DWJ March: The Game

Right before Witch Week, I squeezed in a reread of The Game. It's one of Diana's shorter novels and is a standalone. It follows Hayley, an orphan who has grown up with her kind but busy grandfather and her bossy and strict grandmother. She has a feeling that their family might be a bit different but doesn't learn exactly how different until she gets in trouble and is sent away. This is when she meets her aunts and her cousins and they invite her to play "The Game".

I didn't love this book when I read it in 2009 because it felt a bit too bare bones. Because it covers such a wide territory of gods, goddesses, myths and astrology, I just felt like there wasn't enough explanation to make it feel like a successful story -- especially for a kid/teen who would have even less background knowledge of these subjects than I do. I stand by that evaluation but I will also say that my reread was a success in that I do appreciate it more now and have a better opinion of it overall. It's a clever story and a fun read. It just also makes me want to take some sort of mythology course.

I still don't really like the freaky US cover shown above so I may go looking for the UK one below. It's more symbolic of the story and less like a police composite of what Hayley might look like.

Getting schooled in mythology,
K

DWJ March: Witch Week

The fourth tale in the Chrestomanci series, Witch Week is another reread for me that I just finished late last night. I liked it better than on first read but there are so many unlikable children and adults in it (almost all of them, in fact) that it's hard for me to say I loved it. I wouldn't want to spend much more time with any of these characters than I already had to! Chrestomanci is quite fabulous in it though -- better than in Magicians of Caprona. It makes me want to pick up Conrad's Fate, The Pinhoe Egg and Mixed Magics immediately.

This story is set in a world almost identical to ours except for one thing -- magic. The world is full of it and yet it is illegal and witches are burnt in bonfires, as they have been for over 400 years. Some of the students of 6B at Larwood House are witch orphans and so they are especially suspect. When a note slipped between exercise books insists that there is, in fact, a witch in 6B, students start accusing not only each other but also suspect their own selves of being witches. Unfortunately, the inquisitor is on his way and whoever gets caught out is going to get burned.

Coincidentally, BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast a radio play version of this story earlier this week. It's available to listen to worldwide for four more days so I wanted to share the link with you before it's too late. I'm listening as I write this and it's pretty good. The voices are a bit too pleasant for such unpleasant children but the plot is fairly intact. (Update: Chrestomanci's voice and character is ALL sorts of wrong. Just so you know before you listen. He doesn't sound suave or wonderful.) If you want a taste of Diana Wynne Jones, have a listen -- it's only 60 minutes long. It is a bit confusing that I just finished reading about class 6B though and in the radio play it's 2Y. But Wikipedia explains it like this --

It is interesting to note that, in almost every version of the book published, the class the story focuses on has a different name, according to the age group the publishers were aiming the book at the time. For instance:

• The current UK edition calls the class 3Y (which suggests they are in the third year of secondary school and therefore around thirteen).
• Another UK edition of the book, published by Collins in 2000, calls it 2Y (which suggests that they are in the second year of secondary school and therefore around twelve).
• The current U.S. edition calls it 6B (which implies the children are in the sixth grade and therefore about eleven).

If you're a fan of boarding school stories, you might want to try this one. I don't know if anyone has seen the show House of Anubis (on Nickelodeon in the US) but the radio play is reminding me a lot of that show -- a bit overdramatic and full of saucy British kids but still fun.

Enjoying a multimedia experience,
K

DWJ March: Dark Lord of Derkholm

Despite being made fun of for a few days for reading a book with such a high fantasy cover on it, I had a wonderful time with my reread of Dark Lord of Derkholm. This was one that I enjoyed but didn't love the first time through. It had a complex and quick-moving plot and a lot of characters and creatures in it. I think I was overwhelmed a lot of the time. And yet, as I thought about it over the past 3 1/2 years, I started appreciating it more and more and finally got excited for the time when I would be able to reread it. Well, now I have and I can honestly say that I was completely satisfied this time through.

