Author Interview with Kira Jane Buxton

Recently, I got to email/interview the charming Kara Jane Buxton for her new novel, The Hollow Kingdom, which is about one cussy crow's post-apocalyptic journey to save humanity (in Seattle, no less!).

    L: It’s great to talk with you, Kira! How have things been going? I must say,
your book has me craving Cheetos and keeping my eyes peeled for
neighborhood crows.

    KJB: It’s great to talk to you too, thank you for having me! I’m very happy
to hear that you’re paying closer attention to your neighborhood
crows—they are endlessly fascinating, incredibly intelligent, and can teach
us a lot about life.

    L: So how did ST and the plot emerge in your head? How long did it take
you to flesh everything out and write it? How did you develop ST’s
character?

    KJB: It hit me one day while I was driving. I had wanted to write about crows for
years (I love them!) but really couldn’t figure out how. During a difficult
time—I had over-edited a novel and could no longer see it—my husband
told me to “go and write the thing about the crows.” While driving, I
thought “What if a crow is telling the story of humanity’s extinction?” I was
so excited by the premise, I ran home and wrote the first chapter. S.T.
pretty much exploded onto the page, fully formed (albeit a lot ruder than I’d
imagined!) I “binge wrote” the whole novel in a joyous frenzy, in just over
four months.

    L: On that note, how did you come up with ST’s name? What kind of guy is
Big Jim, that he would name his bird Crap and his dog Dennis? (BTW,
Big Jim reminds me of Hopper from Stranger Things, if Hopper just liked
to chill out all day.) And did you base Big Jim off of anybody you know?

    KJB: Ha! Yes, I do see some similarities between Big Jim and Hopper from
Stranger Things—I think you’re right though, Hopper is far more
productive! S.T.’s name just happened, and I was as surprised by his
foul (fowl!) language as I was by his rude name. It is certainly a reflection
of Big Jim’s character that we experience through S.T’s language and
what Big Jim named his crow, this bird who thinks humans are called
MoFos and that Cheetos are the finest food known to man/MoFo. It was

interesting for me to explore a character with very different ideas about
life through his beloved bird. Big Jim isn’t really any one person I know,
but I’ve certainly met people who share some of his ideologies and
tastes—and language!

    L: How long did it take for you to get the book published? Do you feel like
publishing smaller things made it easier to get an agent? What was your
first published work?

    KJB: It took me about nine years of writing full-time to sell a novel. There are
three novels and a memoir that didn’t get published (with good reason!)
but all of them, and every piece I’ve ever written, was key to finding my
voice, developing my craft, and eventually getting Hollow Kingdom
published. I definitely think publishing shorter pieces helped to build my
profile and confidence. My first published humor piece was for
McSweeney’s and it was very appropriately called, “Sit Down, Shut Up,
And Write Your Fucking Book: Uplifting Tips For The Aspiring Author.”

    L: Why Cheetos?

    KJB: They are delicious and massively addictive. Crows do truly love Cheetos
(although they should never have them—they should be eating more
natural foods like berries, fish, nuts, and bugs!)

    L: Does Angus survive and wed his bovine lady love?

    KJB: I’m sure Angus has more to his story. Whether he is able to woo his
ginger bovine goddess (and then stay faithful to her) remains to be seen!

    L: What kept you motivated throughout the writing process? It can be so
easy to run into a wall and take a break that winds up lasting a few
weeks.

    KJB: I love to write. Next to spending time with animals and reading, it is my
favorite activity. I always feel that sitting down to write is an extraordinary
privilege, and I don’t take it for granted. Breaks are also important and
necessary—a few weeks off can sometimes be just the ticket to entice
the muse to come knocking again.

    L: Tell me about the AMC adaptation. Would you be concerned that once
there’s a TV show, people won’t want to read the book?

    KJB: Not at all. I think screen adaptations are a wonderful way to introduce
literary characters to a wider audience. I’m one of those people who likes
to read a book before I experience it on tv or at the movies, so a new
screen adaptation usually makes me bump a book up onto my
immediate reading list.

    L: What’s life like for you, now? What have you learned so far, and what
do you love/hate about your experience with publishing and its
successes? (Also, you totally need to talk to Neil Gaiman. He would
love your book!)

