The Stone Cage, a fantasy by Nicholas Stuart Gray

Title: The Stone Cage
Author and Illustrator: Nicholas Stuart Gray
Publication: Dennis Dobson, hardcover, 1963
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy

Description: Old Mother Gothel, an evil witch lives in a remote cottage with Marshall, her enchanted raven, and Tomlyn, an embittered cat who tells the story. The bird and cat have an uneasy relationship, tattling on each other to win the witch’s temporary favor, as both dislike and fear her.

My March 2024 Reading

This month’s best reads were all historical fiction: The Phoenix Crown, set around the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco; Daughter of Lir by Diana Norman, about an abbess in medieval Ireland; and Wheel of Fortune by C.F. Dunn, in which a 15th century orphan learns she is powerless against men who should be her protectors.

My November 2023 Reads

Although I sometimes think I have overdosed on World War II historical fiction, I am always fascinated by evacuation stories, and last month I listened to the audiobook of Beyond That, the Sea, in which a girl is sent from London during the Blitz to Massachusetts where I live. Although the heroine is eleven when the book begins, this is definitely a novel for adults. Not only was this my favorite book in October, I kept on thinking about it long after I had finished and I recommend it to you too.

A Wind From Nowhere by Nicholas Stuart Gray #WitchWeek2023

Title: A Wind From Nowhere
Author: Nicholas Stuart Gray
Publication: Faber & Faber, hardcover, 1978
Genre: Juvenile fantasy/short stories

My Impression: I have been a big fan of Gray’s fantasy since I found The Apple Stone in the local children’s library when I was ten, but obtaining affordable copies of his books can be challenging.

June 2021 Reads

What did you read in June?  My reading was quite varied:

Mystery/Suspense

* While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams – a legal thriller set at the Supreme Court by the brilliant voting rights activist – my review

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey – psychological suspense about a barrister in this new standalone from one of my favorite mystery writers.  This present for my sister arrived from the UK after her birthday so I decided to read it first.

Six Degrees of Separation - from The Bass Rock to The Rose Garden

It’s June and time for #6degrees, inspired by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. We all start at the same place, add six books, and see where we end up. This month’s starting point is The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld, winner of Australia’s Stella Prize. This is a historical novel set in 18th-century Scotland about darkness, violence, and madness. Which is right up my alley – sometimes, so I have it on reserve at the library.  Due to a New York Times book review, it is getting more attention than I expected, and what a cool cover!

The Apple Stone, a fantasy by Nicholas Stuart Gray

Title: The Apple Stone
Author: Nicholas Stuart Gray
Illustrator: Charles Keeping
Publication: Meredith Press, hardcover, 1969 (originally published 1965)
Genre: Juvenile fantasy
Setting: Great Britain, 20th century

Description: It was an odd-looking apple – dull yellow and crinkled all over with age – but it had a nice smell. And, as they soon learned, that’s not all it had.

My Year in Books - 2020

Inspired by Margaret at Books Please, I used titles from some of the books I have read this year to complete the following sentences. The links take you to my reviews.

My Year in Books 2020

In high school I was: Fifteen       

People might be surprised by: Fighting Words

Down in the Cellar by Nicholas Stuart Gray - children's fiction with elements of fantasy and suspense

Title: Down in the Cellar
Author: Nicholas Stuart Gray
Illustrator: Edward Ardizzone
Publication: Hardcover, Dennis Dobson, 1961
Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Plot: The Jefferson children - Bruce, Julia, Andrew, and Deirdre – are staying with their uncle, the quiet Rector of Farthingale, for three weeks while their parents are in New Zealand. They happily explore the house and the village but it is when they discover a forgotten cellar in the rectory that complications arise.