Tag: book reviews

Into the Heart of Our World — A Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Remarkable Voyage of Scientific Discovery by David Whitehouse

Into the Heart of Our World — A Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Remarkable Voyage of Scientific Discovery by David Whitehouse

Into the Heart of Our World-A Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Remarkable Voyage of Scientific Discovery is a mind boggling, hypothetical journey into the world beneath our feet. Whitehouse, an astronomer, has bottled the wonder that he feels for the stars and channeled it into exploring the depths below. Though the science in this book went above my head at times, I enjoyed learning about Earth and its secrets. Into the Heart of Our World would make a great documentary.

Here are the parts that I loved the most:
Whitehouse was discussing the chemical composition and age of some of the oldest rocks on earth: “If the life of the Earth was represented by a day then mankind appeared just twenty seconds before midnight. These rocks have been waiting since about 1 a.m.” pg 52, advance reading copy

On a discussion of plumes beneath the Earth’s surface: “The big question is: can we see mass extinction events on the way up? Some scientists believe we can by looking for the plumes. Such a thing is seen in the south-west Pacific near the Fiji Tonga subduction zone. It’s 700 km deep, has a structure consistent with a massive temperature anomaly and may be rising. It could render the Earth uninhabitable for humans and it will reach the surface in an estimated 200 million years.(!!!!!?!????!!)” pg 146, advance reading copy, emphasis mine

About the core of the Earth: “”The core…is larger than the planet Mars and far more alien. It has one-sixth of the volume of the Earth yet one-third of its mass, and it is liquid, dense yet not thick. If you donned super-protective gloves you could run your hands through it like water. It is this liquid- molten iron, nickel, and a few other elements- that profoundly affects the nature of our planet and protects us from the harshness of the cosmos. In the mantle we suspect that there may be aspects of the subduction cycle that are important for life on the surface. But in the liquid core we have no such doubts. We are certain that life on our planet could not have survived without it, for out of its liquid motions emerges our great protector- the Earth’s magnetic field.” pg2 158-159, advance reading copy.  Who knew?

In a discussion of the magnetic field, some medieval beliefs about magnets:“In the thirteenth century Bartholomew the Englishman (c. 1203-72), author of the book On the Properties of Things, said that ‘This kind of stone restores husbands to wives and increases elegance and charm in speech. Moreover, along with honey, it cures dropsy, spleen, fox mange, and burns… when placed on the head of a chaste woman causes its poison to surround her but if she is an adulteress she will instantly remove herself from bed for fear of an apparition.” pg 167, advance reading copy. Behold the power of magnets.

One last bit of Into the Heart of Our World that was special to me on a personal level: “The oldest working seismograph, over a hundred years old but still fully operational, can be found at the university of Gottingen. It is the work of Emil Wiechert (1861-1928) who was the world’s second professor of geophysics.”pg 80-81, advance reading copy. My husband, a Geiger, is related to the man who created the Geiger counter. I’ve always felt that my family was a bit lacking when it came to scientific contributions. But now, I find out, there’s a geophysicist in the family! In your face, Geigers! :p

If you enjoyed Into the Heart of Our World, you may want to read What If by Randall Munroe or Rust: The Longest War by Jonathon Waldman.  A big thank you to Goodreads First Reads program for a free advance reading copy of this book.  And, thank you for reading!

Confessions of an Unlikely Runner by Dana Ayers

Confessions of an Unlikely Runner by Dana Ayers

Confessions of an Unlikely Runner filled me with hope. Hope that one day, I too with my sporadic training style and bookworm tendencies, could stumble my way through a race longer than a 10k at, if not respectable pace, then at least a step above sedate. Ayers is funny, candid, and self effacing in Confessions, her sports memoir.

She gives tips and tricks from her many years of race running as well as humorous stories to comfort and amuse struggling athletes. I liked her writing style immediately. It’s down to earth and genuine. This book is appropriate everyone but I think that the beginner to intermediate runners will enjoy her humor the most.