    KJB: I’m still very new to being a published author (two weeks today!) so at
the moment, I’m enjoying being on tour, meeting new people and getting
to visit bookstores I’ve always wanted to go to. I feel so lucky that people
have embraced Hollow Kingdom—and a crow whose name is often
unrepeatable!—and I’m just trying to take it all in. And I would love to talk
to the inimitable Neil Himself! Do you know him?!

    (Note:  I don't personally know Neil Gaiman, other than that he answered one of my questions on his tumblr.  But look for him on tumblr, twitter, and Instagram!  He may or may not be lured out of hiding by Cheetos.)

    L: What do you plan to write next?

    KJB: I love the world of Hollow Kingdom and its furred, feathered and scaled
characters, so I do hope I get to explore more of it. I’ll probably continue
to write shorter pieces as I’m inspired to do so, and I’ll be open to
whatever the muse has in store for me next!

    Thank you so much, Kira!  May we fledgling writers take inspiration and keep our beaks to the Cheeto bag.  Tune in next time to a trip to Philadelphia, notes about job hunting, and obscure interests on Between The Pages.

Echo North, Death By Newbery Medal, And MORE!!!

    Happy Valentine's/President's Day Weekend!  Whoo!

    I've read some good Beauty and the Beast stories, and some bad ones, but that's going to be in another blog post.  (Because I seriously love Batb - it's like catnip, and I can't go on about that, or we'll be here forever.)

    Right now, we'll begin with Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer.  

 

 Gorgeous cover, yes?

    Goodreads' description of the book is as follows:

   "Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart after her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an offer: for her to come and live with him for a year. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

    In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, Echo discovers centuries-old secrets, a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up—otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever."

  *claps hands*  Okay.  So.  I read this in January, and it was really nice!  Like a line of cupcakes ready to be eaten, one by one.  (Not cocaine, because eww.)  This is a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which I dearly love.  Like, almost-as-good-as-Narnia love.  If you have nothing to do, and a little time to spare, read the original fairy tale.  Be patient.  It's worth your time, despite how long it may seem to our electrically buzzed, 21st century minds.  Also, pro-tip for parents: it will be so long, it will put your kids to sleep.  Unless your kids are the kind that want you to read the same story over and over again, until they can recite it by rote memory.  Not that I would know anything like that.

   I love some of the descriptions in this book, such as this excerpt:

  "Beyond was a grand hall that might once have been a ballroom.  It had high paneled ceilings, formerly elegant wainscotting, and intricately patterned wallpaper that was faded and torn."

   Not particularly poetic, but I envy writers who can bring images to life in the reader's mind.  It's not something I have accomplished yet in my own work, but it is something I aspire to.

  The relationship between Echo and the Wolf is as twisted and turned as a cinnamon bun.  I like the raw, honest-but-not-too-honest chemistry between them, and their relationship to Hal.  There is one character that I especially love, and I wish we could know more of her story, but I've said too much already.  

  Things were great up to around the ending.  Things just got confusing, and I wish they had been a little more defined.  Some of the characters' motives were sudden, and a little shocking.  I also wished that a character from the original fairy tale had been a little more...mystical?  I guess?  I just want a girl who literally rides on the back of the Winds.  Literally.  Even the best EotSaWotM books seem to miss that, with the exception of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George.  

   Also.  Donia.  

   I HATE Donia.  

  I wanted her to die a thousand deaths, and that's a sure way of knowing that the author is doing a good job, when you want to jump inside a book and kill a fictional character.

  So, yeah.  Echo North.  Four stars out of five.  Read it, like it, rate it, comment on it.  I follow the author on Instagram, and she's a very nice lady.  Also, her son seems to nap a whole lot, because she's constantly talking about getting some writing and revising in while her babe is snoozing.  I hope to have a kid like that, one day.

  

  As that guy on the Cinefix YouTube channel says, SEGUE!!!

  We Need To Talk About Newbery

  Newbery, Newbery, Newbery.  Where do I begin?

  There's a joke among writers and readers (or at least by the gremlins on TV Tropes) that's called "Death By Newbery."  It means that if you really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY want to get the Newbery Medal (or honorable mentions and other awards), then kill off a beloved character.

  "Oh, that's not so bad," you might say.  "Everybody dies.  Even in fiction land."

  Did I mention Newbery was for kids' literature?  Hmm?

