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Valentine’s Day Picks: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales and Dead Until Dark

12 Feb

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here are two romantasies, one a classic and another brand new that I recommend checking out.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales
by Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the third and supposedly final in Heather Fawcett’s series about a scholar studying fairies who becomes mixed up in their magic. The books are written as if fairies are a real scholarly subject and Emily is studying them as one would another culture; footnotes to various fairy stories are even included throughout to add to the seeming reality of the stories. However, fairies can be capricious and dangerous. In this novel Emily has the possibility of becoming the queen of a fairy realm if she marries its heir. She has some hesitation though that despite Wendell’s devotion that fairies have been known to tire of their mortal loves. The couple must also overcome a curse put upon the land by Wendell’s half fairy/half human step mother. Fawcett does a great job at creating a strange world that is both beautiful and yet spooky at the same time such as trees that have leaves with eyes and kind brownies with needles for fingers. Beauty can be monstrous and monsters can be kind in the story which also speaks to being aware of ones expectations and prejudices. You can also read my two previous reviews of Fawcett’s books. We are reading the first in the series for this month’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club, if you would like to join us on February 24 at 6 PM at the Main Branch.

Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris
It had been awhile since I had read the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series or watched the HBO show True Blood that it was based upon so I enjoyed rereading it along with the Science Fiction and Fantasy book club last October. This series starts with vampires being revealed to be real after Japanese scientist find a blood alternative that they can survive on. Slowly over the course of the series other supernatural creatures including weretigers, shifters, and fairies also are revealed. We know from the beginning that Sookie is special with her ability to read human’s minds and her irresistible scent when it comes to vampires. Much like with the fairies, vampires are both alluring and yet highly dangerous to people. Sookie struggles in this story to decide if Bill’s charm and the sense of peace she gets from not constantly having his thoughts enter her mind is enough to overlook the more deadly side. Craving more?; you can also read the review of the last book in the series, Dead Ever After, that I had written when it came out as well as a review of the True Blood Cookbook.

Love is in the air! According to the National Retail Federation’s survey those celebrating Valentine’s Day are up from last year with over half those in the US celebrating. Need to get statistics? Access Statista.com while in the library to get statistics and graphs on a variety of topics.

Share your favorite Valentine’s Day Read in our Comments!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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The Mystery of How I Learned to Love to Read: James Patterson and Beyond

8 Jan

Thinking back on my younger days, I often viewed reading as an endless endeavor, lacking the clear timeframes that television or movies (my then preferred entertainment) provided. The uncertainty of how long a book might take to finish made it seem more like a chore than something for pleasure.

My perspective began to shift during my freshman year of high school. Recognizing my interest in crime procedurals and mysteries, my mother recommended I give James Patterson’s Along Came a Spider a try. She encouraged me to read just one chapter… Initially, I was reluctant, but I agreed. To my surprise, Patterson’s chapters were super short and super engaging. After completing the first, I found myself wanting to continue, gradually becoming engrossed in the narrative. The structure of Patterson’s books made reading feel manageable… accessible even, altering my perceptions.

As high school continued, my respect for literature deepened and I found myself in the high school library quite often. In my junior year, I was approached by the school librarian/media specialist to establish a teen book club during lunch hours. Serving as the inaugural president, I led discussions that allowed me to connect with fellow students over shared literary interests. These interactions enhanced my empathy, active listening skills, and appreciation for diverse perspectives, underscoring the profound impact that literature can have on personal development.

Today, my literary preferences still remain rooted in crime and mystery genres, with authors like Walter Mosley, Alexander McCall Smith, G.K. Chesterton, and Agatha Christie among my favorites. I also explore biographies, essay collections, and fantasy, broadening my understanding of different writing styles and subject matters.

For those who find reading daunting, I suggest starting with subjects that genuinely interest you. Seeking recommendations from friends or family can provide personalized entry points into the world of literature. Additionally, authors like James Patterson, with their succinct chapters, can make the reading experience more approachable.

In conclusion, my journey from viewing reading as a chore to embracing it as a source of enjoyment and growth illustrates how finding the right material and engaging with a community of readers can transform one’s relationship with literature.

If you love reading, what was that first book(s) that sparked your interest? Let us know in the comments!

Written by:
Tyler Riley
Information and Digital Services Library Assistant

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