Ally Burguieres did not intend to be an opossum rehabber. Sesame, her first opossum, came into her life by accident. In the process of learning how toAlly Burguieres did not intend to be an opossum rehabber. Sesame, her first opossum, came into her life by accident. In the process of learning how to care for him, since he was non-releasable, she came to learn the wisdom of these funny creatures. Opossums, slightly dopey, slow, silly beasts seem not to have a care in the world beyond getting snacks. There's an awful lot of wisdom in that.
WHEN IN DOUBT, PLAY DEAD is a collection of the wisdom she's accrued over her years of animal rescue. Delivered in a simple voice, and accompanied by some of the cutest artwork you'll ever see, this is a book every bit as precious and valuable as her previous one: POSSUMS ARE NOT CUTE! AND OTHER MYTHS ABOUT NORTH AMERICA'S ONLY MARSUPIAL. While the latter book was heavier on the facts about opossums, this book is more about the wisdom you can get from them.
The wisdom may be as simple as the title implies - or it may be something like "The difference between flowers and weeds is often a matter of taste." Regardless, it will be something that is bound to make you smile. There's something endearing about these little opossums and their other animal friends. Many of the animals within are actually pets from Ally's friends, something that only makes this book all the more special to those who know her.
I wholeheartedly recommend this sweet book to anyone who loves opossums, or those that are opossum-curious. This book is full of sweet reminders to slow down and eat the flowers - and to smile often, but if someone tells you to smile... you're perfectly within your rights to scream at them....more
My review of this book will be available shortly on The Folklore Podcast's website. My review of this book will be available shortly on The Folklore Podcast's website. ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Erwin Moser is beloved in Germany for his beautiful artwork, aI received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Erwin Moser is beloved in Germany for his beautiful artwork, and easy rhyming style of writing. It's easy to see why, when reading through "What Hedgehog Likes Best." While at first I expected the book to be more focused upon Hedgehog, it became quickly clear that this was just a delightful montage of animals with little rhymes attached to each description.
The artwork is beautiful, with a watercolor ease of flow and comforting colors. The rhymes, likewise, roll off the tongue with ease. I could see this book being a bedtime favorite for any young children, and easily help them learn how to read and recognize the various animals. ...more
East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a classic collection of Norwegian folklore collected in the late 1800s. In many ways this was the very first East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a classic collection of Norwegian folklore collected in the late 1800s. In many ways this was the very first collection of Norway's folklore, that area being one late to be examined by folklorists for a number of reasons. It was fortunate to be printed when it did, as that printing coincided with the short period of collectible art books for adults being in vogue, creating this brilliantly illustrated collection. Kay Nielsen was, perhaps a bit ironically, a Danish artist best known now for the Bald Mountain sequence of Fantastia. Imagine that artwork gracing the tales of the bitter North and you can see what a treat this book is.
This collection has been expanded with an introduction that goes in depth into the nature of Norwegian folklore collection and what sets this book apart. There is also a section contextualizing the difficulties of printing art books, and what set this one apart from many others at the time it was first printed. Lastly, there is a section about the history of Nielsen and his artwork - this latter section containing art that was not present within the book before to give the reader a wider view of his oeuvre and his influences.
I can't adequately express how incredible it was to pick up this book from the library. This is a truly gorgeous publication. The artwork is breathtakingly beautiful, and I could spend hours just looking at the drawings. This is the sort of book I'd expect to see for sale at the AVAM for a price well outside of my capability to comfortably pay, but instead this is just... readily available at the library or for an astonishingly low amount. Likewise, the tales contained within are as fascinating as the artwork.
There are well-known stories now - such as "Three Billy Goat's Gruff" that is now a staple for all young people. There are less well-known stories like "The Giant Who Had No Heart in his Body" which echo throughout stories from every continent in varying ways. Then there are stories that are more wholly unique, but damn fine reads that deserve to be a bit better known like "The Blue Belt" and the tale that lends its title to the book itself. This edition corrects minor errors from previous editions, and is remarkably readable and just a true treasure to hold. What a great treat for the end of the year....more
I picked this book up from the library without looking too hard at just what I was grabbing. It was a book that had Snallygaster in it, so I was naturI picked this book up from the library without looking too hard at just what I was grabbing. It was a book that had Snallygaster in it, so I was naturally curious just what it had to say about Maryland's best beloved beast. The fact that it had Mothman on the cover and also contained a surfeit of Jersey Devil lore was just a bonus to me.
