#aquifer

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg (Fairy Dust, #1) — Gail Carson Levine

kids' fantasy book inspired by Tinker Bell from Peter Pan (also the predecessor of the Disney Fairies franchise) telling the story of Fairy Haven and the fairies who live there

Levine's writing style is INCREDIBLE how have I not read her before

loved how she brought Never Land to life and paid homage to the original Peter Pan but also added so much of her own flair

David Christiana's illustrations are breathtaking

fantastic biblical parallels — nature in upheaval, paradise destroyed, a society in need of salvation through sacrifice and belief, etc.

the morals about finding your natural talents and being unhappy trying to pretend to be someone else *chef's kiss*

also kind of shockingly grim for a kids' book? surprising amount of death, injury, and suffering

Captain Hook snores in iambic pentameter and lists the names of the pirate captains he's killed in alphabetic order while he sleeps. what more can you ask for

amazing characters, complex plot, gorgeous prose, ensorcelling worldbuilding, excellent conclusion. this book has it all

Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand (Fairy Dust, #2) — Gail Carson Levine

second book in the series, continuing the plot of the first book but very much its own story

the plot is SO complex and goes in so many unexpected directions without being confusing

excellent development of the characters by highlighting their fatal weaknesses

outstanding depiction of unlimited power with irresistible desires, the compounding effects of bad decisions, free will vs. innate compulsion, etc.

the pacing is a tad rushed in this one — some things go too long, others not long enough

the conclusion isn't quite as satisfying as I had hoped

not as many disturbing moments as its predecessor but still. some disturbing moments

expands the creative worldbuilding of Levine's Never Land even more

another batch of astonishing illustrations

Fairies and the Quest for Never Land (Fairy Dust, #3) — Gail Carson Levine

third and final book in the trilogy, this time focusing on a descendant of Wendy Darling who enters Never Land and helps save Fairy Haven

quite a few unexpected narrative choices and a great reminder of why Never Land is so captivating

some great coming-of-age and full-circle-storytelling moments

the human protagonist Gwendolyn Carlisle is very lovable and makes realistic decisions throughout the story

more fantastic prosaic writing and gorgeous illustrations

not nearly as well-paced as the other two books and not as focused on the character development of the fairies we've come to know

lacks the big-picture morally complex themes that made the other two books so stunning

also lacks a clear objective and execution, which makes the conclusion feel a lot less satisfying

I was disappointed that Levine didn't wrap up all the plot points from the trilogy (though maybe she planned to write more books that were eventually canceled)

the Vidia storyline is SUPER weird but also? very interesting?

The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde

the classic gothic horror novella. I'd seen a movie version but had always wanted to read the book and OH BOY did it live up to the hype

incredible commentary on the soul, art, life and death, youth, corruption, beauty, innocence, nature versus nurture, etc etc

ultimately a story about the devastating effects of sin without consequence. everyone's lives are wrecked because of Dorian's selfishness and hedonism

probably the most effective ending I've ever seen in a novel

Wilde’s wit and wisdom is genuinely astonishing. the story bears a depth that only gets deeper the longer you ponder it

super fast-paced and philosophical

not many characters but every single one is so vividly magnetic and serves a crucial purpose to the plot

Lord Henry is so repulsive but he may be my favorite character just because he's so fascinating. I want to study him like a bug under a microscope

frighteningly relevant themes in our age of social media and the obsession with preserving our youth and beauty

Hidden Libraries — D.C. Helmuth

a guidebook-style nonfiction collection of unique libraries around the world and how they work

full of fantastic types of libraries that most people haven't heard of, like prison libraries, restaurant libraries, libraries on donkey- or camel-back, airport libraries, London bomb shelter libraries, Antarctic libraries, space station libraries, and libraries of books that have never been read — just to name a few

lots of gorgeous full-color photographs

includes location and contact information for each library!

emphasizes that anything can be a library and that libraries always go hand-in-hand with the preservation of history and culture

tends toward a few topics that do not interest me, but overall I enjoyed the variety