Ayers’ thoughts about running: “Running as helped me deal with coworkers and break-ups, has taught me what I’m capable of physically and emotionally, has introduced me to some fascinating people, and has taught me how to accept support. Of course, it’s also gotten me electrocuted…” pg 3

How she stumbled into marathon running: “I honestly don’t remember how I decided on a marathon as my weight-loss enabler. I searched through old emails and found one I’d written on November 15, 2009, to my friend Kami. The subject line just said, “Marathon,” and the email started with, “I may want to do one. Haha.” pg 17

On running at the back of the pack: “But being slow has its perks. Races are like mullets: business in the front, party in the back.” pg 28 Cracked me up.

On cross-training, here Ayers describes her first CrossFit class: “At some point during my last rep, my contact lens slipped off my eye. Even my eyeballs are working in this class. I had to walk back out past the MMA testosterone ring to get to the ladies’ room to fix it, and that’s when I realized I could no longer straighten my arms. I was walking like a T-Rex and couldn’t help it. I won’t be joining a CrossFit gym anytime soon.” pg 91

I’m seriously considering purchasing one of my sisters this book- it’s hilarious and uplifting. If you enjoyed Confessions of an Unlikely Runner, you may also like Down Size: 12 Truths for Turning Pants-Splitting Frustration into Pants-Fitting Success by Ted Spiker or Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsly.  Thanks for reading!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Dear readers, warning!!  I don’t usually put spoilers in my reviews, but I had to in this one to discuss it properly.  Please do not read this if you haven’t read the book yet.

Time to talk about Me Before You. This is a difficult one. Louisa (Lou) Clark recently lost her job. She needs another one, quick, before her family loses the house. Will Traynor used to be an active, world traveling, 1%er, but, after a terrible accident, he’s stuck in wheelchair and suffers each day as a quadriplegic. Both Lou and Will are damaged in their own way, but they make life better for each other.

Me Before You addresses the difficult issue of assisted suicide, so if you have trouble reading about that topic, steer clear. There’s also some flashbacks to a rape, so another warning, for folks who are triggered by such things.

I didn’t struggle with either of those topics, but it bothered me that the author painted such a bleak world for Lou. Her family doesn’t treat her well, her boyfriend, Patrick, doesn’t treat her well, and, in consequence, she doesn’t treat herself very well. I realize that the point of the story is how Will changes Lou’s view about the world and herself but it is awfully depressing.

And then, of course, I hated the ending. After everything they go through, Lou’s love isn’t enough? Yeah, I didn’t like that. You’d think Will would see how he made such a difference in one person’s life and realize that he could help many, many more people, if he could just see his world as larger than his body, but no. This book didn’t make me cry, I just felt awful. Seriously, awful. Stomach hurting, headache inducing, post-book depression, awful. So, you may not want to read Me Before You if you’re feeling down before you begin. It’s not a happy book.

Moyes does a great job with the characterizations. Here is Lou explaining how badly she misses her job: “Unemployment had been a concept, something droningly referred to on the news in relation to shipyards or car factories. I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a limb- a constant, reflexive thing. I hadn’t thought that as well as the obvious fears about money, and your future, losing your job would make you feel inadequate, and a bit useless. That it would be harder to get up in the morning than when you were rudely shocked into consciousness by the alarm.” pg 30 ebook Dealing with some unemployed depression at my house right now. That passage rang some bells for me.

Will’s mother, Camilla, is also a major figure in the story. Lou describes her here: “I wanted to say: Well, here I am, being cheery every ruddy day. Being robust, just as you wanted. So what’s your problem? But Camilla Traynor was not the kind of woman you could have said that to. And besides, I got the feeling nobody in that house ever said anything direct to anyone else.” pg 71 ebook

Lou’s perception of time when caring for an ailing Will: “There are normal hours, and then there are invalid hours, when time stalls and slips, when life-real life-seems to exist at one remove. I watched some television, ate, and cleared up the kitchen, drifting around the annex in silence.” pg 90 ebook When my child gets sick, I’ve experienced that strange “between time” too.

Camilla’s frustration as a town magistrate: “It’s quite hard to stay calm and understanding when you see the same faces, the same mistakes made again and again. I could sometimes hear the impatience in my tone. It could be oddly dispiriting, the blank refusal of humankind to even attempt to function responsibly.” pg 112 ebook I feel that sometimes at my job. Why can’t folks learn how to use a copier! Sigh.