This was an unusual book. The author's appear to run a very popular cryptozoological blog, but the book contextualized the cryptozoology with a hearty dose of folkloric knowledge. When digging into, for instance, the Jersey Devil legend there was a heavy emphasis upon the Quaker community and the Leed's devil rather than what biology might allow a creature to look like what the Devil is described as being. The Mothman, also, was wrapped up with a great deal of history of Cold War anxiety and the military presence within Point Pleasant... and Native American legends contributing a curse to the area were laid well to rest.
All of this is to say, the book had a lot more to it than I expected any run of the mill cryptozoology book to have.
The writers were up front about Creationism and Pteranodons. Young Earth Creationists (and even some who aren't pushing for quite that young an earth) have long been using dinosaur sightings as proof of the current model of geology being wrong. These authors are pushing that agenda as well, albeit in a much more measured and interesting way. These authors are just putting it out there to consider, which leant it all more a fascinating slant than most. I came away from the book pondering why people believe it more than just rolling my eyes at people believing it. This is an interesting, and respectful, look at other perspectives.
So, while I am not swayed by the arguments presented, I did find this to be a refreshing walk over well-trodden ground. This is a fun book, and one I would have devoured when I was younger. As it was, I very much enjoyed this book and the amount of research put into it. I also very, very much recommend leafing through this book for the gorgeous artwork between the covers. It's a very fun read, with a lovely bibliography. ...more
I can't believe it got released and then it took me so long to actually read it.
I read this book in aI can't believe this book actually got released.
I can't believe it got released and then it took me so long to actually read it.
I read this book in a single sitting, sitting in my old bed in my mom's house. It was a surreal experience, reading it in that way, but it was oddly fitting considering the subject matter of the book. Hyperbole and a Half was a blog that I loved and read regularly, and then a book that I read repeatedly and ended up owning some four copies of at one point in time. Those copies keep ending up being gifted to others, so it makes sense to continue buying them. I also liked the idea of Allie Brosh getting that money and being able to use it, wherever in the world she might be.
I care about Allie Brosh. I know it's foolish in some ways, but her words have meant a lot to me. Her writing got me through a tough part of my life, and her words then allowed others to see where I was coming from and understand me a bit better. Solutions and Other Problems, I feel certain, is going to do that for other people. Hell, it did it a bit for me even without having lived through some of the experiences that Brosh writes about in the book.
It's a funny book, laugh out loud funny at times, but it is also bleak as hell. It wasn't an easy book to read, nor should it have been an easy book to read considering the subject matter. It got darker than I've seen Jenny Lawson's books get, which is saying something considering she wrote an essay to her insurance company in one about how she thinks they want her dead because they're making it so she can't afford the medication she needs not to kill herself.
So yeah. Brace yourself before going in. It's a book mired in grief, dripping grief, but there is so much to be said about being honest about the experience of losing someone you love for reasons you don't understand. About living with that absence. As someone who lost people over my life and during this pandemic... yeah. It's like that. It's not pretty, but it's like that, and it needs to be heard and said.
Still, Allie Brosh, the world is a better place with you in it....more
This is a difficult book to rate. It would be 5 stars easily for the art, and perhaps 3 stars for the writing. If it were simply the art and the text This is a difficult book to rate. It would be 5 stars easily for the art, and perhaps 3 stars for the writing. If it were simply the art and the text of the ballads themselves it would likely be a higher rating altogether. What the book is, unfortunately, is not just that, though. It's something altogether a bit different.
This book holds within it the text of many traditional ballads, along with a rather jarring bit of Norse saga stories near the tail end that I still don't quite understand. Every story within it contains a comic that's retelling the story - sometimes through a different lens, sometimes not. Charles Vess provides the illustrations throughout and they are truly breathtakingly beautiful things. The line drawings bring to mind woodcuts or old horror comics - they are detailed and evocative. Just great. The comics themselves, though...
