Category Archives: Fantasy

ULYSSES+ Quarterly Report

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

NYC has had its usual share of rainy weather since the start of the year, which means that I’ve been making good progress on my ULYSSES+ project. In just 3 months, I’ve read 5 of the 12 books-published-in-1922 chosen as … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Animal tales, Castles and towers, Classic, Fantasy, Humorous, Newbery Award, Poetry, ULYSSES+ | Tagged E F Benson, Elizabeth Von Arnim, Hugh Lofting, James Joyce, Joan Aiken, Margery Williams, T S Eliot | 7 Comments

ULYSSES+

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

You may already know that 2022 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, which I first read about 50 years ago, while a senior at university. The professor organized the class so that we read a … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Fantasy, Fiction, Humorous, Newbery Award, Poetry, short stories, ULYSSES+ | Tagged E E Cummings, E F Benson, E R Eddison, Elizabeth Von Arnim, Hugh Lofting, James Joyce, Katherine Mansfield, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Margery Williams, P G Wodehouse, Rafael Sabatini, T S Eliot, Willa Cather | 4 Comments

#WitchWeek2021 Day 5

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

We’ve passed the half-way point of Witch Week, with reviews that I hope have given you a few chills. Today, you’ll find my own Witch Week post, about two fantasy novels — Diana Wynne Jones’ The Merlin Conspiracy and Rachel … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Witch Week | Tagged Diana Wynne Jones, Modest Mussorgsky, Rachel Hartman, Walt Disney | 2 Comments

#WitchWeek2021 Day 3

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

As you read this, I’ll be at the polls, doing my bit as an Election Day worker. If you haven’t voted yet, get yourself out there and do it. Don’t let anyone convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. Today, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Witch Week | Tagged Edvard Grieg, Katherine Addison, Witold Giersz | 10 Comments

#WitchWeek2021 Day 2

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Over at Calmgrove, you’ll find our discussion of The Tempest. Ola, Jean, Chris and I had a great time talking about stormy double-dealing, back-stabbing, machinations, and just plain old devilry happening in what’s considered Shakespeare’s final solo project. A suitable … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Shakespeare, Witch Week | Tagged Benjamin Britten, Leonard Bernstein, Shakespeare | 6 Comments

#WitchWeek2021 Day 1

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Over at Calmgrove, you’ll find our first guest post for Witch Week, by Lory from Entering the Enchanted Castle. She reviews Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series. The first book in the series, The Thief, is about an expert thief … Continue reading →

Posted in Bonfire Night, Fantasy, Halloween, Witch Week | Tagged Hector Berlioz, Megan Whalen Turner, Socially Distant Orchestra | 9 Comments

Which Week Witch Week

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Not long now until Witch Week 2021 comes to haunt us. An event first begun by Lory Hess at The Emerald City Book Review (she now blogs at Entering the Enchanted Castle), Witch Week is an annual series of guest … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Halloween, Mystery, Shakespeare, Witch Week | Tagged Diana Wynne Jones, Shakespeare | 4 Comments

So long, hiatus

Posted on May 30, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Well, she wrote grumpily, I suppose it’s time I added another post to my blog. Let people know I’m still around. Give my brain a bit of a workout …. especially with this new block editor on WP (WHY WHY … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Fantasy, Humorous, Science fiction | Tagged Barbara Pym, Charles Yu, Susanna Clarke | 18 Comments

#WitchWeek2020 Day 5: Gothic fantasy, with puppets

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Lizzie Ross

Puppet shows! Fun times for all, right? Not in this chilling Newbery Honor book. In 2007, Laura Amy Schlitz had won the Newbery Award for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. This 2012 gothic fantasy by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Gothic, Historical fiction, Mystery, Witch Week, YA Lit | Tagged Laura Amy Schlitz, M R James | 8 Comments

#WitchWeek2020 Day 4: M R James and the Gothic Tradition

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Lizzie Ross

In this post, guest blogger Jean takes us to the world of M. R. James, famous for his creepy gothic tales, which have inspired several 20th and 21st century authors. Jean is a librarian blogging at Howling Frog Books who … Continue reading →