpoppy leaves, thrallbulbs, memory-mums, and ropes of good, sweet basil and sage.  Glashtyn oatcakes and hay-muffins with golden crusts, Dryad rain-stews and sunnydaise sauces, braided flame-bread for Ifrits and seastone pastries for Marids, genuine cloud-roasts and piles of grilled dunkel-fish and the Jarlhoppes’ special feverblossom coffee.  The Scotch-wights had been saving their best Pining Peat for the occasion—and of course the Wyverns’ beloved radishes scattered here and there on the tables like drops of blood, among charm-tortes shaped just exactly like old books, brown and buttered and crackling.”

Oh, that passage makes me hungry!  Hungry for the food of never, of dreaming and seeming.  I might try a little baking magic of my own one of these days and come up with a recipe for Spriggan pies or Gnome soups (I’m sure it would involve wishing). 

Tell me, have you ever been tempted by otherworldly dishes as described in a book?

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!

dragons, fairy tales and a short story

Young adult author Cecil Castellucci has written a short story based on the Prince Lindwurm fairy tale (which I hadn’t heard of before, actually), and it is featured today on Tor.com.  The Tor website publishes novel excerpts, original pieces of prose, comics and poetry every week.  This bountiful content is probably the reason I think of Tor first when I am searching my brain for the name of a ‘publisher of fantasy and sci-fi.’


illustration by Sam Burley

In the past, I’ve also found lovely fairy tale contributions by favorite authors Catherynne M. Valente ("The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While," an addition to the Fairyland story) and Marissa Meyer ("Glitches," featuring characters from Cinder).  Oh!  And if you’re curious about Cecil Castellucci’s novel-length works, she recently published The Year of the Beasts with Nate Powell, a half-novel, half-graphic novel. 

But!  The point: go read “Brother. Prince. Snake.”  You can thank me later.

waiting on wednesday (25)

I’m participating today in "Waiting On" Wednesday. It is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and its purpose is to spotlight eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

Last fall I took up a magical book, and it both broke and healed my heart.   It was full of the beauty and care of excellent fantastical writing.  Which is to say: Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making was quite good at turning my emotions inside out, and sending them back to me with an extra helping of ‘well, wasn’t that WONDROUS?’  It is no surprise, then, that I am looking forward with glee and expectation to a second novel-length adventure in Fairyland.  Valente’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There releases on October 2, 2012 from Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan).

You’ve been waiting for another adventure in Fairyland... 

And now it’s finally here! Valente’s fans will be thrilled to revel in the lush settings, rich characters, and evocative language of September’s newest sojourn in Fairyland. 

After all the waiting, dreaming, and planning, September has made it back to Fairyland. However, all is not well there. The last time she visited Fairyland, September sacrificed her shadow to save another. Now, that shadow has become Halloween, the Hollow Queen. As ruler of Fairyland Below, Halloween is stealing shadows from the folk of Fairyland, and with them, their magic. September, determined to set things right, embarks upon a quest to Fairyland Below, a dark, wild place where everything is “slantways, sideways, and upside-down” – even the shadows of her dearest friends, Ell the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday.

What books are you waiting on?

z: zombie stories

Back in September, when I discovered that Night Shade Books was releasing a young adult zombie anthology, I wondered what that would look like (and I told myself to hope for the best). After checking out the author lineup, I knew I’d find stories equally interesting, weird and well-written in this volume. And I did. I just didn’t quite bargain for the crazy, gross and not-right that came along with. But, after all, it’s zombies. You’ll say I shouldn’t have been surprised.

When the zombie apocalypse comes, it's not just those crusty old folks who will struggle against the undead, it's the young people. What happens when you come of age during the zombie apocalypse? Z: Zombie Stories has the answer to that question. Z: Zombie Stories gathers together some of the hottest zombie fiction of the last two decades, from authors including Kelly Link, Jonathan Maberry, and Catherynne M. Valente. These stories focus on those who will inherit a world overrun with the living dead: a young man who takes up the family business of dealing with the undead, a girl struggling with her abusive father...who has become a zombie, a poet who digs up the wrong grave, and a Viking maiden imprisoned with the living dead...

All of the entries in this anthology (except for the final story) have been published previously in other volumes, and some of them were already familiar to me. Of course, that doesn’t diminish their charm. I’ll say a little something brief about each one, shall I? Great.

