Stardust

I literally didn't even know this was a movie but after reading it I HAVE to watch the movie now. Where was I and how did I not know this was a thing?! A perfectly charming, unique, and wonderful fantasy about a boy who vows to bring back a fallen star to prove his love to a village girl. To get to the star he must cross over the fairy wall and enter a new realm - one where everything is different and nothing is what it seems. It reminded me of The Princess Bride and The Hobbit. Super cute and adorable; I loved all the characters and the storyline was superb!

Snow, Glass, Apples

A really dark, twisted, and satisfying twist on the old Snow White tale told in gorgeous graphic novel illustrations and written by the insanely talented Neil Gaiman. It honestly sells itself. I can't get over how beautiful it was, very art deco and intricate; the illustrations jump right off the page. Told from the "evil" Queen's perspective, this reversal of storytelling leads to some very surprising twists and finds readers definitely siding with the Queen. I will say there is a lot of nudity and sexual content so this is for mature teens and up; I personally didn't mind it, but I can see a parent's head exploding if they caught their 6th grader reading it. I hope Neil Gaiman does more fairy tale spin offs like this one; I really really liked it!

The Graveyard Book

Honestly, I can't imagine "reading" this when Neil Gaiman such does a brilliant job "narrating" it. It was freaking brilliant. His accent, the care to differentiate his character's voice, and his cadence, made this a true treat to listen to. The Graveyard Book opens with a gruesome family murder and a small baby boy who miraculously escapes to a graveyard. When the killer tracks the baby to the neighboring graveyard the residents (aka ghosts) band together to protect the baby boy and vow to raise him in the safety of the graveyard. Unsure of what his name is they decide to call him Nobody, or Bod for short. Bod has an unusual childhood, never being allowed to leave the gates of the cemetery his lessons include opening and closing ghoul gates, disappearing, and haunting. As he gets older though he longs to be around other breathing humans. A perfect and not too scary book for middle grade readers that is equal parts funny and spooky. Very endearing :)

Likely Stories

I haven't been in love with all the Neil Gaiman graphic novels and this latest is no exception. The stories just aren't that riveting or exceptional. Likely Stories contains four short graphic stories; one on venereal disease, one on a weird raw meat eating neighbor, another on the world's most attractive nude model, and the last on a haunted playhouse. What connects the four stories; is a small out of the way after hours club, where stories are exchanged and people go to be seen or go to hide out. The illustrations are great and the stories themselves are OK, they're just not great. Only read if you're a real die hard Gaiman fan or have some time to kill.

A Study in Emerald

The illustrations were wonderful, but the plot was a little bizarre, even for me. It's a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Cthulhu, complete with a gruesome murder mystery. A detective, too smart for his own good, makes his new roommate tag along to help solve a horrifying murder that has even left the police shaking their heads. Tinged with elements of the supernatural, and smart witticisms; this graphic novel is recommended for die-hard Gaiman fans only. 

American Gods

Though it's size may be intimidating, this book was even better the second time I read it. Honestly, I liked it the first time I read it six years ago, but this time I really LOVED it! I kept seeing all the new trailers for the Starz TV adaptation and I knew that I had to re-read this before I saw it. The concept of this book is just insanely bad-ass. What happened to all the old gods that immigrants brought to America for thousands of years? They brought their beliefs, religions, and gods and slowly they stopped believing; trapping their old gods here. They're slowly dying out with no one to believe in them and they have a new enemy, the new american gods; greed, media, technology, etc. Shadow (a human) gets enlisted to help Mr. Wednesday as an errand boy and finds out more then he ever bargained for. He will help the old gods prepare to standoff against the new gods. Wonderful, witty, clever, and fucking brilliant. I love this book so much. I hope the show does it justice!

The Sandman:Volume One Nocturnes and Preludes

I've seen this graphic novel floating around for ages but for some reason I've never picked it up. I'm glad I finally ended that dumb streak because The Sandman is Neil Gaiman at his finest. It's dark, witty, creative, and terribly smart; an all around slam dunk for a comic series. The Sandman is the ruler of the realm of dreams and finds himself continually caught up in human drama. A great introduction to the series, fantastic worldbuilding, concepts, and dialogue. I can't wait to read more!