Some made the stories interesting and a bit more inventive. They provided some context and made them their own things. More often, unfortunately, the stories were just... word for word the ballad. It seemed superfluous and odd. Just didn't quite do it for me. I'm not entirely certain what the value of it really was.
At any rate, it was an interesting introduction to ballads for anyone unfamiliar with them. Just a bit odd way to do it. Definitely leaf through it for the art if given a chance. "Tam Lin," "The Black Fox," and "Thomas the Rhymer" are well worth reading in my book. "Skade" just confused me a great deal....more
Jon Izzard's book is a flashy introductory text to werewolves that both enthusiasts and newcomers to the creature can love. The book itself is oversi Jon Izzard's book is a flashy introductory text to werewolves that both enthusiasts and newcomers to the creature can love. The book itself is oversized, and full of glossy pages depicting manifold images from werewolf movies. The cover is just the beginning. In these pages you'll see the classics - you know the scene from The Wolfman and The Howling, An American Werewolf in London and Ginger Snaps. Underworld is naturally massively represented as well. Which is all well and good, but I was surprised at the lack of representation of a more literary persuasion.
So, while I came to this book wanting a bit more of a folkloric history of werewolves instead I got their history through the lens of pop culture. It was an analysis of what has remained the same, and where some beliefs come from. The idea of the werewolf as a romantic creature that can only be killed by someone who loves them was held up really well through both folklore and modern interpretations which made me think a bit of dragons and Reign of Fire. I liked the section of the book being reserved for female werewolves as well, a perennial classic that has also been horrifically underserved in modern media.
So, this book wasn't exactly what I expected or wanted, but it still was a decent read. I'm glad that it was a library get rather than one that I bought, but I can see any monster movie enthusiast getting a ton from it. It did give me some new books on my reading list, and an abiding curiosity for movies I didn't know existed - but still... I think the Lycantrhopy Reader might end up being something better for me to sink my teeth into. ...more
Kate Lacour brings a scientific eye and a zoologists understanding of biology and anatomy to the macabre and bizarre. Each page is aWhat a cool book!
Kate Lacour brings a scientific eye and a zoologists understanding of biology and anatomy to the macabre and bizarre. Each page is a separate examination of the unusual and grotesque. Unicorn horn injections and self-induced conjoined twins litter these pages. The creation of a pearl in your ring finger, and a snake coiled within the human circulatory system is in another. How about crocheting a human brain from ground beef?
This collection is not for the faint of heart. There were images that involved scalpels and eyes that made me cringe, but that's kind of the point. This is meant to be a medical study of the bizarre, and this is bound to happen, isn't it? My fault for picking up a book titled Vivisectionary.
The afterward allows Kate Lacour to explain what she wished to achieve in this book in a brief meditation on the history and nature of dioramas and what they represent for the viewer. I would say Lacour managed to capture what they sought out to beautifully, and I would love to find some of their other books in the future. Even if I cringe a bit looking at some of the drawings. ...more
This is a cute little book put together by the Downtown Sykesville Committee.
The book collects the murals that littered downtown Sykesville in 2018 ceThis is a cute little book put together by the Downtown Sykesville Committee.
The book collects the murals that littered downtown Sykesville in 2018 celebrating the one and only Snallygaster - arguably the most fun of the Maryland cryptids. While the Snallygaster's curse and the story itself is wholly original to the book, the history of Sykesville is woven into the story and it's a fun little addition to the creature's lore.
The artwork is gorgeous, and the funds from the sale of the storybook go to benefit the city itself.
Brilliant little idea, and a fun find in the local library...more
Subpar Parks began life as a bit of a joke online. I'm uncertain if it started as a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook page - but it was roundly hilario Subpar Parks began life as a bit of a joke online. I'm uncertain if it started as a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook page - but it was roundly hilarious whenever I came across little lists compiling the artwork and reviews. The gist is that Amber Share would collect 1 star internet reviews of National Parks and create beautiful posters of the parks in question with snippets from the review lettered across them. The idea is so simple, but the execution is flawless and laugh out loud funny every time.
