Greenteeth

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill, 320 pages

Jenny Greenteeth has been minding her own business at the bottom of her lake for hundreds of years when her watery home is disturbed by the arrival of a witch, who was bound in irons and thrown in to drown. To her own surprise, Jenny rescues the witch, Temperance, and soon joins forces with her and a nomadic goblin to seek out the tools that will allow them to defeat the ancient evil that has taken over Temperance's town and is threatening Jenny's lake.

This is a lovely fantasy tale that plays with the folklore of the British Isles and presents it in a fun new way. I'd heard of Jenny Greenteeth in passing, but this is the first book I've read where such a character gets top billing, and it's absolutely delightful. I loved Jenny and her thorny ways, and I look forward to reading more from O'Neill in the future. Highly recommended for fans of T. Kingfisher's fantasy novels.

Apple and Knife

 Apple and Knife by Intan Paramaditha (trans. Stephen J. Epstein), 199 pages.

This Indonesian collection of horror short stories draws on European fairy tales, Indonesian folklore, and general horrifying experiences of existing as a woman into a very modern feeling book. Unfortunately, none of the stories managed to stir in me the type of emotion I would hope for in horror, nor do any of them particularly stick in my memory. 

While this collection didn't really work for me, it did remind me quite a lot of Mariana Enriquez's Things We Lost in the Fire, another collection of horror stories in translation. I think that people who enjoyed that book might very well enjoy this one as well. 

The Crane Wife

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness, 310 pages.

George Duncan runs a small print shop in London. He's originally from the U.S., but has been living in London for a long time. He's divorced, with a grown daughter and a grandson. He is a pleasant man and people think well of him, but he is lonely and his life is pretty empty. Until he finds a wounded crane in his backyard one night. Soon, as in the Japanese folktale upon which this novel is based, a strange, magical, and beautiful woman enters his life.
Well-written and engaging, this is another great book by Ness. He's written (or co-writtten) A Monster Calls, and The Knife of Never Letting Go.

 Check our catalog.

Downloadable Audio