  Oh, my gosh.  I can name at least three books I read in elementary school that had somebody near and dear to our little candied reader's hearts pass away.  There's Old Yeller, a book that I can't remember that has a dog named Ring, and THE TASTE OF BLACKBERRIES.

  Dagnabbit, The Taste of Blackberries.  Where a little kid gets the coolest and most horrifying death by Newbery ever: getting stung to death by BEES.

  BEES!!!!  COVERED IN BEES!!!!!

   I can see it now!  The bees see wee little Jamie and say, "Hey up!  This little lad's allergic to bee stings, but John at the watercooler doesn't think it's true!  I say we prove him wrong."  Sting, sting, sting!  It totally justified my then-eight-year-old terror of those black and yellow little monsters.  

   And THEN, there's Old Yeller!  Who not only dies, but teaches impressionable young children that rabies can turn animals and people into crazy, frothy mad murderers, that would kill you for looking at them funny.  (Serious note: rabid animals bite, but rabid people don't.  Also, Louis Pasteur invented the vaccine for rabies.  And now you know.  And knowing is half the battle.)  Good doggos are NOT supposed to die like some crazy-looking meth addict.

   Now, many writers believe that one shouldn't hide children from real world problems.  To which I say, bullcrap.  Children's books are already filled with death.  Thorin from the Hobbit dies in battle.  Aslan dies in sacrifice, and rises again.  The witch in Hansel and Gretel gets baked (and not by smoking a joint).  

   There's more that I can't remember or don't know that tell children that the world can be a scary place.  But not by killing a kid with bees.  Kids don't want to feel helpless when it comes to that stuff.  If somebody dies that's a hero, that can make death more acceptable.  Telling kids, as Corrie ten Boom's father did, that when the time comes to die, they will be given exactly what they need to face it.  THAT'S acceptable.  

   

    But not randomly killing kids or old people or the world's best doggo.  That just gives kids nightmares.

   And it makes them afraid of bees.

The Umbrella Academy

    Oh my gosh.  The Umbrella Academy.

       This is the brilliant Netflix adaptation of Gerard Way's comic book of the same name.  It's complex and brilliant, and full of flawed, emotional superheroes.  

        Couple of takeaways:

1. I love Klaus, but also terribly annoyed with him.  I like his growth as a character.  I don't think he needed to be gay.  Nothing useful about that.
2. I hear everybody hates Luther (the big guy).  I can't hate a guy with body problems, but I don't care for a guy in love with his sister, even if they're not blood-related.  It just looks like an argument for incest.
3. I'm getting a sore arm, typing this, because my fat cat is on top of me, and I can only type with one hand.
4. Vanya, Vanya, Vanya.  I like and pity you, but not your actress, who witch hunts Christians for not agreeing with her life choices.
5.  Ben.  I love you.  You're cute.
6. Cha Cha.  I hate you.
7. Hazel.  Best role for Cameron Britton ever.  I've known big, gentle guys like him, and he deserved a better role than that of Edmund Kemper.
8. THE HOUSE!!!  I WANT IT!!!!  IT'S GORGEOUS!!!!
9. Ahem.

     Go watch it.  It's good food for the mind.  Stay classy, folks, and tune in next time for reviews, raves, and rants - here on Between The Pages.

First Book Read in 2019: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil

      Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope 2018 was good to you.

    Here on the East Coast, the last day of 2018 ended with a literal thunderstorm.  It was AWESOME!  It also leads me to believe that 2019 is going to be a weird one (in a wonderful way, I hope).  

      So, in honor of weird things and kookiness, I submit for your pleasure the first book review of 2019:  The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil.

     Now, at first glance, you might think that this is a children's book, or the brain child of some prepubescent boy.  You would be right on both accounts, if little boys were somehow able to get their writing published...and were smart enough to write this well.  But I digress.

     TGBTWE is a graphic novel, written in (mostly) poetic form.  Indeed, the rhyme scheme gives it an almost Seussian flavor to it, albeit punctuated with prosaic dialogue and the like.  It chiefly concerns one poor schlub who's just minding his own business, being an adherent to conformity on his little home island of Here, when he suddenly grows a Gigantic Beard.  One that doesn't stop growing, and threatens to swallow up the island and its inhabitants.

