The Librarian Writer

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Author: Neil Gaiman Narrated by: Neil Gaiman Publisher: HarperAudio Publication Date: June 18, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0062263032 Listening copy via public library I've written before about my love for Neil Gaiman (and Doctor Who) and fans will not be disappointed by Neil's latest work. The Ocean at the End of the Lane has tropes familiar to both the author and the Doctor: a thing that is bigger in the inside, transformation of a harmless thing into a creature of terror, an offer to help that is spurned and will lead to the creature's ultimate demise. And while it is not a groundbreaking work, it is still a delightful mix of the eerie and the everyday. The unnamed protagonist remembers a time when he was seven years old and he meets a strange girl under strange circumstances who lives at the end of the lane. She has a pond on her farm that she calls an ocean, and the little boy almost believes her. Together, they ...

As I've mentioned before on the blog, I'm a Neil Gaiman fan . And you should be, too. So here's some free, cool stuff to get you started. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Neil Gaiman's award-winning Coraline , you can enjoy listening to the entire novel, one chapter at a time, as read Neil, Lemony Snicket, Adam Rex, Holly Black, and other famous authors. Coraline is the story of a young girl who moves into a ramshackle house and discovers a doorway to an alternate reality that's a little too perfect. There's a talking cat and a witch, but this ain't Narnia. If that's not enough awesome for you, Neil is offering a free download of his short story, " Click-Clack the Rattlebag ," as performed by Neil, on Audible.com. Plus, Audible will donate $1 for each free download to DonorsChoose.org if you dowload by October 31. And Neil also started All Hallow's Read , which is a new Halloween tradition where you give someone a scary b...

I finally made it to LACMA's Tim Burton exhibit , which was all the awesome that I was expecting. No one is allowed to take a camera into the exhibit, but people are permitted to take a photo of the entrance, which is suitably twisted. I am a huge Tim Burton fan, although I acknowledge that his work has been uneven ( Planet of the Apes , anyone?) . But in the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd share some Tim Burton love. First of all, Cakewrecks recently highlighted Tim Burton themed cakes that you just have to see to believe. Secondly, I stumbled upon the original version of The Nightmare Before Christmas poem, narrated by Christopher Lee, and here for you to enjoy: Finally, here's a sneak peek at Tim Burton's Dark Shadows , which releases next year. (Yes, I have ridiculously high expectations.) Bonus video : And because it's Halloween, I have to include Neil Gaiman's (why isn't Tim Burton directing The Graveyard Book ?) pitch for All Hal...

Two of my favorite things are making a convergence this weekend. Neil Gaiman has written the episode of Doctor Who that will air this Saturday, May 14th. To say I am excited is to understate the level of squee this fangirl is capable of. If you haven't seen Doctor Who since, oh, the 20th century, don't let preconceptions of bad special effects and cheesy aliens stop you from enjoying the reboot of the franchise that began in 2005. Christopher Eccleston starred as the Ninth Doctor, bringing a edginess to the role. David Tennant took over as the sexy Tenth Doctor from 2006-2010. Matt Smith, the goofiest doctor I've ever seen, now stars as the Eleventh Doctor. The BBC obviously upped the budget, but what made a new generation of viewers fans of the show is the remarkable storytelling. These stories are smart, funny, tragic, and scary, often at the same moment. Not every episode is an A+, but rarely is an episode anything less than a B. I highly suggest th...