Yes, this is pretty much a high fantasy novel but the main point of it is the family relationship between Derk, his wife Mara, and their children -- both human and griffin. Derk's special talent is the ability to make things grow, things being both plant and animal. He has many experimental animals in the yard--horses with wings, invisible cats (that might not be in the yard anymore), flying pigs and more--but only one of his creations was given human DNA and those are the griffins. When the world is threatened by a ruthless man from a parallel universe and his "Pilgrim Parties" into the realm, the entire family will have to come together to make things right. And they're not perfect--sometimes far from it--but even in the darkest times they can count on each other. And this is what I loved.

This book absolutely qualified for the Once Upon a Time Challenge and hopefully it will just be the start of a wonderful set of reads!

Taking the high (fantasy) road,
K

Spring Challenge: Once Upon A Time VI

Hooray! It's officially Spring which means it's time again for the Once Upon A Time Challenge!

From the intro post --

Wednesday, March 21st begins the sixth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through Tuesday, June 19th and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims.

As I'm still knee-deep in Diana Wynne Jones month, I have a couple more reads that will qualify for both so I'll be signing up for

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

My potential reads include, but are not limited to --

*Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
*The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
*Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones (read-along to begin in April -- stay tuned for a post!)
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (no, I've never read it!)
*Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (Carl is hosting a read-along in April)
*Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Carl is hosting a read-along in May)

*Starred titles are rereads. All of these books are on my shelves except for Mistborn and The Princess Bride.

I will also surely be reading some eligible books with Z so I'll definitely count those too. I'm assuming that this will be another over-achieving challenge for me but that's just part of why I love it so. ::grin::

Are you joining the challenge this year? What book(s) are you looking forward to reading this spring?

Planning another fantastic spring,
K

DWJ March: Enchanted Glass

"Professor" Andrew Hope inherits his grandfather's home but doesn't immediately realize (or rather, remember) that with it he also inherits a "field-of-care" -- a magical parcel of land containing his home and the local town. After the arrival of young Aidan, a runaway orphan who is being chased by mysterious and obviously evil beings, Andrew has to recall things he learned as a child and try to figure out how to protect this young boy and all of the citizens of Melstone from the shady Mr. Brown. Luckily, he will be helped by a whole host of characters in and around his house as he solves the mystery of the ancient glass window in his kitchen door and figures out what to do with an abundance of large vegetables.
I am tempted to say "if you only read one Diana Wynne Jones book, make it Enchanted Glass". I have a couple of reasons for this.

Reason One: This is a perfect example of Diana's style and talent. It's low fantasy (magic in a regular sort of world), has a mismatched family unit, incorporates an existing mythology--in this case, the fairy world of Oberon, Titania and Mab--and has a spontaneous romance. It has good pacing with only a bit of a rushed ending.

Reason Two: It's a stand-alone novel so you don't have to commit to a series.

Reason Three: It's fun and exciting and I love it. Plus, the UK cover (shown above) is really, really pretty.

I read and adored this book when it came out in June 2010. If you haven't had the chance to read it yet, don't wait any longer. You have nine more days of Diana Wynne Jones month left!

Summoning all my powers of persuasion,
K

Happy Spring! with Picture Books

I don't know why spring makes us want to pull out picture books but I would guess it's because they're so bright and happy and so many of them are about nature and exploration. And these are a special bunch because they aren't from the U.S. so they are just a bit different than what we're seeing at our local library.

Pip the Gnome by Admar Kwant (an artist who lives in the Netherlands), is a gently drawn board book that takes a child through the four seasons, starting with spring. There is a surprising amount of detail in the drawings and a real sense of peace and oneness with nature. Z loves the page when Pip is catching leaves in the fall. I think my favorite thing about these drawings is that Pip has legs! I'm tired of the "garden gnome" with no knees. How would a creature like that even walk? Pip is an adorable little guy.

