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Book Review

Book: The Girl with the Make Believe Husband

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

               As a librarian, I come across a lot of books that I judge entirely by their cover. I’ve seen this book on the shelf of our new section several times and never thought to pick it up. It wasn’t until I decided to take on the quest of reading all of Julia Quinn’s novels that I ended up picking it back up. While it isn’t my favorite book of hers, it certainly fits her usual mold. If there’s one thing Julia Quinn is good at, it’s creating characters you can’t help but love.

               The Girl with the Make Believe Husband is the second book in the Rokesby series. The first book in the series, Because of Miss Bridgerton, tells the story of Billie Bridgerton and George Rokesby. This story is about his younger brother Edward, who is absent in Miss Bridgerton. He is, quite literally, missing.

               But now we get to uncover the truth of his whereabouts. This story isn’t just a romance, after all, it’s also a mystery.

               Our story’s heroine is Miss Cecelia Harcourt, fiercely loyal and a bit reckless. She jumps ship as soon as her brother goes missing in the Americas during the Revolutionary War. She sets out to find him, partially because they are very close, but also to get away from a possible marriage to the cousin set to inherit her brother’s title, should he not return from the war.

               Instead of finding her brother, she finds his closest friend, Edward. Edward is suffering from a head injury and the amnesia that comes along with these kinds of stories. Despite the cliché, it is surprisingly easy to love Edward. Even with his “for king and country” mindset. In a last-ditch effort to help Edward recover (and find out the truth about her brother), Cecilia does the unthinkable. Declares herself his wife. Shocking. It turns out the lie is easy to stick to, of course, when your “husband” can’t even remember you.

             The lie, however, eventually unravels as Edward recovers. But by the time that happens, he’s already fallen in love with his “wife.” And she with him. I won’t give anything else away, but they do eventually discover what Edward was up to before his amnesia-inducing injury, and they also uncover the truth about Cecelia’s missing brother. Though it isn’t my favorite of Julia Quinn’s novels, I did read it to the end, and it kept me sufficiently entertained. I am eager to see the completion of this trilogy when I get my hands on the third one. 

(Fun fact! I just discovered there’s a 4th book too!)

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Book Review

Book Review

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

               Sometimes when you start a series, you’re a bit indifferent about the first book. It’s the second or third that ties everything together nicely. In this case, I really liked the first book, Caraval. But Legendary still managed to tie the books together well. I actually really loved it.

               The first book tells the story from Scarlett Dragna’s perspective. This story takes place the night after the final book ends, but from her sister Donatella’s perspective. Donatella is fiercely protective, like her sister, but a bit on the rougher side. Where Scarlett was forced out of her comfort zone to ensure her sister’s safety, Tella jumps in with both fists ready and swinging.

               Since this story starts where the last one left off, we are immediately swept away into another Caraval. This time on the streets of the capital city to celebrate the empress’s birthday. Scarlett has no desire to join in the festivities, but Tella has no choice. She’s made a deal with a secret “friend.�� If she wins Caraval and tells her friend Legend’s true name, she’ll free her missing mother. If she fails, she and her mother both die.

               The difference between this Caraval and the one before? This one might actually be real.

               Tella’s story is a lot darker than Scarlett’s, though hers was no walk in the park either. The difference is that Scarlett’s story left a lot of mystery and questioning. You couldn’t guess what was real and what wasn’t. That’s not the case in Tella’s. She ends up a bit worse for wear and this time the stakes are much higher.

               Also unlike Scarlett, Tella vows to not be so easily persuaded by love. She has a less rosy outlook on the world but ultimately finds herself falling anyway. But is the man she’s beginning to love truly who he says he is? Or is he just another player in Legend’s game?

               My favorite thing about this story is that it isn’t over yet. The third book in the trilogy tied everything together nicely. I have already read it but I forgot to write a review. I can promise you I really enjoyed it, but it might be a bit too late to give my full thoughts on it now. Whoops.

