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7th out of 35 books
—
18 voters
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron (The Dresden Files #2.5)
by
Jonathan Strahan (Goodreads Author) ,
Diana Peterfreund (Goodreads Author) , Frances Hardinge , Garth Nix (Goodreads Author) , Holly Black (Goodreads Author) , Charles de Lint , Tanith Lee , Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)
,
more…
Broomsticks.
Black Cats.
Pointy Hats.
Black Cats.
Pointy Hats.
They can mean only one thing - somewhere nearby, there must be a witch. From fairy tales to fims to fiction, witches cast their spells and capture our imaginations.
Now the biggest names in fantasy and young adult literature have come together to make a little magic of their own. Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan,
...moreHardcover, 424 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by Random House Books for Young Readers
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I really loved almost all of the eighteen stories in this anthology, which is very unusual. But first, this copy has thirty plus pages from toward the beginning at toward the ending, so I didn’t get the beginning of Jane Yolen’s story “Andersen’s Witch” or the end of Isabelle Carmody’s story “The Stone Witch.” Bummer! I've asked SFBC where I bought the book to replace it, we'll see...
*“Andersen’s Witch” seems to be how Hans Christian Andersen came to be such a prominent storyteller. (Since Yolen...more
*“Andersen’s Witch” seems to be how Hans Christian Andersen came to be such a prominent storyteller. (Since Yolen...more
I’ve undergone a transformation. For most of my life I thought of short stories as the second-class citizens of the reading world. Why read a short story anthology when you could pick a thick book that would keep you reading the same story for hours? I wanted epic stories, the longer the better.
Things have changed since those days. I don’t have hours-long blocks of time to spend immersed in a book (unless I want to stay awake all night and then deal with a reading hangover at work the next day)....more
Things have changed since those days. I don’t have hours-long blocks of time to spend immersed in a book (unless I want to stay awake all night and then deal with a reading hangover at work the next day)....more
Okay, I'm cheating a bit here. I didn't read the whole book. I only got my hands on this book for the Jim Butcher short story, B is for Bigfoot. So my review was solely based on JB's story and it alone.
Interestingly, I had previously read a short story about Bigfoot and his son Irwin in another anthology (the name escapes me at the moment). So I wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Bigfoot. What I found surprising was that this story was about the first time that Dresden met Bigfoot!! So did I read t...more
Interestingly, I had previously read a short story about Bigfoot and his son Irwin in another anthology (the name escapes me at the moment). So I wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Bigfoot. What I found surprising was that this story was about the first time that Dresden met Bigfoot!! So did I read t...more
This is a smart, stylish collection of witch stories all based around the starting point of a tall black pointy witch hat. The hat may be real, metaphorical, allusive, and the witch - well, might be anything.
I really enjoyed this. It's a collection of some stunning names and I was excited to see Peter S. Beagle and Frances Hardinge in the mix alongside Holly Black. Garth Nix and Neil Gaiman.
The joy of a short story collection is that you can flip back and forth in it and wholly skip stories th...more
I really enjoyed this. It's a collection of some stunning names and I was excited to see Peter S. Beagle and Frances Hardinge in the mix alongside Holly Black. Garth Nix and Neil Gaiman.
The joy of a short story collection is that you can flip back and forth in it and wholly skip stories th...more
I discovered this book via the Forever Young Adult blog, and it sounded too good to pass up. Of course, in order to get it in time to read before Halloween, I had to bite the bullet and actually buy the digital version (which is rare for me).
I'm really glad I took the gamble. These short stories are woven together nicely. They are all very different kinds of tales coming from a variety of authors, but each had the central theme of witches in them, so I was able to go from one story to the next w...more
I'm really glad I took the gamble. These short stories are woven together nicely. They are all very different kinds of tales coming from a variety of authors, but each had the central theme of witches in them, so I was able to go from one story to the next w...more
Read:
Introduction: Looking under the hat, Jonathan Strahan. I was very pleased with his introduction, it had facts, but also the familiar feel of the author. (4 stars)
Stray Magic, Diana Peterfreund. I've never read or heard from her before picking up this book, so I didn't know what to expect. I still can't decide if I like her style of writing, it's not terrible, but is just kind of plain. It's a cute story that involves a dog and her magical master. (3 stars)
Little Gods, Holly Black. This shor...more
Introduction: Looking under the hat, Jonathan Strahan. I was very pleased with his introduction, it had facts, but also the familiar feel of the author. (4 stars)
Stray Magic, Diana Peterfreund. I've never read or heard from her before picking up this book, so I didn't know what to expect. I still can't decide if I like her style of writing, it's not terrible, but is just kind of plain. It's a cute story that involves a dog and her magical master. (3 stars)
Little Gods, Holly Black. This shor...more
For anyone who is a lover of the world of witchcraft, and admires those little darlings who wear the black, pointed hats and have that feline as their familiar - these are the tales for you! A ton of beloved novelists from the fantasy realm have come together, each offering their own story about the witch-‘y’ women we have come to love.
As we all know, just like the dove is the symbol for peace and the red, white and blue is all about America, the witch has her own symbols. But what is most inter...more
Tanith Lee, Holly Black, Charles de Lint, Jane Yolen, Delia Sherman, Jim Butcher, Ellen Kushner, Patricia A.McKillips, Peter S.Beagle, Neil Gaiman. Sounds a bit like a Hall of Fame for current urban and high fantasy, but this is just about half the writers this fun and interesting collection features.