Wee Granny's Magic Bag, written by Elizabeth McKay and illustrated by Maria Bogade, is a Scottish picture book (as you can probably guess from the title and cover). Wee Granny is a marvelous woman who calls her two grandkids her "bonnie darlings" and has a tartan handbag that literally has everything in it but the kitchen sink. I so wish I could do a good Scottish accent for reading this one aloud but I don't think that it would work in my Sean Connery imitation. The book has great flow with many of the page turns revealing a surprise item emerging from Wee Granny's bag. Z screamed with delight when the item happened to be a donkey! The landscapes and dwellings are inviting and definitely Scottish and the grandkids have two different but equally gorgeous shades of ginger hair. And the website for the publisher (Picture Kelpies/Floris Books) continues the fun with a colouring page and some granny and dog jokes!

My Think-a-ma-Jink by Dave Whamond is from Owlkids Books in Canada. It's centered around a fairly simple and common idea -- that kids can come up with much better games and adventures through their own imaginations than by playing with predefined-action toys and games. But what sets this book apart are the fun and vivid illustrations of young Jack's imaginary lands and creatures. From aliens to dragons to a delicious-looking candy land, this book could definitely initiate some fun imaginings in young readers and have them asking for their own Think-a-ma-Jink.

Tom the Tamer by Tjibbe Veldkamp (Dutch), drawn by Philip Hopman (also Dutch),  is a very unique and wonderful book about Tom, a young boy whose father won't come out of the house because he's afraid of animals. This is unfortunate because Tom is an animal tamer who has tamed snails and squirrels in the yard and he wants his dad to see the show. But Tom has an idea for how to change his father's mind and it all starts with going to the local pet store and picking up an untamed polar bear. This book is absolutely brilliant! From the unconventional idea of a scared parent instead of a scared kid to the bright and detailed artwork, this is going to be a book that I start giving as a gift to 4-7 year olds.

The final book for today is The Umbrella by Ingrid & Deiter Schubert (German but living in Amsterdam). This is a wordless picture book about a small black dog who finds a red umbrella in the garden on a windy day. He travels all around the world, riding the wind, and has fun and sometimes harrowing adventures. When he finally returns home and sets the umbrella down, a curious cat can't help but take a peek at it. This book is really unique because it starts and ends on the endpapers. The drawings of all the animals around the world are very realistic and large in scope -- showing entire savannahs and underwater seascapes. Sometimes a wordless book is just what you're looking for and this would be a good one to choose!

Doing a bit of armchair travelling,

K and Z

DWJ March: Eight Days of Luke

I know you're all going to start questioning my truthfulness when I keep raving about every new Diana Wynne Jones book I read but I'm going to have to risk that. Eight Days of Luke is a fantastic book! With its roots in Norse mythology, this is a story about the gods among us and their occasional need for human assistance. In fact, if you thought American Gods was too dark or too harsh, you might want to try this book instead. Here's what Neil Gaiman had to say about the similarities --

... a few people want to know whether American Gods was inspired by Diana Wynne Jones’s novel “8 Days of Luke”. Not exactly, although they bear an odd relationship, like second cousins once removed or something. About six or seven years ago, I had an idea for a structure for a story, all about the gods and the days of the week. I chewed it and played with it and was terribly happy with it. And then the penny dropped, and I realised, gloomily, that I’d managed, working back from first principles, to come up with a wonderful structure for a story -- but one that Diana had already used, in her brilliant “8 Days of Luke.” So I put it down as one of those places where our heads went to the same sort of place (it happened with the nursery rhyme How Many Miles To Babylon, and in several other times and places) and, with regret, I abandoned it. Or almost. I kept Mr Wednesday, and the day of his meeting, in the back of my head, and when I came to put American Gods together, he was there, ready and waiting.

 Eight Days of Luke was published in 1975, the year I was born, but is a remarkably well-preserved story. I didn't feel that any part of it was dated at all. There are arcades and radio programs rather than video games and television but they didn't seem like something that couldn't exist naturally now. And the language seems surprisingly modern. A modern Brit might think differently but I can't speak to that! This is another story where Diana plays with family dynamics, especially dysfunctional ones, and in a very interesting way. David, the main character, is an orphan who is forced to constantly prove his "gratefulness" to his aunt and uncle and cousin who are caring for him. It is a rather revolting situation but also entirely believable. This book is just so well crafted that I enjoyed every minute of reading it. If you can find a copy (it's out of print in the U.S. right now), grab it. I'll be reading it again sooner than later.