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Because of Miss Bridgerton

Book Review

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

I have to admit, I was never a big fan of romances. So when a friend of mine recommended the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, I took a long time to get around to reading them. Now I also have to admit that I don’t know why I was so reluctant to read romances in the first place. I suppose it’s just because I haven’t always had the best luck with them. I don’t particularly enjoy contemporary romances, and I rarely find historical romances that are intriguing (and not off-putting). Romances always seem to fall into specific categories: steamy and ultimately unrealistic where the characters go at it like rabbits and somehow fall in love anyway, or the Christian fictions, where frankly, they're just a tad too chaste for me. There needs to be a balance, you see, and Julia Quinn seems to be good at maintaining that balance.

The first Julia Quinn book I’ve ever read was the introduction to the Bridgerton family, The Duke and I. I was surprised to find myself enjoying it, and eagerly searching to get my hands on the next one. Her characters are different from the run-of-the-mill heroines I’d come to expect from historical romances. They have a spark that seems a bit lacking in these genres. They are usually very strong-willed, outspoken, witty, and funny. There is the clear distinction of class and gender you’d expect from historical fiction, but the heroines are not dull.

Because of Miss Bridgerton, though starring a Bridgerton, is not part of the series. It is connected distantly, since the heroine, Billie, is the aunt of the Bridgerton siblings. It acts almost like a prequel but reading all of them is not required. In fact, they can all be read out of order if you don’t mind the odd spoiler or two (this prequel is spoiler-free).

Billie Bridgerton’s story is part of a separate trilogy about the Rokesby brothers. It takes place before the Regency era of the other Bridgerton books, during the Revolutionary War. Billie is witty, charming, and snarky. Characters frequently comment on her habit of wearing men’s clothing. She also helps run things since her brother, the Bridgerton heir (and father of the Bridgerton siblings) is still too young and is away at school. She isn't the type of female character who sits in a drawing-room working on her embroidery as she waits to be swept off her feet.

Her love interest, George Rokesby, isn’t your usual hero either. He’s not a soldier like his brothers (though he does harbor some deep desire to do his part for king and country), and he finds Billie rather, well, annoying. The feeling is mutual. They are an unlikely couple, who are thrown together with the help of a cat, a twisted ankle, and a fallen ladder.

Though the characters fall in love throughout the story, it doesn’t feel like a typical historical romance. You can’t help but love Billie in all her clever and charming ways, and you can’t help but love George either (even though he’s a bit of a grump). The romance scenes are steamy, but not overwhelming. The story itself is more important than their race to get into bed with each other. You can’t help but root for them.

I wouldn’t call it my favorite of Julia Quinn’s novels, but it’s an easy afternoon read that you can get through quickly (and enjoy in the process). And I'd like to thank Julia Quinn for teaching me a valuable lesson about romances; I actually really like them.

Excerpt

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I just wanted to pop in and apologize for the hiatus. I’ve had some not-so-great personal things happening and had to take some time off. I also haven’t been reading very much lately. However! I have a pretty big backlog of book reviews from when I undertook a “Read every Bridgerton novel” quest and I’m working on some new cryptid articles I’ll hopefully have up soon!

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Book Review

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

   Practical Magic has been one of my favorite movies since I was a kid. However, I never actually knew it was based on a book. That is, I didn’t know until I learned there was a prequel called The Rules of Magic, which I was able to find at my library. When I got my hands on it, I devoured it. I’ve already written a review in which I gush about how much I loved it. So I was thrilled when I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of Practical Magic.

   First things first, I went into this book as a fan of the movie, and it’s always important to separate the books and the films. There will still be things that are different, and the movie will always hold a special place in my heart. My only real disappointment with this book was that it felt less magical than both the film and the prequel. In The Rules of Magic, Frannie and Jet are fully aware that they’re witches. Witchcraft is part of their soul. And they’re navigating a world in which the curse prevents them from being with the people they love. Well, at least they’re trying to find loopholes.

