House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle #3)

by Diana Wynne Jones

A chaotically magical sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy, but Great Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland and his house bends space and time. Its single door leads to any number of places - the bedrooms, the kitchen, the caves under the mountains, the past, to name but a few. By opening that door, Charmain is now also looking after an extremely magical stray dog, a muddled young apprentice wizard and a box of the king's most treasured documents, as well as irritating a clan of small blue creatures. Caught up in an intense royal search, she encounters an intimidating sorceress named Sophie. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind?
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

I accidentally read this series out of order, but it was still great and very understandable--in spite of my imposed order. Charmain was plucky and courageous and a great character. The story, while complex, was not difficult to follow. And the setting, both at Uncle William's house and in the royal palace, were easy to imagine, though I had to come to terms with their fictitious nature. A shame.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1)

by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author), Ana Juan (Illustrator)

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.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I'd actually stumbled across this book by accident after I heard the author talk at my local bookstore. She was equally down to Earth, bright, charming, and extremely intelligent. This series--the only one I've read of hers so far--reflects that perfectly. She's not afraid to use big words to challenge younger readers to broaden their vocabulary and it's also enjoyable to "adults" who may need a refresher too. A very fun and thrilling story.

The Good Fairies of New York

by Martin Millar, Neil Gaiman (Introduction)

Dinnie, an overweight enemy of humanity, was the worst violinist in New York, but was practicing gamely when two cute little fairies stumbled through his fourth-floor window and vomited on the carpet. . .

When a pair of fugitive Scottish thistle fairies end up transplanted to Manhattan by mistake, both the Big Apple and the Little People have a lot of adjusting to do. Heather and Morag just want to start the first radical fairy punk rock band, but first they’ll have make a match between two highly unlikely sweethearts, start a street brawl between rival gangs of Italian, Chinese, and African fairies, help the ghost of a dead rocker track down his lost guitar, reclaim a rare triple-bloomed Welsh poppy from a bag lady with delusions of grandeur, disrupt a local community performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and somehow manage to stay sober enough to save all of New York from an invasion of evil Cornish fairies.

If they can stop feuding with each other, that is.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I found this book on one of my stumblings through The Strand bookstore and snatched it up. I like a good fairy story--traditional or not--and this definitely falls into the not category. I had so much fun with this book and enjoyed it on so many levels.

Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)

by Holly Black

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms - a struggle that could very well mean her death.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Back to fantastical realms. Like the title says, this is a modern take on old fairy tales. It's a great combination of fairy, faerie, and faery elements from many different places in a modern setting. A great combination of fun and dark.