Wishlist

Pretty covers are something I can't resist. Especially cloth or leather-bound ones with lots of illustrated elements and a title done in a gorgeous font. Now throw one of my favorite illustrators into the mix… and it's love at first sight.

Flora Waycott recently posted the cover she designed for the B&N collectible edition of the Secret Garden. Of course it is absolutely stunning… just look at it! Wanna guess how much it costs? Only 9 dollars! I kid you not. Promise.

The Secret Garden actually happens to be a book I'd been wanting to read for a while. So her timing's quite perfect!

Anyway, I strongly urge you to check out Flora Waycott's work. I myself follow her on facebook and just love seeing her posts pop up. She's always starting fun projects that allow her to make wonderful series of illustrations. So enjoy!

Mixed Shelf #26

After my first venture into epic fantasy, I'm now reading something a bit more familiar to me again: a children's book about fairies. And one in which the fairy- and the human world collide, which is something I tend to love.

Wanting: Dreamwood by Heather Mackey

I need to read this book! Not only is it one of those stories that immediately speaks to me (Girl having to travel through a magical forest in order to save her father, who is an expert on the supernatural.), but the illustrations are done by Teagan White, so that can only mean we're in for a real treat here! The cover itself is gorgeous already.

goodreads // available here

Reading: The Various by Steve Augarde

The Various is the first in a trilogy, which is very interesting time-wise as the second book is set 70 years before the first, and the third actually combines both periods of time. So far, I really like it. Some parts are slow because the author sometimes goes into a lot of detail explaining things, but I still love the story and the writing style.

goodreads // available here

Waiting: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

This is one of those books I was really looking forward to, but apparently not quite enough to read it right away. I've also heard mixed things about it, but I'm still quite excited to read it myself and see what I think. It is apparently very dark, in fact, it's actually labelled as YA horror. I was expecting something lighter, so we'll see how I like it...

goodreads // available here

Do you have any stories to recommend that have a nice mix of the real world and a magical fantasy?
Or are you reading something good of an entirely different genre at the moment?

Mixed Shelf #20

Still making my way through my library books. I finished two out of five, and am now busy reading the children's books I picked up. So far so good, but I have to admit I have many, many pages left to read before they're finished.

Wanting: Keeper of Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

This is a new series that is bound to get big soon. Lots of people have been raving about it, and it has a ridiculously high rating on Goodreads. Anyway, it's a magical middle grade book about two telepaths that need to work together. You know I love middle grade, and if a book is so well-received by adults as well, I really want to read it!

goodreads // available here

Reading: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Sticking with middle grade... I just picked up Liesl and Po from the library. I read one Lauren Oliver ("Before I Fall") and though it was an ok read, I did not love it. However, this is off to quite a promising start. And one thing I love about books for younger audiences is that they cut out all the standard teen issues, and just leave the magic.

goodreads // available here

Waiting: Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

I bought this at a book signing, and though I was so excited to buy it, I have to admit I haven't started it yet. And I won't have time to read it this year, but I might be able to still squeeze it into this winter. Can't say if it's good yet, but Jonathan Stroud was just wonderful. Really friendly and enthusiastic! So I almost recommend this in advance.

goodreads // available here

Have you picked up anything from the library recently? Or read any fun middle grade?

Mixed Shelf #18

The weather is still perfect for hot chocolate and children's fantasy books! The plots are usually too strange to juggle reading multiple books, so I'm pacing myself even though I'm itching to start on lots of fun stories at once.

Wanting: Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge

I recently heard some amazing things about this book. A lot of strange things happen in this story, it's supposedly quite the roller coaster ride. But I also hear it's beautifully written and has a great protagonist, who loves to read in a world where reading is viewed as something quite evil. Also, the illustration looks absolutely amazing! 

goodreads // available here

Reading: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland (etc…) by Catherynne M. Valente

The first time I sat down to read this book, I was a little disappointed, but from the next time on I started to really enjoy it. It reminds me a lot of Alice in Wonderland (although I have to admit I have yet to read that as a book) Also, it's such a gorgeous book to look at! It's actually the first in a trilogy, so if I enjoy the remainder of this one, I can read two more!

goodreads // available here

Waiting: The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm) by Michael Buckley

I fell in love with these covers! Also, I love fairy tale retellings. Throw the two together and I simply can not resist it. This is the first in quite a long series and we'll see how far I get. But I'm sure looking forward to starting on the first one. A pretty recent addition to my book collection, but I don't think it'll have to wait long before I read it.

goodreads // available here

What are you currently reading? And do you recommend any series from this genre?

Mixed Shelf #17

Rainy Fall days always get me in the mood for middle grade fantasy books. There's something extra cozy about that combination. Throw in a purring cat, a warm blanket and a good cup of tea and I am content for hours on end!

Wanting: Fire Spell by Laura Amy Schlitz

Was it the cover that drew me in? Absolutely! …but I am also curious about the story. It does sound quite sinister, but it's a children's book, so it might still be doable. It involves orphans, magic and an evil puppeteer that turns one of the protagonists into a marionette by controlling her body and mind. Creepy, right? Halloween read, maybe.

goodreads // available here

Reading: Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill

Where I live, we have "children's book week" each year. If you buy any children's books then, you also get a gift. I liked the gift book, so I browsed my favorite bookstore and happened upon Wild Magic. It seemed interesting, and the cover is gorgeous! It even has silver specks! Anyway, it's a retelling of the Pied Piper and I'm quite liking it so far.

goodreads // available here

Waiting: The Chronicles of the Chrestomanci Vol.1 by Diana Wynne Jones

This book has been sitting on my shelf for probably about a decade. I have read two other Diana Wynne Jones-books, and I did like them. They're not my favorite books, but quite enjoyable. I also got stuck in another one, twice. And I just never got round to reading this book, something else always distracted me. Perhaps I'll still squeeze it into 2014...

goodreads // available here in a different cover

How about you? What are your favorite Fall reads? Or can you recommend any good middle grade fantasy?