#Terry Townsend's Story

[conwayscreaturecreation]

Greetings, I am the random question asker. I am here to give you (from now on) a daily question!

Question of the day:

Can Terry Townsend swim, and how good is he at it?

[sleepyhead-poll]

LIST OF REJECTED CHARACTER (SO FAR)

Under the cut is a list of characters who, so far, have been rejected. I am also listing the reason on why they are being rejected:

The following list of 5 characters have been rejected for falling more under the category of characters who have been comatose / hibernated / been in a deep slumber:

Aurora from Disney's Sleeping Beauty [NOTE: While Aurora from Disney's Sleeping Beauty herself is not accepted, other variations from the Sleeping Beauty story HAVE been accepted such as Shrek's Sleeping Beauty and Silver from Twisted Wonderland. The reason why this specific version of Sleeping Beauty isn't accepted is because her sleeping was not a part of her characterization- she basically just fell into a magical coma- but the accepted versions DO have sleeping as part of their characterization.]

Cthulhu from The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft

Flayn from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

He Xuan from Tian Guan Ci Fu / Heaven Official's Blessing

Robin from Fire Emblem: Awakening

The following list of 2 characters have been rejected for falling under the category of "one-off joke", i.e., their sleepy trait was a joke in part chapter or episode and not a consistent part of their character: (If I am incorrect and there are multiple instances throughout the work they appear in that alludes to them being a sleepyhead, feel free to send it to me and I will un-reject them)

Crowley from Good Omens, specifically the book by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Pavel Iwaszkiewicz from Community

The following list of 2 characters have been rejected for being from real life:

Every cat [NOTE: Dude I literally said not to submit yourself or pets from real life. I know not every cat is a pet, but come on.]

The country of Montenegro [NOTE: Okay this was a funny submission but sorry. Not counting real people... or countries.]

The following list of 3 characters have powers that have to do with sleep, but don't seem to be a sleepyhead themselves:

Enmu from Demon Slayer

Faruzan from Genshin Impact

Sumireko Usami from Touhou Project

And finally, the following list of 4 characters are the rest of the rejected characters. I will list the reason why under their name:

Blathers from Animal Crossing. I haven't played Animal Crossing, but from what I can tell this character isn't actually sleepy, they're just nocturnal so have an opposite sleep schedule as the player.

Greece / Heracles Karpusi from Hetalia Invoking my "right to reject any submission". You could not pay me to accept a Hetalia / country personification into this poll.

Jack Townsend from Tales from the Gas Station Seems like an interesting book! But he seems to be an insomniac, which is the opposite of a sleepy character.

Sleepy Dwarf Character from Once Upon a Time (in Space) by the Mechanisms The submitter said they didn't remember their name which is why I said "sleepy dwarf character" instead of Sleepy or whatever their name is because I'm not sure if that is their name. I would appreciate it if you know the name of a character you are submitting. If they don't have a name, chances are that they are such a minor character that I don't think they should count. Not always, but usually. Supported by the fact that when I tried to Google the character I could barely find any information on them except that they sang on verse in one song in this entire album.

[newmusicradionetwork]

Helen Townsend ‘Is This Love’

Australian Americana artist Helen Townsend is that rare artist who can make large venues feel like lounge rooms. Get comfy and lean into her richly lyrical songs, get up and dance, sing along because she’s singing about you, fall in love with the stagecraft — whatever your desire, it’s all good because it’s just you and Helen. When the lights go up no one will ever know. Townsend’s new single, ‘Is This Love’, asks the age-old question, the one we’ve all wanted answered sometime or another. Dressed up in irresistible honky tonk blues, ‘Is This Love’ is an instant dance-floor filler and the first leg of a musical oeuvre that has Townsend at the peak of her powers and will have audiences beaming and calling out for more. Helen Townsend may have been late in picking up the tools of her trade but in a short time she has shown herself to be a master craftsman in a field too often crowded with cowboy-booted jacks and jills of all trades. Her sweet voice and tender picking rubs against songs that are filled with characters living with the costly results of impulsive choices and memories that just won’t let go. Her music takes you on a journey through beautiful valleys, coastal plains and soaring over mountains with a few deep, dark tunnels to keep you grounded. She has carved out a reputation for edgy Americana music – one that has pushed the genre’s boundaries from roots-rock through blues and country to folk – with her upcoming album, Helen has broadened her style and flair even more so with catchy new melodies, tight harmonies and personal stories and lyrics that hook into your heart and tear up your soul. The new album builds from her previous 2 EP’s and her debut album, which scored her multiple awards and nominations including winner of WA Country Music Award for Best Emerging Artist and Song of the year. Townsend has continued to extend her musical influence with her recent US shows and was part of the Sounds Australia Showcase at the coveted Americanafest in Nashville.  All this on top of the US launch of her EP “Love, Lies ‘n’ Leaving” which found its way into the FAI top 10 Folk albums chart in the US for September 2022 has increased Helens popularity in Australia and abroad. The video for the single is pure Americana nostalgia with Townsend and band arriving via a classic car to tear things up at a swinging rock ‘n’ roll bar. Through out it, we see Townsend question ‘Is This Love’ with her partner and fellow Australian musician Shannon Smith, as they share a dance, cocktails and eventually make plans to meet again. Much of Townsend’s forthcoming new album has been inspired by her new relationship with Shannon Smith, who has also channelled their love for each other in his own upcoming music project, both albums being written respectively from their different sides of the relationship, as these two musicians forged their bond. Helen Townsend releases ‘Is This Love’ on 26th September 2023.  Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Helen Townsend Song Title: Is This Love Publishing: Helen Townsend Publishing Affiliation: APRA Album Title: Is This Love Record Label: Helen Townsend Music Publicity/PR: Cannonball PR Terry Emm 44 078 7191 7774 terry@cannonballpr.com Manager: Towns End Events Jo Brown 61 476 383 386 admin@townsendevents.com.au Booking Agent: Towns End Events Jo Brown 61 476 383 386 admin@townsendevents.com.au Read the full article

[weirdsciencecomics]

Amazing Spider-Man #14 Review

Amazing Spider-Man #14 Review

Written by: Zeb WellsArt by: Michael Dowling, Kyle Hotz, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, Ryan Stegman, Tim Townsend, J.P. MayerColors by: Richard Isanove, Dan Brown, Terry Dodson, Matt HollingsworthLetters by: VC’s Joe CaramagnaCover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio MenyzCover price: $4.99Release date: November 23, 2022 Amazing Spider-Man #14 recounts a multi-season story about Ben…

[kerloncollector]

The utterly utterly merry comic relief christmas book

THE UTTERLY UTTERLY MERRY COMIC RELIEF CHRISTMAS BOOK SERIES

THE UTTERLY UTTERLY MERRY COMIC RELIEF CHRISTMAS BOOK TV

MEMBER: Cambridge Footlights Club, which also produced Monthy Python's John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Graham Chapman.ĪWARDS, HONORS: Best Books for Young Adults List, American Library Association (ALA), 1980, for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

