The Wolves in the Walls

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Lucy hears sneaking, creeping,
crumpling noises
coming from inside
the walls.

She is sure there are
wolves living in
the walls
of her house.

(Retrieved from goodreads.com)

I stumbled across this gem in my grad school library of all places and read it about three times over the course of an hour. Lets just say I wish I had been as much of a bad-ass as Lucy when I was her age.
Fantastic illustrations. They go with the story perfectly.

Let the Right One In

by John Ajvide Lindqvist

It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night....

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

So my flight had been delayed by about 4 hours and I tried desperately not to loose my mind. I felt like getting violent when all of a sudden... I spotted this book in the Waterstones bookshop in Heathrow Terminal 4. I figured it would be safer and legal-er for a [hopefully] fictional character to kill people instead of me resorting to such things. I loved the two main characters and the dark new take on vampires. This is the perfect example of fiction featuring young protagonists that was definitely not intended for the young. Absolutely captivating, regardless of the fact that I was trapped in Heathrow forever.

Fire and Hemlock

by Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix (introduction)

Polly has two sets of memories...

One is normal: school, home, friends. The other, stranger memories begin nine years ago, when she was ten and gate-crashed an odd funeral in the mansion near her grandmother's house. Polly's just beginning to recall the sometimes marvelous, sometimes frightening adventures she embarked on with Tom Lynn after that. And then she did something terrible, and everything changed.

But what did she do? Why can't she remember? Polly must uncover the secret, or her true love -- and perhaps Polly herself -- will be lost.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Easily one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. This was a great modern take on the old Scottish ballad Tam Lin. Instead of a book from two different perspectives, this is a book where a character has two sets of memories. It's important to keep them straight. Otherwise you can just sit back (or hover on the edge of your seat like I did) and enjoy the ride. Wonderful wonderful tale.

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.

The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi in Italian, is Italy’s largest and most famous Baroque fountain, standing 85 feet high and 65 feet across. Baroque art, a popular European art form between 1600 and 1750, is characterized by highly ornate and decorative art and architecture. The fountain can be found in Rome's Piazza di Trevi in the Quirinale district, easily reached by bus or Metro.

History

The Trevi Fountain was built in the 15th century to mark the ending destination of the Aqua Virgo, the manmade channel erected in 19 B.C. that brought fresh water to Roman bathhouses. The water comes from Salone Springs, eight miles outside of the city, but the length of the aqueduct is about 14 miles.

Origins

Pope Urban VIII consulted Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a prominent Italian sculptor and architect, in 1629 to suggest ways to embellish the underwhelming Trevi Fountain that was commissioned in 1453 by Pope Nicholas V. Although Pope Urban died before his aspirations to improve the fountain could be realized, some of Bernini’s sketches survived and made the final design.

Design

The scene depicted on Trevi Fountain tells the story of how the fountain was named. "It was a virgin shepherdess who showed the spring to soldiers seeking water,” according a 16th-century author quoted on the website Garden Fountains.

Water flows from the mouth of the dominating figure--Neptune, god of the sea--standing atop a shell-shaped chariot drawn by two sea horses and two gods. The horses represent the changing mood of the sea. The larger statue on the left is a representation of the goddess Abundance, above whom is a bas-relief depiction of Agrippa, the son-in-law of the 19 B.C. emporer, approving the plans for construction of the aqueduct. On the right is the god Salubrity, topped by a representation of the virgin directing soldiers toward the water.

Legend

Tossing a coin into Trevi Fountain, according to legend, will guarantee a return trip to Rome. The fountain is swept daily, and the money is donated to Caritas, an Italian charity. In 2006, BBC News reported that an estimated 3,000 euros was collected each night.

*Personal note: I threw a coin in the fountain in 2007 and haven't been able to make it back since, despite 3 more transatlantic flights. I guess the myth isn't busted until I'm dead if I don't return, but this is me registering my skepticism. Just a bit.

-Retrieved from USA Today Travel Tips