Book Review: The Song Of Achillies

 The Song Of Achilles

Author:                          Madeline Miller

Publisher:                      Bloomsbury

Type:                              Soft Cover

Pages:                             352

Genre:                            based on a true story

Published:                      2011

ISBN:                              978-1-4088-1702-5


 This is a large softcover with metallic gold card just behind the cover i am not quite sure if that make it a special edition or something but it is beautiful. Its a historical novel so sadly no artwork adorns the pages. 

 Everyone should know the story of Patroclus they are one of the most famous gay couples in history. While most focus on the abduction of Helen and the siege of Troy this work actually fills in the gaps in the historical record of the love between the two men.

 If you have ever considered watching the movie Troy, don't as it encourages straight-washing, pick up a copy of this book instead. 

 You will know the fate of the protagonists but the beauty is in the journey. And it is a beautiful journey brought alive by a talented writer. keep in mind this isn't erotica and everything is kept very tasteful. 
  
 This is a great book, it should be read by anyone who doesn't understand the gays. It should be on every high school library shelf. You should read this book.

 Homophobes often forget that humanity has a very queer history as is being demonstrated in Australia as the LGBTQ community is being defamed and terrorised by bigots (some Nazi, some not) arguing we shouldn't have equal rights. Just today A homophobic politician Cory Bernardi has claimed that marriage equality is a "rainbow Trojan horse" he is rather silly so he probably doesn't realise the irony of his statement.

 

Review: The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons 

A field guide to Japanese Yokai

 

 

Author:                               Matthew Meyer

Publisher:                            Self Published (Kickstarter)

Type:                                    Soft Cover

Pages:                                   219

Genre:                                  non-fiction

Published:                            2012

ISBN:                                   13-978-0-9852184-0-9

 This book has an aged hardcover look to the cover but is indeed softcover. The black writing on the dark cover makes the title difficult to read at a glance. The book itself is ten inches tall, seven inches wide and a little over half an inch thick.
 The pages inside look aged and this makes the book look very cool. Every other page is a amazing full colour picture of the Yokai in question. The other page being a short description of the Yokai.

 Every description has the Yokai's name, its English translation, some alternative names that the Yokai goes by, its habitat and diet. Then there is a description of the Yokai divided into Appearance, behavior, interactions, origin and legends headings.While you may be able to find the information on the Yokai from many sources the authors artwork is truly beautiful.

  
 And sadly it is in the descriptions that this work is let down, there are so many grammar issues within this book that i honestly feel i paid too much for it. It felt like it had not been proof read or had perhaps gone through a last minute auto-edit that messed with the context of many sentences. It is readable but if your a real stickler for grammar this might not be the book for you. It is a real shame because this book looks great and the art is fantastic.

 The back of the book has references, bibliography and an index (which gives incorrect page numbers), its also where i discovered that this book was produced via kickstarter crowdfunding. I was not aware of this when i purchased it and also hadn't seen any reviews describing the extent of the grammatical errors. However i also haven't seen a book on Yokai (in English) that is as beautifully illustrated.

 I really want to love this book, it is a good reference, even just for the illustrations, but is let down by the grammar errors and the exorbitant price i paid for my copy.
 I would recommend this book for those interested in the Paranormal, Cryptozoological, or mythological if you are not too concerned with grammar and if you can find it at a reasonable price.
 Also note that my only copy is the 2012 edition, and that there was a revised edition released in 2015 that may address the grammar issues. If you have an updated copy please feel free to comment and let us know.

Book Review: The Resurrectionist

Book Review:

The Resurrectionist

The lost work of Dr. Spencer Black

Author:                                E.B.Hudspeth

Publisher:                            Quirk Books

Type:                                    Hard Cover

Pages:                                   191

Genre:                                  Novella / Art book

Published:                            2013

ISBN:                                   978-1-59474-616-1

 The book is well made and i didn't notice any errors. There are black and white drawings throughout, in fact the majority of the book is taken up by anatomical studies.

 The first part of the book is The Resurrectionist (pages 11-65) proper a story involves one Dr. Spencer Black and his biography. Who believed that beings from mythology were in fact real advances in human evolution.

 The second part of the book is titled The Codex Extinct Animalia, (pages 66-191) which has a short description of a 'mythological' species and a few pages of detailed anatomical drawings.

The story itself almost seems a little lovecraftian.

 The book is not a novel and is a little short on story. But i do not think that's what it was aiming for. This book is a curiosity. It would be interesting for those interested in Cryptozology, mythology or anatomy.

Book review: The Old Magic of Christmas

The Old Magic of Christmas

Yuletide traditions for the darkest days of the year

Author:                                Linda Raedisch
Artist:                                  Ellen Lawson

Type:                                    Soft Cover

Pages:                                   248

Genre:                                  non-fiction

Published:                            2014
                                              Llewellyn

ISBN:                                   978-0-7387-3334-0

Source:                                Independently purchased 

The book is a nice size seems well made and has a smattering of black and white illustrations. It will stand about 8 inches tall on the shelf, is 5 1/2 inches deep and almost an inch thick.

Don't be put off by the introduction, for while it does seem to pander slightly to christian sensibility's, it in no way alienates Pagan readers.

While the term christmas is used thought, it is clear that the subject of the book is not the December holiday but the winter solstice commonly known as Yule.

Subjects addressed include Goddesses, witches, elves, spirits, The Krampus, ghosts, werewolves, The Mari Llwyd, Saints, The Wild Hunt, vampires and The Julbock. 

There are interesting crafts and recipes to make through the book. Though the main focus is on the history, folklore and mythology's of Yule.

There is a long and through examination of the herbs associated with the season, as well as notes, calendar, glossary index, and bibliography.
Bonus points are given for using the correct CE, BCE terms.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover the true meaning of christmas, or wants to experiment with some new (old) Yule traditions. Those interested in mythology, history and folklore will find this book an entertaining and informative read.
The only thing that would have made this book better would be color pictures, and maybe replacing the term christmas with Yule or winter.