The Queen of the Tearling
By Erika Johansen
“Those who cease to worry about their souls often find them difficult to reclaim later”
The Book:
The first in The Queen of the Tearling cycle and the debut novel of Erika Johanson. Before boarding the cross-country flight last month I wanted to have a book I knew would be a solid page-turner. Being touted by most local book and fantasy shops I knew the Queen of the Tearling would be a good bet.
The story in a brief not too spoilery way:
A young girl who is heir to a throne is hidden away and raised in secret until her eighteenth birthday when she is to inherit the kingdom. This book begins on her journey back her country’s capital and her quest to take back the kingdom which has fallen into ruin by her vice-ridden uncle who is, of course, trying to kill her.
What I liked:
Queen of the Tearling is mostly a female (dare I say, Feminist?) retelling of the heroic quest. Which I am all about. I mean, there should be so many that it would not be worth mentioning but there you go. The story does not rest on those conventions however. While there are some familiar plot devices the book is very addictive mostly due to the strength of its characters. They are not always likable, Kelsey included, but they are always engaging.
Also, I loved the idea of post-apocalyptic fantasy. I cannot recall encountering that setting before so it was a fun surprise.
"Books can show us that admirable and interesting women come in all shapes and sizes." — Erika Johansen
For further reading here is a great piece Ms. Johansen wrote for buzzfeed.
Purchase Queen of the Tearling
LOVELY: Ladies of Animation
By Lorelay Bove, Brittney Lee, Claire Keane, Lisa Keene, Victoria Ying and Helen Chen
The Book:
Six talented artists from the world of Feature Animation have gotten together to create an anthology of personal work. This fab book was originally a successfully funded kickstarter campaign.
What I liked:
I am a bit of a Disney nut, having thought for many years of my young life that I would become an animator. Maybe we all did after seeing The Little Mermaid, I dunno.
As my friend Adam puts it, I long ago drank the Disney tea.
I have been following the work of many of these women for years. Most have their hand all over modern Disney projects including the movies Tangled, Frozen, Princess and The Frog, Paperman and Wreck-It Ralph. Seeing a glimpse into their personal collection felt like such a gift.
Props to Disney for opening its doors more and more to female creatives in a previously male dominated field. It certainly hasn’t hurt their box office any.
Purchase Lovely: Ladies of Animation.
Kiki and Koko go to Paris
What:
A lovely picture book that was originally a series of photos taken by Stephanie Rausser of her daughter with her rag doll Coco. Children’s book writer Nina Gruener saw them online and knowing they would make a great book contacted Rausser to collaborate.
A great interview with Stephanie and Nina can be found here (link).
Why:
We found this in a boutique toy store in the city and fell in love with it. We both loved the adorable imagery and storytelling. It also talks a lot about traveling and it helped us prep Luke for the big trip we were about to take.