THE UTTERLY UTTERLY MERRY COMIC RELIEF CHRISTMAS BOOK SERIES

Hobbies and other interests: Purchasing equipment for recreations he would like to take up, playing acoustic guitar, scuba diving, fiddling with computers.ĬAREER: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), London, producer and scriptwriter for "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" radio and television series, beginning 1978, script editor for television series "Doctor Who," 1978-80 writer, 1978-2001. Douglas Adams complained that, as a result, considerably less money was raised for famine relief.ĭouglas Adams, Rowan Atkinson, Glen Baxter, Michael Bywater, Graham Chapman, Nobby Clarke, Ron Cobb, Richard Curtis, Angus Deayton, Adrian Edmonson, Michael Fishwick, Michael Foreman, Stephen Fry, Kim Fuller, George Harrison, Michael Heath, Lenny Henry, Ian Hislop, Caroline Holden, Richard Ingrams, Antony Jay, Guy Jenkin, Gray Jolliffe, Terry Jones, Trevor Leighton, John Lloyd, Jonathan Lynn, Thomas Mann, Rik Mayall, Lise Mayer, Michael Palin, Geoffrey Perkins, Stephen Pile, Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan, Griff Rhys Jones, Posy Simmonds, Mel Smith, The Spitting Image Workshop, Sue Townsend, Bill Tidy, John Wells.PERSONAL: Born March 11, 1952, in Cambridge, England died of an apparent heart attack, May 11, 2001, in Santa Barbara, CA son of Christopher Douglas (a management consultant) and Janet (a nurse maiden name, Donovan, present surname, Thrift) Adams married Jane Elizabeth Belson, 1991 children: Polly Jane Rocket. Collins held the rights to print certain versions of the Bible and it was threatened that these would be withdrawn. Eventually they prevented the book from being reprinted by applying pressure on the publisher, Collins. They picketed bookshops and threatened to sue for blasphemy. Christian groups took offence, and attempted to get the book withdrawn. Nicholas Winterton MP led a campaign to ask W.H. Jesus' Birthday in which Jesus is portrayed as a grumpy and mischievous child in a modern household.The Young Ones' Nativity Play in which the characters from The Young Ones act out the nativity story in typically irreverent style.This tells the story of the nativity night from the point of view of a sheep that gets eaten as part of the celebrations, and therefore has a slightly jaundiced view of the whole affair. The Gospel According to a Sheep by Richard Curtis with additions by Douglas Adams.In line with its Christmas theme the book contained several pieces based on the Christian nativity story, including: The book has never been reprinted following its initial print run, as a result of religious censorship. The book promised that profits would be distributed "80% to SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND and OXFAM for famine relief and 20% to Charity Projects to support young people faced with the problems of drug abuse, homelessness and disability here in Britain."

THE UTTERLY UTTERLY MERRY COMIC RELIEF CHRISTMAS BOOK TV

Tie-ins to popular TV comedies of the day including Yes Minister, The Young Ones and Spitting Image.A New Decade of Heroic Failures, an exclusive addition to Stephen Pile's Book of Heroic Failures.Adrian Mole's Christmas, an addition to Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series (later included in The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole).Besides the novella Young Zaphod Plays it Safe and the short story " The Private Life of Genghis Khan", which have since appeared in The Salmon of Doubt, the book also contains Adams' short story "A Christmas Fairly Story" (written in collaboration with Terry Jones) and three supplements to The Meaning of Liff. The book is of particular interest to fans of Douglas Adams' work as it contains several items written by him which are hard to find or exclusive to the collection.

[littleredhatwriting]

Writblr Introduction

Hi all! Please, call me Red!

I’m a geeky scribbler with a love of satire, comedy, parody, history and Steampunk/Victoriana. My pronouns are she/her, and I am in my 30s.

Authors I love, and who have been my greatest influences, include Terry Pratchett, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Douglas Adams, Sue Townsend, Oscar Wilde, Dante Alighieri, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm.

I hugely appreciate constructive feedback on all of my work, as well as general polite interaction from readers. It always makes my day. So please, don’t be shy!

Plus, if you do enjoy my work, please consider reblogging it!

__________________________

My Projects

The Huxley Letters

A Steampunk romance/adventure story, born out of roleplay letters with a friend. The noble-born Lady Clara Huxley, trapped in a miserable marriage, longs to escape through travel. Through her various voyages on the airship Aurora with her loyal crew, new worlds are opened up to her in more ways than one. However, some things still anchor her to her tragic past. Clara confides in an American acquaintance through a series of letters, detailing both her global travels, and her life’s journey.

Other Original Works

A range of miscellaneous poetry, one-off stories and other works can be found on my writing profiles.

Please see this post for my fanfiction!

______________________________________________________________

Where to Read My Stuff

ABCtales: LittleRedHat

Archive of Our Own: Little_Red_Hat

Thank you all! Have an amazing day!

[ijustkindalikebooks]

You know, the world is anxiety inducing place, and though I believe we need to educated ourselves on how we got here, we also need to find a place of our own so we can get ourselves out of here, that's the joy of books, that no matter what you pick up it can take you somewhere, somewhere knowledgeable, somewhere far away, somewhere close, somewhere better. I hope you have your better.

These are the books that were my favourites this month.

Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 6 (Omnibus Edition) by Hiromu Arakawa - I am now close to the end of the series and let me tell you, I am invested in these two brothers. The plot now is so good and keeps moving, the characters are perfection and the artwork, the artwork just pulls it all together. I think there's another series that follows on from this one and I want to read that too, I just really appreciate where the story is going now and can't wait to pick up more!

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - a well talked about book, I think, Firekeeper's Daughter had me gripped, those last hundred pages took some time off my life I was almost having palpitations. The story of a girl with a life on and off reservation that's asked to become a confidential informant about drug trafficking, this book is gripping, brilliant and leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat. This author writes like it happened, and I will read anything by her now.

Hollowpox: The Hunt of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend - The ending of this third book, I believe the last of three trilogies of books in this series is haunting me and keeping me in suspense for Silverborn that comes out later this year. That line where it talks about Morrigan thinking back on it when she's older the decision leaves me dreading but also crossing every part of my body for her, I am not ready for anything that is to come.

Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie - When listening to this, I thought there's no way after watching the TV show with my nan of this and the film and the other dramatisations of this that you could ever hook me into this book. I was wrong. This book gives until the very end, it's intense, it's dramatic and left me totally distracted while I was working, it's just so so good. I am enjoying Agatha right now, and this is by far my favourite so far.

Winter In Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin - I am fond of the slice of life books about women, be that Convenience Store Woman or this, which is the story of a young woman who has returned to her village after university and taken a job looking after a hotel and her relationship with a french guest who comes to stay. There's just something incredibly captivating and eerie about this book that pulls you in but also something that feels like you're watching something unfold that makes for a book that you just fall into.

