Cozy Fantasy

Recently I asked one of our teen volunteers what they were reading and what they'd like to see a display of in the teen area. The reply was "cozy fantasy." If you've not come across it before, cozy fantasy is a newish sub-genre of fantasy - imagine a warm fire, a comfy chair, a cup of cocoa that never grows cold, a plate of your favorite cookies, and a generally happy book with a magical narrative. Often cozy fantasy has a fairy tale or folk tale inspired setting and/or story line. In December I put up a cozy fantasy display in the teen area, which has since been replaced by a display of thriller novels (a swing of the pendulum here). But, in case you missed it shared below (with links to the catalog) are 13 of the titles that were in the display. I highly recommend both A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking, and The Goblin Emperor, if you want to try cozy fantasy. And, there are reasons why the Redwall series, and Howl's Moving Castle have not gone out of print since 1986, and are still in the teen collection, so if you've not already read them you might start with one of them (there are 24 books in the Redwall series).

The Charmed List, by Julie Abe, 2022. Gifted with special abilities, shy Ellie Kobata must complete 13 things on her Anti-Wallflower list, but when number four on the list goes horribly wrong, she is forced to go on a road trip with her former-friend-turned-enemy.

The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison, 2014. When the Emperor of the Elflands, & 3 sons in line for the throne all perish in an airship crash, 18-year-old Maia is recalled from exile & proclaimed heir to the throne. Maia, unschooled in the art of court politics, whose mother was a goblin, is transformed from pariah to messiah--attracting sycophants, schemers, & enemies.

 

Flowerheart, by Catherine Bakewell, 2023. Sixteen-year-old Clara accidentally curses her father with wild magic, and in order to save him, she makes a dangerous bargain with a local wizard, who happens to be her childhood best friend.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman, 1999. Living in a Victorian countryside town overshadowed by an imposing stone barrier, Tristran is compelled to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves and crosses to the wondrous other side of the barrier, where he encounters dangerous rivals for the star.

Redwall, by Brian Jacques, 1986. (First book in series) When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones, 1986. Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl.

A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher, 2020. 14-year-old Mona isn't like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can't control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt's bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona's life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona's city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. 

 

Enchanted, by Alethea Kontis, 2012. When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

 

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim, 2021. After unleashing forbidden magic, being banished by her stepmother and unable to speak or her brothers will die, Shiori'anma must find a way to save them with the help of a paper bird, a mercurial dragon and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry.

Something Close to Magic, by Emma Mills, 2023. No-nonsense baker's apprentice Aurelie, who has the gift of Seeking, is reluctantly drawn into an adventure when a bounty hunter needs her help rescuing Prince Hapless from the dangerous Underwood -- and finds what's even more dangerous are the feelings she's starting to have for the prince.

 

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, by Axie Oh, 2022. In this retelling of the Korean legend The Tale of Shim Cheong, 16-year-old Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm, where, assisted by a motley crew of demons, gods, and lesser spirits, she sets out to awaken the sleeping Sea God and save her homeland and family from deadly storms.

 

Sorcery of Thorns, by Margaret Rogerson, 2019. When apprentice librarian Elisabeth is implicated in sabotage that released the library's most dangerous grimoire, she becomes entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy that could mean the end of everything.

A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft, 2022. Sharpshooter Margaret and alchemical apprentice Weston form an unlikely team competing for glory in a magical fox hunt--while she wants to lure her mother home, Wes needs the prize money to support his family and his political aspirations.

 

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches, by Kate Scelsa, 2022. An atmospheric and romantic coming-of-age story about learning to make peace with the past in order to accept the beauty of the present finds 17-year-old Eleanor opening herself up to magic and romance again after a devastating loss.

Top XIII First Quarter Reads

Out of the 41 books I feasted on during the first 3 wintery months of 2014, here are my top of the heap favorites.  If you want a book to take you through spring vacation week, these are just a few choice reads I would hand you. Stop by the library and visit with me if you would like other recommendations. (Descriptions following the book titles are from the Library's online catalog.)  

FANTASY    Our Children's Librarian suggested Revenge of the Witch, to me. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the rest of the Last Apprentice 13 book series for the teen collection. Delaney's books fit in the fantasy genre but could also be placed in the horror genre due to scary events and dire creatures that appear during the many struggles between good and evil. The most recent book, Fury of the Seventh Son, was just published this month.  Seventh Son, a movie based on the Last Apprentice series, is planned for release February 2015.
Half Bad is urban fantasy, set in England in the present day, and is the first book in a planned trilogy. Besides telling a story about people with magical powers this story is about prejudice.  It is also, at heart, about a boy seeking his father and his place in the world.
It was exciting to finally hold the much anticipated prequel to Throne of Glass in my hands. It did not disappoint.  If you read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, you have to read Assassin's Blade.

