The Bird Woman by Kerry Hardie

I feel that I probably missed a lot of the significance and symbolism in this book due to my lack of knowledge and understanding about modern Irish culture. Especially as it concerns the conflicts between North and South, and between Catholics and Protestants. I was still able to enjoy the book, and appreciate it on many levels, but some of it I found just plain confusing because of that lack of knowledge. So I suppose that's sort of a disclaimer for anyone who wants to read this book.
The story is that of Ellen, a Northerner and Episcopalian, who is a Healer. At first she does not know that she can heal, she just knows that she sees things, sometimes things that cause such problems in her mind and heart, she ends up hospitalized until she is sane again. After she is released, she meets Liam, a Catholic from the south, an artist who she feels drawn to. She leaves her home and destructive marriage, and follows him south. Ellen is such a solitary person, and her differences from those she now lives among do not help her to connect to anyone. As her healing power gets stronger, she must learn how to live with it. It is only when she is called back home, where she has not been for over ten years, that she begins to learn about being comfortable with herself.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This book was one of those that makes you wonder if the people who made it a best-seller actually read it. I enjoyed the book myself, but it takes practically half of the one thousand pages in order to actually get into the story. If I wasn't someone who was interested in this sort of fantasy, I would have put it down long before that. As it was, I gave it a chance, because it still kept me reading, and eventually I got into it.
The story takes place in England, in the first decades of the 19th century. Magic is something that is discussed theoretically by gentleman, but not something that is actually practiced in any way. The practice of it is even seen as somewhat vulgar. However, there is one man who has been practicing magic, although he is rather cantankerous, and does not associate with others. So it takes some convincing for this man, Mr. Norrell, to come out of his manor, move to London, and begin practicing magic in the public eye. The publicity he gains does nothing to improve his personality, and he is not well liked or understood. Jonathan Strange is the first man to come along who Mr. Norrell takes a genuine liking to, as a fellow magician. Their relationship begins as that of tutor and pupil, but becomes a rivalry after a few years, as their views on magic differ greatly. Their rivalry is the majority of the story, in addition to the plotline of the fairy who has enchanted a lady and her servant. Strange must eventually solve the riddle of this enchantment, as his wife becomes caught up in it as well.
The story gets very interesting once it gets through the first few years of Strange and Norrell's acquaintance. Before that, it is like reading Dickens, where you are just waiting to find out what the story is actually going to be about, and wondering when it will really begin. Clarke's writing is obviously very detailed, and she does an excellent job of bringing forth the time period in which the story takes place. The book ends well, and leaves open the future of English magic, and of her celebrated magicians, for either the reader to imagine, or perhaps for the writer to expand upon in a later volume.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

This is Marillier's only book that is written for young adults, as far as I know, but it has all of the elements of her other fantasy writing. Like her other books, it is drawn from traditional folklore and is set in our world, although magic is a part of that world. In this case the folklore is Romanian, and the story takes place in a castle called Piscul Dracului. The main character is the second of five sisters who for years have been traveling to the Other Kingdom through a secret passageway in their bedroom, every full moon. The sisters range in age from five to seventeen years old, with Jena being fifteen years old. Jena's best friend is a frog she found in the forest who speaks to her telepathically and joins her in everything she does. Although Jena is only fifteen, and female, she is given a lot of responsibility, and helps her liberal-minded father with his trading business. The story begins when her father is very ill, and must leave for the winter for warmer climates if he wants his health to improve. Jena and her sisters are left in charge of the manor in his absence.
The sisters' cousin, Cezar is eighteen, and seeks to take control of the family and the business while their father is gone. Jena must learn how to protect her family from his machinations, while keeping her younger sisters in line, managing the manor and the business, while her older sister has become lost in her love for a man from the Other Kingdom. It is a coming of age story, about learning to trust yourself and those you love, and at the same time learning to let go of those things that you have no control over.

**this review also posted at hip librarians book blog**

Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn

This is the fourth, and I believe final, book in the Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shinn (here is my review of the rest of the series: The Twelve Houses series). I have enjoyed this series tremendously, as Shinn always does a fantastic job with her characters. The main characters in this series are mystics - people with a variety of magical powers that they believe are bestowed upon them by a variety of gods. Mystics are in danger in the world, as a new cult is spreading, spouting ideas that mystics are evil and need to be destroyed. This fourth book wraps up the conflict that has been brewing in the last three books, ending with a war.
One of my favorite things about Shinn's books are her romances, which are always wonderfully written. The other thing she does very well is creating suspenseful situations, the kind that make it impossible to put the book down, or even to pay attention to anything else that is going on around you - the story sucks you in so completely. This series is a great read for anyone who enjoys fantasy. It even has a satisfying conclusion, so you don't feel quite so bereft that there will not be any more written about these characters. And of course, you can always read some of her other series next.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Here is another book that I read even though I knew it would make me cry. It is the story of Tessa, who is sixteen years old and dying. She has stopped going to school because of how sick she is, and now only wants to live out her remaining time like any teen would, on her terms. So she has made a list of things that she wants to do before she dies. It is not a list of lofty goals, but a list that many teenagers would make, if they were honest with themselves. She wants to have sex, do drugs, do something illegal. And as she works her way down the list, it changes, and other wants are fulfilled, while she realizes that some of the things she thought she wanted were meaningless.
One of the most beautiful things about this book are the characters. Tessa is so well written - she is just as pissed off as any teenager who is not able to do what they want. She is stubborn, and she makes you incredibly angry with some of her stupid choices. Her friends Zoey and Adam are also great - you want to hate Zoey and love Adam, but in truth, the characters are much more complex than that, and Tessa seems to be more aware of this than the reader. The book is sad, of course, as it is about death, ultimately. But it is also beautiful, as life (and death) can have so much beauty. The book itself seems to grow and mature as you read it, becoming fully realized only in its end.