EDIT: The Left-Handed Booksellers Of London by Garth Nix - I finished this book late last night and found it an incredible adventure that races across London and the Lake District with three distinct and fun characters that I can't wait to read more of. Merlin, Vivien and Susan are just such an amazing trio to read and the plot kept me hooked until the very end. I loved this book and definitely want to read more Garth Nix now!

My TBR coming up:

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie.

Jingo by Terry Pratchett

The Bangalore Detective's Club by Harini Nagrendra (ARC).

What are you reading in April? What were your favourite books of March?

Vee xo

[tlatollotl]

The goddess Mayahuel, depicted in the Codex Magliabechiano, 16th century © Bridgeman Images.

Everything you thought you knew about the Aztecs is wrong. Or, as Camilla Townsend more tactfully puts it at the start of her wonderful new book: ‘The Aztecs would never recognize themselves in the picture of their world that exists in the books and movies we have made.’

The picture to which Townsend refers is perhaps best symbolised for British readers by the image on the cover of the original Angry Aztecs volume in Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories series (1997): a cartoon depicts an Aztec warrior holding a fresh human heart, saying ‘His heart was in the right place’ (covers of other editions show variations on this theme, save for a 2014 edition depicting a rat in Aztec warrior garb). The joke works because the association of the Aztecs with the practice of human sacrifice runs deep and wide: most people who know only one thing about the Aztecs know that they are famous for sacrificing people to their gods; and those who are more familiar with the Aztecs – including those who, for example, teach in schools or universities – tend to think of Aztec culture as one in which bloodthirsty rituals and exotic superstitions played central roles.

In recent decades, a growing number of scholars have pointed out the many ways and reasons why and how that perception is distorted, if not plain wrong. The Aztecs, it turns out, were no more bloodthirsty or savage than anybody else in the world – including the early modern Europeans who systematically demonised them. Their culture was part of a civilisation (that of the Nahuas of central Mexico) that was as sophisticated and accomplished as that of those Europeans who sought to destroy it.

But fighting negative stereotypes and replacing them with something less prejudicial, less sensationalist, more multifaceted and more accurate has proved to be an uphill battle. Franciscan friars in the 16th century, along with other Catholic priests and chroniclers, created a portrait of Aztec religion, politics and social practices that was designed to justify the often-violent imposition of Spanish colonisation and forced conversion to Christianity. That portrait took root and flourished for centuries. The era of the global triumph of European empires was fertile ground for derogatory views of ‘barbarian’ societies swept aside by civilisation’s progress. When new fields of study and new evidence on the Aztec past emerged – archaeological discoveries from beneath Mexico City, for example, or unpublished manuscripts written in Nahuatl in the early colonial period – they tended to be deployed to confirm, or at best modify, that deep-rooted stereotype, not upend it.

What has changed? As Townsend explains in an appendix to Fifth Sun, not until the 21st century was there a convergence of scholars with a profound grasp of colonial-era Nahuatl, a willingness to challenge the well-established portrait of the Aztecs on which generations of scholars had built their careers and a readily available body of sources written in the early colonial decades by the descendants of the Aztecs (mostly in Nahuatl). Townsend makes particular use of a genre of documentation called xiuhpohualli by its Nahua writers. Literally meaning ‘yearly account’, such sources were more like community histories. Townsend presented the xiuhpohualli in greater detail in an earlier book, Annals of Native America (2016), so here they stand as the largely invisible foundation to her reconstruction of Aztec history. But, significantly, they allow her to present the Aztec past through a skilful synthesis of Nahua memories and traditions. From start to finish – even after Spaniards appear on the scene – the perspective is Aztec-centric to an unprecedented degree.

The bulk of the book is devoted to the two centuries that straddled the Spanish invasion that began in 1519. Its narrative thus takes off in the 1420s, as the Mexica rulers forge the alliance of city-states that we call the Aztec Empire. The story’s basic elements are common to human history and are therefore broadly familiar: the leaders of a marginalised town turn the tables on the neighbours who have dominated them, generating a momentum of expansion that within a generation or so turns that town into the capital city of a diverse empire. Such a tale can be gripping and, in Townsend’s hands, it is certainly that.

Despite the dramatic changes that resulted from the Spanish invasion, Townsend is able to maintain an Aztec-centric (or, after the fall of the Aztec Empire, Nahua-centric) perspective into the 17th century. Considering that even her most important source documents – such as the xiuhpohualli – were written alphabetically by Christians, some with partial Spanish ancestry, that is no small accomplishment. The final 80 pages of Fifth Sun offer one of the best descriptions of the first century of Mexico’s colonial period I have ever read. In fact, this is the best book on the Aztecs yet written, full stop.

That is not just because of its focus on the Aztec perspective and not just because Nahua history is presented through Nahua sources and in terms that are sensitive and sensible to indigenous culture. Townsend has not set out to pen an Aztec apologia. She shies away from polemical defences of Aztec practices and from romanticising the individual Nahuas who play central roles in her telling of their history –although, to be fair, she comes close to an intellectual romance with Nahua women surviving the conquest wars (such as Moctezuma’s daughter, Tecuichpotzin, and Cortés’ interpreter, Malintzin) and with some of the xiuhpohualli authors.

Rather, the value of Fifth Sun lies in how it rescues Aztecs and Nahuas from centuries of colonialist caricature and renders them human again – fully human, with flaws, people capable of brutal violence but also of deep love, who also savoured ‘a good laugh, just as we do’. We are so ‘accustomed to being afraid of the Aztecs, even to being repulsed by them’, that it has never occurred to us that we might simply identify with them. With this book, that can change.

[ulkaralakbarova]

