Neil Gaiman - Diana Garcia
Gaiman, Neil - STARDUST (Spike/Avon Books Fantasy; HC - 2/99) (5)
The village of Wall takes its name from a wall located east of the village, and the only entrance to the meadow beyond is guarded by armed townsmen year round. The guards' duty is to prevent anyone, villagers or visitors, from entering. No exceptions are made other than once every nine years when the fair comes to town. It always arrives on May Day, and strange things can be found there because this is no ordinary fair—it is a Fairie Market fair that attracts visitors from as far away as London.
It is at the fair one year that Dunstan Thorn, a villager, meets a strangely beautiful slave girl. Enthralled by her, Dunstan returns that night to the meadow and makes love with the girl. Afterwards, he returns home with just a memory and a hint of mystery in his eyes. Later he marries his sweetheart and sets up housekeeping, and eventually the memory of the strange episode disappears. Dunstan is taken up with running his farm until one night in June the following year, when a baby boy in a wicker basket is pushed through the entrance in the wall. Pinned to his blanket is his name: Tristan Thorn.
STARDUST is Tristan's story. At the age of seventeen, he is infatuated with the local beauty, Victoria, and his heart's desire is a kiss from the girl. One evening he walks her home and together they witness a falling star. Victoria tells our hero, who is somewhat naive, that if he captures the star and brings it to her, she will grant him his heart's desire—whether he wants a kiss or even marriage. That night Tristan packs his bag, and with his father's help, he is allowed to pass through the wall. So begins his great adventure.
Once in Fairie land, Tristan meets some very unusual people. Unknowingly, he is in a race with a Lilim witch and three brothers, lords of Stormhold, to reach the star first. The witch is after the star for the rejuvenating powers it would give to her and her sisters. The Stormhold brothers are accompanied by four of their dead brothers (whom they murdered previously, thereby reducing the line of succession to their father's throne). Tristan is the first to reach the star, but to tell you anything else would spoil the remainder of the book. Suffice to say that the events mentioned above occur within the first few chapters and the rest of the book is even better!
STARDUST is a thrilling, fast-paced fantasy that keeps you turning pages long into the night. I had previously read NEVERWHERE by Mr. Gaiman and wondered if he could beat that book for sheer enjoyment. He has in STARDUST. I would recommend this book highly, whether you are a fantasy fan or you are just in the mood for something wonderfully different. Enjoy! ~Pat Cavender for Bookbug on the Web
Garcia, Diana - LOVE LESSONS (Encanto - 10/99) (3)
Susanna Diaz and Daniel Stephens are both single parents of eighth-grade girls—two girls who are not on the best of terms with each other. When a school project backfires after the two are teamed up, the parents are summoned to the principal's
office to sort out the mess and try to establish a harmonious relationship between the girls. But the problem is compounded by the fact that Susanna and Daniel don't get along either (on
their way to the school, they'd had an angry encounter over a near fender bender). What we have is the makings of a real fiasco, especially when the school principal happens to be Daniel's friend.
Time and patience eventually prove to be Susanna and Daniel's undoing. The girls patch up their differences and actually become bosom buddies; and since they now like each other so well, they set out to seal their relationship by attempting to become stepsisters. They need to get mom and dad to go along with the idea, of course, so a bit of matchmaking is in order. And their scheme might just work...if they can get rid of Daniel's current girlfriend from hell. A school-sponsored weekend trip in the wilderness is where Susanna and Daniel finally come to grips with their attraction for each other, but how can they act on their feelings with the entire eighth-grade class along as chaperones?
Diana Garcia's LOVE LESSONS, published under Pinnacle's new Encanto line (short contemporary romance printed in both Spanish and English), is a lighthearted venture into single parenting. The teenagers' attempts at matchmaking are cute and entertaining, and their parents' foray into the dating scene makes LOVE LESSONS a good choice when you want a quick, romantic read. ~Olivia Holton for Bookbug on the Web
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