February Reading
I don’t know how Katherine finds time to read books when she’s meant to be working with me on her new series, but it seems you can’t separate an author from her reading! Here's a selection from her bedside table this month...
THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF AWESOME COMIC FANTASY edited by Mike Ashley. This brilliantly funny collection of fantasy stories from different authors makes perfect bedtime reading. Katherine’s favourite stories so far:
“The Caliber of the Sword” by Larry Lawrence. You’ve heard of King Arthur’s famous magic sword Excalibur. But what happened to the lesser-known sword Calibre, made with the same magical powers but a couple of inches too short?
“The Byrds” by Michael Coney. In a not-so-distant future where people have to fill in annual questionnaires to see if their lives are still useful to escape termination, Gran and Gramps use their anti-gravity wings to start a new cult where people act like birds.
And my favourite story: “Dragonet” by Esther Friesner. A unicorn called Helios helps a damsel defeat a dragon - ha!
CASTLE OF SHADOWS by Ellen Renner. This full-length novel by a talented new writer takes place in a shadowy world of atmospheric railways and pigeon post. Princess Charlie’s mother has disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and her eccentric father spends his time building castles out of playing cards while the kingdom disintegrates around his ears. Charlie and her friend Toby, the gardener’s boy, have to negotiate a network of spies and villains to discover what really happened to the queen... the plot twists will keep you guessing to the end! A sequel is on its way later this year, and so far the setting is realistic rather than fantasy, which should appeal to readers who have trouble believing in magic. (The Muse asks couldn’t we add a unicorn? Just one small unicorn…?)
THE TIBETAN ART OF SERENITY (see my January reading post)… told you she’d still be reading this one, didn’t I?!
MSLEXIA issue 44. (Ms=women, lexia=words). This magazine is aimed mostly at women writers, but they’re currently looking for young reviewers for their teen book spot. If you’re a girl under 16 and would like to review for them, go to www.mslexia.co.uk for more details.
What books are you reading this month? Let the Muse know.
THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF AWESOME COMIC FANTASY edited by Mike Ashley. This brilliantly funny collection of fantasy stories from different authors makes perfect bedtime reading. Katherine’s favourite stories so far:
“The Caliber of the Sword” by Larry Lawrence. You’ve heard of King Arthur’s famous magic sword Excalibur. But what happened to the lesser-known sword Calibre, made with the same magical powers but a couple of inches too short?
“The Byrds” by Michael Coney. In a not-so-distant future where people have to fill in annual questionnaires to see if their lives are still useful to escape termination, Gran and Gramps use their anti-gravity wings to start a new cult where people act like birds.
And my favourite story: “Dragonet” by Esther Friesner. A unicorn called Helios helps a damsel defeat a dragon - ha!
CASTLE OF SHADOWS by Ellen Renner. This full-length novel by a talented new writer takes place in a shadowy world of atmospheric railways and pigeon post. Princess Charlie’s mother has disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and her eccentric father spends his time building castles out of playing cards while the kingdom disintegrates around his ears. Charlie and her friend Toby, the gardener’s boy, have to negotiate a network of spies and villains to discover what really happened to the queen... the plot twists will keep you guessing to the end! A sequel is on its way later this year, and so far the setting is realistic rather than fantasy, which should appeal to readers who have trouble believing in magic. (The Muse asks couldn’t we add a unicorn? Just one small unicorn…?)
THE TIBETAN ART OF SERENITY (see my January reading post)… told you she’d still be reading this one, didn’t I?!
MSLEXIA issue 44. (Ms=women, lexia=words). This magazine is aimed mostly at women writers, but they’re currently looking for young reviewers for their teen book spot. If you’re a girl under 16 and would like to review for them, go to www.mslexia.co.uk for more details.
What books are you reading this month? Let the Muse know.