   The curse is actually not present in the book, Practical Magic. Though Sally’s dreamy (okay I thought he was cute in the movie, alright?) husband meets an untimely death, which is predicted by a deathwatch beetle, they don’t seem as plagued by such a curse. In fact, no spell conjures up the perfect (and curse immune) man for Sally. Sally doesn’t believe in magic at all. Even Gillian and Kylie, who are more attuned to their magic than Sally and Antonia, don’t really acknowledge it beyond a general belief in ghosts (and Kylie’s supernatural ability to read people).

   That being said, Practical Magic felt slightly less… well magical. It isn’t that I thought the book was bad or didn’t enjoy reading it. It’s just that I went into it already influenced by what I’d seen in the film and what I’d read in the prequel. If I had to choose between Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, I would definitely choose the latter. In fact, I’ll probably buy a copy to keep at home because I loved it so much. Practical Magic was written in much the same way, but I’m a girl who loves books about witches, and even though Sally and Gillian (and Antonia and Kylie) are technically witches, I didn’t feel like they’d gotten in touch with those aspects of their lives.

   Actually, I felt like there was so much more to the story. I want to know what happens to them after the story ends. I want more magic and witchcraft. Basically, I just want Alice Hoffman to write us a sequel and give us the witches we deserve. Since we already know the story of Frannie and Jet, and Sally and Gillian, perhaps it’s Antonia and Kylie’s turn (just throwing that out there).

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Book Review

A Whole New World

By Liz Braswell

   I’m a pretty big Disney nerd (no surprise there), so I was really excited when I came across Liz Braswell’s “twisted tales” in my library. However, I was a bit reluctant and turned off by the usual “twisted” version of Disney classics. When I picked up the book, I expected a darker version of an already familiar story, but that’s not what this is. The “twist” is really just a different story entirely, set in a familiar land with familiar characters. This story serves to answer a question some (but not me) may have asked.

   What would have happened if Jafar got the genie’s lamp?

   Though this is an official Disney book, it is a bit darker than you’d expect. Actually, the biggest issue I had with the book was not the writing itself. It was whoever checked it out before me. They were apparently disturbed by Aladdin saying the word “piss” and decided to do a little editing.

   Please do not do that to library books.

   Okay, getting back on track. Aside from the irritating breaks in which I fumed about someone’s censoring, I really enjoyed this book. This isn’t the story of a prince finding magic and falling in love with a princess. This is a story of a city revolting against a tyrannical leader (with a magic lamp). Your old favorite characters are still present. Genie is just as snarky as ever, though he’s definitely a bit more troubled. The magic carpet makes an appearance, Abu is there. Even the surly guard Rasaul is a minor character.

   But I feel I must warn you. Some of these characters meet dark fates. And one character is nearly missing from the book entirely. But only because they’ve already been murdered.

   There were a few scenes that hurt my poor Disney heart, and yes, it is a bit darker than you’d expect from a Disney story. But the characters are brought back to life in new and exciting ways, and you get to really delve into Agrabah’s troubled society to get to know them a little better. It wasn’t what I expected from a “twisted Disney” tale. And trust me when I say that’s a good thing.

   This is the first book in the Twisted Tales series. I have yet to read the other ones, so I can’t say how they will all turn out. But A Whole New World has certainly caught my interest.

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Book Review

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

YA

   Caraval was recommended to me by a library patron as she was checking out the sequel. I like to take recommendations from patrons and co-workers, but I don’t always read them. Sometimes I just don’t have the time, or I have too many other books to read before they’re due back. But this one happened to come at the right moment, and I actually got to jump right in.

   The story is about a girl named Scarlett who is arranged to be married to a count that she’s never met. She hopes that this marriage will save her and her beloved sister Donatella from their horribly abusive father, who hurts the other sister whenever one misbehaves. Scarlett’s childhood dream was to see the magical Caraval performances. Her grandmother told her and her sister numerous stories about the mysterious festival and its ringleader, Legend.

   Over the years, Scarlett has written Legend many letters in the hopes that he would bring Caraval to her cut-off island, but when he does not respond, she stops trying. That is until she’s to be married to the unnamed count. And this time, Legend writes back. He sends her three tickets into Caraval. One for Scarlett, one for Donatella, and one for her fiancé.