Revenge of the Witch, by Joseph Delaney, 2005.  Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties."  Book 1 in Last Apprentice series.

Half Bad, by Sally Green, 2014.  In modern-day England, where witches live alongside humans, Nathan, son of a White witch and the most powerful Black witch, must escape captivity before his 17th birthday and receive the gifts that will determine his future.  First book in planned trilogy.

Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass novellas, by Sarah Maas, 2014.  In these five prequel novellas to Throne of Glass, feared assassin Celaena embarks on daring missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and avenge tyranny.


HISTORICAL FICTION   These two books are very different in tone.  Northern Light is the darker of the two with a murder mystery at its core.  A Mad, Wicked Folly, you can just tell from the title, is a lighter, frothier historical tale. Both books concern themselves with balancing independent work aspirations with romance and their heroines expected role in society.

Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, 2003.  In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest.  Based on a true story.

A Mad, Wicked Folly, by Sharon Biggs Waller, 2014.  In 1909 London, as the world of debutante balls and high society obligations closes in around her, 17-year-old Victoria must figure out just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dream of becoming an artist.


REALISTIC FICTION   Panic is a modern day Hunger Games sort of story about facing fears and taking risks. You may ask yourself as I did, "Where are the people who might be concerned about safety, i.e. parents, teachers, police, etc.?!".  Sex & Violence is a psychologically gripping story that although it has a brutal beginning is sure to keep you turning the page.  Winger, set in a boarding school, is by turns funny and serious.  Violence in various forms is a theme in all three of these stories.

Sex & Violence, by Carrie Mesrobian, 2013.  Sex has always come without consequences for 17-year-old Evan. Until he hooks up with the wrong girl and finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. After an assault that leaves Evan scarred inside and out, he and his father retreat to the family cabin in rural Minnesota—which, ironically, turns out to be the one place where Evan can't escape other people. Including himself.

Panic, by Lauren Oliver, 2014.  A high-stakes competition marks a summer in a small isolated community and compels graduating seniors Heather and Dodge to tap inner strengths while hiding dangerous secrets and forging unexpected alliances.

Winger, by Andrew Smith, 2013.  Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, 14-year-old Ryan grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dorm-mates.

SCIENCE FICTION   Aliens, cyborgs, and video game characters people these futuristic stories in strong feminine roles.

Tin Star, by Cecil Castellucci, 2014. Beaten and left for dead, 14-year-old Tula Bane finds herself abandoned on a space station called Yertina Feray after traveling with the colonist group, Children of the Earth. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

Earth Girl, by Janet Edwards, 2013.  Abandoned on Earth because of her inability to survive on other planets, Jarra crafts a fake background for herself to join a class of norms who are excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities.  First book in a planned trilogy.



Game Slaves, by Gard Skinner, 2014.  A highly intelligent group of video game enemy non-player characters (NPC) begins to doubt they are merely codes in a machine. Their search for answers leads them to a gruesome discovery.

Cress, by Marissa Meyer, 2014.  Working to overthrow Queen Levana, a fugitive Cinder and her companions search for Rapunzel-like hacker Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood and who has received orders from Levana to foil Cinder's efforts. This is the third book in the Lunar Chronicle series.

NON-FICTION   If you have ever thought you might like to pursue a career in graphic design, or that you would like to improve your skill with creating signs or posters, then this book is the place to start. There are 10 design project exercises included at the end of this informative book, such as creating your personal logo, redesigning a familiar object, and making your own font specimen sheet.

Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design, by Chip Kidd, 2013.  Go, by the award-winning graphic designer Chip Kidd, is an introduction to the ways in which designers communicate their ideas to the world, whether through images, color, text, or placement.