 

The poor schlub in question.

     Personally, I think it's a pretty impressive beard.  The guy totally looks like Rasputin when it's fully grown.  But maybe that's just because I'm a lady (no worries, gentlemen: I'll date the bearded and clean-shaven alike).   The resemblance further emphasizes how weird and alienated the character becomes.  (I think he'd fit in Viking society, though.)

     Why is this fine facial hair alienating, you ask?  How did the author come up with such a crazy book?  Is this toxic masculinity at its finest, protesting the creeping forces of feminism? 

     I dunno.

     (Actually, I sort of do, but I didn't want to be snobby; so I just said I dunno to be humble.  It did not work.)

     It's hard to give an answer without giving too much away; but the beard is something from the mainland of There, which is separated from neat and orderly Here, by a sea.  The characters are afraid of There, because it's unpredictable and uncontrollable.  The protagonist's beard is just an emergence of that insecurity. 

 

Clearly, this guy doesn't want to join ZZ Top.

     The rest of the book follows the poor schlub's attempts to be rid of it, and the unwanted attention it causes.  The Evil Beard changes Here's society significantly,  with a rather poignant ending.  It's kind of like Daisy-Head Maisie, but for grown-ups.  Also, it sorta-kinda looks like a male version of Rapunzel?  Ish?  

    
                      

     Or...not.  That's cool, too.

     It's very refreshing to find new takes on fairy tales (or even brand new ones).  Other reviews have compared the story to something by Roald Dahl, but having not read much of his work (I either watched the movies, or listened to a teacher read it), I can't pass fair judgement.  Suffice it to say, however, that this is a very good book, and well worth borrowing or buying to keep on your shelf!

      Scale:  four out of five stars.

     Weirdness Rating:  Like a teenage boy's fever dream.

      

The Tale of Two Ellas

               

         So!  Today, I'll be reviewing two Cinderellas in one post.  Because that's how life worked out.  Cinderella is one of the hardest fairytales to retell, because it's been retold so many freakin' times.  As a result, it can be hard to churn out a good one, since there's such good books already.  Both books are a side of the same coin.

Ella Enchanted

         Ella Enchanted is written by the phenomenal Gail Carson Levine.  Her twist on Cinderella is that Ella (our Cinderella) has to literally obey every command someone gives her.  (That honestly makes a lot more sense from the get-go, because in the original, ol Cindy just stays.  She doesn't run off.  She just...stays.  And not a whole lot of reason is given behind that.)  

         Ella is in love with Prince Charmont (yay!), and struggles with what to do with that.  Because hey, if you could order her to rub her head and pat her tummy, then you can order her to chop off ol Charmy's head!  (Yay?)

        On top of that pickle, you have the usual characters: namely, the stepmother and stepsisters.  And they're deliciously evil.  I barely remember reading this book as a kid, because I would go white hot with rage every time the steps treated Ella badly.  Levine is that good of a writer.  That's my watermark - if a character makes you homicidal, and want to dive into the pages and straight up murder their butts, then that's good writing.  I call it the Levine test.

        Can I add that the cause of Ella's curse is - a fairy?  In the original Cinderella, Cinderella's problems are caused by people, and it takes a fairy to get her out of her mess.  Levine flips this upside down by having a fairy cause Ella's problems in the first place, and that it might take Ella herself, a human, to get herself out of this pickle.  Ella Enchanted has a theme of people doing big things without thinking about how it will affect others (for fairies, this is called big magic).  The consequences are usually pretty crappy.  However, people who do big things while also thinking about the possible consequences can bring about good consequences.  The book is really an exploration of how we treat others and life in general.  Life can be full of hardships, but so can it be full of joy.

         

Geekerella                

          Geekerella is a recent novel by Ashley Poston,  Her twist on Cinderella is that it is set in modern times (at the time of this writing), and is based on the much cherished art of fandom.  I really hate fandoms, because (not all) but too many people take nice things and pervert them.  And that's all I have to say 'bout that.  

            Anyway, Danielle (Elle) is the usual Cinderella, except her stepfamily is preppy, she works in a vegan foodmobile, and loves to cosplay.  She's also in love with someone she doesn't know is a totally famous actor.  All these elements are brilliant.  There's the whole thing about secret identities (especially in social media), the acceptable translation of a ball (comic convention!!!!); and making pumpkins acceptably useful (would you like pumpkin fritters with that?).  So Elle has to figure out how to get out from under her stepfamily's thumb, get over her father's death, and get the guy of her dreams.