Starting on Sunday,
K

DWJ March: The Magicians of Caprona

When I first read The Magicians of Caprona, I said that it wasn't as good as the first two Chrestomanci stories. I take that back. This is a classic Diana Wynne Jones tale and I really enjoyed it on second read. I think my first judgment was because I had just fallen in love with a handsome enchanter and wanted to keep reading about him and, sadly, he only makes a brief appearance in this story. But, being in a different frame of mind this time, I was able to just focus on the story and it was fun!

Tonino is the youngest son of Antonio Montana. His magical family lives in Caprona, a state in an alternate-universe never-unified Italy. Also there is the Petrocchi family, the other strong magical family of the land. The two spell-houses hold the city together but they hate each other due to a decades-old feud. Unfortunately, their feud makes each house weaker and more vulnerable to an evil enchanter who has decided to destroy Caprona. Unless they come together, they can never complete the task that Chrestomanci has set for them -- to find the true words to the powerful hymn, "The Angel of Caprona".

With hints of a Montague/Capulet type-feud and a lot of magic, this is simply an exciting tale. The writing was so vivid that I could picture the entire story clearly in my head. In fact, I think it would make a great Miyazaki-style animated film. It's too bad that he's wrapping up his film career now.

I'm so glad I gave this story a second chance. Of course, it's getting harder now to rank my favorite DWJ stories because it's no longer clear which ones I like least!

Singing a hymn of magic and joy,
K

DWJ March: Public Service Announcement about Fire and Hemlock

Dying to read Fire and Hemlock before its rerelease next month? Love this bright and colorful cover? Then you're in luck! The Book Depository has it available somehow in this Harper Collins Children's version that was released in 2000. My copy just shipped today which means there also might be time for a F&H group read before the month is done!

You're welcome to wait until April 12 for the new Firebird version (at half the price of the other one) but if you just can't wait, then get to ordering! I may end up buying this version later as I would love to read the introduction by Garth Nix but I'm not a huge fan of the cover so I'm glad to have been able to have a choice.

(Note: The link above is not an affiliate link. I just want you to buy this book for your own good.)

And don't forget to enter your DWJ reads from this month into the spreadsheet for the chance at a $20 gift certificate!

Celebrating early,
K

Starting Your Baby's Library

Last weekend I went to Maryland to visit my BFF and her two month old baby boy. It was really fun and one of the things we did while I was there was drive to DC to see the famous bookstore Politics and Prose (where I also got to finally meet Teresa of Shelf Love -- yay!). While we were there, my friend said that she needed to start getting books for her boy's library. I bought one book for him and then said I would make a list of books I would suggest for a baby/toddler library. Well, why not make that list on the blog, right?

Note: All of these are board books. Though some board books are edited down for the format, they are the only thing worth buying if you are going to let your kid put their own hands on the books. Regular books will be torn within minutes, if not seconds. Board books are sturdy and grubby-hand-resistant and even hold up well to some chewing on the corners.

The book I bought without a second thought was

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Everybody loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Z even has a plush caterpillar that he got in an Easter basket one year.

Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden

Any book that has cut-outs and a mirror at the end will be a big favorite with young book-lookers.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

This book has very few words but lots of story. It's sweet and funny and I like it better than Goodnight Moon.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

This is a classic and is just right for the little ones when it's in board book form.

Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli

This board book is the perfect way to teach your kid that some things are food and some things are not. They will still end up with some hideously inappropriate items in their exploring mouths but that's childhood!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

This is the first book that Z read aloud on his own, just weeks after he turned three. I credit the great rhythm of the story and the easy concepts of colors and animals. Remind me some day to share the video we took of him reading this. It's adorable! Also, any of the books in this series are worth getting. The others are Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?.