I laughed when Lou went to the library for the first time in years and was surprised by what she found. I think it makes a statement for the evolution of library systems: “It wasn’t what I remembered. Half the books seemed to have been replaced by CDs and DVDs, great bookshelves full of audiobooks, and even stands of greeting cards. And it was not silent. The sound of singing and clapping filtered through from the children’s book corner, where some kind of mother and baby group was in full swing. People read magazines and chatted quietly. The section where old men used to fall asleep over the free newspapers had disappeared, replaced by a large oval table with computers dotted around the perimeter. pg 141 ebook. My section! “A librarian stopped by my table, and handed me a card and a laminated sheet with instructions on it. She didn’t stand over my shoulder, just murmured that she would be at the desk if I needed any further help..” pg 141 ebook. If Lou had grown up in my town, that would be me!

The key to Lou’s character, in my opinion: “It felt like I was living a life I hadn’t had the chance to anticipate.” pg 234 ebook  I think a lot of people are like that, sort of stumbling through life without goals or dreams of any kind. For her, love was the key to turning that around.  If only more people could be that fortunate, without the abrupt ending.

If you enjoyed Me Before You, you may want to pick up The Fault in Our Stars by John Green or If I Stay by Gayle Foreman. All of which have film adaptations: so, read the book first, then keep those kleenexes close for the movie.

Thanks for reading!

The Light: A Modern-Day Journey for Peace by Judith Lambert

The Light: A Modern-Day Journey for Peace by Judith Lambert

In The Light, Judy, the author, chronicles her dreams and her search through various countries and cultures for their ultimate meaning. She calls this book, a memoir, with some pieces changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

I found it to be an engaging look into the life of a spiritual seeker and a fascinating comparative study of all religions, their symbols, and common meanings.

Judy talks to a librarian named Bill about symbols: “I’ve been having some dreams with symbols that seem to be very powerful and consistent, and I’m wondering whether these symbols have a history or a larger meaning…” “Oh, yes, absolutely,” he broke in. “All symbols have a history and a commonality. There’s no question about that… Images are the means people must employ to understand ideas and feelings. Without them, we cannot reason… but, you see, we often don’t know where these symbols and images come from, do we? We forget their origin and the long history of their use, until we end by thinking that the symbol is the thing itself!”

I’ve heard it said that all symbols are mere pointers. It is like a man trying to draw our attention to the moon by pointing at it, but we mistake the moon for the finger doing the pointing.

Photo by Aron Visuals on Pexels.com

A beautiful description of the chaos at the river, Ganges: “Over the course of the day, blessed pilgrims gathered at Mother Ganga to wash away their sins. Motionless holy men sat absorbed in rumination, their faces turned toward the sun in celebration of the endless cycle of mornings like this. The striking of wet clothing against the steps was accompanied by the distant ringing of temple bells, whose pitch and resonance varied with the preciousness of the material from which they were made- bronze, brass, or iron. And over it all hung a fetid haze smelling of smoke and of- well, I didn’t want to think what else.”

I enjoyedThe Light because Lambert made me feel as if I was there beside her in her spiritual wanderings. I enjoyed the travel parts of this book very much.

The City of Light: “…The Gita,” now he looked out at the Ganges, “speaks of a radiant river of light. Westerners.. well, they often see a surface, and then they have no idea how to look beyond that surface.” He gestured as if to indicate the whole city. “This is the City of Light. Is this not what you were looking for? I do not mean any disrespect, madam,” he hurried on before I could react, “but if one cannot see the Light here, then one has not looked long enough.”

A description of inner illumination: “Nothing changed. Or everything did, for though monk, mandala, walls, cushions, and robes all seemed to remain the same, I felt at last- and only for an instant- the sense of peace that had eluded me since my dreams began.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The author changes immensely over the course of her journey: “I feel a reassuring contentment from all I’ve discovered and all that I’ve been privileged to learn. I am a Jew, a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, everything else, and nothing, all at once. I am…whole… And I believe that all religions possess and have knowledge of the Light. By claiming the Light myself, I can also retain my own personal stories, my own place, and time, and history…” An empowering message and a timely one.