“Family Business” by Jonathan Maberry

“Family Business” appears to be the first several chapters of Maberry’s young adult zombie novel, verbatim. I reviewed Rot & Ruin here on the blog. This excerpt should draw you in and make you want to learn more about the Imura brothers and their quest to survive.

“The Wrong Grave” by Kelly Link

A disturbing and funny tale about a boy who digs up the wrong grave – and finds something entirely unexpected (and persistent). There’s a good dose of magic and side of uncanny in this tale. Fans should next look to Link’s Pretty Monsters.

“The Days of Flaming Motorcycles” by Catherynne M. Valente

If I’m honest with myself, this is the story I was most excited to read. Valente has a way with words, and it doesn’t desert her here. “Flaming Motorcycles” is about a girl living in the remains of Augusta, Maine, but it’s also a meditation on the nature of zombies, acceptance, and what could possibly be important after death. True and truly weird.

“The Barrow Maid” by Christine Morgan

I never thought I’d write this, but Viking zombies are the freakiest and best idea ever. “The Barrow Maid” combined epic storytelling in the style of Beowulf with the undead – a startling, unnerving, genius mixture of creepy and outstanding.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Scott Nicholson

Would you like a chilling, atmospheric story that will drift into your mind like mist and never let go? This story’s spiritual overtones somehow made the apocalypse seem more eerie and terrible than ever. Beautifully written, and the sort of thing that might inspire nightmares, in a The Knife of Never Letting Go sort of way.

“The Dead Kid” by Darrel Schweitzer

Not what I would call a teen-friendly story, this one veers into horror territory. It is unsettling and all-around freaky.

“Seven Brains, Ten Minutes” by Marie Atkins

If you like your zombie stories gory, this one’s for you. Somehow until now I’ve managed to read a lot of zombie lit without reaching a level of gross-out. Well, I’m there now. Scott’s ‘evolution’ certainly made me queasy. Not for weak stomachs.

“The Third Dead Body” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Hoffman does deeply disturbing very, very well. There’s no beating around the bush – this entry is HORROR, and it’s also full of revenge, twisted longing, and extreme violence. Adults only.

“The Skull-Faced Boy” by David Barr Kirtley

In this tale, it’s about die-and-live or die-and-kill, and the result is a battle not between the living and the dead, but between those with consciences and those without. It doesn’t end well, and in the end is a sickening portrait of the worst in humanity.

“The Human Race” by Scott Edelman

Terrorism, dark despair, and a zombie outbreak combine to create a perfect storm of hopelessness for one girl. “The Human Race” explores what people can withstand – and what will probably destroy us all.

“Deepwater Miracle” by Thomas Roche

To end the collection, a story with a bit of light-hearted survival. Okay, it’s not so light-hearted, but SURVIVAL. After the darkness in the middle of the anthology, this one brings you back out into the light. How? Two brothers stuck on a boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico figure out how to go on while the world on land ends around them. Gripping reading.

In Z: Zombie Stories, editor J.M. Lassen brings together well-written stories of mayhem and apocalypse. However, the level of scary and disquieting varies from story to story, and it is not for everyone. While each tale may feature a teenager, the entries are not necessarily young adult. For those seeking a gentler initiation into the world of zombies, check out Justine Lavaworm and Holly Black’s Zombies vs. Unicorns instead.

Recommended for: mature teens and adults accustomed to horror, and those who can’t resist the unsettling power of a good zombie tale.

Fine Print: I read an e-ARC of Z: Zombie Stories courtesy of Night Shade Books and NetGalley.

waiting on wednesday (15)

I’m participating today in "Waiting On" Wednesday. It is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and its purpose is to spotlight eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

It’s September Zombies month, and my WoW pick matches the theme. Z: Zombie Stories is a young adult anthology featuring stories of the undead. Contributor Kelly Link captures the weird and creepy in delightful ways, and as you know, I have a thing for Catherynne M. Valente’s writing. Add in short stories by Jonathan Maberry and Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and I am ready to read. Z: Zombie Stories will be released in paperback by Night Shade Books on September 27, 2011.

When the zombie apocalypse comes, it's not just those crusty old folks who will struggle against the undead, it's the young people. What happens when you come of age during the zombie apocalypse? Z: Zombie Stories has the answer to that question. Z: Zombie Stories gathers together some of the hottest zombie fiction of the last two decades, from authors including Kelly Link, Jonathan Maberry, and Catherynne M. Valente. These stories focus on those who will inherit a world overrun with the living dead: a young man who takes up the family business of dealing with the undead, a girl struggling with her abusive father...who has become a zombie, a poet who digs up the wrong grave, and a Viking maiden imprisoned with the living dead...

