A few years ago, Robert Macfarlane, who’s something of a patron saint at Madison Books (see our review of 2019 book of the year Underland, now out in paperback) wrote The Lost Words, an ornate linguistic repository intended to preserve the lexicon of the natural world that’s literally being removed from dictionaries. Lavishly illustrated by Jackie Morris, it became …
In uncertain and fearful times, there’s nothing like a light and happy love story to give you hope—and this contemporary fantasy novel fits the bill. “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” meets Terry Pratchett in this story of wayward magical children and their enigmatic, charming caretaker. Filled with humor, wit, and a cast of delightfully memorable …
Every ten years a cold and fearsome wizard known only as the Dragon takes a young woman from Agnieszka’s village; it’s a sacrifice they must endure to keep their village safe from the corrupted, malevolent Wood. No one knows what the women must endure in the Dragon’s castle, but they always return changed. When Agnieszka …
Even though author Kerry Colburn celebrated the launch of Bitchcraft with a very witchy event at Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle, the simple spells are certainly not limited to any season. Kerry and her book were recently featured on Seattle Refined in a segment called “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even.” You can watch the …
UTTERLY MAGICAL! Have you ever looked at a door and wondered what lay beyond? The promise is THERE’S A STORY THERE! Harrow takes it to a new and beautiful level in that there are different WORLDS and TIMES behind her doors and passageways. January Scaller is a rare soul with a legacy and inheritance of …
At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England’s history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England–until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight. Soon, another practicing magician …
Today’s Face Out offers a rave for a gorgeous arty kids’ book called Seasons from Carol Santoro, of Santoro’s Books in Seattle. Seasons is the kind of book you have to pick up and turn its pages to really get. Santoro says she’s displaying it as part of a section called “Books You Must Touch,” …
“What if…?” Such a powerful question for anyone who writes fiction. “What if…?” Such a frightening question for anyone who battles anxiety. I do both every day. But I firmly believe that people who suffer from anxiety simply have wonderful, active imaginations that have jumped in error onto a difficult, twisty, unproductive path. How else …
