Unnatural Creaures

Unnatural Creatures is a fantastical collection of outrages creatures.
Some were completely bizarre, others were quite amusing; and then there were the ones that were utterly frightening...

This book features sixteen short stories selected by master storyteller Neil Gaiman. 

Reading this book felt like wandering through a museum of myths, from one story into another. Some of these stories were marvelously outlandish. Some made me laugh, others frightened me. 

I loved Gahan Wilson's terrifying creature with the unpronounceable name. I can honestly say I have never read anything quite so peculiar (although I have read a lot of peculiar things.)

Neil Gaiman's own "Sunbird" was undoubtedly one of the highlights of this collection, although I believe the real unnatural creature of this story was Zebediah T. Crawcrustle, (You'll see why.) 

Samuel R. Delany's "Prismatic" was mystifying and really rather fascinating. A haunting story that feels like an old fairy tale.
I loved that the Princess in the story was named after me ;)
"I am a woman worthy of a Prince, and my name is Lea."

But, I think my favorite of all of these was the final story of the collection, which was Peter S. Beagles "Come Lady Death," in which the Lady Death is invited to a dance.
This tale was so bewitchingly enticing. If you ever want to meet the personification of death, and maybe share a dance or two with her, I highly recommend this story.

But, although this library of the unnatural is simply crawling with erratic creatures of all sort, there were a few that disappointed. 

I did not like "The Smile on the Face" one bit. Although the idea seemed promising, the story was very poorly written and the main character was extremely irritating. The setting was ridiculously cliche and the descriptions were altogether pointless. If I wanted to read about a shallow teenage girl I wouldn't be reading in this genre. 

I also didn't enjoy "The Manticore, the Mermaid and Me." Although I thought the idea seemed promising, it was very vaguely written and not at all gripping. 

In the end, I still really enjoyed this book. I love Neil Gaiman, and being able to read some of the stories that he loves gave me a new insight into his imagination, which I so adore. 

Photo credit, like always, goes to Heinrich Nikel Photography! Check out more of his stunning work here.

Farmer Giles of Ham

Considering that Tolkien is, and has always been, my greatest inspiration, it should come as no surprise that I loved this book. 
Although it was far more lighthearted than some of his other stories that I have come to love (exp. Lord of the Rings & the Children of Hurin,) it's still filled with Tolkien's familiar voice.
It is rich with his simple kind of warmth and his witty sense of humor. It introduces yet another Dragon with a strong personality, an unexpected, and all together unlikely hero and, of course, an absolute brilliant adventure. 
There is just a golden comfort that sustains through every one of his novels that makes me feel at home. Rereading his books is like reuniting with an old friend or returning home after a long time away. 
 

Photo credit, like always, goes to my wonderful Dad. Check out his website here.

I also love the story behind the story. For those of you that don't know this, Farmer Giles of Ham is one of the stories Tolkien invented to entertain his kids. J.R.R Tolkien first came up with this fanciful fairy tale when his family was unexpectedly caught in the rain during a picnic. The family took shelter underneath a bridge and Tolkien invented the tale to pass the time. This just goes to show that the best things really do happen unexpectedly.





 

The Life of a "BookDragon"

As a storyteller, one of my greatest inspirations is the freedom to experience other stories. Whether it is the exploration of a fictional realm, or the privilege to walk the path of another's life, reading is a writer's greatest asset.

I don't remember a day of my life since I picked up the first novel that I haven't been reading. I'm always reading something. But finding the time to do so isn't always easy. 
So how, throughout all the craziness of life, how can you find time to read?

I have constructed I list of seven things you can do to continue to read admits a busy schedule. This list is for books worms only. [I prefer the term Book-Dragons, who wants to be a compared to a worm?] 
Because reading is one of my number one priorities non-Book Dragons [worms] may find this list a little extreme and probably won't be able to relate. But, if you feel like reading this list anyway, be my guest; Just know that I already know I am a nerd so you don't have to tell me... so without further ado... here is my list.  

1. Make a goal.
Whether your goal is to read a certain number of books this year or finish the one your reading now by the end of this week, making goals will motivate you to read more. I find that when I make a reading goal for myself I often end up reading double as much as I originally intended.

2. Make it part of your routine. 
Eventually, you won't have to "make time to read," you'll just do it. Even if you only find the time to read a page or two, it's still better than not reading at all. Reading before bed is a great way to make reading part of your routine. It also helps your brain come down from a busy day, which will help you sleep better and more deeply, so don't even worry about the sleep you're losing to reading (so long as you know when to put the book down of course... which most of us probably don't.)

3.  Read everywhere all the time.
There's nothing like curling into a chair with your cat, a hot cup of tea and a good book. Although those are most readers ideal reading conditions, more often than not, life doesn't allow for this. Whether you're waiting for an appointment, or you have your book propped up on the table while you eat lunch (or held up in front of your nose as you're walking through public... lol,) drastic times call for drastic measures.


 4. Bring your book everywhere!
 (This one should be obvious, if you're going to read everywhere you're going to need a book.)
In case of an emergency always take a book with you. You never know when you'll find time to read. And although showing up with a massive novel to a gathering may be a little offensive to some people, you never know when you'll get bored or the opportunity to read will arise. 


5. Stop watching T.V.
This one makes such a huge difference. I didn't even realize how much time I wasted in front of the TV until recently when I started watching the new season of a TV show that just came on Netflix and my reading time suffered drastically. I went from reading two plus books a week to barely even finishing one. It's so easy to fall out of the habit of reading regularly. But, if you're not willing to completely drop watching TV (which I gotta admit I haven't done either,) then my advice is to prioritize. Which TV shows are worth watching and how much time do you really want to spend in front of the T.V?


6. Plan ahead.
I have a stack of books on my nightstand, and this isn't just because I ran out of space on my bookshelves. Looking forward to the books I'm going to read next gets me pumped to read more. It also avoids the bafflement of not knowing what to read next because I already know what I'm going to read next. 
 Abibliophobia is the fear of running out of reading material; But, if you're like me, then the problem is not that you worry about not having anything to read but not having enough time to read everything you want to read. There's just too many options. The World is full of so many great books. Where do you even start?! This is why I always decide what I'm going to read next before I finish the book I'm reading now.
A great way to do this is by using Goodreads. My "want to read list" is getting bigger by the day! Goodreads is a great way to keep track of what you want to read and what you have already read. It also keeps you focused on your reading goal. I am currently three books ahead of schedule, just by using this list!


7. Have a reading buddy!
I am so lucky to have two little brothers that are almost as big book-dragons as I am. I love curling into my bed and reading with them. The silent companionship of the flipping pages and my snoring cat is one of my favorite things. We also love to talk about what we're reading and challenge each other (exp. If I finish my book by the end of the day you have to read 100pages tomorrow. (Oh goodness, that sounds even nerdier when I write it down...))


Well, that's my list. I hope it was of some use to you, and if not I hope it as least motivated you to read more! 

Photo credit to Heinrich Nikel Photography. 

Check out more of his work here or read his blog here.

On a similar note, I'm planning on writing more book reviews on here in the near future.  This is one of the things I have been slacking majorly with and although writing about my journey and endeavors as a writer is a major part of this blog, books are just as important. 

Also if you want to stay updated on what I'm reading you can add me on Goodreads. I would love to see what you guys are reading and have you as my reading buddy!

Stay tuned for more book reviews coming soon!