What books are you waiting on?

recommended reading and giveaway winners

It's pretty clear that I loved Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. That novel reawakened my sense of wonder and set me on a path of adventure. You should love it too, if you don't already. Why don't you already? You're cautious? Okay, I can work with that. Try a taste of Valente's writing before you commit to her book, and check out the prequel/companion novelette, The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While.

[illustration by Ana Juan, sole property of Tor/Macmillan]

If you're gearing up for September Zombies (or just plain enjoy good, creepy writing), there's nothing better than Queen of Atlantis, a fantastic short story by Sarah Reese Brennan. A little bit of death, a princess, a sacrifice and some mythology mixed together to create a bittersweet and beautiful tale. Check it.

And to round out Saturday on the blog, I present August and September contest winners:

Donna of Book Lovers Paradise won my Glow ARC giveaway

Mervi won my 600 followers giveaway

Melissa won my Norwegian Wood giveaway

and Ren of All By MySHELF won my All These Things I've Done giveaway

Congratulations, winners! Stay tuned next week for another contest opportunity!

the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making

There are stories that restore faith in humanity, in truth and beauty and the whimsy of a clever imagination. I’ve found one. I can tell it’s going to stay with me forever, and that I’ll reread it in times when comfort and hope and magic seem far away. I don’t know if I can convey to you how lovely I found this book, but I’ll try.

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t…then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is a classic, adventurous fairy tale. Its heroine is September, a somewhat heartless twelve-year-old, who still knows that the fantastic is possible and that the world may change beyond recognition at a moment’s notice. It is with this knowledge (helped along by a bit of boredom) that she accepts the offer of a trip to Fairyland and begins adventures many and marvelous.

Catherynne M. Valente has created not only a fantastic fairy world; she has written it so beautifully that the words themselves seem to glow and pulse with enchantment and allure. September’s adventures might seem absurd and strange to an adult – but only an adult who no longer remembers the joy and cheer found in make-believe. I think that if you have a speck of magic still in you somewhere, you won’t be able to escape Fairyland’s enchantment.

A bit of the Green Wind’s whimsical dialogue from page five, just to give you a taste:

“The earth, my dear, is roughly trapezoidal, vaguely rhomboid, a bit of a tesseract, and altogether grumpy when its fur is stroked the wrong way! In short, it is a puzzle, my autumnal acquisition, like the interlocking silver rings your aunt Margaret brought back from Turkey when you were nine.”

Add in Ana Juan’s beautiful and eerie illustrations at the start of every chapter, and you’ll find that magic and a quest were just what you needed, even if you didn’t know it. What more can I say about Fairyland? I left my heart somewhere in its pages.

Recommended for: fairy tale fans of all ages, those looking for an exquisite story to treasure in their hearts and stave off sorrow, anyone who has taken stock of the here-and-now and wondered when it would be their turn to stumble into a patch of magic.

Fine print: I received a copy of this book for review from Zeitghost Media (courtesy of Macmillan).

teaser tuesday (67)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted every week by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page (or if you're reading on an electronic device, pick a random number and scroll to that section). Post two or more sentences from that page, along with the book title and author. Share your find with others in the comments at Should Be Reading, and don't give anything vital away!

“‘Welcome, September, to the city of Westerly, my home, where live all the Six Winds in nothing at all like harmony.’

‘It’s…very nice. And very cold. And I seem to have lost one of my shoes.’”

p. 6 of Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

giveaway! the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making

Not many of you will remember this, but a very long time ago (in blog time) I featured the story of Catherynne M. Valente writing The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I remember weeping a bit as I read Valente's posts, and I still cannot think of her without tearing up at her bravery and beautiful writing. So I am VERY pleased to be able to offer you the piece of fiction that emerged from that experience. Trust: it will be wonderful.

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn?t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Pesky details: 1 copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, to an entrant with a US or Canadian address. All you need to do is fill out the FORM. Giveaway ends June 28th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.

If you’d like to learn more about the book or the author, please check out the book trailer, Valente’s website, or her blog.

You can also enter to win this book here, here and here (here too). If you're offering a giveaway and want to be added to the list, let me know.

Fine print: This giveaway is made possible by Macmillan and Zeitghost Media. Thanks!