Home » Posts tagged "nonfiction" (Page 17)

Book Review: Myths and Legends: King Arthur by Daniel Mersey

King Arthur (Myths and Legends) by Daniel Mersey

Osprey Publishing, 2013

ISBN: 1780967233

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, library binding

 

Osprey’s King Arthur is an ambitious undertaking. Attempting to synthesize the Arthurian mythos in 80 pages is no easy task, but Mersey does a fantastic job of hitting all the major beats. Lavishly illustrated, this is a book perfect for the young or young at heart, and properly evokes the mystery and majesty of one of Britain’s most compelling and enduring myths.

Mersey is able to capture the stylistic essence of classic Arthurian storytellers such as Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sir Thomas Malory, yet he leaves room to delve into the various theories regarding Arthur’s historical existence as well as the influences the legend has had on pop culture.

This is a positively wonderful book, both as a reference and as an enjoyable, exhilarating read; a perfect and necessary edition to the library of anyone who has an interest in the Arthurian legacy.

Highly Recommended for all ages.

Reviewed by Bob Freeman

 

Editor’s Note for Librarians: This book is part of the fantastic Myths and Legends series from Osprey. The books in the series cover some myths and legends that you won’t find covered in detail for the layperson anywhere else. An example of that is their book Jason and the Argonauts (reviewed here) There’s almost nothing out there unless you want to read the original or a children’s version, and this fills that gap. Many of them would be great reference material. I want to say that this series was a huge gamble for Osprey, and they are hoping that libraries will appreciate the books in this series. Without more of an audience, this beautiful and well-researched series likely will not continue. Please take time to take a look at these books– I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Posted on November 15, 2014 by , Reply

Stoker Finalists Named

The finalists for the Stoker ballot have been named! It’s unbelievable that Women in Horror Month is already drawing to an end and it will soon be Stoker time! As in past years, we at ML will make a heroic effort to review the finalists (I hope that’s not a surprise, guys). Yes, our reviewers are heroes. Any finalists who happen to be reading this… Please contact us at monsterlibrarian@monsterlibrarian.com so we can get this (heroic) party going!

And now:

“We are proud to present a particularly notable slate of nominees this year, showing the horror genre is strong and popular,” Rocky Wood, the HWA’s President, said.

IMPORTANT: Voting begins on 2/28 and ends on 3/15. Only Active and Lifetime members can vote.

The nominees are:

Superior Achievement in a Novel

      Joe Hill – NOS4A2 (William Morrow)
      Stephen King – Doctor Sleep (Scribner)
      Lisa Morton – Malediction (Evil Jester Press)
      Sarah Pinborough and F. Paul Wilson – A Necessary End (Thunderstorm/Maelstrom Press)
      Christopher Rice – The Heavens Rise (Gallery Books)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

      Kate Jonez – Candy House (Evil Jester Press)
      John Mantooth – The Year of the Storm (Berkley Trade)
      Rena Mason – The Evolutionist (Nightscape Press)
      Jonathan Moore – Redheads (Samhain Publishing)
      Royce Prouty – Stoker’s Manuscript (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)


Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

      Patrick Freivald – Special Dead (JournalStone)
      Kami Garcia – Unbreakable (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
      Geoffrey Girard – Project Cain (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
      Joe McKinney – Dog Days (JournalStone)
      Cat Winters – In the Shadow of Blackbirds (Harry N. Abrams)


Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

      Ed Brubaker – Fatale Book Three: West of Hell (Image Comics)
      Caitlin R. Kiernan – Alabaster: Wolves (Dark Horse Comics)
      Brandon Seifert – Witch Doctor, Vol. 2: Mal Practice (Image Comics)
      Cameron Stewart – Sin Titulo (Dark Horse Comics)
      Paul Tobin – Colder (Dark Horse Comics)


Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

      Dale Bailey – “The Bluehole” (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2013)
      Gary Braunbeck – “The Great Pity” (Chiral Mad 2, Written Backwards)
      Benjamin K. Ethridge – “The Slaughter Man” (Limbus, Inc., JournalStone)
      Gregory Frost – “No Others Are Genuine” (Asimov’s Science Fiction, Oct./Nov. 2013)
      Greg F. Gifune – House of Rain (DarkFuse)
      Rena Mason – East End Girls (JournalStone)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

      Michael Bailey – “Primal Tongue” (Zippered Flesh 2, Smart Rhino Publications)
      Patrick Freivald – “Snapshot” (Blood & Roses, Scarlett River Press)
      David Gerrold – “Night Train to Paris” (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Jan./Feb. 2013)
      Lisa Mannetti – “The Hunger Artist” (Zippered Flesh 2, Smart Rhino Publications)
      John Palisano – “The Geminis” (Chiral Mad 2, Written Backwards)
      Michael Reaves – “Code 666” (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March/April 2013)


Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

      Fabien Adda and Fabrice Gobert – The Returned: “The Horde” (Ramaco Media I, Castelao Pictures)
      Brad Falchuk – American Horror Story: Asylum: “Spilt Milk” (Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Productions)
      Bryan Fuller – Hannibal: “Apéritif” (Dino De Laurentiis Company, Living Dead Guy Productions, AXN: Original X Production, Gaumont International Television)
      Daniel Knauf – Dracula: “A Whiff of Sulfur” (Flame Ventures, Playground, Universal Television, Carnival Films
      Glen Mazzara – The Walking Dead: “Welcome to the Tombs” (AMC TV)