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

This one probably isn't a book to read with your baby but toddlers love the build up and they'll especially be amused when you break out your best Grover voice.

Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell

This one will need either a bit of supervision or have to wait for the older toddler years or else it will quickly become a flapless book. But Z was careful and he loved this book about choosing the right pet.

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham

This was one of my favorite books as a kid and the board book version is fun. Any kid who has watched mom or dad try and wrangle the family dog into a bath will love it.

I could keep going with a big list of every other Eric Carle board book, tons of Dr. Seuss titles, the other Leslie Patricelli ones or any of the Roger Priddy books that are so bright and colorful and great for introducing "firsts" but I'll stop here.

Which board books do you think are must haves for a baby/toddler library?


Feeling a bit nostalgic,
K

A Year of Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities

I've done it. I finished my reread of A Tale of Two Cities, the bane of my high school existence. Twenty-some years ago, if I hadn't already read and loved David Copperfield, it might have been the end of my still short relationship with Charles Dickens. My sophomore English teacher, who I really liked despite the TOTC project, ruined this book for me by beating us over the head with themes, setting, characters, personification and all kinds of other evils. And so, even when picking up the book now, I couldn't help but notice some of the things that I was forced to evaluate many years ago. Yet, I was able to overcome and become absorbed in the plot and social commentary and I found myself actually enjoying my reread. I mean, how can anyone truly dislike a novel that contains both one of the best first lines of a book and also, arguably, the best last line as well. I also enjoyed Dickens' wit and I thought he was very fair in presenting both sides of the French Revolution. And, though not packed with wonderful characters, there were still a few gems in this one, like Mr. Jarvis Lorry, Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher.

I don't know if I will ever read this story again but at least I no longer associate it with intense misery. Success!

In a far, far better place,
K

DWJ March: Aunt Maria

Aunt Maria, from what I can figure, was the thirteenth Diana Wynne Jones books I read. I don't know why I didn't blog about it in 2009 but I did mention it in my Journey post during DWJ Week in 2010. Back then I said --

It was incredibly different in tone from any of the others I had read so far. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it but over time the ideas have grown on me and I hope to read it again soon.

Well, it's been three years since I first read about the powerful and wily Aunt Maria (pronounced Ma-rye-ah) and the ideas have grown on me even more and I really enjoyed it this time through!

Mig (Naomi Margaret) and her brother Chris (Christian) Laker have gone with their mom to visit Aunt Maria in Cranbury-on-Sea. Maria is not actually related to them but rather is related to their father by marriage. But their father's car went over a cliff on his way to Cranbury and so now they feel obliged to pay a visit even though they always have a miserable time there. But will Aunt Maria's wheedling and "managing" drive them all crazy? And was that Mig and Chris' old car that they just saw in town -- the one that supposedly went off a cliff with their dad inside? And why are there twelve creepy old ladies that all flock around Aunt Maria and seem to know what is happening in the house without being told? This is a story of magic and the complicated relationships between men and women, adults and children.

What I liked most about this story was Mig -- a strong but cautious girl who is entirely believable. The family dynamics between the two siblings and their mother was familiar and really well written. I also liked the dysfunctional relationship between their parents. Mom and dad were in the process of getting a divorce when he died and so we don't see a grieving mother. We see a woman who doesn't know quite how to feel and who still holds some anger that her husband left her for another. I guess that's something that I like about Diana Wynne Jones in general. She wasn't afraid to put realistic relationships into her books and I think it's evidence that she held the intelligence of young readers in high regard.

I do wish that the magic of Cranbury had been explained and expanded a bit more. I'm still not entirely sure how it works and wouldn't have minded this book being about 20 pages longer. But I still really enjoyed this story on second read and will pick it up again sometime -- even though Maria's machinations give me goose flesh!

In the UK, the book is called Black Maria, a card game that most of us probably know as Hearts, where you try and avoid getting stuck with the costly queen of spades. And I included this cover art because, well, doesn't Mig look an awful lot like our own blogging friend Amanda? Well?

