What Matters in Jane Austen? By John Mullan

This year is the bicentennial of the publication of Pride and Prejudice so we may expect to see several new books about Austen and her characters. Mullen's exploration is subtitled “Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved,” but rather than puzzles, most of his chapters highlight the subtle ways Austen shows us characters that are not perfect and presents us with plots where happy endings are not foreordained. The operation of chance on believably flawed people is among the gifts Jane Austen brought to fiction.

Somehow Mullen manages to make this as entertaining as if we were attending an assembly ball with all of Austen's characters and gossiping about them as they dance. The twenty topics include how sisters get along, the effect of sexual attraction on her characters, the role weather plays in precipitating events, how Austen builds character with dialogue and why some characters are never quoted, the general knowledge of everyone's financial status, the role of blushing, and of illness. All this is illustrated with quotations from the novels that juxtapose characters from different books. The author notes that Austen's characters are younger than they are generally portrayed in film. For example, Mrs, Bennet is a still sexy forty and the pompous Reverend Collins a callow twenty-four in the novel.

Among the latest additions to the Austen shelf is The Real Jane Austen by Paula Byrne who uses significant artifacts to organize stories about Austen's life. What Matters in Jane Austen? will delight Austen fans, but for those who have not yet read her, begin with Pride and Prejudice, the most popular of her six completed novels. This is the year to discover the writer who created the prototype Regency Romance and Comedy of Manners and inspired uncountable “sequels,” parodies, films, adaptations, and imitations.

Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander

It's the principal's birthday so the class are making birthday cards. But when Stan tries to write Happy Birthday, his letters come out back to front and upside down. Stan is sure everyone will laugh at him. “Stan felt sick, like his tummy was being all stirred up with a big wooden spoon.” The illustration shows a dismal Stan huddled in the lower corner of a big black page.

At recess, his friend Jack urges Stan to ask the teacher for help. And when Stan does, no one laughs and Mimi admits she needs help too. With a lot of practice, Stan is able to make the card come out the way he wants. He proudly presents it to the principal at the party.

Students, teacher, and principal are each pictured as a different animal with very expressive faces. The story is written in letters like a young child's printing. Any child entering school can take heart from the words of Stan's friend, “We all have to ask for help sometimes.”

Miriam Cohen's When Will I Read? offers similar reassurance as children begin to master writing and other skills in school. Back to Front and Upside Down can also augment a selection of birthday stories like Ezra Jack Keats' A Letter to Amy. While dyslexia is not mentioned in Alexander's book, it is the only picture book in the catalog with the subject of dyslexia.  And, it received the 2013 Schneider Family Book Award for younger children. These awards honor an author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience. 

Desdaemona by Ben Macallan

Let’s think over a few keywords:

Urban fantasy. Vampires. Werewolves. Teens.

. . . Wait, hold that thought.

Hell. Bounty. Mafia. Runaways.

That’s more promising, yes?

Desdaemona is a British urban fantasy about two not-quite teens on the run from all sorts of monsters. Jordan has been one day short of his 18th birthday for the many years that he has been running and hiding because of a mysterious birthright. That, plus Hell has a bounty on him. Trouble really likes Desi and cannot stay away. Further complicating matters is Desi’s secret past and selling her soul for power and long life as a daemon (full name: Desdaemona haha). Jordan, being an experienced runaway, helps other runaways find their way home, so Desi seeks him out to find her missing sister who is hunted by this paranormal world’s own version of the mafia. Not surprisingly, their troubles combine for an interesting mess and lots of adventure.

Desi is one of the best things about this book: a girl who kicks butt, can take care of herself, and has smarts, looks, and attitude to match. Still, she is no Wonder Woman or even close to perfect. She is horribly and wonderfully flawed, very human in spite of her super abilities, making her (and her past) that much more intriguing.

Familiar urban fantasy elements and even traditional fairy tales get a fresh twist, with nothing feeling generic. There are paranormal creatures, like werewolves, vampires, harpies, undines, shapeshifters, as well as ones from mythology and folklore, like the Green Man, king of Hell, Sibyl the seer, and the Twa Corbies (in the sequel). Drawing on the darker and more ambiguous natures of these classic tales and figures, Macallan’s versions go beyond mere representations of good and evil and retain an inhuman and deadly quality, well-captured in writing.

Macallan’s prose is wonderful—nuanced, darkly poetic at times, and thoughtful, balancing between a fast-paced, action-packed narrative and a satisfyingly profound story, making it more than just a fun fluff piece. The first-person narration gives a kind of lilt to the words and character with a personal touch that makes the reading experience such a pleasure. A bit dark and bleak to be considered teen fiction despite teenaged main characters, this is a treat for urban fantasy fans yet something more literary for readers who want more.

