Sequels

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, December 2008; written by Kelly Johnson.

Sequels are a popular thing, Hollywood certainly seems to be aware of this fact, and they have been around a long time. From J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Ring Trilogy to the latest Evanovich number novel, literature has it's share of sequels as well. I must be honest, I am very happy when a favored author brings out a new book with characters I know; a familiar setting, but a great new tale. There are many to choose from right now, which is great timing for those who get a bit of a break over the holidays.

Being a fantasy reader it is an especially rich time in the realm of words. For the folks who enjoy Laurell K Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series her latest book; Swallowing Darkness finds Meredith pregnant with twins, but still chin deep in court intrigue and dark plots. Swallowing Darkness is the seventh in the series, and this is one of those series that starting with number one is a pretty good idea. For those folks who read Ms. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, June 2009 is the publishing date for her next one.

Reading Hamilton is always an interesting way to spend a bit of time in the Faerie world, but if you prefer Manhattan with a twist, try "A Fable of Tonight" - this fairly new series follows John Justin Mallory, a private detective who has found himself in a world just a touch different than ours ever since an elf asked him to help him locate a Unicorn on New Years Eve ("Stalking the Unicorn", the first book in the series). Now he is "Stalking the Vampire" who seems to be draining his new partner. This is really a great series with odd characters, a fast paced story, and some very funny moments. For folks tired of the same old private eye thrillers, these books add some great new twists.

If you like your sequels graphic, graphic novels that is, there are some wonderful titles to check out at the Library. The Fables series has new titles in both the continuing Fables story and the new Jack of Fables series. "War and Pieces" is the newest Fables volume following the story of the Fables ongoing battle with the Empire in the Homelands. For those of you who don't read graphic novels, the Fables are literally characters from stories who currently live in New York after being exiled from their 'homelands' by an evil Emperor. These folks have learned to blend in, with some help from the witches and sorcerers from the '13th floor', and live relatively normal lives; for eternal storybook characters, of course. These are wonderful books, with "War and Pieces" being the 11th volume. The new Jack of Fables is the third in the series following Jack, who is the 'Jack' of many tales including Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Frost, and Jack the Giant Killer. Jack is actually a fortune seeking playboy who got tossed out of New York's fable community and now prowls the west coast looking for a new fortune. "The Bad Prince" is the latest of this series of books that are also bringing in new groups of characters from other stories making for very interesting tales. If you loved fairy tales and fables as a kid you may truly enjoy these grown up 'picture books' with adult story lines. No, these are not children's stories, the themes include adult relationships, war and other un-childlike themes.

As long as I am on the subject of sequels I would like to mention that the Ketchikan Public Library's Teen Advisory Group will also be having some sequels in 2009. T.A.G. will be hosting a new Art in the Afternoon on January 17th, a Double Feature Friday in March and RaWR II (Readings and Wild Recitations) in April. Keep your eyes open for these events as we get closer to the dates!

The Library will be having a 'Yarn Bee' on Sunday, December 28th featuring the Libraries newest craft books, a Board Game Afternoon on December 30th from 3 to 5, and will be closing at 4:00 on New Years Eve. The Library will be closed on New Years day, but we will be back to our regular hours on the 2nd. Happy Holidays to you and Good Reading!