Chasing a wolf,
K

A Year of Dickens: His Best Never-Used Titles

Today's edition of Shelf Awareness for Readers had the following Dickens-related story in it today and I couldn't resist sharing!

The fake library of Charles Dickens. According to Lists of Note, in 1851 Charles Dickens decided to fill two spaces in the study of his new house "with bookcases containing fake books, the witty titles of which he had invented. And so, on October 22nd, he wrote to a bookbinder named Thomas Robert Eeles and supplied him with the following 'list of imitation book-backs' to be produced."

My favorite is probably the first one, History of a Short Chancery Suit, but I also love Drowsy's Recollections of Nothing. 3 vols and Munchausen's Modern Miracles. 4 vols. And now that I've looked up "Hansard", I absolutely love Hansard's Guide to Refreshing Sleep. As many volumes as possible.


From Wikipedia --

Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.

Having a chuckle,
K

DWJ March: New Release: Earwig and the Witch

Earwig and the Witch is Diana Wynne Jones' last published book, released here in the US only a month ago. It's the story of Earwig, an orphan girl with a special power -- the power of persuasion. She always gets her way and is quite precocious because of it. But one day, a strange woman and man-looking-thing come and, despite her best (or worst) efforts, adopt her and she suddenly finds herself as a servant to a witch! With the help of Thomas, the witch's familiar, can Earwig learn magic and change her oppressive situation?

I was very surprised when I finally saw Earwig and the Witch on the bookstore shelf because it's such a short little story. It's possibly Diana Wynne Jones' youngest audience book and it's only 117 highly-illustrated pages long. I think it would certainly be appropriate for 7 or 8 year olds -- which I wouldn't say about many of her books! In fact, I think Z will love it and I hope to read it with him later this month.

I'm not sure if Diana meant for this to become a series, but it seems as if she did because there are a lot of hints and loose ends and mysterious revelations that aren't resolved. Still, this is a charming story and, for all of its brevity, Diana's writing really shines through. All of the characters practically come off the page. This is certainly helped by the illustrations from Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky. They are all fun and perfectly placed. His drawings of the witch's workroom are especially disgusting and amusing!

And yet, I think I will also buy a copy of the UK version illustrated by Marion Lindsay (shown below) as it's in a completely different, but cute, style. I just can't resist the cute little spiders on the cover!

Hopefully persuading you to go buy this book,
K

Celebrating Diana Wynne Jones in March

Granny Diana by yellowcrayolacrayon
used with permission

As we approach the anniversary of the passing of Diana Wynne Jones on March 26, I just couldn't let it go by without reminding everyone of the literary treasure that we lost last year. I can't believe we'll never have a new story from her. But, as should always be the case, I wanted this to be a celebration rather than a mourning. So, inspired by Jenny's Diana Wynne Jones Week in 2010, I would like to introduce

Diana Wynne Jones Month!

With over thirty novels and some short story collections to choose from, I would like to invite every one of my readers to pick up at least one book by Diana during the month of March. Most will only take you a few hours to read (because they're that good!) and you will be in for a real treat. Whether you decide to have some adventures with the famous Chrestomanci, brave the world of the wicked Aunt Maria or just meet Earwig, the protagonist of Diana's final book, Earwig and the Witch, it will be a chance to learn or remember just why she is such a beloved author.

My DWJ collection

So please, spread the word and spread the DWJ love! If you're on twitter, use the #dwjmarch hashtag so we can chat about her and her books. And if you write a blog post about the month, please leave the post link here in a comment.

As an added incentive (other than the undeniable pleasure of spending time with a wonderful author), if you come back to this post and tell me what book(s) you read by April 1, I will enter you to win a $20 giftcard to Powell's (open internationally -- another bookstore may be chosen). There will be re-releases of a few of DWJ's books in April--Fire and Hemlock, Dogsbody and A Tale of Time City--that you may just want to spend it on! Random prizes might be given out during the month too so don't delay. Read one of these wonderful books and get your name on the list.

Sending love to the heavens,

K