Did
you ever think about what happens to the books that don’t get written?
In A. J. Hackwith’s imagination, they reside in the Library of the Unwritten, a lesser known part of Hell. There, they are presided over, protected by, and under the care of the Librarian. The Librarian is in charge of keeping the books quiet, and making sure none of the characters escape from between the covers (except for a few Damsels, who can clearly do better in life). When Claire Hadley, the current Librarian, gets word that, not only has the main character of one of the books gotten loose, but is talking to its author, she heads topside to intervene and get the character back into its book where it belongs.
Unfortunately, she and her team get caught up in a dispute over the Devil’s Bible, a book believed by those in both Heaven and Hell to hold great power. In an effort to keep it out of the hands of a demon who wants to use it for his own nefarious purposes, they seek to return the book to the Library for safekeeping, but must travel through several realms, including Valhalla, on their way. Meanwhile, the Library itself is under siege, and the team must split up. Will they be able to win the fight on two fronts, and still remain strong enough in the end to keep the Library intact?
As
with any work of fantasy, this book requires more than a little suspension of
disbelief, and readers who characterize themselves as religious may have an
even harder time, given that the subject matter includes a somewhat jaundiced
approach to Heaven and Hell, demons and angels. Other readers may appreciate Hackwith’s multi-cultural mythologizing,
her notion of a literary duel, and her ideas about what can happen when
characters become separated from their books.
Read-alikes:
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
Mara Zonderman, Westhampton Free Library
Bella, Agnes, and Juniper Eastwood are estranged sisters who find themselves thrown together again in the fictitious town of New Salem in an alternate America in 1893 during the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Old Salem was destroyed by witchcraft, or “witching” as it is known in this reality, many years earlier. Witching is illegal and magic has seemingly been lost.
As fate would have it (or, perhaps, a little bit of witching…), all three Eastwood sisters are in the same spot at the same time in New Salem’s Town Square when the world appears to split open, briefly revealing a magical tower, known as the Lost Way of Avalon. Magic is no longer lost!
The New Salem Women’s Association is not pleased when Juniper, the youngest of the Eastwood sisters, demands that witching rights be sought along with women’s voting rights. After she is kicked out of the Association, Juniper starts the Sisters of Avalon, a secret coven/movement that is open to all women who wish to gain their power back. The Eastwood sisters are thrust into a battle for justice, with their lives ultimately on the line. They come up against several adversaries, but one in particular will stop at nothing to hold onto their own dark secret and keep their true identity hidden from the town’s residents.
The prose is lovely and this story alternates between the three main characters’ point of view. It would be best suited for young adults and adults alike that enjoy witches, female protagonists, feminism and strong women.
Read-alikes:
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. Malerich
A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
Jessicca Newmark, The Smithtown Library - Smithtown Building
Magic Lessons tells the story of Maria Owens, abandoned in a snowy field in 17th century rural England and taken in by Hannah Owens, a spinster living nearby. When Hannah is murdered, Maria escapes, taking Hannah's knowledge of the "nameless arts" with her. She travels to Salem Massachusetts in pursuit of a man who claims to love her.
This is a fast-paced book which should appeal to lovers of historical fiction.
Read-alikes:
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
Jackie Malone, Retired
Bridie Devine is an oddity in Victorian England - - a female detective who has worked with Scotland Yard. She is the ward and assistant of Doctor Howard Eames who purchased her as a child for one guinea. Working with Eames, she learns to be an “acute observer,” perfect for detective work.
One of her admirers is the pugilist Ruby Doyle whose last known address is the cemetery at Highgate Chapel. He frequently appears to Ruby and insists they knew each other in life and if she can remember where and when, he will be able to rest in peace.
Bridie is hired by Sir Edmund Berwick to find his missing daughter, Christabel. She is a shadowy figure -- no one knows her, not even Berwick’s servants. Bridie finds her room, a secret passage of sea water and sea shells.
In her search for Christabel, Bridie solves a crime from the past and uncovers the truth about Ruby Doyle. By that time, Bridie has developed a growing affection for his ghost. No happy ending.
Suitable for YA. Pacing is slow.
Read-alikes:
Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogene Hermes Gowar
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogene Hermes Gowar
Grace O'Connor, Retired
Wallace Price is the epitome of a stereotypical lawyer. He’s cold, calculated, and ruthless, his job is all he has in his life. Then he dies alone in his office. Wallace is shocked when he realizes at his own funeral that he is dead. It is at the funeral where he meets reaper, Mei. Instead of bringing Wallace to the afterlife, Mei brings him to a little tea shop, Charon’s Crossing, in the middle of a forest. Wallace meets Hugo, the ferryman and owner of the tea shop. As the ferryman, Hugo’s job is to help Wallace come to terms with being dead before he steps through the final door. A door where Wallace hears whispering underneath. Wallace slowly develops feelings for Hugo, making it hard for him to crossover. When the Manager, a powerful being, comes to the tea shop and gives Wallace a week to crossover, Wallace embarks on the most meaningful seven days he’s ever “lived”.