The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress, who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Florence Foster Jenkins: Meryl Streep St. Clair Bayfield: Hugh Grant Cosmé McMoon: Simon Helberg Kathleen Weatherley: Rebecca Ferguson Agnes Stark: Nina Arianda Phineas Stark: Stanley Townsend John Totten: Allan Corduner Earl Wilson: Christian McKay Carlo Edwards: David Haig Dr. Hermann: John Sessions Kitty: Brid Brennan Arturo Toscanini: John Kavanagh Mrs Vanderbilt: Pat Starr Mrs. James O’Flaherty: Maggie Steed Mrs Oscar Garmunder: Thelma Barlow Mrs EE Patterson: Liza Ross Baroness Le Feyre: Paola Dionisotti Mrs Patsy Snow: Rhoda Lewis Lily Pons: Aida Garifullina Augustus Corbin: David Mills Carlton Smith: David Menkin Cpl. Jones: Sid Phoenix Pvt. Smith: Tunji Kasim Orlando Adams: Carl Davis Microphone Engineer: Lloyd Hutchinson Elevator Operator: Richard Kilgour Ernest Ziegler: Jonathan Plowright Donaghy: Josh O’Connor Tallulah Bankhead: Nat Luurtsema Colonel: Ewan Stewart Gino: Cameron Cuffe News Vendor: John Guerrasio Edgar Booth Cunningham Jr: Elliot Levey Clifford B. Thornton III: Danny Mahoney Cole Porter: Mark Arnold Film Crew: Writer: Stephen Frears Director of Photography: Danny Cohen Screenplay: Nicholas Martin Producer: Michael Kuhn Producer: Tracey Seaward Editor: Valerio Bonelli Casting: Kathleen Chopin Casting: Leo Davis Casting: Lissy Holm Art Direction: Gareth Cousins Art Direction: Christopher Wyatt Production Design: Alan MacDonald Costume Design: Consolata Boyle Supervising Art Director: Patrick Rolfe Script Supervisor: Sue Hills Music Director: Terry Davies Music Editor: Stuart Morton Music Supervisor: Karen Elliott Assistant Costume Designer: Rosie Grant Costume Supervisor: Marion Weise Camera Operator: Iain Mackay Gaffer: Paul McGeachan Camera Operator: Lucy Bristow First Assistant Camera: Andrew Banwell First Assistant Camera: Iain Struthers Additional Camera: Jason Ewart Special Effects Supervisor: Manex Efrem Visual Effects Coordinator: Jenny King Visual Effects Producer: Noga Alon Stein Visual Effects Supervisor: Adam Gascoyne Visual Effects Editor: Edd Gamlin Sound Effects Editor: Phil Lee Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Dafydd Archard Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Mike Dowson Supervising Sound Editor: Becki Ponting Supervising Sound Editor: Ian Wilson Makeup Artist: J. Roy Helland Hairstylist: Anita Burger Hairstylist: Andrea Cracknell Hairstylist: Beverley Binda Makeup Designer: Daniel Phillips Makeup Artist: Karen Cohen Makeup Artist: Tahira Herold Wigmaker: Ray Marston Digital Intermediate: Rob Farris Digital Intermediate: Patrick Malone Digital Intermediate: Gemma McKeon First Assistant Editor: Karenjit Sahota Stunt Coordinator: Eunice Huthart Stunt Coordinator: Jo McLaren Assistant Art Director: Aoife Warren Original Music Composer: Alexandre Desplat Foley Artist: Andrea King Conceptual Design: Elo Soode Carpenter: Josh Wood Movie Reviews: Reno: **Nothing is greater than to have a supportive life partner by side.** I follow closely what films are announced and what are getting released. Sometimes its common that some films comes out without my knowledge, particularly non-Hollywood English language films. This British film was about a wealthy couple from the New York, especially the husband who tries his best to fulfill his seriously ill wife’s dream to be an opera singer. The problem is she’s not any good. Not just him, but everybody who is close to them and once laughed at her, try to understand them and give their support. But not all the occasion seems to remain the same. So on one such a big event, the disaster strikes and how it affects the couple is the rest of the tale to disclose. A very surprising film. I thought it was just a comedy like it brings small smiles on our face, but I laughed out loud on many occasions. This is definitely a right time, because I felt like it was a music and cinematic version of the American presidential candidate Don Trump. Yep, there not much difference, but still this ...

[weirdletter]

The Big Book of Modern Fantasy: The Ultimate Collection, edited by Ann Vandermeer and Jeff VanderMeer, Vintage Books, 2020. Cover art by Leonora Carrington, info: penguinrandomhouse.com.

From Ann and Jeff VanderMeer comes The Big Book of Modern Fantasy: a true horde of tales sure to delight fans, scholars — even the greediest of dragons. A Vintage original. Step through a shimmering portal... a worn wardrobe door... a schism in sky... into a bold new age of fantasy. When worlds beyond worlds became a genre unto itself. From the swinging sixties to the strange, strange seventies, the over-the-top eighties to the gnarly nineties–and beyond, into the twenty-first century–the VanderMeers have found the stories and the writers from around the world that reinvented and revitalized the fantasy genre after World War II. The stories in this collection represent twenty-two different countries, including Russia, Argentina, Nigeria, Columbia, Pakistan, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, China, the Philippines, and the Czech Republic. Five have never before been translated into English. From Jorge Luis Borges to Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Moorcock to Angela Carter, Terry Pratchett to Stephen King, the full range and glory of the fantastic are on display in these ninety-one stories in which dragons soar, giants stomp, and human children should still think twice about venturing alone into the dark forest. Completing Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s definitive The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, this companion volume to takes the genre into the twenty-first century with ninety-one astonishing, mind-bending stories.