Superior Achievement in an Anthology

      R.J. Cavender and Boyd E. Harris (ed.) – Horror Library: Volume 5 (Cutting Block Press)
      Eric J. Guignard (ed.) – After Death… (Dark Moon Books)
      Michael Knost and Nancy Eden Siegel (ed.) – Barbers & Beauties (Hummingbird House Press)
      Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. (ed.) – The Grimscribe’s Puppets (Miskatonic River Press)
      Anthony Rivera and Sharon Lawson (ed.) – Dark Visions: A Collection of Modern Horror, Volume One (Grey Matter Press)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

      Nathan Ballingrud – North American Lake Monsters: Stories (Small Beer Press)
      Laird Barron – The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All and Other Stories (Night Shade Books)
      James Dorr – The Tears of Isis (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing)
      Caitlin R. Kiernan – The Ape’s Wife and Other Stories (Subterranean)
      Gene O’Neill – Dance of the Blue Lady (Bad Moon Books)
      S. P. Somtow – Bible Stories for Secular Humanists (Diplodocus Press)


Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

      Barbara Brodman and James E. Doan (ed.) – Images of the Modern Vampire: The Hip and the Atavistic (Fairleigh Dickinson)
      Gary William Crawford (ed.) – Ramsey Campbell: Critical Essays on the Modern Master of Horror (Scarecrow Press)
      William F. Nolan – Nolan on Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction (Hippocampus Press)
      Jarkko Toikkanen – The Intermedial Experience of Horror: Suspended Failures (Palgrave Macmillan)
      Robert H. Waugh (ed.) – Lovecraft and Influence: His Predecessors and Successors (Scarecrow Press)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

      Bruce Boston – Dark Roads: Selected Long Poems 1971-2012 (Dark Renaissance Books)
      Helen Marshall – The Sex Lives of Monsters (Kelp Queen Press)
      Marge Simon and Sandy DeLuca – Dangerous Dreams (Elektrik Milk Bath Press)
      Marge Simon, Rain Graves, Charlee Jacob, and Linda Addison – Four Elements (Bad Moon Books/Evil Jester Press)
      Stephanie M. Wytovich – Hysteria: A Collection of Madness (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

HWA’s voting members will now vote on this Final Ballot, with voting closing on March 31 (only Active and Lifetime Members are eligible to vote).

The Bram Stoker Awards® will be presented at the 27th annual Bram Stoker Awards® Banquet held during the WORLD HORROR CONVENTION 2014 in Portland, Oregon, on May 10th. Purchase of tickets to both the convention and the banquet are open to the public. The awards will also be live-streamed online for those who cannot attend in person.

Posted on February 26, 2014 by , Reply

Booktalks and Book Trailers: Or, How To Get Kids To Check Out A Book

 Kids can be a tough sell when it comes to convincing them to check out a book. So an effective booktalk is an amazing thing. Booktalks are slightly more formal than just telling one kid how much you loved a book.  Giving booktalks isn’t something you can snooze through. If you are passionate about the book you’re selling, there can be unexpected and even exciting benefits for everyone.

Unshelved strip for 9/15/2003

Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum, Sept. 15, 2003.

 

There might be other reasons that you choose to booktalk a particular book. Maybe you’ve been assigned to sell it, or you feel like you have to align your booktalks with the Common Core standards. Doesn’t matter. You have to find a way to get kids to want to pick it up.

I just reviewed Witches! The Absolutely True Story of the Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer (check out the review here). This is a fascinating look at the Salem Witch Trials, which becomes even more powerful due to its fantastic design and Schanzer’s amazing black, white, and red scratchboard illustrations. It feels like you are really opening the pages directly into history. I would totally add this to my list of books I love to booktalk, which also include The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker, The Devil’s Arithmetic, and Jeremy Visick (it’s been awhile since I actually had to get up in front of a classroom full of kids, though). I understand it’s intimidating to do it, and I think it’s even more so when you have to booktalk  into a camera as a classroom assignment, so it’s not that I really want to pick on Heather Prince. But this is not how you get kids to pick up a book. You’ve got to give it some pizzazz.

 

Admittedly, it’s hard to project your charisma on YouTube (note how I’m not booktalking on video here– there are reasons for that). But this is the joy of book trailers. They’re not as simple to put together as a booktalk, but when done right… wow.  And Destiny, here, has done it right. If you like horror movies, she will have you hooked, but there’s more than flash going on here too. I think she liked the book, don’t you?

 

 

I LOVE this trailer, though. This is one that the author and illustrator of the book did, and it showcases the kind of craft that she put into the book. You can see one of her illustrations literally take on a life of its own.

 

Obviously she has the advantage of being the author and illustrator, but who better to hook you into finding out what comes next? Too bad it’s not possible to always get the author in to share the magic, but the glory of the Internet is that you still can find some pretty wonderful stuff.

But, even with great resources like this available, you’ve still gotta show them you, yourself, love it.  And that is why you should read Witches! yourself, and if you are as impressed with it as much as I am, tell everyone about it. And you will get them to check it out.

Posted on September 8, 2013 by , Reply
First « 1415161718 » Last