Look for Desdaemona in the VBPL Catalog. Trouble follows Desi in the sequel, Pandaemonium. Macallan is a pseudonym for Chaz Brenchley who writes horror. Caitlin Kiernan’s Blood Oranges brings darkly lyrical prose to her urban fantasy about a junkie turned werewolf-vampire hybrid.

Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy

“. . . while death troubles us, it also intrigues us. Death is the ultimate mystery, and contemplating does us good,” offers Lovejoy in her introduction to this fascinating book.

Death is a sensitive topic, yet death means something different to so many people, and death is not always the end.

Dead is dead, but some celebrities’ corpses have had pretty active and interesting afterlives. Part trivia and part history, Lovejoy shares these accounts in a factual and practical tone with just enough humor to make it an engaging and, at times, entertaining read. The book is organized by categories, with sources provided for each celebrity, and an introduction that lets readers know how this book came about. More than just a memory, these famous corpses are symbols of some sort and still possess meaning to the living, going beyond friends and family to include followers, admirers, institutions, and even enemies. Looking at the dead and their part in history lets readers know not just about the celebrity but the history surrounding that figure, information about the time and place, and changing attitudes toward death and mourning

Here are some tidbits:

-Of course, there is an Elvis sighting. Elvis Presley gets his own section, with Lovejoy documenting the facts surrounding his death and burial at Graceland Mansion, acknowledging the challenges and hoax claims made.

-Santa Claus has a section, which may sound silly, except Lovejoy focuses on Saint Nicholas, the saint he is based on and elaborates on the spread of his myth and legend.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romantic poet and Mary Shelley‘s husband, tragically drowned and was subsequently cremated. A friend plucked his heart out of the flames (believed to be), another friend preserved it in wine before returning it to Mary. An interestingly fitting end when the heart’s final resting place had special meaning to figures in the Romantic Era.

-Eva Perón (Evita)’s corpse had one of the strangest and longest journeys before resting. Her body was embalmed when she died in 1952 and secretly buried. With constant political upheavals, her body was moved and re-buried several times before finally coming back to Buenos Aires to rest in 1976

Look for Rest in Pieces in the VBPL Catalog. For more chronicles of corpses’ afterlife journeys, try Body of Work by Christine Montross and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.

Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

“Once upon a time. . .”

“. . . and they lived happily ever after. The end”

With these classic lines, we’re either talking about fairy tales or romances. It is not quite either. This is the story that comes after the supposed happily-ever-after, and the fairy tale world draws on older and darker folklore, more akin to Grimm’s fairy tales and the Mabinogion.

The story begins as a family’s living nightmare when teenager, Tara Martin, inexplicably disappears. Her family cannot find any trace of her, and Tara’s boyfriend is blamed for her disappearance. Eventually, everyone moves on with their own lives. After twenty years pass, Tara appears back home, barely aged in her absence. It should be a miracle, a dream come true, and a happily-ever-after ending to the tragic scenario, but it is only the beginning of this tale, especially with Tara insisting she spent only six months in the world of the fairies.

It seems fitting to call this literary fantasy. The lyrical and eloquent writing itself sets this book apart from typical fantasy. For all the magic and fairies present, there is no adventure, magic wands and tricks, or quest with heroes. Drawing from older traditions, it is an understated magic that is less about escapism but about making reality more vivid and real. Set in the real world and present day, it is Tara’s word against what is normal and expected. What follows is a rather realistic, very human, and, at times, heartbreaking account of the rehashing of old hurts, attempts to reconcile past and present, and efforts to make sense of the unbelievable.

The book becomes a fascinating character study. Tara is the mystery that the others try to solve. It is a jarring experience between memory and what is before their eyes. Readers see through the eyes of her therapist, her brother and his wife, and even Tara’s boyfriend--Outsiders and insiders, all trying to understand Tara and her outrageous-sounding claims. This multi-layered story is a Rip Van Winkle, Urashima Tarō, Oisin, and similar tales for contemporary times with present-day attitudes. It is not only about truth, what happened, and even Tara herself but also about how people see things.

Look for Some Kind of Fairy Tale on the VBPL Catalog. For more of Graham Joyce’s blending of magic into the everyday, real world, try How to Make Friends with Demons or Limits of Enchantment. Try Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan for fairy tales gone wrong.

Bro-Jitsu: the Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown by Daniel H. Wilson

Full title: Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown. 126 Techniques to Gain Family Domination.

Sibling rivalry elavated to an art form! This little tongue- in-cheek handbook gives you one of the more interesting (certainly creative) forms of “martial arts.”

Here is a bit of humor for those with siblings (either brothers or sisters), for the only child who may be glad now not to have siblings, for reminiscing over childhood antics, and for learning about techniques you may not have experienced (and should really be relieved you were spared).

