Dream a little dream...

Last night I read Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning. This short tale was originally published as part of the anthology Tapestry.

Moning’s novella contains many of the same threads found in her other Highlander tales: Time travel. Faery influence. Memory loss. Yadda yadda yadda.

Jane Sillee is in love with a man who has been haunting her dreams since childhood. The handsome Highlander becomes the main character in the romance novels she has been trying – unsuccessfully – to get published.

One day a box appears at her door. The tapestry inside is an exact likeness of Jane’s dream lover. After falling asleep beside it, she awakens the next morning - not beside the tapestry, or even her own time – but in 1400s Scotland…where she sees the dreamy Highlander in the flesh.

Too bad he has no clue who he is…let alone Jane!

Can Jane spark his memory before it’s too late?

At just over 100 pages, this book was – obviously – a quick read. As noted, there were a ton of similarities to Moning’s other Highlander books. Regardless, I enjoyed the tale.

A few children's book suggestions

Every year the Children's departments at our Main and branch locations put together an annotated booklet of book suggestions published in the previous year. Each staff member recommends several titles. Here are the ones I submitted.

Duck by Randy Cecil
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Candlewick (February 12, 2008)
In this sweet story Duck is a carousel animal who longs to fly. She adopts a lost duckling and they soon become inseparable. Can Duck teach her duckling to fly?

Big Bad Bunny by Franny Billingsley (Author), G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books (February 19, 2008)
As Mama Mouse tucks in her babies, Big Bad Bunny is running wild through the woods. Mama notices Baby Boo-Boo is missing. As Mama searches for Baby Boo-Boo, Big Bad Bunny continues her forest romp. Will Mama find Baby Boo-Boo? Who is Big Bad Bunny?

Ducks Don’t Wear Socks by John Nedwidek
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 17, 2008)

Serious Emily is seriously bothered by Duck, who is anything but serious. Duck likes to wear clothing, and everyone knows ducks don’t wear clothes. Can Emily cast off her serious side and learn to laugh with her new friend?

Help me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 1, 2008)
Are you a canine with a human problem? Write to Mr. Mutt and he will give you solid advice. Of course, his feline friend The Queen has something to say about Mr. Mutt’s words of wisdom.

I’m Not Santa by Jonathan Allen
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 23, 2008)
In this adorable Christmas tale, fluffy Baby Owl, wearing his red winter hat and pulling his sled comes across Baby Hare who insists that Baby Owl is Santa. What will it take to convince Baby Hare that Baby Owl is not the jolly old elf?

Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland retold by Jon Scieszka (Author), Mary Blair (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Disney Press (September 2, 2008)
Using the art that helped shape the look of Disney’s classic animated film, this new release of Alice in Wonderland will delight readers of any age.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (October 1, 2008)

A sweet poetic story of how babies from around the world all have ten little fingers and ten little toes, even the one sitting on mama’s lap.

Rumor has it...

I've finished another book. Last night I finished the sequel to The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. The second book in the series is titled Rumors.

The story starts shortly after the end of The Luxe. Elizabeth Holland is thought to be dead. The only people who know otherwise are her younger sister Diana and her supposed best friend Penelope. Both of these young ladies are in love with the same man...Elizabeth's former fiancé, Henry Shoonmaker. Will either woman get their wish of Henry's hand in marriage?

Meanwhile, Lina - the Holland's former maid - finds herself rising in society. Will she be able to fit in high society without getting found out for who she really is?

The story was OK. I was bored throughout parts of the tale. There is a supposedly a sequel being written. I'm not sure if I'll bother reading it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

This was a fun read! Skulduggery Pleasant is not your ordinary detective. He throws fireballs and can cast spells. Oh, and he happens to be a skeleton who has been dead for a few hundred years.

When twelve-year-old Stephanie’s favorite uncle suddenly dies, she unexpectedly inherits his estate. It is at her uncle’s funeral that she first sees the odd detective (who is, of course, in disguise to hide the fact he is a skeleton).

There is a sequel to this book (the title is: Playing with fire). I just put a copy on hold.

Unshelved featured this book in one of the Sunday BookClubs.