   But Scarlett is hesitant to leave home so close to her wedding because she knows the consequences will be deadly. Probably for Donatella. Either way, she has no choice in the matter when Donatella enlists the help of a sailor to sneak both girls off the island and whisk them away to Caraval.

   But Caraval isn’t just a magical festival. It’s also a game. And when Scarlett and the sailor arrive, Donatella is nowhere to be found. The game for this year’s Caraval is to find Donatella and win a single wish from Legend. Scarlett is determined to find her sister, not just to get to her wedding on time and protect them both, but because failing to win the game can cost Donatella her life.

   I really enjoyed this book, and I wish I knew which patron recommended it to me so I could thank her. Garber’s writing style is flowery, but not to the point of being distracting. She has a way of describing everything with colors, which is apparently a unique trait of Scarlett’s (to see colors in emotions). It makes for a vivid story. The plot flows along with a good, steady pace and there are quite a few good twists that make you want to keep reading.

   Caraval has a sequel called Legendary that I’ve already brought home from the library. I haven’t started it yet since I’m working through another book, but I’m eager to shove my current book aside and continue Scarlett and Donatella’s story.

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Book Review

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Prequel of Practical Magic

   I’ve been a massive fan of the movie Practical Magic since I was a kid. My sister and I always claimed we were Sally and Gillian. Two peas in a pod. One a bit bookish and quiet. The other a bit more wild and adventurous. I’ve never actually read the book, though. Through no fault of mine. My library doesn’t have a copy, and every time I go into the other library nearby, it’s checked out. We do, however, have a copy of Alice Hoffman’s newest book, The Rules of Magic. Practical Magic’s prequel.

   I don’t know a lot about the book, Practical Magic, so my understanding of the Owens family first comes from the movie. What I know about the aunts, Frannie and Jet, comes from that. And it turns out, I knew very little. I knew they were sisters, lived in a big beautiful old house, and they were witches. Frannie was a bit more stern, and Jet was soft and sweet. But they were everything me and my sister (the Gillian to my Sally) wanted to be when we grew up. Witches who drink margaritas at midnight, owned lots of black cats, traded spells for money, and lived in a big beautiful old house by the sea. Despite what I did know, I still had a lot of questions. How were they related to Sally and Gillian? Did the curse break their hearts too?

   Their story is much deeper than I knew, and Hoffman does a wonderful job of bringing them to life. Frannie and Jet grew up in New York City with their equally witchy brother (Sally and Gillian’s grandfather). Magic was actually (mostly) forbidden to them, but being that they were Owens’s, they quickly found their way back to it and broke all of their mother’s rules. Namely the first one. To never fall in love.

   There is tragedy laced throughout their story (thanks to that awful curse), but two of the three siblings find a loophole that allows them to be with their lovers. For a time. The prose is well written and captivating. It’s been some time since I read it, but I loved every second of it. As a fan of the movie, Practical Magic, I wasn’t disappointed at all. In fact, now I’m even more desperate to get my hands on a copy of Sally and Gillian’s book.

In short, I loved this book and I plan on buying a copy as soon as I can.

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   I first got my hands on this book several years ago. It was an audiobook that was given to me by someone I can’t even remember. I only got through the first few chapters before I lost it and didn’t pick it up again until now. I only remembered a few things. 1. It was about an alien invasion. 2. There was a scene with coyotes on a porch. And 3. It took place in the San Bernardino Mountains where I grew up.

   Number 3 was the number one reason why I decided to pick it up again. It’s not often that I come across media that takes place in my hometown. I’m now 800 miles away in another state, and I miss home dearly. I also really love alien invasions and coyotes.

   In short. I wanted to love this book.

   I was disappointed though.

   The book starts out promising. The main character Molly Sloan is a writer with a tragic past. She and her husband live in the mountains and are apparently in love. They say this frequently but do not really show it in actions. It could easily be attributed to the fact that they’ve been married for seven years or so, but who knows.

