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Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making | Catherynne M Valente
"One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century." Time magazine, on the Fairyland seriesTwelve-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 author Catherynne M. Valente 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."The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" is a "Publishers Weekly" Best Children's Fiction title for 2011."
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Susanita
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1. Several years ago, my alma mater had to select a new mascot. There was a poll, and the winner was a griffin. Though that wasn‘t my initial choice, the griffin has grown on me.
2. The tagged book features a wyvern that‘s also a library. This year I might actually read book two.
#two4tuesday

TheSpineView ❤️ griffins! Thanks for playing 1w
31 likes1 comment
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SconsinBookyBadger
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I made it to the pentalogy book series of my reading challenge. My library loans for Catherynne Valente‘s Fairyland series arrived in the nick of time. A second storm is on its way starting 3am Friday and continuing into noon Saturday.

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ImperfectCJ
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Bailedbailed

After months of lingering around the house, the tagged book finally graduated to my DNF list. My son liked it okay, but I just couldn't get into it. I forgot to take a picture of it before my spouse took it back to the library, so here's a photo I took to try and figure out how to adjust the cupboard hinges.

Smrloomis I like the photo substitution here 😂 2y
julesG Did you work it out? 2y
StaceGhost I also tried & failed to read this one 2y
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LibrarianRyan I have started this both in print and as ebook and I have never been able to get into it. 2y
ImperfectCJ @julesG I'm not sure I understand what I did, but the cupboard isn't crooked anymore, so I think I succeeded. 2y
julesG That's a win! 2y
43 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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underground_bks
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Pickpick

As a fan of Catherynne Valente‘s adult novella The Past Is Red, it was high time for me to check out her acclaimed middle grades fantasy series. If you love portal fantasies, where for instance 12-year-old girls are transported by magic into realms far stranger than our own, or book-reading dragons, evil marquesses, flying jaguars, mermaids, and a whole lot of Wonderlandian nonsense, this is the book for you!

ChasingOm I want the outfit! 😄 2y
underground_bks @ChasingOm hard same!!! 2y
36 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Reading and hydrating after my booster. I really thought I had read this one already and figured it would be a re-read when it came up in my son's homeschool curriculum, but I have no memory of this story so far. Which doesn't necessarily mean I didn't read it before, but it's as good as new-to-me so far!

Elizabeth2 Hoping you don‘t have too many side effects. My husband was boosted yesterday (Moderna) and so far his only symptom and been a very sore arm - more so than the other shots, and some mild fatigue. He‘s been a little tired today but nothing debilitating. 2y
ImperfectCJ @Elizabeth2 Thanks! My husband did well after his Moderna booster Sunday (chills overnight, sore arm, but almost totally better by Monday morning). After our Pfizer boosters a few hours ago, my arm is sore and kind of hot feeling, which is different from the first two, but my teen doesn't even have the sore arm. We'll see what the next 24 hours hold. 🤞 2y
Roary47 Hoping you are still doing okay. I was able to work the day after, but man during lunch I laid my head down. Hang in there and try to rest if you can. 2y
Clare-Dragonfly I was just thinking about rereading this book! 2y
ImperfectCJ @Roary47 Thank you! I had a rough night (not awful, but headache and chills made it hard to sleep), and I'm still feeling pretty crummy this morning. Luckily I planned it so I had a flexible day, so I'm in bed, Litsying and reading and napping. Tomorrow is busy, though, so I hope I'm back close to 100% by then. 2y
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TK-421
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“No #oak gnarled and orange with October is half as bright as the boughs that bent over September‘s head, dropping their hard, sweet acorns into her spinning spokes.” #QuotsySep21

DebinHawaii Beautiful! 🧡🤎💚 3y
35 likes2 comments
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mollyrotondo
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a fun middle grade read. It takes a lot from Alice‘s Adventure in Wonderland. It is pretty dark, has a very likable female lead character, has a fun cast, and an interesting “villain”. I enjoyed this one.

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AllisonM89
Pickpick

Listened to the audiobook this time and still absolutely adore this story. Valente is a magnificent storyteller

#bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
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Smarkies
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Pickpick

A surprisingly nuanced and lyrical fantasy middle grade book which is probably inspired a little by the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.
The audiobook is read by the author. Will definitely be reading the next book as this series shows alot of promise.

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AllisonM89
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Pickpick

I'm fairly certain Valente read Alice in Wonderland and went “Hey - I can do better than Wonderland! And I'll make it a fairy tale while I'm at it! Challenge accepted!“ I wish this book had come out when I was still a kid. I think I'd have been obsessed with it. I'm just finally just reading it while in my 30s.

I'm excited for the day when I can share this book with my girls. There is no higher praise.

#bookspin @thearomaofbooks

TheAromaofBooks I've had this one on my list forever!!! 3y
AllisonM89 @TheAromaofBooks move it up on the list!! 3y
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AllisonM89
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AllisonM89
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AllisonM89
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TO LOSE YOUR HEART

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AllisonM89
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Hearts weigh quite a lot.

