from my bookshelf: December 2021

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

There's a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers

There's a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This delightful gem of a book is brought to us by @oliverjeffers and @philomelbooks. A little girl has never seen a ghost in her house, but by turning the page, the reader helps the ghosts appear all around her. A clever clever bit of storytelling technique using architectural found photos and transparent paper, Jeffers creates a book that is both charming and a little eerie. A sure treat for any young readers who are fascinated by the spookier side of things.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2021

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten and translated by Marlaine Delargy

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

AN ELDERLY LADY MUST NOT BE CROSSED by Helene Tursten and translated by Marlaine Delargy from @soho_press is the perfect follow up to AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD. Here, we journey with Maud as she not only takes the vacation of a lifetime, but also as she wanders down memory lane. We discover some of what makes Maud tick, and also find that she may have a heart of gold buried under that fierce, irascible façade of hers. I seriously cannot recommend either of these two books enough. They’re both slim little volumes that can be read in an afternoon, and perfect for to read with a nice cuppa on a cold, winter’s afternoon.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

X-Men: The Trial of Magneto by Leah Williams, et al

X-Men: The Trial of Magneto by Leah Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Tuesday, December 21, 2021

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dickens' perennial Christmas classic about Ebenezer Scrooge and his visits from the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come and the Christmas lessons Scrooge learns from them. I try to read this every year around the holidays, and it never seems to get old.

The illustrations in this particular edition by P. J. Lynch are gorgeous!

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Monday, December 20, 2021

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten and translated by Marlaine Delargy

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This small volume is an absolute delight. AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD by Helene Tursten and translated by Marlaine Delargy from @soho_press is one of those rare finds of a book that you didn’t know you needed in your life until you read it. Maud, an 88 year old elderly lady, likes her routine and her quiet life in her apartment. However, if that routine or quiet is disturbed, Maud is not above a little murder to set her world back to rights. She is irascible and cranky and the most lovable murderer you’ll ever find in a book.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Between Snow and Wolf by Agnès Domergue and illustrated by Hélène Canac

Between Snow and Wolf by Agnes Domergue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fantastic volume from @magneticpress, BETWEEN SNOW AND WOLF by Agnès Domergue and illustrated by Hélène Canac tells the story of Lila, a young girl who must discover her inner courage to find her lost father on an island of eternal winter. In the process, she also discovers lost memories, missing family, and potentially the answer to ending the eternal winter. Inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore, fans of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli will definitely enjoy this beautifully told and gorgeously illustrated fairy tale. Like all of Magnetic Press’ releases, the production value of the physical book is impressive. Issued in a slightly oversized hardcover edition, the book itself is just as lovely as the story it holds. If you haven’t picked anything from Magnetic Press up before, you should treat yourself to one if their fantastic books.

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