   Anyway, Molly has trouble sleeping one night due to this incredibly loud rain. She gets up and notices that the rain is bioluminescent. There’s the scene with the coyotes on her front porch that seem to be hiding from something in the woods and treat her as a comrade rather than an intruder. This is the scene that I remembered the most vividly from the audiobook. And it was what initially caught my interest. It's eerie and intriguing. In a misleading sort of way.

   The invasion quickly gets underway. These aliens like to mess with their victims psychologically, rather than just the apparent terraforming they’re performing with the rain (that smells like semen, by the way). Molly and her husband Neil head into town to find other survivors. The story was still pretty promising throughout most of it. Molly has a lot of suspicions and speculations. Some of them turn out to be real, and some of them don’t. Some aliens are a fungus that grow legs and scream like humans. Some are insect-like. Some have wings and faces in their hands. She and Neil decide to round up all the children in town and become their protectors since their parents are dead, taken, or don't care enough to try and protect them. They’re led by a highly intelligent dog named Virgil.

   Virgil’s namesake should have been the first clue as to what this story was really about. I’m not going to get into too much detail just to avoid spoilers. But I’m referring to Virgil as he appears in the Devine Comedy as Dante’s guide through Hell.

   That being said, the ending caught me off guard. And not in a good way. I’m not a big fan of Dean Koontz’s work. I have to admit, I’ve never actually read any of his work before. I was already irritated by his inability just to say what he needs to say. He likes unnecessarily long language. Sometimes a whole paragraph is used just to say one thing. You can get through an entire page of writing only for two things to have happened. I understand that it’s a writing style thing, and some people love their flowery language. But it got old fast. Especially when trying to describe something that is wholly unnatural and (literally) alien. We didn’t need that many descriptors. Sometimes the descriptions were so stacked on top of each other that it became even more difficult to imagine what it looked like. If you want to make it seem like a Lovecraftian horror, then maybe just say that.

   If I had to describe this book in two words, I would choose “religious propaganda” and call it a day. I came here for an alien invasion, and all I got was another retelling of a Christian myth that seems really popular with horror writers (looking at you, Stephen King).

   So I mean, if you want to read about the Rapture disguised as an alien invasion, be my guest. But it wasn’t my cup of tea.

[indigowritesthings]

Book: How Not to Kill Your Houseplant: Survival Tips for the Horticulturally Challenged

Author: Veronica Peerless

Genre: Nonfiction/Gardening

   I always pictured my dream house full of plants. The only problem is that I’m terrible at keeping them alive. Every time I get a new houseplant, I promise myself that I’ll learn how to take care of it correctly. I follow instructions to the T, but I always fail. I even killed my cactus (we named him Rocket).

   As it turns out, being too diligent can also kill your plants. The trick isn’t having a strict watering schedule; it is just learning what your individual plant needs. You need to determine what’s best for them and find plants that work best for you and your environment.

   Each person at the library I work at has their own assigned nonfiction section. You can imagine, with my black thumb, how horrified I was to discover I was assigned to the gardening section. Thankfully, my job doesn’t require me to know anything about plants. I just have to keep the section organized, fill displays with pretty books, and request new ones when the old ones are weeded out.

   Requesting new gardening books has become much more fun than I thought it would be. I frequently browse Amazon for the best new (and pretty) books. Partially looking for books that would look nice on display, but also for books that would do well for people in my climate and community.

   How Not to Kill Your Houseplants stood out to me right away. Not only does it have an attractive cover, but it also speaks to me personally (the person who killed a cactus). I was overjoyed when the book was ordered, and I got my hands on it. In fact, I’m the first person to check it out.

   Reading a gardening book may not seem like much fun (especially if you’re not much of a gardener), but I weirdly couldn’t put it down. I read every section and was actually disappointed that it wasn’t longer. I wanted to learn more. Either way, it turned out to be one of my greatest finds. I’m glad my higher-ups at the library thought it would make a good addition to my section.

   In this book, you’ll find great tips on keeping your plants alive. But the best thing about the suggestions is that they’re not generalized with a strict watering schedule. There are pages on specific plants, what kind of environments they do best in, what their needs are, and what to look out for. For being such a small book, the information is pretty extensive. By the time I finished reading, I felt like my chances of actually keeping a plant alive increased (probably).

