Books 1 -5 March 09, 2013

Part of my new Year's Resolution this year was to read most of the books I have at least once before setting the loose unto the world because I don't have the space to house them. Unfortunately, I broke my rule once already by buying my first read of the year. I also resolved to read a lot of Charles de Lint this year too. What I don't have on hand I will borrow from the library.

1) The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherin Jinks 2009. If you are looking for vampires that sparkle, go elsewhere. This is the vampire condition as a medical and social curse. A mixed group of individuals with their own peculiar quirks who meet on regular basis like any support group for medical conditions. Until one member is murdered and they scramble to find the culprit before he finds them. While this is Young Adult fiction, it's still entertaining enough for the fanciful adult.

2) The Phoenix Tree Edited by Robert H. Boyer & Keneth J. Zarhorski 1980. A fantasy collection of short stories with mythology as a theme. The stories cover the last couple of centuries of fiction while the themes cover old and new mythologies. Well worth the read f you are interested in fantasy and it's style and it's evolution over time.

3)Trader by Charles de Lint 1997. “Two lives. Two souls. One miracle.” What happens when you wake up one day in another person's body in Newford. And they wake up in yours. This book explores the very essence of why we live, get up every day, and make our way through life. With a touch of magic.

4) Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint. 1994. At first I did not like the heroine Isabelle Copley when I first started to read this book. But rereading it has me appreciate her more because not all of our heroines can be tough and resolute. You need fragile characters to help you understand humanity and provide hope that someday things can change within ourselves.

5) Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint. 1995. This book is the joint publication of “Jack the Giant-Killer” 1987 and “Drink Down the Moon” 1990. Both have Jacky Rowan in them along with her friends as they get involved with the Faeries of Ottawa. “Jack the Giant-Killer”'s simple plot of rescue the captured princess is made all the more entertaining by the fact Jacky is generally flying by the seat of her pants after breaking up with her boyfriend. “Drink Down the Moon” continues the Faeries in Ottawa stories with the addition of Johnny Faw and Jemi Pook who try to discover who is killing the independent Faeries. Both books are a good read.