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Lucy_Anywhere
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So #bookspinbingo this month was a disaster 🙈 the only book I crossed off was the tagged middle grade fantasy (which was a fab read!). I think I‘ve got to the point in the term when I‘m counting down the days until the holidays and reading fluff 🤪 @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks That's why I love monthly challenges - I need a fresh chance every few weeks! 😂 3y
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Lucy_Anywhere
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Pickpick

I finished my #bookspinbingo book for November! So this was a fab middle grade fantasy romp full of charm, humour, and a fiercely brave heroine you couldn‘t help but root for. 10 year old me would have loved this. 32 year old me loved it just as much - and very much appreciated the sly narration! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I've heard a lot of good things about this one! 3y
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Lucy_Anywhere
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My #bookspinbingo for this month 📚 the tagged book is my #bookspin while The Book of Koli is my #doublespin read. I‘m looking forward to all of these! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks great!! 3y
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Bookgoil
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I was tagged by @Lollymya and the host 😉

#thoughtprovokingthursday @BayouGirl85

From the book tagged or one in the series “A Library should not shush; it should roar!” -Catherynne M Valente

Much agreed!

@Pageturner1 @iread2much want to play?

Pageturner1 thanks for tag 3y
BayouGirl85 🙌🏼🙌🏼 3y
iread2much Ooo, that‘s a lovely quote. Although having worked in a library that did indeed roar, it‘s really hard to concentrate and get work done 😅 I would love to play, I will have to think about it some though 3y
24 likes3 comments
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bookishdawg
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Pickpick

I grew up reading the Oz series, and these books are the closest I‘ve ever read to recapturing that magic. The first book was my favorite, but I just love the way Valente writes ❤️ #doublespin

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! I've been meaning to read these forever!! 4y
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Susanita
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Fun book! I‘ll have to get around to reading the rest of the series one of these days. #strangetitle #biblioMAYnia

OriginalCyn620 Great title! 4y
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Deifio
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This is kind of scarlett, right? @rwmg

rwmg Close enough 👏🤩 4y
brilliantglow Absolutely love this series 4y
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thegreentealibrarian
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Reading pile! Also featuring my Wonder Woman journal and tablet, Tangelo.
#currentlyreading #femmefantale

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bookishness
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"I have to keep going always, and even when I get where I'm going, I'll have to keep on. That's living." -Catherynne Valente

- This is my first post on here! I'm new to Litsy but i already want to abandon other social media and come live here instead. Please treat me kindly as I settle in ?

(Illustration by Ana Juan)

#new #yanovel #quote #fairytale

effani Welcome to Litsy! 4y
Lreads Welcome to Litsy! ☺️📚 4y
TK-421 Welcome! 4y
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bookishness @effani Thank you ☺️ 4y
bookishness @QuietlyLaura Thank you Laura! 📚🙌🏽 4y
bookishness @TK-421 thanks so much! 4y
monalyisha Obsessed with this series! Welcome! 💖 4y
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BekaReid
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Pickpick

Imaginative. Beautiful writing. Totally enchanting story.

brilliantglow Oh I love this series so very much. It's a whimsical sort of fun. 4y
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laur89
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Pickpick

Liked it, didn‘t love it. Definitely not just a children‘s fairy tale story- there are some graphic deaths in this book! I enjoyed the references to other tales, and the creativity in the world-building of this. The narration was unique and contributed well to the storytelling aspect of this. Overall, a 4 ⭐️ read.

Also, I ended up owning 2 copies of this book. Would anyone like to trade for something off my TBR? ☺️

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laur89
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Playing with my new French Press this morning! As a coffee lover, I was tempted by the simplicity of the device and it‘s promise of the best tasting cup o‘ joe I‘d ever have. I finally caved in and got one. 🙈

Joining me this AM is September. I‘ve had so much fun tagging along on her adventure! I want my very own Wyverary like A-through-L. 🎃🐉

callielafleur The place I'm staying at has a French press, which I also used for the first time this AM! How did your coffee turn out? 5y
laur89 @callielafleur Delicious and strong! It‘s also a lot more fun to make my coffee in this as opposed to my Keurig. How was your brewing experience? ☕️🖤 (edited) 5y
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laur89
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Last day of teaching summer school means final exams! 📝

Taking full advantage of proctoring to start a new read, while enjoying a mixed berry & PB smoothie 📖🍓🥜🥤

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toofondofbooks
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I'm out of town and away from my shelves so I had to search through old photos for today's #redandblack prompt. This is the best I could do 😁 #colormepretty

37 likes1 stack add
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GatheringBooks
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#QuotsyJuly19 Day 15: #Key figures prominently in this fairyland series. The books grow on you, much like September.