This queer fantasy novel explores love, family, and acceptance. Hugo’s grandfather, Nelson, has been a ghost living in the tea shop with his ghost dog, Apollo, for a very long time. He has not crossed over through the door, not ready to leave his grandson to be on his own. Nelson helps Wallace learn how to be a ghost, helping him accept who and what he is and recognize how to be a good person even though he is dead. The novel does a great job of tackling grief and accepting mortality, but is also filled with hijinks, humor, and romantic tension. The tea shop plays an important character throughout. The quirky design reflects the quirky lives that live in and visit it. When a newly deceased person comes to the shop, Hugo senses what tea they should have. Something that reflects on a memory of their living life or found deep within their soul. A sign hangs on the wall of Charon’s Crossing: “The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.” This runs true to those who pass through Charon’s Crossing on their journey to crossover.
I highly recommend this novel. It was an exciting and cozy novel. You can’t help but root for all the characters to find their place. It is a reminder that people come from all walks of life and to treat people with respect and compassion.
Read-alikes:
Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins by Katarina Bivald
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Nanci Helmle, The Smithtown Library - Commack Building
When Zachary Ezra Rollins finds a book that has a story about him in it, he begins searching for the origins of the book in order to get answers. Those answers lead him to secret societies, fables come to life, and an underground sanctuary that defies the laws of time. A story within a story within a story, the reader finds the forward progression of Zachary in his quest for answers, the melding of fables into the past and present both shadowing and creating new stories that Zachary must uncover, and a future in which Zachary has been lost because time isn’t the same inside the library where Zachary has taken refuge as it is on the outside where his friend has reported him missing after he suddenly vanished without a trace.
While the book sounds like a great read, at almost 500 pages, it was quite daunting. The multiple story lines between Zachary’s time, the past, the future, and the miscellaneous fables that are told throughout the book make it hard to follow. There’s a hidden library that’s been neglected, partly because someone who used to be part of the library has been getting rid of the secret doors around the world that lead to it and partly because the newer generation doesn’t have the same imagination as those in the past. But then to save the library, Zachary has to also save Dorian, a mysterious man with his own agenda that Zachary accidentally meets while he’s trying to save himself from a secret society who wants to close the library for good. While trying to figure out what’s going on with the library, Zachary begins to fall in love with Dorian only to have him disappear then have to go on a quest to find him. Meanwhile, the origin story of the library is threaded throughout the book intertwining itself with Zachary’s story. Then there’s the fables that pop up every few chapters in which the reader must try to decipher the tidbits that pertain to the library and Zachary as well as look for clues to figure out what’s going on. All the while, the deeper Zachary goes into the depths of the library, the longer he’s away from the real world because time in the library is slower than time in the real world.
The world building of the library and the intricacies of the fables are well written and magical, but the way the story goes from one plot line to another have the reader flipping back and forth trying to remember what happened from one chapter to the next. It is hard for the reader to remember how much time has passed, which timeline was taking place, and what exactly Zachary needed in order to fix what was happening to the library. In the end, there is no satisfying conclusion as the reader is left to wonder if Zachary will ever make it out of the library when it turns out he’s been missing from the real world for more than a year and especially since his friend who’s been looking for him is also being drawn into the library’s magical spell. Not as good as her first book, The Night Circus, The Starless Sea would be best for fantasy readers who enjoy stories like The Chronicles of Narnia where there’s magic mixed with made up worlds that are almost but not quite real.
While the book sounds like a great read, at almost 500 pages, it was quite daunting. The multiple story lines between Zachary’s time, the past, the future, and the miscellaneous fables that are told throughout the book make it hard to follow. There’s a hidden library that’s been neglected, partly because someone who used to be part of the library has been getting rid of the secret doors around the world that lead to it and partly because the newer generation doesn’t have the same imagination as those in the past. But then to save the library, Zachary has to also save Dorian, a mysterious man with his own agenda that Zachary accidentally meets while he’s trying to save himself from a secret society who wants to close the library for good. While trying to figure out what’s going on with the library, Zachary begins to fall in love with Dorian only to have him disappear then have to go on a quest to find him. Meanwhile, the origin story of the library is threaded throughout the book intertwining itself with Zachary’s story. Then there’s the fables that pop up every few chapters in which the reader must try to decipher the tidbits that pertain to the library and Zachary as well as look for clues to figure out what’s going on. All the while, the deeper Zachary goes into the depths of the library, the longer he’s away from the real world because time in the library is slower than time in the real world.
The world building of the library and the intricacies of the fables are well written and magical, but the way the story goes from one plot line to another have the reader flipping back and forth trying to remember what happened from one chapter to the next. It is hard for the reader to remember how much time has passed, which timeline was taking place, and what exactly Zachary needed in order to fix what was happening to the library. In the end, there is no satisfying conclusion as the reader is left to wonder if Zachary will ever make it out of the library when it turns out he’s been missing from the real world for more than a year and especially since his friend who’s been looking for him is also being drawn into the library’s magical spell. Not as good as her first book, The Night Circus, The Starless Sea would be best for fantasy readers who enjoy stories like The Chronicles of Narnia where there’s magic mixed with made up worlds that are almost but not quite real.