            This could have worked out so well.

            But it didn't.

        The book relies waaaaaaaaay too much on other works.  Like, name-dropping actors and fandoms (which can actually work up to a point); talking about cosplay, etc.  But there needs to be more substance for the story to stand on its own.  Without that, the story just becomes another ho-hum Cinderella story.  That's like a hot-air balloon that sails along quite nicely - and then pops, mid-air.  The fact that political correctness bleeds everywhere doesn't really help, either.  You can write Millennial stuff without having to agree on every part of the unofficial Millenmial manifesto.

          I want to grab this book by the pages and tell it to "bee YOURSELF!!"  But I cannot do that.  Because it's a book, and wouldn't understand me.  The irony is not lost on me that the book is about being yourself; but the book then goes and fails to do that somehow.  Know what I mean, jellybeans?

        Writing a book isn't easy.  Getting good ideas isn't any easier.  Retelling a fairytale can be a btt.  But if you take the time and carefully mine everything you love about the original fairytale, then that helps to make it more meaningful, and not formulaic.  

         So I say to Ms. Poston - I think you can do better.

         Final Score:

         Ella Enchanted = Five stars.

         Geekerella = Two and a half.

Scarlet and Coffee Movie Review - The Mummy (2017)

          Are you sitting comfortably?  Yes?  Then let us begin.

          Of first importance: this is a joint movie review by I, Lauren, *waves* and my friend, Lauren.  Yes, we are both named Lauren.  We just go see a lot of movies together, and somebody suggested that we just start telling people our opinions about it.  The review is called Scarlet and Coffee, because she's a ginger (yay!), and I'm a brunette (yay...?).  The Scarlet review will go first, and the Coffee review will come after, because my review is a bit spoilery.  

The Scarlet Review:

          "This weekend, I had the chance to see the new remake of the Mummy.  I went in completely blind and unbiased, as I had not seen either of the original versions.  I do really enjoy scary movies, but mummies have never really been my thing.  However, the Mummy wasn't too bad.   

          I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise, and I've always thought his acting was sub-par, but I did love the aspect of a wickedly fierce female villain - aka, the Mummy.  I don't want to give away too much of the story away, but be prepared for zombies, lots of sand storms, the occasional humor, and the awesomeness of Russell Crowe.  

          I can't say I'd see this movie again, but I CAN say that my favorite part of the movie was Jake Johnson, otherwise known as the guy who plays Nick Miller on New Girl.  Nick is my spirit animal, so Jake was a huge perk for me when watching this movie.  I give The Mummy a C- overall."

          So there you have it, folks.  Ginger Lauren is merciful, balanced, and kind.

          I, however, will not be.

Here, There Be SPOILERS!!!

(Seriously, don't read mine if you want to see the movie)

  

           How do you solve a problem like Tom Cruise?  He's a bruise on this film (and in real life, but we'll talk about that another day).  We've seen him in so many franchises and movies, that his appeal has slowly turned into a black hole.  He's like Galactus, eating up plan...err...movies and turning them into space poo.  (According to his Scientology buddies, that is.)  He's just so big and overbearing, that he doesn't give the movie enough chance to breathe on its own!  (Which is ironic, because it's a movie about the undead).

          I wanna talk to the Mummy herself.  Like, look, girlie, I know you want your little buddy Set to come into the real world (just like most fangirls), but I don't think Tom Cruise is the hot body you're looking for, sweetheart.  He's pushing fifty five!  You're...what?  A twentysomething?  This is not a dude you wanna spend the rest of your unlife, sweetheart.  Try someone younger, like Benedict Cumberbatch or Dan Stevens.

         In terms of villainy, Sofia Boutella stands well on her own.  She kicks Tom Cruise's butt, in spite of having the hots for him.  Buuuuuuut, while the media keeps telling everyone that she's sympathetic and a sad monster, I ain't buying it.  Because mainly?

        She.  Kills.  A.  Baby.