17 Third Quarter-ish Favorites

Here are my top 17 book picks from the 50 I read between July and October.  Out of these, the top two must not miss titles (imo) are Neal Shusterman's lastest book in his Unwind series, which stitches up more adventure with a dark thread of biological engineering horror, and Counting By 7s, by Holly Sloan, a sparkling gem of a story. In August I got hooked on the Forgotten Realms series fantasy books by R.A. Salvatore, thanks to a recommendation from a teen advisory board member.  Give Homeland, the first book in this series a try; it has adventure, battles galore, and intriguing character development. Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, the sequel to Throne of Glass, arrived at the end of August, which was a squeee moment for me, only now, I again (sigh) must wait for the next book to be published to find out what happens with Celaena.  I am a huge fan of all the Tamora Pierce series so was very excited when her latest book Battle Magic, arrived to continue the story about Winding Circle's ambient magic mages.  Living with Jackie Chan, Pieces, and Rats Saw God, are all realistic fiction on serious topics told with humor from a teenage boy's perspective.  I had not read Jo Knowles, Jumping Off Swings, but after reading Living with Jackie Chan, I had to read that too.  Spirit and Dust is a romping paranormal/mystery road trip featuring ghosts, witches, psychics, and Egyptology.  I was amazed by Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, a well-told biographical narrative by Phillip Hoose, about a girl who ought to be as well known as Rosa Parks.  Relish was delicious graphic format nonfiction, and includes recipes.  If you pick up one of the following to read, let me know what you think.  (Book summaries are from the online catalog, just click on the title to place a hold or to see if the book is on the shelf, i.e. checked in.)

Fantasy

Battle Magic, by Tamora Pierce, 2013.  When messengers arrive in Gyongxe "inviting" Dedicate Initiate Rosethorn and her two young companion mages, Evumeimei and Briar, to court to celebrate the birthday of the Emperor of Yanjing, Rosethorn is eager to go, but Briar suspects that there is an ulterior motive behind the invitation.  (Third book in Circle Reforged series.)

The Bitter Kingdom, by Rae Carson, 2013.  Elisa, a fugitive in her own kingdom, faces great challenges to rescue the man she loves from her enemies, prevent a civil war, and take back her throne but as her magic grows, Elisa discovers the shocking truth about her enemy's ultimate goal.  (Third book in Fire and Thorns trilogy.)

Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, 2013.  As the royal assassin to an evil king, 18-year-old Celaena Sardothien must decide what she will fight for--survival, love, or the future of a kingdom.  (Sequel to Throne of Glass)



Homeland, by R.A. Salvatore, 1990.  Drizzt the Dark Elf finds adventure, peril, and awesome magical power as he confronts the underground civilization of the evil race of Drow elves. (First book in Forgotten Realms Dark Elf series.)

Shadowfell, by Juliet Marillier, 2013.  Fifteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured, but when she sets out for Shadowfell, a training ground for a rebel group, she meets a mysterious soldier and the Good Folk, who tell her that she, alone, can save Alban. (First book in Shadowfell series.)

Historical Fiction

All The Truth That's In Me, by Julie Berry, 2013. Judith can't speak. But when her close-knit community of Roswell Station is attacked by enemies, Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice.

The Caged Graves, by Dianne K. Salerni, 2013.  Returning to her hometown of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867 to marry a man she has never met, 17-year-old Verity Boone gets caught up in the mystery surrounding the graves of her mother and aunt and a dangerous hunt for Revolutionary-era gold.

Mystery

Spirit and Dust, by Rosemary Clement-Moore, 2013.   Raised in a family of psychics and witches, teen Daisy Goodnight is happy to help local police solve cold cases but when the FBI seeks her talents, she becomes involved in a mess that even has the spirits terrified.

Realistic Fiction

Counting By 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, 2013.   Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell, 2013.  Feeling cast off when her best friend outgrows their shared love for a favorite celebrity, Cath, a dedicated fan-fiction writer, struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and worrying about her fragile father.

Living with Jackie Chan, by Jo Knowles, 2013.  After moving in with his karate-loving uncle in a different town, Josh struggles with regrets while practicing karate with upstairs neighbor Stella, whom Josh fears will reject him because of her jealous boyfriend and his own checkered past.  (Sequel to Jumping Off Swings.)

Pieces, by Chris Lynch, 2013.  18-year-old Eric deals with the loss of his older brother Duane by meeting three of the seven recipients of Duane's organs a year after his death, and pondering who they are to him, and he to them.

Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas, 1996.   In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a 100-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.

NonFiction/Biographies

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip M. Hoose, 2009.   Presents the life of the Alabama teenager who played an integral but little-known role in the Montgomery bus strike of 1955-1956, once by refusing to give up a bus seat, and again, by becoming a plaintiff in the landmark civil rights case against the bus company.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, by Lucy Knisley, 2013.  Presents an illustrated memoir of the author's early life, as she describes key episodes and the foods associated with them, and the life lessons she learned from cooking and eating gourmet meals with her parents and friends.  (Graphic novel format.)