   Of course, I need to research the specific plant I buy. But the book helped me narrow down the ones that will work best in my house, with my lack of sunlight, hard water, and dramatic temperature swings. The problem, it turns out, was that I hadn’t learned how to “listen” to my plant. Plants are pretty good at telling you what they need, and no strict schedules are going to help if you don’t take the time to get to know the plant.

   Thanks to this book, I feel much more confident in my gardening skills. I know I have a long way to go before my house looks like the forest home of my dreams, but I know which plants I’m going to buy next and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to keep them alive for longer. RIP Rocket.

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Review Montana Shakespeare in the Parks

Othello and Love’s Labour’s Lost

Othello

   As an English major, I’ve spent the last four years of my life studying Shakespeare. I have to admit, I started my journey with a bit of reluctance. In high school, I found Shakespeare overdone and hard to follow along with. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate who he was and what he created. Despite that, I’ve never actually seen Shakespeare performed. Unless you count endless film versions of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. And my one brief stint as Benvolio before the anxieties of high school overwhelmed me and forced me out of drama class.

   There’s something different about seeing Shakespeare performed live. And something oddly humbling about watching the performance under the sky in a park. The actors in the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks are incredible. I can’t imagine what it must be like to perform the same play over and over in different places and give every single performance your all. The emotions felt raw and powerful. They were believable and enchanting. Even the costumes and the stage were beautifully made. Perhaps the most unexpected thing about this performance is that my nine-year-old son couldn’t take his eyes off the stage. This is the child I can barely make sit through a TV episode.

   His favorite character was Othello, by the way. He described the performance as, “So cool.”

   If a nine-year-old and his English major mom think your play is “so cool,” you’re doing a great job.

   The great thing about Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is that we get to watch them again the next night for Love’s Labour’s Lost. We can’t wait.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

   I have to admit, I’m not very familiar with Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost (that’s a lot of apostrophes). I’ve spent a lot of time studying Shakespeare, but it’s evident that I’ve just barely scratched the surface of his work. Strangely enough, I’d never even HEARD of this play before going to see Montana Shakespeare in the Parks perform it. So I honestly had no idea what to expect.

   What I got was an evening of laughter and Shakespeare. The actors already showed me how incredibly talented they were the night before with the tragic Othello, but they’re also hilarious. And gloriously gifted when it comes to comedic timing and adding bits of modern humor to make the story connect with the audience. The costumes also had a more modern flair and were made in such a way that you could tell the characters apart even when they were played by the same actors. The actors included the audience in some parts too, even going so far as to include one’s name in a song (which became a bit of a running joke throughout the play).

   My nine-year-old said Othello was still his favorite (he was hangry throughout most of the play after a failed mission for bagels). But the both of us had such a great time. I didn’t want it to end (and he only wanted it to end so we could track down those bagels). This was my first experience with Shakespeare in the Parks, even though they’ve been bringing Shakespeare to 5 different states for 46 years. All I can really say is that whoever came up with the idea is brilliant, and I can’t wait to see what they do next summer. You’d better believe we’ll both be in the audience cheering them on.

[indigowritesthings]

Hey, so I actually have a TON of backed up posts to share. For some reason, Tumblr still isn’t letting me post them with images (the case of the infinite loading symbol). I have every intention of keeping this blog regularly updated, but I have no idea what to do to be able to share my posts. I worked very hard on the images and don’t want to see them go to waste. I’ll get this blog going again as soon as I fix the issue.

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For a cheap entrance fee of $3 for adults and $1 for children 10 and under, the Mothman Museum is a perfect place to stop for inexpensive cryptozoology fun when visiting Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The museum has all things Mothman on display, including: police reports from the original Mothman sightings, video footage of the Silver Bridge collapse, props used in the Mothman Prophecies movie, information about the Men in Black, and more! 

For more photos and information, visit their website. The gift shop is online as well, and you can visit it here for all your Mothman needs.

