Tag: children’s

Witch Catcher

Witch CatcherWitch Catcher
Mary Downing Hahn

Witch Catcher by Mary Downing Hahn is the latest book I’ve read, right before NaNo started this month actually.  It was sitting over at Meiran’s apartment and I was waiting on her for something, perhaps for my turn on the sewing machine (I’ll have to post about that later), and picked it up.  The cover intrigued me and once I got started I didn’t want to put it down.  I ended up only getting about halfway through it, then had to wait a couple of days before I could return to Meiran’s apt. and sit and read the rest of it.

It’s a cute book and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but there were parts that left me feeling a little eh.  The story is great, I just think that some of the characters don’t come off as well as they could, perhaps just aren’t rounded out enough.  Granted that it is a young adult book, or perhaps even a level below that, I still feel the characters and the story could have been a little bit more complex.

I absolutely love that this story is based on a real object and what amounts to an old wives’ tale.  That is one of the most fascinating things for me, to see a story grow from some random object or encounter.  This author asked herself what story the witch catcher had, and from there the book grew.  That little blurb in the back was probably my favorite part.

If you’re up for a fun, quick read, I say go for it!


three-star

Some light reading…

The Frog Princess Dragon's Breath Once Upon a Curse No Place for MagicTales of the Frog Princess
E.D. Baker

I actually read these a while ago, but am just now getting around to posting about them in here.  I believe they’re considered young adult books, I’m not sure what the actual target age is for them.  They’re really good books though.  The author takes a fun twist to all the well known fairytales and such.  Things are thrown in there so subtley that sometimes you’re not sure if it’s from a fairytale you know or not.

The first book, The Frog Princess, introduces us to the main characters and builds the story from there. The other books continue that story with new plots and all the characters you’ve grown to love.  There are singing swords, dragons, fairies, witches, wizards (or warlocks – can’t remember which they call them), trolls, and all manner of mischief and adventure along the way.

Granted I’m well above the age range for these books, but I still enjoyed them immensely.  They’re good, fun, light reading that left me feeling good when I was finished  with them.  It wasn’t anything to take too seriously and I didn’t have to really work to understand the book, which is nice sometimes when you just want to escape.

Highly recommended for people of all ages!


four-star