        No bueno, woman.  No bueno.  I can see why professional critics don't find too many of the characters in this movie to be sympathetic.  The only characters I really like are Dr. Jekyll (bit of a jerk, but hey, his evil side is funny...just like mine), and Sgt. Veil, played by the New Girl actor that Ginger Lauren loves.  As soon as this dude comes back from the dead, I'm like Yassssssss, American Werewolf in London!  Cue the comedy!  Except not!  Except Veil kinda is evil while still being funny!  And I'm confused!  But that's okay!  Because he's nice and funny!  And I'm using too many exclamatory sentences!  Don't get me wrong - the humor is great.  It just needed...more.

         But I digress.  Because the best part was when Tom Cruise was not Tom Cruise!  Like, when he wasn't good looking but actually looked ugly and scary, and had a beastly voice while screaming at Jenny to "wake up."  (Gosh, what an alarm clock.)  It was perfect, and started to get good.  But....then Monster!Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise again and turns into William Shatner, as he tries....to control.....the beast!  He's just a silly man hiding in the shadows; and if I were Jenny, I'd be like, "you really need to see a doctor, toots."  Yeah, not working, homeboy.

         Finally, we get to the end, where Tom Cruise is now a superhero (wait, what?) and resurrects Veil (Yay!).  And then they set out on more adventures...because, that's what you do when you're not dead anymore?  Go looking for more death?  Yeah, me neither.

        The End!  (Or...un-end?) 

        The whole thing was confused and jumbled - like a drunk guy trying to play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.  Expect a bunch of fix-it-fanfics to pop up on fanfiction.net.  Because while there were some good stuff, like Russell Crowe and ugly!Tom Cruise, it just didn't live up to the awesomeness of the trailers.

        (I do kinda wanna be buddies with Veil.  And Mr. Hyde.)

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

  *snorts awake*  What?  What'd I miss?  Oh.  Two Monday reviews, that's what!

   Ahem.

    The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
    Publisher:  Del Ray
    Publication Date:  January 10, 2017
    Source:  Kindle book

 

Summary from Goodreads:

 "At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales"

What I think it's about:

     A lady who really doesn't like Christianity, frankly.  And loves weird, twisted plots and not bothering to tell us what the heck is going on.

The Good:  BEAUTIFUL language and description.  Hands down.  Can't be beat.

The Bad:  Somebody doesn't like Jesus, folks.  Christianity and its followers are depicted as hypocrites and self-seeking Pharisees.  What else is new?  Give me a more rounded villain, at least!  One who follows Christianity, but has veered off the path, and then finds redemption.  Like Eustace Scrubb, sort of.  I dunno, I guess I like C.S. Lewis too dang much.  It's the writing, people!

The Ugly:  Err, references to unwarranted sexy time, virginity being a bad thing, and the whole fuzziness about demon worship.  The author kind of blends the lines of pure mythology and Christian belief about demons, and leaves the reader confused as to what's good and what's not.  God's (Highlight for SPOILER) a bad guy and another demon.

Summary:  ⭑⭑

Mini Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. RowlingPublisher:  Bloomsbury
Publication Date:  December 4th, 2008
Source:  Hardcover and straight from the friendly neighborhood bookstore!*

 What it's about:

     "The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore.

     Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter."  (Goodreads)

 The Good:  Hey, it's J.K. Rowling.  What's not to love?  But to be serious for a moment, she does write fairytales in a believable, HCA and Brothers Grimm style.  It has a fresh quality to it, even though it goes through timeless morals (at least, let's hope those morals are timeless by the time jetpacks are invented). 

Girl's got skillz.
  
The Bad:  Nothing I could see.

The Ugly:  Nope.  Nada.  Unless you're totally into creating horcruxes.  It's bad for you.

 Summation:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


    Now, to business.  I have plans for this blog, including giveaways and a special award that involves cats and charities. 

    But.

    I NEED your FEEDBACK.  Leave suggestions for books (maybe I'll make some polls), or talk about what YOU liked about one of the books reviewed on here.  And if we all play our cards right, the book fairy will make appearances.

    Cool beans? 

     Just picture a plate of buttered green beans and give a digital thumbs up.

     Ya did good.  Byeeeeeeeeeeee.**







*Actually, not so much.  The prices are NOT friendly.
**Random note: currently listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast.  Aside from pottymouths, two ladies tastefully talk about true crime and chick stuff.  Give it an ear.