The Sisters Grimm

I have just had an experience most book lovers can relate to…I have discovered a new author and series to indulge in…and best of all, my local library has almost all the titles published to date!

The series is “The Sisters Grimm” by Michael Buckley and there are currently 6 volumes published of which I have read the first five. This is a delightful tale of the adventures of the many-times grandchildren of the original Grimm Brothers who fairy tales are actually case files from their detective agency.

Imagine if the descendants of the Grimm Brothers had been given the task of ensuring the safety of all fairy tale characters and creatures, which duty included keeping them relatively undiscovered from the rest of the world! The Sisters Grimm live with their Grandmother in a town called Ferrytown Landing and run into many of their favorite fairy tale characters while chasing giants, a deranged Little Red Riding Hood and other villains who are trying to run this sleepy little town without human intervention (or population). If you are a fan of fairy tales, fantasy or young adult fiction, this series is worth taking a look at.

“Monster Blood Tattoo”

I just finished reading “Foundling” by D.M. Cornish, a young adult fiction work that is the first book in a series subtitled “Monster Blood Tattoo”. This delightful book is about a young orphan boy with the curious name of “Rossamund Bookchild” who becomes an apprentice monster hunter. As Rossamund begins his journey to take up his new post as lamplighter, he runs into all kinds of mischief and ultimately reaches his destination, but only after making the acquaintance of a beautiful and mysterious monster hunter – thus the apprentice part. I can’t wait to order the second book in this series…

June 23, 2007 “Open the Book that Unlocks the Secret”

So goes the subtitle of “Endymion Spring” by Matthew Skleton. Skleton is new to the young adult writing world and tells the tale of the “Last Book”. Endymion Spring is the young printer’s “devil” who discovers a blank book hidden in a jewel encrusted chest. Spring also happens to work for Johann Gutenberg who happens to be visited by Johann Fust as Gutenberg is embarking on printing the world’s first popularly published Bible. Fust is as evil and black hearted as the famous Faust (one in the same actually) and has in his possession a chest which he cannot open without some innocent blood. Enter Endymion. Endymion’s mission becomes discovering and subsequently hiding the “Last Book”.

The story also involves a twenty-first century American boy named Blake who discovers the book during a visit to Oxford and also becomes embroiled with the “Last Book”. Blake’s quest, however, is to discover it’s hiding place before some other unsavory characters do. “Endymion Spring” is entertaining, quick paced and full of wonderfully written prose describing the book, the adventures both Endymion and Blake have and the world they both inhabit.

So many books, so little time…

As the moderator (author really) of the JTL blog, I should let you know I am a self-confessed Anglophine [one who is fond of (sometimes translating to obsessed with) English culture, English history, really anything even vaguely connected to England] so you may note a lot of references to Brit Lit, English Lit, English Writers and anything else English. If you are not a fan of England, just ignore these references and read the post like any good old American would…

So, to start off our first official “booktalk”, I’ll let you know about a good book I am reading right now. It’s titled “The Mysterious Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Stewart. It is actually a Juvenile fiction work (another genre I am very fond of…) but it is equally entertaining for adults who like that kind of stuff. It’s the story of four orphans, all with some extraordinary talent, who are recruited by a secret and mysterious group of adults who are trying to prevent the world from being brainwashed into not thinking about anything (sounds not very far-fetched to me really). The four orphans have to infiltrate the source of subliminal messages that are sent out over the TV airwaves. I won’t spoil the ending but let’s just say everyone is happily ever after (although the book does end in a way that is not totally what you expect). The Anglophile connection here is that although the book is written by an American, the actual country it takes place in is not really identified but it sounds suspiciously like it could be in England…

So, what are you reading?