Contents: INTRODUCTION – Ann and Jeff VanderMeer TEN ROUNDS WITH GRANDFATHER CLOCK – Maurice Richardson THE CIRCULAR VALLEY – Paul Bowles SIGNS AND SYMBOLS – Vladimir Nabokov THE ZAHIR – Jorge Luis Borges LIANE THE WAYFARER – Jack Vance POOLWANA’S ORCHID – Edgar Mittelholzer THE MAN WHO SOLD ROPE TO THE GNOLES – Margaret St. Clair O UGLY BIRD! – Manly Wade Wellman THE GOPHERWOOD BOX – Abraham Sutzkever MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS (EXCERPT) – Amos Tutuola A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS – Gabriel García Márquez THE ANYTHING BOX – Zenna Henderson LEAN TIMES IN LANKHMAR – Fritz Leiber THE DREAMING CITY – Michael Moorcock CRONOPIOS AND FAMAS – Julio Cortázar KAYA-KALP (METAMORPHOSIS) – Intizar Husain THE LAST DRAGON IN THE WORLD – Tove Jansson THE DROWNED GIANT – J.G. Ballard THE MONSTER – Satu Waltari NARROW VALLEY – R.A. Lafferty THE SINISTER APARTMENT – Mikhail Bulgakov THE ORIGIN OF THE BIRDS – Italo Calvino THE PREY – Bilge Karasu THE TOPLESS TOWER – Silvina Ocampo THE BARBARIAN – Joanna Russ THE YOUNGEST DOLL – Rosario Ferré THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS – Ursula K. Le Guin ARK OF BONES – Henry Dumas WINGED CREATURES – Sylvia Townsend Warner LINNAEUS FORGETS – Fred Chappell THE ERL-KING – Angela Carter THE GREAT NIGHT OF THE TRAINS – Sara Gallardo THE TALE OF DRAGONS AND DREAMERS – Samuel R. Delany THE WHITE HORSE CHILD – Greg Bear THE DREAMSTONE – C.J. Cherryh FIVE LETTERS FROM AN EASTERN EMPIRE – Alasdair Gray THE ICE DRAGON – George R.R. Martin ONE TIME – Leslie Marmon Silko SISTER LIGHT, SISTER DARK – Jane Yolen THE LUCK IN THE HEAD – M. John Harrison WARLOCK AT THE WHEEL – Diana Wynne Jones MRS. TODD’S SHORTCUT – Stephen King ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE STATION WHERE THE TRAIN NEVER STOPS – Pat Murphy AFTER THE HURRICANE – Edgardo Sanabria Santaliz THE GIRL WHO WENT TO THE RICH NEIGHBORHOOD – Rachel Pollack THE BYSTANDER – Leena Krohn WILD BOYS: VARIATIONS ON A THEME – Karen Joy Fowler THE MOLE KING – Marie Hermanson WHAT THE TAPSTER SAW – Ben Okri THE FOOL – David Drake THE FLYING CREATURES OF FRA ANGELICO – Antonio Tabucchi A MEXICAN FAIRY TALE – Leonora Carrington THE BOY IN THE TREE – Elizabeth Hand TV PEOPLE – Haruki Murakami ALICE IN PRAGUE OR THE CURIOUS ROOM – Angela Carter MOON SONGS – Carol Emshwiller THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SHED NUMBER XII – Victor Pelevin THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE DRAGON – Patricia McKillip TROLL BRIDGE – Terry Pratchett LONGING FOR BLOOD – Vilma Kadlečková A BRIEF VISIT TO BONNYVILLE – D.F. Lewis TRAVELS WITH THE SNOW QUEEN – Kelly Link THE NEUROSIS OF CONTAINMENT – Rikki Ducornet THE DARKTREE WHEEL – Rhys Hughes FŒTUS – Shelley Jackson TAN-TAN AND DRY BONE – Nalo Hopkinson WHERE DOES THE TOWN GO AT NIGHT? – Tanith Lee POP ART – Joe Hill STATE SECRETS OF APHASIA – Stepan Chapman THE WINDOW – Tatyana Tolstaya THE WEIGHT OF WORDS – Jeffrey Ford ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD – Han Song THE KITE OF STARS – Dean Francis Alfar MOGO – Alberto Chimal THE MALADY OF GHOSTLY CITIES – Nathan Ballingrud END OF THE LINE – Aimee Bender I LEFT MY HEART IN SKAFTAFELL – Victor LaValle THE GRASSDREAMING TREE – Sheree Renée Thomas LA PEAU VERTE – Caitlín R. Kiernan A HARD TRUTH ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT – Sumanth Prabhaker BUFO REX – Erik Amundsen THE ARREST OF THE GREAT MIMILLE – Manuela Draeger AUNTS – Karin Tidbeck FOR LIFE – Marta Kisiel THE SPRING OF DONGKE TEMPLE – Qitongren THE WORDEATERS – Rochita Loenen-Ruiz CREATURE – Ramsey Shehadeh BEYOND THE SEA GATE OF THE SCHOLAR-PIRATES OF SARSKÖE – Garth Nix THE BEAR DRESSER’S SECRET – Richard Bowes TABLE WITH OCEAN – Alberto Chimal THE JINN DARAZGOSH – Musharraf Ali Farooqi Acknowledgments Permissions About the Translators About the Editors

[mightystargazer]

Readinglist 2020

Another year gone, another (audio)booklist completed! Not as many as past years, but that´s because I watched a lot of series instead.

Here goes!