How to talk to Girls at Parties

I'm not sure what I think of this graphic novel but I think I like it. It's classic Neil Gaiman with weird twists, lyrical pose, and a plot that you never know where it will take you. Two teenage boys head to a party in South London to meet some girls. One is a cocky, confident, young man who can have any girl in the room, and the other is a shy, awkward boy who doesn't really know how to talk to girls. His friend ditches him at the party almost immediately so he tries his hand at talking to three different girls, each one odder than the next. He can't really understand what gibberish they're saying, but they sure are pretty to look at it. A quick read by a master of modern day fantasy and horror. Not bad, not great, but worth a read since it will be in theaters next year!

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances

I ate this book up. I had forgotten how much I loved short story collection, this filled a whole in my soul. I've always been a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and reading this collection just re-affirmed my belief that he is one of the greatest authors of the twenty-first century (and an avid supporter of libraries!). It's dark, poetic, mythical, lyrical, and refreshing. Each story and poem packs a punch that gets you to think and expand the boundaries of your mind. None of these writings are new per se, but it's the first time they've been collected in a short story collection. There's something for everyone, a Doctor Who story, a tribute to Sherlock Holmes, William Blake, and Ray Bradbury, fairy tales retold, legends expanded, and light shined on dark places. It's a fantastic collection and a must read/buy for any Gaiman fan. It's also a great introduction for the non-enlightened and sure to make them instant Gaiman converts. I can't express how much I loved this collection. It's a book I know I'll come back to again and again.

Hansel & Gretel

I think I was expecting a little MORE, but then again, this is a kid's book. Pages alternate between spine tingly black and white illustrations and Neil Gaiman's version of Hansel and Gretel. He doesn't add any new twists or tricks to the story, it's the classic Grimm version we all grew up with. That being said it's still a great read for children who are interested in folk tales. This isn't necessarily anything to write home about, the illustrations are good, the story is good, but it's nothing new or exciting. In the back of the book there is a brief blurb on the oral and written history of Hansel and Gretel with a little bibliography. Alright, but not amazing.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains

LOVED this. As always Gaiman brilliantly brings to life an old tale, "a tale of travel and darkness with pictures of all kinds." It's a quick read and you will have it done within an hour, but the story will stick with you. It's mesmerizing and powerful in its simplicity and raw emotion. It's hard to summarize this book without giving too much away. Just know that the haunting illustrations and great story-line are worth an hour of your life. Gaiman is a master of the dark otherworlds; this story of vengeance, adventure, and shadow is no exception.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

This is one of those books that I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading. All the hype was spot on. This book is fabulous! Neil Gaiman is one of those rare genre-defying authors that can suck anybody in and this book is no exception. Part fantasy part literary part fairy tale, this book will easily please any reader.

The story follows a man who recounts a part of his childhood that he has forgotten entirely. Told through the eyes of a seven year old it is almost too wild to be believed. Filled with brutally honest insights that most children have, the recollection of this forgotten and fanciful childhood is teeming with truthful, naive, and confused emotions. The result is a masterpiece. I honestly couldn't get enough of this book. Just another shining example of why Neil Gaiman is such a dynamic author!

Neverwhere

This was definitely not my favorite Neil Gaiman book. There was a lot of plodding around and not enough character development.

This "fanciful adventure" (not a mystery Molly, not at all!) takes place in London Below. London Below is lurking beneath the streets of London, it's a magical place full of dark lurking tunnels, rat-speakers, moving markets, and interesting underground creatures. Perfectly normal Richard Mayhew (from London Above) finds a young girl hurt in the street, ignoring his fiance's wishes he takes the girl home and helps her. Little does he realize his life is about to turn upside down. Within 24 hours he loses his job, his fiance, his apartment, and ultimately his life. He ceases to exist in London Above and must try to survive in London Below. He goes on a mission with the young girl he rescued, Door (you read that right, that's really her name), the Marqui des Caraba, and a woman named Hunter. Together they try to piece together why Door's family was killed and how to get Richard back home.

Overall, the writing style is nice, Gaiman is always ludicrously descriptive and it's fun to get caught up in his imagination but the overall plot did nothing to steal my attention. It's a merely ho-hum story, not Gaiman's strongest effort.