The Great Gatsby: A Graphic Novel Adaptation — K. Woodman-Maynard

a graphic novel adaptation of The Great Gatsby, though it's more about capturing the dreamy mood of the novel than actually retelling the story

It’s no secret that I don't like The Great Gatsby, but this book helped me get a better handle on it and why so many people find it magical

flowy, simple, pleasant illustrations that sometimes are breathtaking in their insight

GUT-WRENCHING final panel

I love the way the author turns some of Fitzgerald's metaphors into literalities

definitely a romanticized version of the innate darkness in the story, but it does a good job of showing the eternal yearning for what we can’t have, the emptiness of wealth and illusion, and the balance of confusion and indecision

focuses on the surreal qualities of the story and could definitely be confusing if you haven't read the original novel

for what it's worth, I'd read this book again before I'd reread the original

The Wreckers — Iain Lawrence

young-audience high seas adventure novel that combines the styles of Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, and Jack London

idk if this makes sense but you can just FEEL that Lawrence isn't afraid of his own genre and makes it fully his own

a pervasive sense of eerie suspense, chilling dread, and dangerous excitement

warning — there's some wildly horrific stuff in this book, especially for a book intended for kids

the plot is so fascinating and so well executed I honestly couldn't believe it

never boring for a second. just constant high-stakes adventure and a fast-paced storyline with so many great twists

I loved John Spencer as a protagonist and narrator. he's so good and honest and righteous, but he's also cunning and practical and quick-witted

extremely memorable and complex characters, and an excellent atmosphere to the very end

the supernatural elements are a great complement to the real-world horrors of the story. the reveals at the end are fantastic

I really would like to find the other two books in this series

The Stone of Destiny — Jim Ware

middle-grades Christian fantasy novel about a teenage alchemist, a girl with the second sight, and two worlds converging to search for a mystical stone in seaside California

a favorite of mine from my middle school years and honestly still a favorite

an astonishing blend of Irish mythology, Spanish Catholic legends, Grail narratives, and biblical history

remarkably complex, well crafted, detailed plot that represents several cultures while championing Christian theology

IMPECCABLE vibes. angels alchemists towers stones faeries tunnels seas stars giants churches stained-glass harpists storytellers caves violinists and that's not even half of it

great lesson in the danger of trying to control your destiny and the need for putting your trust in your Creator

the characters are all pretty interesting and each one contributes to the plot in a unique way

the middle section where Eny goes to the Sidhe is a little disconnected, but in a way that emphasizes the time displacement

the theology could be a little clearer, and I wish Morgan had a genuine come-to-Jesus moment

unfortunately never got the sequel it deserved

Selected Poems of Christina Rossetti — Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti my beloved. the queen of memento mori

about half of the poems in this collection brought me to tears. she writes with such a deeply lonesome sorrowful tone

the pre-Raphaelite movement and Anglican theology make for some interesting concepts

Rossetti has such a preoccupation with death, but it's more in a "I can't wait to be released from sorrow and live forever with my Lord" way than an Edgar Allan Poe way

I love her narrative poems like Goblin Market and The Prince's Progress, but my favorites would have to be Sonnet of Sonnets, Three Nuns, Have You Forgotten, Remember, and several others

her severe depression makes the poems gloomy, but it's so intimate and special to read what is basically a fifty-year journey through the most difficult times of her life

"We meet so seldom, yet we surely part so often; there’s a problem for your art!"

Through the Looking-Glass — Lewis Carroll

the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and it's nearly as good as its predecessor

I was surprised by how much of this book's content gets conflated with the first (probably due to the Disney movie)

I really like the concept of a chess world where every chapter has Alice subtly moving across the board until she becomes queen

all the absurd nonsense and twisted values Carroll was satirizing in the first book, with the addition of nursery rhyme characters

hilarious dialogue and so many bizarre scenes that made me laugh

a slightly more mature story than the first book, showing Alice having to navigate the established rules of society in order to fulfill her goal

some thought-provoking questions about the nature of Looking-Glass Land. was it all just a dream? and whose dream was it?