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For many people, thoughts of fairies usually conjure up images of tiny winged tricksters who grant wishes. But according to legend, fairies are anything but sweet. These are creatures who are neither good nor bad but have their own set of rules that differ greatly from our own. Even a wish with the kindest of intentions can be exchanged for a cruel and sometimes deadly price.

One of the more terrifying of these creatures is the banshee, the weeping woman. The banshee's origins are odd in that they often contradict. Some legends claim that banshees are fairies who are connected to prominent Irish families. Others describe them as the spirits of women who died violent deaths. Regardless of what they are, the banshee is a creature with the undeniable power to strike fear through the heart of whoever hears her.

For good reason. A banshee only cries for one purpose. Death.

Most legends claim the banshee to be a kindly figure. With her fairy or spirit abilities, she is able to predict the death of a beloved family member. Her wailing serves as either a warning or representation of her own grief.

Some legends are not so benevolent. There are others who believe the banshee is celebrating the death of someone she despises. Instead of warning them of their impending death, she is ensuring that their last moments are filled with the tormenting sounds of her screams.

Like most fairies, the banshee can take many different forms. She often appears as a young woman running a comb through white or red hair, or an old hag with a terrifying face draped in a robe of the dead. She may also take the form of an animal, like a crow or a weasel, which is a common trait among fairies.

The wailing woman myth is not unique to Ireland, however. Scotland's Bean Nighe is the washing woman who appears before battle, washing blood from the clothes of the soon-to-be-dead. The Welsh Cyhyraeth is a skeletal or invisible figure who calls the name of the victim from their window or warns of their death as they approach a river. The weeping woman legend can be found in other cultures as well. Latin American lore refers to her as La Llorona, the woman who weeps for her lost children.

Whether she is a lamenting fairy or a vengeful spirit, she is a creature that no one wants to meet. A warning wail or a joyful keen, if you hear her cry it can only mean one thing. You, or someone you love, is going to die.

[indigowritesthings]

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[indigowritesthings]

Legends of spectral black dogs are fairly common throughout many different cultures, especially in Europe. Stories of these creatures range from benevolent dogs who aid lost travelers and protect women from violence to the malevolent black dogs that are harbingers of death or representations of the devil himself.

Black dog legends are particularly prevalent in the British Isles, where reports of sightings have dotted the islands for centuries. The earliest reports are unknown since stories of their misdeeds have been weaved into legend throughout history.

Some believe the black dogs are spirits, demons, or hellhounds. It is believed that seeing (or even hearing the bark of) a black dog signifies an impending death. Usually your own. The green-hued Cù Sìth of the Scottish highlands is said to let out three terrifying barks. If you do not make it to safety by the third bark, the creature will drag you away to the fairy mounds. Or you just die from sheer terror. Others believe the black dogs are symbols of luck. Church Grims, for example, protect graveyards from thieves, witches, and vandals. Some legends tell of an opposing white dog that is said to protect people from the fatal lure of the black dog.

These creatures go by many names, Church Grim, Padfoot, Cù Sìth, Kirk, and Grim. In Suffolk, he is known as the Black Shuck. A large hellhound with glowing embers for eyes.

In August of 1577, a black dog broke through the doors of the St. Mary’s church amidst a clap of thunder. Lightning had struck the church’s steeple, causing it to collapse. Three people were injured in the beast’s rampage, and two of them did not survive.

Twelve miles away The Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh was also attacked at nearly the same time. This black dog (if it is not the same one) killed three people on its way through the congregation and left scorch marks on the door that are still visible to this day.

The legend of the black devil dog has stayed strong throughout the centuries. New interest was sparked in 2014 when archaeologists apparently uncovered the body of a seven-foot-tall canine in the ruins of a Suffolk church. The dog, however, was likely a Newfoundland and probably the friendly companion of church officials, rather than an actual hellhound.

Even though proof of the legendary Black Shuck remains a mystery, it has undoubtedly left its mark on history. Both literally and figuratively.

[indigowritesthings]

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