Bookmarkers - Spiderwick Chronicles edition

For the past few Mondays, I’ve held the Bookmarkers program. The books for this session have been the Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The first week I read most of book one: The Field Guide. The second week, I finished book one and started book two: The Seeing Stone. Last week I finished The Seeing Stone and started the third book: Lucinda’s Secret. I will finish that book tonight. Then, on Saturday afternoon, I’ll show the movie The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Pizza (donated by a local pizza place) and drinks are provided at every program. Popcorn and candy will also be provided at the movie showing. Additionally, each child is given a journal to write or draw in while I am reading aloud. Journals are purchased from Oriental Trading.

I was lucky enough to pick up a few items to raffle at the movie showing. Each time a child attends a Bookmarkers- Spiderwick program, he or she will earn another chance to win! The prizes this time are a Spiderwick Chronicles trivia game, a Spiderwick Chronicles jigsaw puzzle, and a Spiderwick Chronicles poster. These items are on display, as well as the crafts, in the lobby of the branch. The poster above the display is the same as the one being raffled.

Week 1 craft: Flower Fairy Dolls – similar to the ones found here.

This was a fun craft! One child even made shoes and a basket for one of her flower fairies.

Supplies – wooden beads, pipe cleaner, artificial flowers, yarn, tacky glue, pony beads

Week 2 craft: Seeing Stone

In book 2, Mallory and Jared find a complex “eyeglass” that enables them to see fairies. This simple craft will allow everyone to search for fairies in the everyday world.

Supplies – round “stone” with hole in middle (found at craft store in the bead section), hemp string (or similar type of string), scissors, pony beads

Loop the string around the “stone” a few times, put on a few pony beads, tie a few knots to keep the beads in place, then tie the ends to make a necklace.

Week 3 craft: Pencil Trolls

In book 2, the kids encounter a bridge troll. These trolls are a bit cuter…and a lot nicer!

Supplies – pencils, yarn (I used Lion Brand Homespun), eye stickers or googley eyes, tacky glue.

Put glue on the eraser of the pencil. Wrap yarn around the glue. Affix eyes. When dry, separate the ends of the yarn to make the “hair” stick out everywhere.

Week 4 craft: Wood Elf mask

This craft was taken from the Spiderwick website. Look under Downloads.

Supplies: cardstock (to photocopy the mask), crayons, colored pencils, markers, yarn or string, glue

Are you listening?

I've also finished two audiobooks. One is for children, and I previously mentioned it.

The first book I finished was Kenny & the Dragon by Tony Diterlizzi; read by Alan Cumming. As I stated before, I wasn't overly enthralled with Cumming’s narration, and was rather annoyed with the characters and how they sound. That being said, I really did like the story. I think that it is one to be read, not listened to.

The other book I listened to was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, narrated by Davina Porter. This is a long audiobook (28 CDs), and a story written for adults. It is hard to classify this novel. It has elements of Romance, Historical Fiction and of Science Fiction/Fantasy. Regardless of how one classifies it, it is a wonderful tale.

Davina Porter does a tremendous job narrating the story. I think one of the reasons I loved the book so much was the beautiful narration.

This is another tale set in the Scottish Highlands and involving time travel, this is the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser. Claire and her husband, Frank, are on holiday in Scotland. WWII has ended, and the two have been apart for most of their 8 year marriage. When Claire touches a rock in a stone circle, she is transported back to the 1700s. It is there that she meets Jamie Fraser. Their lives become more and more intertwined, and love blooms.

This is the first in a series of books. I just started listening to the second in the series, Dragonfly in Amber.

reading frenzy

I've finished several books recently, including all but one of the Highlander series. I'll start off with those books.

Firstly, this is the series in order:

1. Beyond the Highland Mist (1999) - see previous post for review
2. To Tame a Highland Warrior (1999) - see previous post for review
3. The Highlander's Touch (2000) - see below for review
4. Kiss of the Highlander (2001) - see below for review
5. The Dark Highlander (2002) - see below for review
6. The Immortal Highlander (2004) - see below for review
7. Spell of the Highlander (2005) - see below for review
8. Into the Dreaming (2006) - on hold for this one
   

The Highlander's Touch is another supernatural, time travel romance. Overworked Lisa accidentally falls asleep in the director's office at the museum where she works her second job as an afterhours cleaning woman. When she awakens to hear the director arriving to his office, she hides, hoping to not get caught. Before fleeing for safety - once she is able to - she takes a look at an old artifact that was just brought to the museum. Touching it, she finds herself transported to a different time.