I mean, come on, who looks at the Grand Canyon and thinks it's just a big hole or decides that the 10 hour flight they went on to get to one of the most remote locations in North America isn't worth it because there isn't WiFi? It's hilarious, and the art is gorgeous.
This book isn't exactly just a joke and isn't exactly a travel guide, but rather somewhere in between. If you're looking for the most sophisticated travel guide you'll be disappointed. If you're looking just for hilarious 1 star reviews of parks you likewise won't entirely find what you're looking for. What this book is is more of a primer for those National Park curious people out there. You'll get a laugh and a better appreciation for the variety and wonder of America's parks. It might get you curious enough to start planning your own trips, even.
This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but it still proved interesting and to be a fun read. I still love the art and laughed out loud here and there. I even found some new parks that I'm quite keen to visit and learn more about. ...more
This book review was written for The Folklore Podcast and is available to read at that website as well.
Many critics have said that in that last decadeThis book review was written for The Folklore Podcast and is available to read at that website as well.
Many critics have said that in that last decade we entered a Golden Age of Television Horror. The Walking Dead, Supernatural, and Stranger Things have commanded massive global audiences and the desire for more genre content is booming. In short, the television horror fandom is thriving with new conventions, podcasts, and merchandise being released every day. Isn’t it time for a book dedicated to studying precisely that?
Global TV Horror is the newest entry in the series Horror Studies published by University of Wales Press. This series is the very first dedicated exclusively to the study of horror on the small screen. While previous publications on the study of horror have primarily focused upon cinema or literature, this book focuses upon the little-studied field of horror in television. Naturally, given the way that media has changed with the advent of streaming services and Video On Demand, it made sense for the book to further expand that field to include international programs rather than focusing upon only Anglophone productions.
The book is composed of thirteen essays which are each divided into three sections: National Contexts, Form, and the Industry itself. National Contexts focuses upon how national identity of the creators of the productions informs television shows. How, for instance, do Iranian creators portray the vampire when their country has little to no myths and folklore surrounding vampirism? How does Australia’s colonialist history inform a slasher thriller? How did the Cuca, a Brazilian child eating witch without a static form, become an LGBTQ+ icon? All of these questions and more are answered and explored through enlightening essays.
The second section focuses upon the ways in which horror is evoked through the television medium and the ways in which the industry has changed in recent years. Television horror often lacks the budgets that cinema films have, and so have to rely upon conveying horror through means other than strictly special effects. Practical effects, clever audio engineering, and the ingenious evocation of the liminal are all touched upon as means to convey horror. Likewise, the effects of using supernatural contexts and absurdism to convey complex political messages comes into play.
The third section focuses upon distribution methods and how those have changed over time. Video On Demand including avenues such as YouTube have opened up international horror to a far larger audience. Previously obscure small-scale productions can now be seen by anyone around the globe, and day-of streaming on an international scale has allowed phenomena like The Walking Dead to thrive.
Horror, in general, has largely been regarded as a lesser genre unworthy of scholarly study. This book proves that that has never needed to be the case. These easily accessible, entertaining, and scholarly essays legitimize the study of horror and leave the door wide open for more inquiries to be made in the future....more
This book was cited as lifechanging in much the same way The Alchemist was to me, which should have been aThis book was... seriously overhyped to me.
This book was cited as lifechanging in much the same way The Alchemist was to me, which should have been a huge tip off to me that this book wouldn't be quite what I wanted it to be. The Alchemist just kind of irritated me for the most part. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse didn't lean as deeply into the New Age Positivity Mentalism that The Alchemist did, thankfully. It was just a bit... twee. Which is kind of the point.
The book is an art book more than anything else, and the artwork is stunningly beautiful. It's done in gorgeous ink and looks like you're holding the original pages. You can see where the ink dripped, the swoops of the lines. I can't emphasize enough how gorgeously drawn the book is - there are pages that I would love to have prints of to hang up on the wall. The artwork is thrilling, particularly the fox - but that might just be my personal penchant for the animal.