If you enjoyed The Light, you may want to pick up The Realization of Being by Eckhart Tolle (a lecture, any of his talks are along this subject line) or The Invisible Hand: Business, Success & Spirituality by David Green (a memoir about another spiritual seeker and how he found the “Light”).

Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Duran Productions for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC of this book!  And, thank you for reading.

Unshelved Vol. 1 by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

Unshelved Vol. 1 by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

I enjoyed Unshelved, a comic about a public library, its librarians, and the ridiculousness that goes on when the library is open.  But, sometimes the cartoon hit too close to home. I’ve been treated and spoken to like Dewey at the information desk, tons of times. So, librarians beware. Some of these are almost too true to be funny. On the other hand, I like my job, so I’ve never responded like Dewey. It’s cathartic, reading his sarcastic responses to ridiculous questions and situations.

My library has this book classified as young adult and I feel that it is an appropriate categorization.  There’s nothing in here that I would find objectionable for a younger teen to read but some of the interpersonal problems may go over the head of a 12 year old.

Favorite character: Buddy the Book Beaver! Of course.

Favorite cartoons: The one where Merv writes a brochure to get more teens to come to the library pg 33 (My department is responsible for the young adult room, so I really appreciated the humor).

When the patron asks Dewey if he has any pens when he’s standing next to a pile of pens (Happens to me all the time). bottom of pg 41

And finally, when Dewey starts dispensing Eastern philosophy to the library patrons: “Search without searching. Look for nothing and find everything. Read the book but don’t look at the words.” top of pg 103. That’s probably me in about thirty years.

If you enjoyed Unshelved, you may want to pick up Rex Libris, Volume I: I, Librarian (Rex Libris, #1-5) by James Turner (another librarian themed comic) or The Black Belt Librarian: Real-World Safety & Security by Warren Graham (non-fiction book on how to deal with difficult patrons or security risks at the library).  Thank you for reading!

What if This is Heaven?: How I Released My Limiting Beliefs and Really Started Living by Anita Moorjani

What if This is Heaven?: How I Released My Limiting Beliefs and Really Started Living by Anita Moorjani

I was so excited to read What If This Is Heaven?: How I Released My Limiting Beliefs and Really Started Living. Moorjani’s first book, Dying to Be Me, was one of the first accounts of near death experience that I read. In it, she details how she was on her death bed, experienced the world beyond, and then came back to fulfill her life’s purpose.

When she came back, the tumors in her body disappeared and she’s been fine ever since.

It’s an astonishing and uplifting reminder of who we are as eternal beings and why we’re all here. What If This is Heaven is a continuation of this message in that, now, Moorjani is a teacher and lecturer on the topics of spirituality, healing, and self actualization. It’s wonderful.

And, it’s different enough from the first book that readers don’t feel like they’re re-reading the same messages. Moorjani has evolved and I’m very interested to see where life takes her from here.

Here are some passages that I loved:
“A major reason why I chose to return to this life during my NDE (near death experience) was because I understood that heaven is a state and not a place, and I wanted to experience, firsthand, the heaven that this life could actually be.”

“Remember, your only work is to love yourself, value yourself, and embody this truth of self-worth and self-love so that you can be love in action. That is true service, to yourself and those who surround you.”

“On the physical plane, we see love as an emotion, something we have for some people and not others. But the truth is that unconditional love is a state of being, and it’s our birthright. Once we begin to tap into that, we realize is has the power to transform all of our relationships simultaneously- including our relationship with ourselves- for the better.”

“… illness is our body’s way of communicating with us and showing us a better path. Yes, we may die from cancer- or from countless other things- and each of us will die from something at some point. But death is not the enemy. What often is the enemy is the way we view illness…”

Some fascinating teachings about the positive aspects of the ego are included in here: “The ego gives us our sense of identity, our individuality. It’s what allows us to know who we are as individuals and to express our uniqueness. If our ego weren’t necessary, we wouldn’t have been born with it.”

There’s so much more to enjoy in What if This is Heaven beyond these small bits. I highly recommend this read for spiritual seekers and those who are interested in self actualization.  If you enjoyed this book, you may want to read Moorjani’s other book, Dying to Be Me or Co-creating at Its Best: A Conversation Between Master Teachers by Wayne Dyer and Abraham Hicks.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hay House for the opportunity to review this book!  They sent me a free digital ARC for review purposes. And thank you for reading!