Circenn Brodie is not your average Highlander. Entrusted by the Seelie Fae to keep watch over their hallows, Circenn's vow to kill the man who returns one that is lost - as well as his other vows - are all tested to the core when Lisa arrives from nearly seven hundred years in the future.

This is another quick read. There is a twist to the story and several things that tie in with future books. I enjoyed the story enough that I couldn't wait to read the next...

In Kiss of the Highlander, Gwen booked a trip to Scotland, trying to live life to the fullest (and to find herself a cherry picker). What she didn't bargain for was 1. to be younger than the rest of her group by at least 35 years or 2. to fall through a hole in the ground and land on a handsome, unconscious...and naked...Highlander. Will a trip back to his century save his clan, and will Lisa's life ever be the same again?

While a similar plot a few of her previous books - and one that will be seen again - this quick read (another one night book) was engaging. Moning's descriptions of the Scottish Highlands - regardless of what century - are lovely to read.

Of course, I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series, The Dark Highlander, which, in a way, is a continuation of Kiss of a Highlander. According to legend, if one of the MacKeltar clan used his powers for personal reasons, he would be cursed. Dageus MacKeltar found just how true that legend was. Could the love of a woman save him from his dark and deadly fate?

There's more time travel in this romance book. Again, another great, quick read.

The next story in this series, The Immortal Highlander, doesn't have the time travel found in the previous tales; however, a character from two previous books returns. Adam Black has been stripped of his fae powers by his Queen, and rendered human. To add insult to injury, he also cannot be seen by anyone. He travels - the long and tedious human way - by plane - to Cincinatti, where his son and family lives, hoping that Circenn can see and help him to contact the Fae Queen. Instead, he is seen by Gabrielle O'Callaghan, a third year law student with the hereditary ability to see Fae - and a fear of Fae to go with it. Once Adam realizes that she can see him, he is determined to have her help...though, neither would have guessed what happens as a result. Can Adam contact the Fae Queen in time to save not only Gabby and himself, but both of their worlds?

While previous books have some ties to the Fever series, I think it is with The Immortal Highlander that the real connections begin. At least as far as I've read so far!

The last book I've read in the Highlander series was Spell of the Highlander. The book returns us to the MacKelter clan. Cian MacKelter was only known in legend. Generations that followed him barely believed the tales of the Druid who turned dark were real. Jessi St. Clair finds the truth. Cian MacKelter is alive...having been imprisoned in an Unseelie Hallow - a mirror - for over 1000 years. Cian is depending on Jessi to save him - and to help keep the compact between the Fae and the Human Race from being broken.

Again, this book has many references that will be mentioned in the Fever series. It was also my favorite - thus far - of all the Highlander books.

There is a change apparent in the last few books of the Highlander series. While Moning sticks with some of the same small plots and themes of her previous books, the last two I read are different from the first few that screamed ROMANCE NOVEL.

Moning's other series is the Fever series. So far, three books have been published. I've now read all three of them. The titles in this series are as followed:

1. Darkfever (Oct. 2006) - see previous posts for review
2. Bloodfever (Oct. 2007) - see previous posts for review
3. Faefever (Sep. 2008) - see below for review
4. Dreamfever (Coming Soon) - not yet published
5. Shadowfever (Coming Soon) - not yet published

Faefever picks up where Bloodfever ends. Mac has just encountered the Sinsar Dubh, and, for the first time, did not pass out. She sees what happens to its victims, and the beast it has become. Mac continues her quest to find her sister's killer, playing her options between V'Lane and Barrons, and finally has that meeting with Christian MacKelter, and finds out his family's connections to the whole crazy mess. As Halloween approaches, Dublin is becomming more and more crowded with Unseelie Fae. What is the Lord Master's plan for the city...and all of mankind?

I cannot wait for the next book, especially with the cliffhanger type of ending that this one had! O.M.G. I hope it comes out soon!!

These are all books for adults.