**This review also posted at hip librarians book blog**

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

The premise of this book is one that is bound to disturb many people who read it. And the book lives up to that reputation. However, the matter is dealt with in a way that is easier to read, because the main character is looking back at events that happened five years previous.
Josh is a senior in high school, someone who everyone knows, but not because he is popular or well-liked, although he is a critical member of the baseball team. Everyone knows him because five years ago he was involved in a sexual molestation trial against his seventh grade history teacher. And now his former teacher, Eve, is being released from prison. Josh struggles to deal with his memories of the molestation, his friendships, his college decisions, and the girl that seems to like him regardless of what she knows about his past. He comes to realize that he has been punishing not only himself, but his closest friends for the past five years, and he begins to accept the truth about what actually happened to him.
This book was a little bit shocking due to the rather graphic nature of the material. I think it is better for the reader that we are learning about the past, rather than experiencing the present, during the sex scenes. What was most shocking for me was the way that Josh had dealt with what happened to him for the five years in between - he still blames himself. It is in dealing with the revelation that it was not his fault that Josh truly begins to grow up, and finally begins to heal.

Dog Years by Mark Doty

I decided to go ahead and read this book even though I knew without a doubt that it would make me cry. It is a memoir about a man and his dogs, and how they help him through the death of his partner, and how he lives through their deaths in the years following. They are beautiful dogs, retrievers, golden and black, Beau and Arden. They are described with love, through a poet's eyes.
Beau and Arden help Doty to survive the death of his partner, and they give him hope for the future. But they, too, will become sick and eventually die, Beau sooner than later. It is heartbreaking to read of the profound depression that overtakes Doty when he realizes how sick Beau is. This time, he pulls through the death again with the help of Arden, and his current partner. Reading about the tenderness that attends each death was difficult for me. Even though Kitty died over a year ago now, it is still difficult for me, and I wasn't even beside her as she passed. She wanted to be alone, but after reading this book, I almost wish I had stayed with her. Dogs are not solitary as cats are, however, so I suppose it is different.
As sad as this book is, it is a lovely story about dogs and their humans. For those of us that have dogs, it is enjoyable to read descriptions of their mischievous behavior, that we recognize so well. And their intense loyalty and love for their humans is magical. Dogs are wonderful friends, and this book is worth the sadness for anyone who loves them.

The Silver Bough by Lisa Tuttle

The Silver Bough is a good example of modern fantasy, although it is cataloged with the regular fiction. The story takes place in Appleton, a town in Scotland that is on the end of a peninsula. The three main characters are American women, who have each ended up in Appleton for different reasons, but become central to the magic that is about to happen there. There is always some sense of something lost and forgotten in the town, and many people blame it on the abrupt departure of the last Apple Queen, in the 1950's. The town has been going slowly downhill since then.
A landslide on the only road into town is the beginning of the magic, when Appleton suddenly becomes cut off from the outside world. Not only is the road blocked, but the phones and cable are also all cut. The three women begin to experience things that cannot be explained, except by magic. Not all of the magic is harmless or good, however, and many of the residents begin to believe that they are being pulled into the realm of Faerie, out of which the peninsula, or the island it was once believed to be, originally came.
The main characters in this story are likable, but not entirely believable. One of them is a librarian who lives in a little cottage that is practically part of her library. She is able to thus live her fantasy of living in the library. I can definitely sympathize with this, and I even experienced some of her thrill while reading it. The library that is central to the town and the story is a historic building, where no more than two employees are ever needed. It is filled with old volumes and strange curiosities. How exciting to work (and live!) in such a place!
I enjoyed the book, but there was something missing about it. Maybe everyone's problems were too easily resolved, or the story itself did not take enough twists and turns. I am not sure. I felt the lack of something, but I cannot articulate what it was. It was still a good book, and an enjoyable read. The town of Appleton is an exciting place to visit.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

The first book that I read by Geraldine Brooks, March, stunned me. I thought it was magnificent. So when I read about People of the Book, not only did it sound like an interesting premise, but I was hoping that it was as well written as March. I was not disappointed.
The story follows two lines, one that of book expert and restorer, Hanna, and the other that of the book that she is given to work on. Hanna goes through her job of restoring the book so that it can be put on display in a museum, but she also takes samples of some of the things she finds in the old book bindings, or on the pages. She then continues to analyze these samples. As her story moves forward, we move back in time with the book, discovering where each of these pieces came from, and how they changed the book itself.
People of the Book is beautiful, touching, and memorable in its detailed richness. Every piece of history, whether it be a book, work of art, or family heirloom (or all three) touches so many people, we can never know its full story. Following this book's history is a journey. Brooks does a tremendous job researching the various time periods that she describes. As in March, the history is part of what makes the story so fascinating, and she does not cheat her reader on any of it. People of the Book is an amazing story, and puts Brooks squarely on my list of favorite authors forever.

Re-Gifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, & Marc Hempel

I haven't read very many graphic novels, and honestly, I am not that interested in the genre. I do not enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy reading regular books, and often the style of the art really distracts me from the story. I really liked the style of Re-Gifters, however. And the story is great.
It is sort of a coming-of-age story, as the main character, Dixie, learns about how to value herself. She is "in love" with a dreamy surfer boy who does hapkido with her, but it is obvious from the beginning that he has no interest in her. Dixie has to make some poor choices before she discovers that she is worth more. The story is short, but ends triumphantly.