Shakespeare’s Guide to Parenting by James Andrews

Shakespeare’s Guide to Parenting by James Andrews

Shakespeare’s Guide to Parenting, like the wildly popular xkcd comic, is written with simple stick figures paired with, as you probably guessed from the title, quotations from Shakespeare’s works.

This format works for most of the panels, but did fall flat from time to time.

I think the problem is that, when you’re telling a story and using something as complex as Shakespeare, which relies on context to build the drama, for your main narrative voice, it’s hard to make it work as intended. Also, to simplify a joke down to one, perhaps two lines and maintain the comic punch is a very difficult thing. That being said, I did pull some favorite moments from this one.

If your child continues to be particular about their food, explain in no uncertain terms what the alternative will be: “I’ll make you feed on berries and on roots, and feed on curds and whey, and suck the goat. Titus Andronicus: IV, ii” pg 121

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

Having dealt with a picky eater for years and experiencing hair-pulling frustration at her recalcitrance, I may actually use that line at my house.

Be wary of rashly administering a sanction that you may later lack the resolve to see through. Remember, excellent outcomes can be achieved through epic-sounding yet non-specific threats: “I will have such revenges on you both that all the world shall- I will do such things- what they are I know not; but they shall be the terrors of the earth. King Lear: II, iv”pg 103  Ah, the drama of parenthood.

And finally, the drawing accompanying this one is of a little girl who has dropped her ice cream as her mother looks over at her:

Stoicism: Introducing your child to philosophy at a young age can help them come to terms with difficult concepts such as loss and bereavement: “What can be avoided whose end is purposed by the mighty gods? Julius Caesar: II, ii pg 43  Classic.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

If you enjoyed Shakespeare’s Guide to Parenting, I’d recommend I Was a Child by Bruce Kaplan (a memoir told in simple but surprisingly powerful doodles) or Penguins with People Problems by Mary Laura Philpott.

A big thank you to Goodreads First Reads program for a free copy of this book for review purposes and thanks for reading!

Primates of Park Avenue: a memoir by Wednesday Martin

Primates of Park Avenue: a memoir by Wednesday Martin

Primates of Park Avenue is a glimpse into the life of the privileged mothers of the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It’s weird, otherworldly, and off-putting, at first, but then as Wednesday struggled more and more to fit in and, ultimately, thrive, I found myself cheering for her. I can see how this book isn’t for everyone though. If you don’t like reality television or the details of petty power plays between ridiculously rich socialites, you may want to read another memoir.

As a mother myself, I was thanking my lucky stars as I turned every page that I didn’t happen to end up in New York City. I wouldn’t want that type of pressure on me: to look a certain way, act a certain way, or make my family act a certain way. I can’t imagine that it would ever make me happy and I’m surprised that Wednesday managed as well as she did and emerge, for the most part, unscathed.

The author’s reason for writing: “This book is the stranger-than-fiction story of what I discovered when i made an academic experiment of studying Manhattan motherhood as I lived it. It is the story of a world within a world, a description I do not use lightly.” pg 18, ebook

The “world in a bubble” that is Manhattan: “…many of us live unconstrained by our environment in unprecedented ways. But nowhere, I considered as I walked from here to there every day, foraging for crisp Frette sheets and shiny All-Clad pots and pans and the perfect sconces, are we as radically and comprehensively released as on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was the land of gigantic, lusciously red strawberries at Dean & Deluca and snug, tidy Barbour jackets and precious, pristine pastries in exquisite little pastry shops on spotless, sedate side streets. Everything was so honeyed and moneyed and immaculate that it made me dizzy sometimes.” pgs 77-78, ebook

Wednesday forgets to register her child for nursery school and has to scramble and beg to even get applications to the Upper East Side Schools because, if she doesn’t, she isn’t living up to the expectations of her peers: “Thus began my disorienting slide from bystander to total buy-in: with fear. I had been seized by the culturally specific and culturally universal anxiety of not being a good enough mommy, of being a mommy who does less than enough for her children.” pg 90, ebook.