Science Fiction

Rot & Ruin, by Jonathan Maberry, 2010. In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter.  (First book in Benny Imura series.)

Unsouled, by Neal Shusterman, 2013.  After the destruction of the Graveyard, Connor and Lev are on the run, seeking a woman who may be the key to bringing down unwinding forever while Cam, the rewound boy, tries to prove his love for Risa by bringing Proactive Citizenry to its knees.  (Third book in Unwind series.)

Holy smokes Batman, it’s a Puffin’ Lizard!

Merlin's Dragon, by T. A. Barron, 2008.  Basil, a small, flying lizard who is searching for others like himself, discovers that there is more to him than he knows, as he becomes engaged in Avalon's great war between the evil Rhita Gawr and the forces of good.  Book 1 in Merlin's Dragon trilogy.

Dragon's Keep, by Janet Lee Carey, 2007.  In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, 14-year-old Rosalind, who will be the 21st Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets.

Dragonswood, by Janet Lee Carey, 2008.  In 1192 A.D. on Wilde Island, Tess, the daughter of a cruel blacksmith, is accused of witchcraft and must flee. She meets the enigmatic warden of Dragonswood, who offers her shelter, and does not realize that he too harbors a secret that may finally bring about peace among the races of dragon, human, and fairy.

The Fire Within, by Chris D'Lacey, 2005.  When college student David Rain rents a room in an unusual boardinghouse full of clay dragons, he has no idea that they, along with some lively squirrels, will help jump start his writing career.  Book 1 in Last Dragon Chronicles

The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde, 2012. 
As magic fades from the world, Jennifer Strange is having trouble keeping her magician employment agency business afloat, until she begins having visions that foretell the death of the last dragon and the coming of Big Magic.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, by Alison Goodman, 2008.  Eon has disguised herself as a boy in order to study Dragon Magic and become a Dragoneye, one of a select group that forms a conduit to the power of energy dragons, but if the secret of her sex comes out, she will be killed.
 
Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman, 2012.  In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Dark Lord of Derkholm, by Diana Wynne Jones, 1998.  Derk, an unconventional wizard, and his magical family become involved in a plan to put a stop to the devastating tours of their world arranged by the tyrannical Mr. Chesney.



Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey, 1968. At a time when the number of Dragonriders has fallen too low for safety and only one Weyr trains the creatures and their riders, the Red Star approaches Pern, threatening it with disaster. Book 1 in Dragonriders of Pern

The Dragons of Darkness, by Antonia Michaelis, 2010. Two boys from very different backgrounds are thrown together by magic, mayhem, and a common foe as they battle deadly dragons in the wilderness of Nepal. (Translated from the German.)

 
The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley, 1984.  Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.

Fireborne, by Rosaria Munda, 2019. When a brutal revolution opens dragonrider classes to everyone, two orphans from very different backgrounds become rising stars in a new regime that is challenged by violent survivors of the former government. First book in the Aurelian Cycle series.

Burn, by Patrick Ness, 2020. A story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the twice Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness. "On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron Gas Station for the dragon he'd hired to help on the farm." This dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye.

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1991. During a spell recalling the dead, the boy Sparrowhawk, a sorcerer's apprentice, unwittingly unleashes evil on the land. He grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world. Book 1 in Earthsea series.


Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, 2003.  In Alagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. Book 1 in Inheritance Cycle.

Dragonspell, by Donita K. Paul, 2004. When Kale, a slave girl, finds a dragon egg, she is freed and sent to the city of Vendala, but her journey there is interrupted when she becomes involved in an attempt to recover a meech dragon egg stolen by the evil wizard Risto.

Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce, 1992.  The mage Numair, the knight Alanna, and Queen Thayet enlist thirteen-year-old Daine's help to battle the dreadful immortal creatures that have recently begun to attack the kingdom of Tortall.  Book 1 in Immortals series.

Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, 1990.  Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom. Kazul's story!  Book 1 in Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Dragon's Blood, by Jane Yolen, 2004.  Jakkin, a bond boy who works as a Keeper in a dragon nursery on the planet Austar IV, secretly trains a fighting pit dragon of his own in hopes of winning his freedom.  Book 1 in Pit Dragon Chronicles.