Stephen Leather The House on Gable Street

Scott Sigler Pandemic

Jennifer McMahon The Invited

Robert R. McCammon Swan Song

Peter James The House on Cold Hill

Michael McBride Subterrestrial

Karl Beecher Interstellar Caveman

Flint Maxwell Dead Haven

Flint Maxwell Dead Hope

Flint Maxwell Dead Nation

Flint Maxwell Dead Coast

Flint Maxwell Dead End

Andrzej Sapkowski The Last Wish

Andrzej Sapkowski Season of Storms

Andrzej Sapkowski Sword of Destiny

Andrzej Sapkowski Blood of Elves

Andrzej Sapkowski Time of Contempt

Andrzej Sapkowski Baptism of Fire

Andrzej Sapkowski The Tower of the Swallow

Andrzej Sapkowski Lady of the Lake

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Extinction Ashes

Jonathan Maberry Rage

T.W. Piperbrook The Reckoning

T.W. Piperbrook The Change

Jeremy Robinson Infinite

Bobby Akart The Shift

Bobby Akart The Pulse

Bobby Akart The Collapse

Chuck Dixon Blooded

Eoin Colfer Highfire

India Hill Brown The Forgotten Girl

Jeff Strand Cyclops Road

Kevin Hearne First Dangle and Other Stories

Douglas Preston Gideon’s Sword

Douglas Preston Gideon’s Corpse

Douglas Preston The Lost Island

Douglas Preston Beyond the Ice Limit

Douglas Preston The Ice Limit

Douglas Preston The Pharaoh Key

Adrienne Lecter Uprising

Adrienne Lecter Retribution

David Morrell Creepers

David Morrell Scavenger

Greig Beck The Void

Greig Beck From Hell

Peter Clines Terminus

James Herbert Moon

Damian Dibben Tomorrow

Dean Koontz Ricochet Joe

Jack Hunt As We Fall

James Herbert The Dark

Jeremy Robinson Tribe

Michael McBride Subhuman

Michael McBride Forsaken

Mark Tufo Asabron

Dean Koontz 77 Shadow Street

George Hill Uprising USA

J R Grey Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices

Simone St. James The Sun Down Motel

Mike Evans Origins

Mike Evans Surviving the Turned

Mike Evans Strangers

Mike Evans White Lie

Mike Evans Civil War

Mike Evans Divided

Mike Evans Flight

Keith C. Blackmore Make Me King, Mountain Man

Dean Koontz Darkness Under the Sun

Craig DiLouie One Of Us

Mira Grant Alien Echo

Ambrose Ibsen The Splendor of Fear

Daniel Kraus Bent Heavens

Dean Koontz Watchers

Jack Townsend Tales from the Gas Station 2

Jeff Strand Dead Clown Barbecue

Patrick F. McManus Strange Encounters of the Bird Kind

Scott Cawthon The Silver Eyes

Scott Cawthon The Twisted Ones

Scott Cawthon The Fourth Closet

Eoin Colfer The Fowl Twins

Richard Laymon The Traveling Vampire Show

Peter Meredith The Queen Unthroned

Peter Meredith The Queen Enslaved

Peter Meredith The Queen Unchained

Luke Duffy When There's No More Room in Hell

Larry Levin Oogy

Joseph  Duncan The Oldest Living Vampire

Joseph  Duncan The Oldest Living Vampire on the Prowl

Jeff Strand Sick House

Douglas Adams Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency

Patrick F. McManus Mosquito Bay

Clive Barker Mister B Gone

Jeremy Robinson Tether

James Herbert The Survivor

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Thunderhead

Darcy Coates The Carrow Haunt

Adam Nevill The Ritual

Ben Kissel The Last Book on the Left

Craig Robertson The Galaxy According to Giddeon

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 1

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 2

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 3

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 4

Stephen King If It Bleeds

Patric F McManus Scritch's Creek

Luke Duffy The Dead Walk

Jeff VanderMeer Annihilation

Jeff VanderMeer Authority

Jeff VanderMeer Acceptance

Adrian Tchaikovsky The Expert System's Brother

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Days

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Lies

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Hearts

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Games

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Places

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Reapers

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Rites

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Witches

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Fangs

André Alexis Fifteen Dogs

Cherie Priest The Family Plot

Danielle Trussoni The Ancestor

Michael McBride Burial Ground

Mary Roach Stiff

Dean Koontz Devoted

Grady Hendrix The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

James Herbert The Jonah

Mark Tufo Bitfrost

Robert Bevan 7d6

Scott Carson The Chill

Ambrose Ibsen Beyond

Creepypasta Creepypasta storytime

Darcy Coates Craven Manor

Greg F. Gifune Children of Chaos

Joe Hill Full Throttle

Jonathan Janz Exorcist Falls

Linda S. Godfrey Monsters Among Us

Michael Bray Something in the Dark

Terry Pratchett The Colour of Magic

Terry Pratchett Light Fantastic

Terry Pratchett Equal Rites

Terry Pratchett Mort

Terry Pratchett Sourcery

Terry Pratchett Wyrd Sisters

Terry Pratchett Pyramids

Terry Pratchett Guards Guards

Terry Pratchett Eric

Terry Pratchett Moving Pictures

Terry Pratchett Reaper Man

Terry Pratchett Witches Abroad

Terry Pratchett Small Gods

Terry Pratchett Lords and Ladies

Terry Pratchett Men at Arms

Terry Pratchett Soul Music

Terry Pratchett Intreresting Times

Dean Koontz Breathless

Terry Pratchett Maskerade

Terry Pratchett Feet of Clay

Terry Pratchett Hogfather

Terry Pratchett Jingo

Terry Pratchett The Last Continent

Dean Koontz By the Light Of the Moon

Terry Pratchett Carpe Jugulum

Terry Pratchett The Fifth Elephant

Terry Pratchett The Truth

Terry Pratchett Thief of Time

Terry Pratchett The Last Hero

Dean Koontz After the Last Race

Adrienne Lecter Green Fields Book 12

Dean Koontz Chase

Terry Pratchett The Amazing Maurice

Terry Pratchett Night Watch

Terry Pratchett The Wee Free Men

Terry Pratchett Monstrous Regiment

Terry Pratchett A Hat Full of Sky

Terry Pratchett Going Postal

Terry Pratchett Thud

Terry Pratchett Wintersmith

Terry Pratchett Making Money

Terry Pratchett Unseen Academicals

Terry Pratchett I Shall Wear Midnight

Terry Pratchett Snuff

Terry Pratchett Raising Steam

Terry Pratchett The Shepherds Crown

Dean Koontz Shattered

Terry Pratchett Mrs Bradshaws Handbook

Terry Pratchett The Folklore of Discworld

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld I

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld II

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld III

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld IV

Dean Koontz Darkfall

Mark Tufo Hvergelmir

Stephen R. George Nightscape

Alan Dean Foster To the Vanishing Point

Barry J. Hutchison A Lot of Weird Space Shizz

Drew Hayes The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales

Drew Hayes Undeath and Taxes

Drew Hayes Bloody Acquisitions

Drew Hayes The Fangs of Freelance Fred

Drew Hayes Deadly Assessments

Drew Hayes Undeasding Bells Fred

Guillermo del Toro Blackwood Tapes 01

Mark Tufo The Bleed

David Haynes Dead Crow

Alex North The Shadows

Adam Nevill Apartment 16

David Gerrold Hella

DC Alden UFO Down

Rachel Aukes 100 Days in Deadland

Rachel Aukes Deadland's Harvest

Rachel Aukes Deadland Rising

Dean Koontz Nightmare Journey

Mark Tufo The Trembling Path

Drew Hayes Underqualified Advice

Tim Lebbon Eden

Eden

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 1

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 2

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 3

L.G. Estrella Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Army of Golems

Rick Gualtieri Strange Days

Rick Gualtieri Everyday Horrors

Jeff VanderMeer A Peculiar Peril

Dean Koontz The Taking

John Connolly A Book of Bones

John Connolly The Dirty South

Neil Gaiman The Sandman

Greig Beck The Siberian Incident

Robert A. Heinlein Between Planets

TW Brown Zomblog

TW Brown Zomblog II

TW Brown The Final Entry

TW Brown Snoe

TW Brown Snoe's War

TW Brown Snoe's Journey

Adam Nevill The Reddening

Dean Koontz The Darkest Evening Of The Year

Bernard Taylor The Godsend

Carole Stivers The Mother Code

Spencer Quinn A Cat was Involved

Spencer Quinn Tail of Vengeance

Spencer Quinn Dog on It

Spencer Quinn Thereby Hangs a Tail

Spencer Quinn To Fetch a Thief

Spencer Quinn The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Spencer Quinn A Fistful of Collars

Spencer Quinn The Iggy Chronicles

Spencer Quinn The Sounds and the Furry

Spencer Quinn Paw and Order

Spencer Quinn Scents and Sensibilty

Spencer Quinn Heart of Barkness

Spencer Quinn Of Mutts and Men

Mark Tufo United States of Apocalypse

Robert Bevan Critical Failures VIII

Jeremy Robert Johnson The Loop

Nathan Hystad Red Creek

Nathan Hystad Return to Red Creek

Tom Abrahams The Scourge

Gary Small M.D The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

Dean Koontz The Voice Of The Night

Mark Tufo The Spirit Clearing

Robert Paolini To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Orson Scott Card Treasure Box

Ted Dekker House

Darcy Coates Hunted

Dean Koontz The Vision

Mark Tufo Encounters

Mark Tufo Reckoning

Mark Tufo Conquest

Mark Tufo From the Ashes

Mark Tufo Into the Fire

Mark Tufo Victory's Defeat

Mark Tufo Defeat's Victory

Brandon Sanderson The Original

Dean Koontz Elsewhere

Mike Baron Florida Man

Keith C Blackmore The Majestic 311

L.G. Estrella Two Necromancers a Dragon and a Vampire

L.G. Estrella The Hungry Dragon Cookie Company

L.G. Estrella a Dwarf Kingdom and a Sky City

Bobby Adair Zero Day

Bobby Adair Infected

Bobby Adair Destroyer

Bobby Adair Dead Fire

Bobby Adair Torrent

Bobby Adair Bleed

Bobby Adair City of Stin

Bobby Adair Grind

Bobby Adair Sanctum

Darcy Coates Ghost Camera

Susanna Clarke Piranesi

Marc-Uwe Kling QualityLand

Darcy Coates The Folcroft Ghosts

Charles Stross Dead Lies Dreaming

D.M. Siciliano Inside

Jim C. Hines Tamora Carter

Jamie McFarlane Junkyard Pirate

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne The Salvage Crew

Andy Mulvihill Action Park

Darcy Coates The Haunting of Blackwood House

Luke Arnold Dead Man in a Ditch

Iain Reid Foe

Micaiah Johnson The Space Between Worlds

Richard Kadrey Hollywood Dead

Richard Kadrey Ballistic Kiss

Orson Scott Card Lost and Found

Greig Beck To the Center of the Earth

Jenny Lawson Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Jenny Lawson Furiously Happy