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EmilyChristine
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Just started this but I‘m really enjoying it. I had plans for yardwork but it‘s so nice out I think I‘ll just read for a bit instead. 🌞🌳🌼

GrilledCheeseSamurai Fantastic series! 👍 5y
monalyisha LOVE this series so much! (We even used a passage from one of the books in our wedding ceremony!) 5y
Tamra Good choice! 5y
29 likes3 comments
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laur89
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@PagesByTheWater This literally made my day. 😂

So sweet of you to send this along to complete my #HappilyEverAfterSwap package! I love the style of the artwork on this bookmark. 😍

Please provide more details on this hilarious mishap ASAP. 👀

Chrissyreadit That is a beautiful bookmark 😍 5y
PagesByTheWater Yay! I‘m glad it got to you in one piece! Haha so I pack my swap boxes in the living room, and she was playing in there. She started taking the larger items out and I shooed her away and replaced them. While packing for another swap she decided to help me put things IN the box this time and started to put her toys in. And at some point she walked up with your bookmark! I have no idea where she had it this entire time! She‘s 15m and so silly 😜 (edited) 5y
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LibrarianRyan
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1. Done 2. Nope 3. Yes 4. No 5. 🍀🍀🍀. #hellothursday

wanderinglynn Thanks for playing! 🍀 (edited) 5y
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toofondofbooks
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gradcat What a title—fantastic!! ❤️ 5y
19 likes1 comment
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laur89
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So... I‘ve ended up with two copies of this book. 🙈

Anyone know the difference between these editions? So far, all I can tell is that the right one has an author interview and some bonus material, yet less pages than the left one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, does anyone want to #swap for the extra copy? 💌

kristincatastrophic My daughter and I loved, loved, loved that book! We have the copy on the right, never seen the other edition before. 5y
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Kerrioke
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The main character in this series is named September which is A) a pretty great month, if I say so myself (😆) and B) a good candidate for #UniqueCharacterNames. Pretty cute book, too 👍🏾

#LiteraryLuck @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

vkois88 This looks cute! 5y
Kerrioke It really was! I‘ve only read the first book in the series, but I will be continuing it once I trim my TBR down a bit 😅 5y
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mcipher
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@LibrarianRyan and I are hosting this #buddyread in March (after our #epicfail of an attempt in November...) Open to anyone interested in joining! 😊

jpmcwisemorgan Wait! I think I own this one. 5y
mcipher @jpmcwisemorgan Yay!! Join us - it is really good (even though I didn‘t finish it yet I did enjoy what I read) 5y
jmtrivera Ooh, yes, please! 5y
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Carolyn11215 One of my all time favorite books. I think I have one more to finish the series. 5y
jpmcwisemorgan I downloaded it to my phone. 5y
mcipher @jmtrivera Awesome! Glad to have you join us! 5y
mcipher @Carolyn11215 How many are in the series? Are they all good (that you read?) (edited) 5y
Carolyn11215 @mcipher there are 5 books in the series. I‘ve read 4 of them. Loved them all. Going to be sad when I‘m finished with the series! 5y
mcipher @Carolyn11215 That is always tough with a series you love. I‘m excited that if I like it there‘s more to look forward to, though! 5y
49 likes10 comments
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madamereadsalot1
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@LibrarianRyan & @mcipher are hosting a #buddyread and I've been meaning to read this one ever since my dad bought it for me over a year ago! No more excuses!

LibrarianRyan Yeahhhhh. 5y
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LibrarianRyan
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@mcipher and I were supposed to #buddyread this in November but we failed dismally. She was way better then I. But we decided to try it again this month. We thought some of you might like to join in and and beat us to the end.

To keep myself honest I‘ll be posting my thoughts and progress on the days listed.

MelissaSue81 Ooh! I might play.. but probably not follow the schedule. 5y
Kalalalatja Oh, I love this series ❤️ I‘m not sure I‘m joining, but I‘ll be interested in seeing what you guys think! 5y
litenthusiast This is on my TBR shelf! I might join in if I can keep up with the schedule. 5y
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madamereadsalot1 Oooooooo my dad bought me this book and I have yet to read it! Jumping in! 5y
mcipher Yay! Thanks for posting this! Excited to try again and NOT fail this time! 😆😆 5y
LibrarianRyan @litenthusiast if you can‘t keep up. That‘s okay. I‘m not sure we will either. But um gonna try. 5y
LibrarianRyan @MelissaSue81 I‘m not sure I‘ll actually follow the schedule, but I‘m going to try. 5y
LibrarianRyan @mcipher we can do this!!!🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe 5y
Craftylikefox Oh I have this on my pile waiting to be read! I might join in 😊 5y
Itchyfeetreader Oh this is on my to read list I might try and join in if the library has a copy 5y
mcipher @LibrarianRyan We can totally do it!! 🤩 5y
ShananigansReads This was an excellent book. I hope you enjoy it! 5y
AnneCecilie I‘ve wanted to read this for awhile. If I can get my hand on a copy I‘ll join. 5y
60 likes3 stack adds14 comments
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laur89
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This is the most adorable gift box!! 2 books I‘ve been *wishing* for, a (book)ful of truffles, and a literary coffee mug of the classics! I feel spoiled 🥰 Thank you so much!

#HappilyEverAfterSwap

PagesByTheWater I‘m so happy you like them!!! ❤️ Happy Reading! 5y
Chrissyreadit I love the book with truffles! It has been so much fun to see all these cute swaps! 5y
Whimsical.Curiosity What fun!!! Looks like such a fun swap! 5y
laur89 @Whimsical.Curiosity It was!! It was a fairytale retellings swap 😁😁 5y
Whimsical.Curiosity @laur89 that is so cool! 5y
28 likes5 comments