Read-alikes:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
Azuree Agnello, West Babylon Public Library
“. . . be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price.” Words of advice offered by an eccentric old spinster to Adeline LaRue—a young woman whose life is arranged by her community’s traditions. But an independently-thinking Adeline dreams of a more fulfilling life. One filled with adventure and opportunity. A life that surely exists outside of her small 18th century French town. So the night before her arranged marriage is to take place, Adeline literally runs for her life. In her haste to get away, she forgets the counsel that was given to her by her unconventional friend: “. . . never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” But in her frenzy, Adeline ends up doing just that. She conjures up a spirit that is willing to make a deal with her—one that will provide her with a life without restriction—a deal that requires her to ultimately surrender her soul.
Thus begins the 300-year-long tale of Addie LaRue—someone who’s been granted the gift of immortality; but in exchange is doomed to a world where no one remembers her. We follow Addie as she drifts through centuries, situations, and relationships—none of which have any lasting effect. No one remembers her from day to day, or even hour to hour. Surely this is a curse when bestowed upon a person who longs to make a difference in the world.
Addie does, however, find ways to leave a lasting impression throughout the years. Her seven freckles show up time and again in iconic works of art—classic paintings and sculptures that are recognized by everyone, unlike Addie herself. And then she meets Henry, a book store owner in New York City. He remembers her. But why? Schwab’s novel follows Addie and Henry as their friendship develops into a romance, and Henry lovingly records Addie’s stories of her immortal existence in a series of notebooks—ensuring that she is remembered. It takes some time before the reader learns why Henry is able to remember Addie, and the balance of the novel deals with the consequences of his revelation.
The reader will be absorbed by Schwab’s writing style which is poetic, introspective, and at times almost philosophical. For this reason, it would make an excellent choice for a book group discussion. It poses questions about joy, loneliness, the fleeting passage of time, and the basic human need to be remembered. The story is told in alternating timelines which may at first seem confusing, but Schwab handles the format so handily that the reader will become comfortable with the alternating chronologies.
The thought will linger: “. . . be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price.”
Thus begins the 300-year-long tale of Addie LaRue—someone who’s been granted the gift of immortality; but in exchange is doomed to a world where no one remembers her. We follow Addie as she drifts through centuries, situations, and relationships—none of which have any lasting effect. No one remembers her from day to day, or even hour to hour. Surely this is a curse when bestowed upon a person who longs to make a difference in the world.
Addie does, however, find ways to leave a lasting impression throughout the years. Her seven freckles show up time and again in iconic works of art—classic paintings and sculptures that are recognized by everyone, unlike Addie herself. And then she meets Henry, a book store owner in New York City. He remembers her. But why? Schwab’s novel follows Addie and Henry as their friendship develops into a romance, and Henry lovingly records Addie’s stories of her immortal existence in a series of notebooks—ensuring that she is remembered. It takes some time before the reader learns why Henry is able to remember Addie, and the balance of the novel deals with the consequences of his revelation.
The reader will be absorbed by Schwab’s writing style which is poetic, introspective, and at times almost philosophical. For this reason, it would make an excellent choice for a book group discussion. It poses questions about joy, loneliness, the fleeting passage of time, and the basic human need to be remembered. The story is told in alternating timelines which may at first seem confusing, but Schwab handles the format so handily that the reader will become comfortable with the alternating chronologies.
The thought will linger: “. . . be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price.”
Read-alikes:
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Deborah Formosa, Northport-East Northport Public Library
Anni Halla’s beloved grandmother has died at her estate on Lake Superior, so Anni returns from her life in Paris for the reading of the will and the burial. Martin and Meri are the caretakers of the estate and have been at Metsan Valo with Mummo seemingly forever. Anni’s twin brother Theo joins her the next day, and the rest of the family the day after that.
Strange things begin happening right away, with fireflies chasing Anni and Theo out of the woods, someone ransacking Anni’s mother’s home, Anni and Theo walking in their sleep, and then Anni’s mother going missing only to found unconscious in a stream on the property. Anni’s aunt and her husband are in a car accident and Martin and Meri are acting strangely.
Then three members of the family are in the hospital and Anni can’t figure out who is doing these awful things or why.
Could Mummo’s stories of spirits in the woods be true? And if so, why are they trying to harm the family now?
Keepers is an easy, light read. A Gothic, not so suspenseful or scary story based on Finnish folklore of woodsy spirits that we never really get to know.
No harm, no foul.
Strange things begin happening right away, with fireflies chasing Anni and Theo out of the woods, someone ransacking Anni’s mother’s home, Anni and Theo walking in their sleep, and then Anni’s mother going missing only to found unconscious in a stream on the property. Anni’s aunt and her husband are in a car accident and Martin and Meri are acting strangely.
Then three members of the family are in the hospital and Anni can’t figure out who is doing these awful things or why.
Could Mummo’s stories of spirits in the woods be true? And if so, why are they trying to harm the family now?
Keepers is an easy, light read. A Gothic, not so suspenseful or scary story based on Finnish folklore of woodsy spirits that we never really get to know.
No harm, no foul.
Read-alikes:
Anything by Sarah Addison Allen
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Settefield
The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb
Lori Ludlow, Babylon Public Library
