Fantasy Book Club – August 2013: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

In August we will be reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente.

“Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.”

Literary Awards: Locus Award for Best Young Adult (2012), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children’s Literature (2012), Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy (2009), Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books of the Year (2011)

Buy on Amazon US
Buy on Amazon UK

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Discussion breakpoints:

– Week 1: Chapters 1 – 4
– Week 2: Chapters 1 – 9
– Week 3: Chapters 1 – 14
– Week 4: Finished

WANT TO JOIN IN?

If you would like to join us you can visit our forums and add your name to the list here. Want to know how our Book Club works first? Read on!

CHOOSING A BOOK

All books are nominated and voted on by our members. Each month we will have a theme or subgenre for the nominations. Anyone can nominate a book and everyone can vote. In September we will be reading The Folding Knife by K. J. Parker. Check back soon to help pick a book for October when our theme will be Dark Fantasy.

SUGGESTING A THEME/SUBGENRE FOR UPCOMING MONTHS

We want to make sure to put out themes/genres that people are interested in and cover a wide selection of books. We are happy to get suggestions and ideas for upcoming months. If you have something you would like to see us do in the future, please share it here.

SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION

Fantasy Book Club begins on the 1st of every month. Once a book is started, we discuss it in a way that will not spoil the story. We limit how much you can discuss and when, and break it down by week.

Week 1 – You may only discuss the first 1/4 of the book
Week 2 – You may only discuss the first 1/2 of the book
Week 3 – You may only discuss the first 3/4 of the book
Week 4 – Anything goes

We are going to go based on page count. So for example, if a book has 500 pages then week one you can discuss up to page 125 and then week two 250 and so on. Each week will have a separate thread, so as not to spoil the story for people who fall behind or come in late.

WHAT IF YOU WANT TO READ FASTER THAN THAT?

Not a problem at all. You are more than welcome to read ahead, but when discussing things just remember to post in the appropriate thread. And if you’re not sure when something happened you can always use the spoiler tag to hide your post.

Should you not want any spoilers or discussion during the reading process, then just come after the end of week three and start discussing the book once you have finished. (This is how most book clubs operate anyway.)

We would love for you to join us! You can sign up for this month’s book club here or visit our book club section to see all our past selections here.

WANT REMINDERS?

Follow @FFBookClub on Twitter for reminders when book club starts nominations, voting and discussions.

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