(The Unicorn)

Being the Lost Archive of Ashley's Post-Graduation Summer Reading:


How the Irish Saved Civilization
Peter Pan
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Falling Kingdoms
Cast in Shadow
No One is Here Except All of Us
Cast in Courtlight
Cast in Secret
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Sandman, Vol 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
The Sandman, Vol 2: The Doll’s House
Fragile Things

How the Irish Saved Civilization (Rec. by Valerie)
This was a beautifully written book full of Historical insight and illuminating descriptions. For someone a bit obsessed with books, the story of their preservation and the minds that shaped waves of thought throughout history was the perfect thing to read while lounging on the back porch after graduation with your best friend and her dogs~

Peter Pan (Rec. by Kathryn)
I was ashamed that I hadn’t read this before now (just like A Little Princess). I’ve always had peculiar feelings when it came to Peter Pan, in that it’s a lovely idea to play all day forever, but I think I was always in a hurry to grow up, and so the idea of being stuck on Neverland always made me kind of uneasy. I feel as if I’m an old soul and a child at heart, with the no-nonsense mind of a schoolmarm and a spirit flying among the clouds.

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Bought on one of my mother’s and my impulsive Schuler’s indulgences, this book was a lovely harmony of proper Victorian era ladies pushing the confines on their status, a bit of romance, realistic intellectual curiosity, and the trials one must go through to achieve seemingly unattainable goals.

Falling Kingdoms
This was the first book in a while to utterly fail me. See this post for further explanation. 

Chronicles of Elantra I-III: Cast in Shadow, Cast in Court Light, Cast in Secret
(Rec. by Katie)
It’s been a while since I’ve started this series (since I’m doing these reviews in hindsight), but I do remember that from the start—when I read the first page—I was hooked on these books. While they very comfortably rest in the Young Adult Fantasy/Fiction genre (with humanoid animal races and a Twenty-year-old female protagonist), they’re very entertaining and quick reads. The problems that arise aren’t solved neatly, either, and the books follow within days (sometimes hours) of each other.

No One is Here Except All of Us
This book was shamelessly chosen from Schuler’s because of its cover and title. And yet the story within was filled with so much more beauty and emptiness. Based in a small Jewish village in Romania during WWII, the citizens (some of which are only referred to as their profession, conveying the feeling that everyone is fitting a particular niche) remake their world without war—without anyone else on the planet.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane
I have to thank Jill for inviting me to Ann Arbor to meet Neil Gaiman and receive this book. He was such a kind man, and having seen him in person (having met him) I think I appreciate the wonder in his books even more. This story resonated with me in much the same way The Graveyard Book had, and I’m so thankful Mr. Gaiman can weave the periphery threads of my imagination together so elaborate and satisfyingly.

The Sandman, Vol 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
The Sandman, Vol 2: The Doll’s House
I started these before the book talk with Neil Gaiman so I’d have a wider understanding of his work. They fell more along the lines of American Gods in explicitness and but felt very reminiscent of Stephen King in their psychological terror. I had to pull out of them early (there are about ten volumes plus spin-offs) because I’m finding more and more that I tend to get drawn into stories and empathize with the characters so thoroughly that this story (for instance) was aiding feelings of anxiety, apathy, and brooding I did not need to encourage (though I found the story interesting and Morpheus a great character).

Fragile Things (Rec. by Jill)
A collection of short stories and poems by Neil Gaiman, this also aided in a general understanding of Mr. Gaiman’s works; some a bit too despairingly “realistic”, some funny and diverting, and still a few others that deeply resonated. They also helped me re-affirm my decision to write any and every snippet of a story that floats through my head—no matter how stunted. While I have doubts I’ll ever be a writer and give back to the book pool I’ve been selfishly taking from my whole life, the least I can do is give the few embers of creativity still smoldering against the odds in my mind the aid of a bellows—however small it may be.