This manual makes for a fun package and a quick read. There is a semi-serious martial arts theme to the whole book that actually works, taking it beyond a gimmicky title and premise. The 126 techniques for proper sibling smackdowns come complete with appropriate labels, a description of what it is and how do it, variations, illustrations sometimes, alternative names, additional pointers, and index of moves, all carefully organized into categories.

Just a fraction of the techniques available

Wilson maintains a balance between comedy and information. The tone is humorous, matter-of-fact, and fiendishly gleeful at times, giving readers plenty of laughs. Sometimes gross, but surprisingly not hard to imagine some child pulling those pranks. In line with martial arts codes, the book is not about promoting violence, emphasizing that siblings should not cross a line in tormenting each other. It acknowledges that sibling rivalry exists, that children play rough, and that kind of play can be a bonding experience.

Look for Bro-Jitsu in the VBPL Catalog. For more similarly humored handbooks by Wilson, try How to Survive a Robot Uprising and How to Build a Robot Army. Wilson has also written science fiction, Robopocalypse and Amped.

Dark Currents (Agent of Hel) by Jacqueline Carey

Vampires, werewolves, fairies, and demons. Just the kind of creatures you expect to find in paranormal fiction.

Except the Norse mythology connection (minus Thor).

Jacqueline Carey’s new urban fantasy series features those creatures and more, plus a half-breed hell-spawn heroine with anger management issues and her own little tail.

A Michigan resort town, Pemkowet, is a hotbed of paranormal activity and the site of an underworld, acting as a magnet for all sorts of supernatural creatures. The paranormal tourism bureau promotes fairy sightings and such. The incongruously-named Daisy is the half-demon heroine, and she works double duty as the police department’s file clerk and off-the-books liaison to the eldritch community and Norse goddess Hel’s enforcer. Usually that involves small matters until a college boy’s death occurs with strong indications of supernatural involvement. The police department requires Daisy to partner with a werewolf officer to solve the murder, since it means lynch mob possibilities for Pemkowet’s monsters if not resolved soon. Of course, things are never that straightforward, and Daisy finds herself juggling several things on her plate, and the murder case shows signs of deeper problems.

The book cover surprisingly avoids the usual urban fantasy images of midriff-baring heroines wearing painted-on clothing, which is a good indication of the story contained within. It’s not all witty banter, sassy comebacks, hot girls in high heels, and non-stop action scenes. The novel is well-written with engaging and carefully-developed characters (both humans and monsters), containing a strong plot and thoughtful ideas, remaining a fun read despite its dark subject matters. Like Carey’s previous works, Dark Currents does not stick to the usual rules and expectations of popular trends. She creates an interesting framework for the existence of many supernatural creatures with their struggles to co-exist with humans in the modern world,.

Carey takes a thoughtful approach to the monsters she writes about, especially Daisy who constantly struggles with her nature. Daisy makes for an interesting and insightful case for nature-vs-nurture: a naturally hot-tempered person whose emotional outbursts cause extensive damage to anything around her is raised by a kind-hearted mom who truly loves and stands up for her half-breed daughter. With Daisy’s line of work, she encounters other supernatural creatures, dealing with their own differences and living alongside humans. 

Look for Dark Currents on the VBPL Catalog. The sequel, Autumn Bones, comes out October 2013. Read Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire for urban fantasy with monsters in the real world and a feisty heroine to keep things in check and the Cassie Palmer series by Karen Chance (starting with Touch the Dark ) for more paranormal activity and half-breed demons.

Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant and The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin

I collect hobbies. Last Friday out of the blue, I got the itch to try my hand at terrarium design. Lucky for me, I work in the library and can find books on whatever topic strikes my fancy each day. My first attempts at terrarium craft were fun and the results varied. My 2 year old found the entire "playing in the dirt with mommy" process delightful.
I wouldn’t have known where to even begin this project without the help of 2 enlightening books. Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant and The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin. These titles were my guide throughout the entire process- from creative brainstorming to shopping for supplies.

Terrarium Craft and The New Terrarium are both modern takes on this age old process. Each title has its own strengths and together they provide a wonderfully rounded overview for the beginner.

I recommend Terrarium Craft for inspiration and ideas. This title is wonderful for visual learners who are looking to be motivated by beautiful design. All instructions and examples are depicted in stunning photography. If you are familiar with crafting books, this one follows the traditional layout with basic information in the front followed by specific project designs and instructions.

For a bit more insight into the art of terrarium design The New Terrarium is a wonderful in-depth resource tool. Here is where you can find information on plant selection, fertilizing, ventilation, etc. This book even devotes an entire chapter to "the venue" with detailed descriptions of bell jars, wardian cases, cloches, cold frames and more.

The next time you are feeling inspired visit VBPL to find just the right resource for all of your DIY or crafting needs. And if building a terrarium is on your to do list check out Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant and The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin during your next library visit.