Guy Adams Arkham County

James Patterson The Warning

James S. Murray Don't Move

Neal Asher Dark Intelligence

Luke Arnold The Last Smile in Sunder City

Jeff Menapace Dark Halls

Darcy Coates The Haunting of Rookward House

Laurel Hightower Crossroads

Pierce Brown Red Rising

Bobby Adair The Liar

Erik Henry Vick Demon King

Alister Hodge The Cavern

Linda S. Godfrey Monsters Among Us

Aaron Mahnke Dreadful Places

R. R. Haywood A Town Called Discovery

Kate Alice Marshall Rules for Vanishing

Ted Dekker The Girl Behind the Red Rope

Steve Alten Primal Waters

Steve Alten Hell's Aquarium

Steve Alten Nightstalkers

Steve Alten Generations

Adam Savage Every Tool's a Hammer

Darcy Coates Black Winter

Eoin Colfer Deny All Charges

David Moody Isolation

Jonathan Maberry Ink

Stephen Graham Jones The Only Good Indians

Barry J. Hutchison The Hunt for Reduk Topa

Lily Brooks-Dalton Good Morning, Midnight

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2020 - May

My reading is going insane thanks to the pandemic... I might need to start writing reviews as I finish the books instead of waiting for the end of the month! As usual I haven’t proof read this

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (Wayfarers)

This was a pleasantly enjoyable read for me! I usually don’t like science fiction, particularly heavily science based scifi, because (to be brutally honest) science and space bores me... However, I’d heard SO MANY good things about the characters in this novel that I had to see what the fuss was about. It’s worth the praise! The character work, inclusivity and diversity was wonderful to read. It was a beautiful novel to read and just explore who each member of this misfit crew are as they journey through space.

The sudden apperance of plot in the last 25% ruined the book a little bit, it wasn’t necessary when the rest of the book was all about character exploration. It felt like it was there just to set up the sequel (which I probably won’t read...) The problem I had with the sudden explosion of plot was the book in theme and character centred narrative (not setting or writing) felt more like a 20th century novel than a modern scifi. Everything is about the people on this ship and their found family, and each persons place in their respective societies and cultures. The action right at the end felt out of place and disrupted the love affair I’d had with the rest of the character work from Chambers. Nevertheless, I did really like this novel and would highly recommed it, particularly to people who don’t typically read science fiction.

Words of Radiance (volumes one and two*) - Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #2)

We all know how I feel about Sanderson and the Stormlight Archive, I don’t think I need to rehash that here. However, this is my least favourite of the three novels out so far - I just really dislike Shallan... (Sorry)

I’d still recommend it but start the series with The Way of Kings!

*I’m still bitter I had to pay for this book twice (it was only available in the split UK edition when I bought it) so I always count this as two books in my book count each year. 

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #1)

I ADORED this book! I was skeptical about it because I haven’t read any modern childrens fiction outside of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson since I was a child. However, this book was stunning. It was fun, fast paced romp that captures a similar feeling that Harry Potter did when I was little. Morrigan is a delightful protagonist and the world Townsend created is spectacular!

I don’t want to say too much about it because I went into it pretty blind and I think it was the best way to do it. But if there is one book eveyone should read as a pick me up then this is it! I was blown away by the quality of Townsend’s world building, plot, characters, and writing style - seriously good stuff here!

Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett (Discworld #12; The Witches #2)

I didn’t love this book as much as I was hoping to and I’m not really sure why? It’s Pratchett’s take on fariytales and he retells several well known fairytales with the typical no nonsense approach we can expect from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick. I actually really liked the set pieces of the book where Pratchett retold stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Wizard of Oz, or pulled from iconic imagery such as the dwarves from Snow White and traditional vampires. 

Yet, the main story (pulling from the Snow Queen and Cinderella) fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t really connect with the over arching story, which was disapointing after I’d loved Wyrd Sisters. I don’t really know what happened here - it could have been my mood or the book I’m not sure.

The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era One #3)

I cried. Twice. I can’t say much more. Go and read Mistborn if you want to know why!

I do prefer The Stormlight Archive over Mistborn as a whole but the conclusion to this series is incredibly powerful. I have some major bones to pick with the series (Spook’s conclucion made me MAD which was not good as it was the last scene of the book...) but the overall quality of the series is amazing.

I do think the hype around the series ruined my enjoyment a bit - I was spoilt for the conclusion and for the majority of The Final Empire and part of Well of Ascension I was thinking ‘is this it...’ However, it is an outstanding series from modern fantasy. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrects - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #1&2)

Do I need to talk about Harry Potter? It’s a childhood classic, I grew up with this and no matter how old I get this is going to make me feel like a kid again. I’m  doing a full Potter reread this year to cheer myself up and to remind myself why I loved these books so much after all the crap that’s gone down with Rowling recently.

Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time #13)

I really can’t talk about this book in a spoiler free way and if I turned this into a spoiler review this post would be ridiculously long... However, the core of my feelings on this is:

I enjoyed this, Mat’s character still reads in a strange way, and the END IS NIGH.

Read the Wheel of Time!

Defy or Defend - Gail Carriger (Delightfully Deadly #2)

I was eagerly awaiting this book and it did not disappoint. Carriger’s books are always comfort reads for me and now I’m caught up with her series I can read new releases IN REAL TIME which is amazing!

I was eagerly awaiting for Dimity’s book in the Delightfully Deadly series and I fangirled my way through this novel (Dimity was my favourite of the Finishing School girls.) Seeing her makeover a vampire hive, tackle the gothic behaviour of the vampires themselves, while establishing a relationship with Sir Crispin was wonderful. This was everything I had been hoping for from Dimity and Carriger and now I’ll have to wait for the next installment.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

I feel like the only person on the planet who didn’t like this book... Dickens is a hit or miss author and his books that I know the plot of through cultural osmosis don’t really work for me. I already knew the major mysteries of the novel (Pip’s benefactor, Miss Havisham’s past, and Estella’s origins) leaving very little for me to sink my teeth into. I do think this would be an excellent entry point if you want to get into Dickens, it just didn’t work for me.

Currently Reading

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling

I actually finished this book earlier but I technically read it in June so I’ll take about it at the end of the month.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend

I’m about 200 pages in and I think I love it more than the first book

A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

THE END IS HERE and damn is it intense!

[lornaslibrary]

Animals

Last week I asked you to recommend books based on the prompt animals. Here are all the books you recommended!! Some of these books feature animals, some of them have animals in the titles.