The text of the book is stark compared to the illustrations. The sentences are fleeting, each one a small encapsulation of a thought or a concept that is meant to be meditated upon. Cake, the mole says, makes everything better. The horse is a bastion of wisdom. The fox is anxious and shy, but learns to trust. The boy, the boy is there to learn from all of them and to be their friend.
It's a bit of a modern Winnie the Pooh, but without as much of a narrative drive as Winnie the Pooh has. In the right mood, it is something I would adore. In the wrong mood, I'm too cynical to get as much out of it as I would like apart from enjoying the art so much. So, I split the difference with the rating here. I can understand fully why so many love the book, and it's likely one that I would get for a certain person in my life as well. Just not quite the thing for me....more
It's a small collection of the lesser known creatures of folklore. Sure, there are some sea serp Monsters You Should Know is an utterly adorable book.
It's a small collection of the lesser known creatures of folklore. Sure, there are some sea serpents and unicorns - but likely not the variations upon the theme that you've heard of before. There are some refreshingly different little critters. The two most basic monsters contained between these coves was a a cockatrice, and even that one tends to be a little bit unusual among certain circles. The most delightful creature (apart from the hilarious Fearsome Critter the Squonk) was the Eloko if only because it was drawn to look like a hedgehog.
This was a really fun book to flip through, and one I would definitely consider getting one of my friend's kiddos at some point in the future. It isn't scary as much as it is fun and entertaining, something to ignite the imagination full of drawings that I would've pored over for days as a kid. I loved the folklore, loved the art, and loved the way there is a little bit of a narrative that connects the first and final entry. It's a delightful little book. I really need to check out this publisher more often....more
She's responsible for two of my favorite shows of the 2000s - Bojack Horseman and Tuca and Bertie - and continues t Lisa Hanawalt is always a delight.
She's responsible for two of my favorite shows of the 2000s - Bojack Horseman and Tuca and Bertie - and continues to produce some of the most hilarious, beautiful, and disgusting artwork out there. She's shameless in her interests and fixations, and impossible not to love. I Want You is a collection of some of her earliest work, now complete with a new introduction of her looking back at it with... wonder and embarrassment. Really. The intro alone is fantastic.
The work is great. You can see some of her earlier fixations coming into play, and some of her humor starting to find its first legs. I liked this more than her more recent Coyote Doggirl, and I'd happily encourage anyone to give it a shot. Seriously. The saga of She-Moose alone is great stuff.
Also, the "Hot Parthenogenic Sluts" VHS still has me snickering. ...more
There is no case quite like the Gardner Heist. No other museum still exhibits the empty frames where the stolen paintings once were. No other case seeThere is no case quite like the Gardner Heist. No other museum still exhibits the empty frames where the stolen paintings once were. No other case seems to have both too many suspects, and none at all. This case captivates nearly everyone who reads about it, infecting them with a feverish impulse to try to solve the case for themselves. Some of them turn it into something of a hobby. Some of them, like Ulrich, end up devoting years of their lives to the case. Ulrich, at the end of it all, ended up with a book. A book with no resolution, so please don't go in expecting the paintings returned at the end. Sadly, the paintings might not even be around any longer... though we all live in hope.
Ulrich has compiled a neat history of the case, up to date at the time it was published, though a bit out of date now. The book serves as a beautiful introduction to a depressingly complicated saga. He follows each lead to the end, even some of the wilder ones (that painting spotted in Japan? Just a beautiful print. Those paint chips? A bit... more difficult to explain, although the man furnishing them is a proven conman and liar.) The takeaway from the book is a very clear suspect, but no real idea just where the paintings are.
I'd recommend this as a beautiful starting point for the case, and I think the website it mentions is still being regularly updated. It's a better introduction than the Netflix documentary, but that documentary is great viewing once you're done with the book itself.
Man, I hope these paintings get found.
I would love an updated edition of this book that goes into some of what's now been learned - or perhaps just a second book entirely covering what's happened in the nearly two decades since it was released....more
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