The Maker of Swans — Paraic O'Donnell

a surprisingly captivating read! I've been pondering it for weeks now

a surreal fantasy tale about a clever butler, a mute young girl, and the mysterious sorcerer they're connected with

O'Donnell's writing is brilliant and his command over word usage striking

the gothic vibes are simply off the charts. everything feels like a half-realized nightmare combined with the loveliest imagery

highly suspenseful and exciting even though a lot of the plot revolves around observation and solitude and silence

everything is quite abstract and sometimes confusing, but it feels like that was O'Donnell's intention

tons of binaries. and none of them are obvious so you really have to pay attention

some interesting commentary on the nature of art and inspiration, how the past haunts us, and how we have to understand our identity before we can master our capabilities

the dialogue goes in circles at times and the prose can be a liiiiiitle purple

disappointing in some ways but remarkable in most others

whimsical and compelling, defies explanation and convention

Julius Caesar — William Shakespeare

a Shakespearean classic! admittedly not my favorite Shakespeare but he's a cut above the rest no matter what

I read this one in high school and then taught parts of it when I was teaching eleventh grade

I find it really interesting that there's no central main character or antagonist in this play. just a lot of characters acting and reacting in ways that serve their own purposes

Shakespeare really doesn't play favorites with the characters but just lets the audience decide who to sympathize with

love the idea that everyone thinks they're on the right side of history, but their violence only begets more violence, and the best-laid plans always fall victim to someone else's best-laid plans

Shakespeare is always playing with the idea of fate versus human choice, and he really leans into that theme here (plus the emphasis on superstition versus divine signs!)

kind of an anticlimactic ending to me, though I'm sure it's better to watch (as most plays are)

certainly not all-encompassing in its scope, but very effective at the limited fronts it approaches

Joe Quinn's Poltergeist — David Almond

semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a boy who deals with the nature of poltergeists and the supernatural while dealing with the death of his sister

BIG no for me. I didn't enjoy this at all

it's advertised as a hopeful inspirational tale of healing, but it's actually a depressing, existential story about a boy who rejects God and finds comfort in the knowledge that there's nothing beyond this physical world

the actual story is mostly neglected because it feels like the author is sorting through his own traumatic experiences and philosophies

I've never liked Dave McKean's nightmarish art style but that's on me

the depiction of poltergeist activity is interesting enough but I hated the way it was used as a prop to teach the nonexistence of God

very cynical and hopeless. left a bad taste in my mouth

The Swan Knight — Aaron Shepard

a simple version of The Swan Knight legend from Arthuriana, mostly adapted from Wagner's Lohengrin opera

some great concepts and whimsical fairytale motifs (reminds me of some Irish myths and even the myth of Eros and Psyche)

ties in with the Parzival legends and also includes a historical character! Henry I of Antwerp

Elsa is the most infuriating character. girl if you could have exercised ONE ounce of patience none of this would have happened

some fascinating commentary on the duality of good and evil, God's mercy despite human failure, and the conquest of Christianity over old-world paganism

admittedly not great enough to be considered One of the Greats, but I do enjoy the aesthetics of the Swan Knight

Aquifer — Jonathan Friesen

Christian YA dystopian adventure novel that I read in high school and revisited this month

some interesting concepts (especially with the underground world and the revolution)

Friesen's writing style in general is pretty solid

unfortunately the plot is unforgivably confusing and many of the plot threads are left unresolved

boring in a lot of areas, though the conclusion builds some good suspense

the dystopia has (1) no unique features, (2) no depth to the worldbuilding, and (3) no cautionary purpose in the narrative

the characters are SO bland and uninteresting. so paper-thin I could see through them to the other wall

the most horrifically bad depiction of a Girl Character that I've seen in many years

it's advertised as a Christian novel but it's vaguely allegorical at best. I'd hesitate to even categorize it as Christian literature

Here’s why approx 69% of Texas cotton farmers are expected to abandon their crops this year

This video was made with support from Climate Power.

Nebraska Sand Hills Extensive tracts of sand dunes are common throughout the central Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. The greatest among these is the Nebraska Sand Hills, which cover nearly 20,000 square miles (52,000km2) in north-central Nebraska and southernmost South Dakota.