The thing is, in my experience, all mothers deal with that fear. Most of us are just fortunate enough to be in a place that doesn’t put a social magnifying glass on it.

My favorite part- Wednesday decides to get a Hermes Birkin bag to stop women from “charging” (crowding) her on the Manhattan sidewalks: “Like a totem object, I believed, it might protect me from them, these ladies who were everywhere in my adopted habitat and who said so much without a word, using only their eyes and their faces and, always, their handbags. Perhaps, I thought, a nice purse like the ones they had might trick them, mesmerize them into believing that they oughtn’t challenge me to sidewalk duels and all the rest.” pg 132, ebook. Never underestimate the power of a really nice bag…

The most disturbing part, for me, was the reliance of all of these women on their husbands: “…with resources under their control, with wives who are dependent on them caring for their even more dependent offspring, privileged men of the Upper East Side can do as they please. Men may speak the language of partnership in the absence of true economic parity in a marriage, and they may act like true partners. But this arrangement is fragile and contingent and women are still dependent, in this instance, on their men- a husband may simply ignore his commitment at any time.” pg 241, ebook

That really bothered me.

Wednesday ties up the memoir with a heartbreaking chapter from her own life. I won’t spoil it for readers, other than to say, that I found it very difficult to get through. Primates of Park Avenue seems like a frothy and frivolous bit of writing about women who already have so much privilege that their lives didn’t need the examination, but then I realized, that universal problems like gender inequality and becoming a part of the group transcend culture, time, and place.

If you’re looking for more books on these sorts of social questions, you may want to read Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg or Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own by Kate Bolick.

Thanks for reading!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monsters Calls is a fantastic coming of age story. Conor’s mother is very sick. Since her illness, Conor has been treated differently at school and works hard at home, trying to keep everything running smoothly while she’s resting. He’s had a nightmare too- one that wakes him screaming almost every night. But then, one night, he dreams a different dream in which a monster formed from a yew tree comes to his home…

This book gave me goosebumps, it’s so good! I especially liked the monster’s tales.

Here’s the first time Conor meets the monster: “… here was a monster, clear as the clearest night, towering thirty or forty feet above him, breathing heavily in the night air. “It’s only a dream,” he said again. ‘But what is a dream, Conor O’Malley?’ the monster said, bending down so its face was close to Conor’s. ‘Who is to say that it is not everything ELSE that is the dream?'” pg 38 (ebook) Who’s to say?

“‘Here is what will happen, Conor O’Malley,’ the monster continued, ‘I will come to you again on further nights.’ Conor felt his stomach clench, like he was preparing for a blow. ‘And I will tell you three stories. Three tales from when I walked before.’ Conor blinked. Then blinked again. “You’re going to tell me STORIES?” ‘Indeed,’ the monster said. “Well-” Conor looked around in disbelief. “How is THAT a nightmare?” ‘Stories are the wildest things of all,’ the monster rumbled. ‘Stories chase and bite and hunt.'” pg 40-41 (ebook) Love, love, love! “Stories are the wildest things of all.” Yeah, they are.

I love the relationship that develops between Conor and the monster: “He (Conor) heard a strange rumbling, different from before, and it took him a minute to realize the monster was laughing. ‘You think I tell you stories to teach you lessons?’ the monster said. ‘You think I have come walking out of time and earth itself to teach you a lesson in niceness?’ It laughed louder and louder again, until the ground was shaking and it felt like the sky itself might tumble down.” pg 70 (ebook)

One more small passage that I had to include, not because it’s particularly important to the story but because it’s so very true: “Conor stared out the window… “How long are you here for?” he asked. He’d been afraid to ask before now. His father let out a long breath, the kind of breath that said bad news was coming. “Just a few days, I’m afraid.” Conor turned to him. “That’s all?” “Americans don’t get much holiday.” pg 103 (ebook) Mic drop!

This is a young adult book, but if you’re looking for more excellent fairy tales (like the monster’s stories) you may want to pick up In the Night Garden (The Orphan’s Tales, #1) by Catherynne Valente or, for another amazing coming of age story with fairy tale elements, try The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.

Thanks for reading!