Bold = the books I’ve read * = the books I personally would recommend + = want to read/on my TBR

Watership Down, by Richard Adams *

The Plague Dogs, by Richard Adams *

The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander

The Thing About Jellyfish, by Benjamin Ali

The Invasion (Animorphs #1), by K.A. Applegate

Raptor Red, by Robert T. Bakker

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1), by Leigh Bardugo *

Silverhair (Mammoth #1), by Stephen Baxter 

The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle +

Angels and Insects, by A. S. Byatt

A Horse Called Wonder (Thoroughbred #1), by Joanna Campbell

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll *

Moon Chosen (Tales of the New World #1), by P.C. Cast

The Sight, by David Clement-Davies 

Fire Bringer, by David Clement-Davies

Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Roald Dahl 

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes #5), by Arthur Conan Doyle 

Krambambuli, by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler

The Skylark’s Song (The Skylark Saga #1), by J. M. Frey

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame +

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah

Black Foxes, by Sonya Hartnett

The Lord God Made Them All, by James Herriot

If Only They Could Talk, by James Herriot

The Hunt of the Unicorn, by C. C. Humphreys

Into the Wild (Warriors #1), by Erin Hunter

Redwall (Redwall #1), by Brian Jacques

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka

Pet Sematary, by Stephen King *

The Jungle Books, by Rudyard Kipling

The Wolves, by Hann Hellmut Kirst

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert  

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1), by Jay Kristoff *

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

Call of the Wild, by Jack London

The Mark of Zorro (Zorro #1), by Johnston McCulley

Deerskin, by Robin McKinley

Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley

Chalice, by Robin McKinley

Blanca & Roja, by Anna-Marie McLemore

Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation, by Kyo Maclear

Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel *

The Novice (Summoner #1), by Taran Matharu

Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh #1), by A. A. Milne

The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be, by Farley Mowat

Animal Farm, by George Orwell +

Here, There Be Dragons (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #1), by James A. Owen

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), by Christopher Paolini

Flambards (Flambards #1), by K. M. Peyton

Fierce Kingdom, by Gin Phillips

Wild Magic (Immortals, #1), by Tamora Pierce

Trickster’s Choice (Daughter of the Lioness #1), by Tamora Pierce

The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

The Unadulterated Cat, by Terry Pratchett

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1), by Philip Pullman *

An Enchantment of Ravens, by Margaret Rogerson

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5), by J. K. Rowling *

The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3), by Rick Riordan

Bambi, by Felix Salten +

Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1), by Robert J. Sawyer

The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends #1), by George Selden

Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

Feathers and Gifts: A Heartwarming True Story, by P. J. Sheldon

Babe: The Gallant Pig, by Dick King Smith

The 101 Dalmatians (The Hundred and One Dalmatians #1), by Dodie Smith +

The Green Ember (The Green Ember #1), by S.D. Smith

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1), by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire #1), by Tui T. Sutherland

The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1), by Jessica Townsend

The Book of the Dun Cow (Chauntecleer the Rooster #1), by Walter Wangerin Jr.

The Island of Dr Moreau, by H. G. Wells +

The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White 

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White *

Summer Lightning, by P. G. Wodehouse

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow (The Sinclair’s Mysteries series #1), by Katherine Woodfine

Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin 

If you recommended books but don’t see your recommendations here, feel free to message me and let me know I missed your post!!

Other Chain Recs Masterposts

[smalltownfae]

2020 Reading Plans

Owned Physical Books:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones Circe by Madeline Miller  Daughter of the Prophecy by Juliet Marrillier Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor Station Eleven by Emily Sr. John Mandel  Red Country + A Little Hatred + Half a King by Joe Abercrombie The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter  The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang  The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm

Owned Ebooks:

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin  An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Binti by Nnedi Okorafor Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett  How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer Inda by Sherwood Smith Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Red Rising by Pierce Brown  The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett The Well of Ascension + The Hero of Ages + The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin  The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend  Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Rereads:

The Realm of the Elderlings (Farseer + Liveship Traders + Tawny Man + Short Stories) by Robin Hobb The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino (10 volumes)

To Buy (and read):

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman Soulless by Gail Carriger The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (coming out 19/05/2020) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Borrowed from Friends:

Blood of Elves +  The Time of Contempt by  Andrzej Sapkowski Blue Lily, Lily Blue + The Raven King by  Maggie Stiefvater

Manga:

Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki (24 Volumes) Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles by CLAMP (28 Volumes)

[chelsea12345678901234]

A Beginner's Guide to Science Fiction And Fantasy Novels

Here is an author name S. Evan Townsend. He has been an author since 2010. S. Evan is an author that writes mostly science fiction and some fantasy novels. This is what he said about why he became an author and why he loves to read and write "Becoming an author wasn't really a choice I made. When I was five, my parents gave me a Lego set. Back then they didn't come with instructions. I built worlds out of Legos and made up stories. When I was around 12, I started "writing" stories. They were probably pretty bad. But as I grew older, I kept writing despite living another life as a small business owner. When I retired from that, I started doing fiction and freelance writing (that was 2010). I love to read because reading takes you to another world. It's the cheapest vacation you can buy. Also, I love to absorb other writers' styles. It's so interesting to read books by different authors and study their work. I love to learn things, and reading is a great way to learn new things." S. Evan Townsend has some informal book recommendations or reviews: Right now I'm reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Partchett. It's very good and funny. Before that I read the moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. It was written in 1966 so the sociological setting was a bit old-fashioned. But it, too, was very good and an interesting read. I really enjoyed old science fiction. Here is a review from Seth Comire for the book The Smugglers of Mars (Chumba of the Intelligence Corps) by S. Evan Townsend: If you love fast-paced sci-fi pulp novels like I do, this book is worth the read. I love sci-fi pulp novels. It's a guilty pleasure - a relic of the mid-20th century - and a history lesson. These often quick reads feed my obsession with reading over a hundred books per year (check my Goodreads account if you don't believe me). For that reason, I absolutely loved S. Evan Townsend's The Smugglersof Mars. Here is a review from Dr. Susan for the book The Three Species War (Chumba of the Intelligence Corps) by Good sci-fi adventure thriller. But there is a very high body count, a lot of violence, and a dark setting. The world-building is good, and Chumba is a great character. Here is a review from Jodi for the book Treasure of the Black Hole (Treasures of Space): Five Stars. The ending had a wow moment that I wanted more. The Beginner's Guide to Science Fiction And Fantasy Novels is: 1. It'd have to be about how the genre has to work. Fantasy, for example, has to be internally consistent. Science Fiction needs to be based on "what if" and not just be weird for weird's sake. 2. Science in science fiction needs to be accurate. If you can't do accurate science, then you're writing science fantasy. 3. Fantasy gives you a lot more freedom. 4. In both cases, characters should drive the story, not the science or the fantasy elements. Check out their website at sevantownsend.com Check out their Instagram at instagram.com/sevantownsend Check out their Twitter at twitter.com/sevantownsend Check out their Facebook at Facebook.com/sevantownsend