Under that Hat, is about the people under the legendary pointed hat. Not a hat that current witches prefer to be associated with,but one that any fan of the Oz movie knows and loves.The editor set o...more
Under that Hat, is about the people under the legendary pointed hat. Not a hat that current witches prefer to be associated with,but one that any fan of the Oz movie knows and loves.The editor set o...more
A superstar line-up of authors, headlined (in my opinion anyway) by Garth Nix (and Neil Gaiman and Holly Black to a lesser extent) had me wanting this book from the first time I laid eyes on it. Last time I read an anthology like this from a lot of the same authors (Zombies vs Unicorns), I went in expecting nothing and was completely dazzled. Sadly not quite the same this time. While some stories were absolutely brilliant and basically had me begging for a full-length novel, or even a series, so...more
It's so hard to review a book of so many stories. Some of them were meh and some I desperately turned pages wanting more (especially the Margo Lanahan). I would like to say for the record that a 2 page poem does not equal a short story, thank you very much Mr. Gaiman! The best part of this book was being introduced to some new authors I want to try and thinking about the myriad of ways witches are thought of and treated in our society. I would have liked some witch tales from other cultures (out...more
There wasn´t a story I didn´t like in this book. Some were good, some were less good, some were great, none was bad. This was really a good fantasy compilation. A witch/ wizard stories only anthology.
And yes, it´s a fantasy book. I only put it on my "books for kids"-shelf because most of the stories were suitable for bedtime stories (you´ll agree with me when you compare the book to the stuff kids watch on tv these days.(I certainly know what my nephew does....)). None of the stuff ( well, MAYBE...more
And yes, it´s a fantasy book. I only put it on my "books for kids"-shelf because most of the stories were suitable for bedtime stories (you´ll agree with me when you compare the book to the stuff kids watch on tv these days.(I certainly know what my nephew does....)). None of the stuff ( well, MAYBE...more
From the moment I saw Under My Hat at a blogger event earlier this year I knew it was a book I had to read. With a mix of authors that we know and love like Holly Black (Little Gods), Garth Nix (A Handful of Ashes), and Neil Gaiman (Witch Work) and to me, some not well know authors.
One of the best things about books from Hot key books, is that they have their own special ring, the Hot Key Ring, on the back of each book. The ring lets you, the reader, know what to expect from each book. Under My...more
One of the best things about books from Hot key books, is that they have their own special ring, the Hot Key Ring, on the back of each book. The ring lets you, the reader, know what to expect from each book. Under My...more
Standout stories: Tanith Lee's Felidis, Charles de Lint's Barrio Girls, Ellen Kushner's Threefold World, and most surprisingly for me, Jim Butcher's B is for Bigfoot.
Honourable mention: Garth Nix's A Handful of Ashes, for turning me around even when I saw it was set in a made-up world and groaned.
Worst story: Holly Black's Little Gods. I got about three pages into her book White Cat and had the exact same reaction there as I did here - this is a story for American teenagers and no-one else.
Not i...more
Honourable mention: Garth Nix's A Handful of Ashes, for turning me around even when I saw it was set in a made-up world and groaned.
Worst story: Holly Black's Little Gods. I got about three pages into her book White Cat and had the exact same reaction there as I did here - this is a story for American teenagers and no-one else.
Not i...more
An anthology of eighteen short stories revolving around a theme of witches and magic.
Series:
"B is for Bigfoot", (Bigfoot Trilogy, 3 published); (Bigfoot, 1 chronological), & Dresden Files: Short Stories, 15
The Stories
Diana Peterfreund's "Stray Magic" is so sweet! Peterfreund created a lovely story that really pulled my heartstrings with a seemingly abandoned dog who desperately wants his master back.
Frances Hardinge's "Payment Due" is wicked good! Even short stories can suffer in this econo...more
Series:
"B is for Bigfoot", (Bigfoot Trilogy, 3 published); (Bigfoot, 1 chronological), & Dresden Files: Short Stories, 15
The Stories
Diana Peterfreund's "Stray Magic" is so sweet! Peterfreund created a lovely story that really pulled my heartstrings with a seemingly abandoned dog who desperately wants his master back.
Frances Hardinge's "Payment Due" is wicked good! Even short stories can suffer in this econo...more
Another fun short story in the Dresden Files universe (B is for Bigfoot is the only story of the collection I read). An interesting story that almost wasn't magical, could have been told entirely without magic. It was really a story about bullies, and there's nothing magical about them.
I particularly liked this line, describing Harry's family experience:
"I'd never known my mother, and my father died before I started going to school. I knew what it was like to have holes in my life in the shape o...more
I particularly liked this line, describing Harry's family experience:
"I'd never known my mother, and my father died before I started going to school. I knew what it was like to have holes in my life in the shape o...more
Strathan wanted to edit a book his 9 year-old daughter could read, and, while my 9 year-old would still find this scary, the book is clearly readable for middle schoolers. However, adults can enjoy it as well, and I certainly did. To me, the strongest story was Garth Nix's A Handful of Ashes, followed by Jim Butcher's lighthearted B is for Bigfoot. I enjoyed all the stories, though, and if you want to read a pleasant not too sexy or violent collection of short stories with the very, very general...more
Let me start by saying that I was disappointed with Neil Gaiman’s offering for this collection. (I know, what’s wrong with me?!) Not so much the quality of it but the fact that it’s only 2 pages, making it by far the shortest in the book. If I had checked this before buying the book it might have made me hesitate but I really would have missed out because so many of the others more than make up for it.
You have 18 separate tales; except two which didn’t work for me I enjoyed them all. Diana Peter...more
You have 18 separate tales; except two which didn’t work for me I enjoyed them all. Diana Peter...more
A stellar cast of acclaimed fantasy writers weave spellbinding tales that bring the world of witches to life. Authors including Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix and Holly Black delve into the realms of magic to explore all things witchy... From familiars that talk, to covens that offer dark secrets to explore, these are tales to tickle the hair on the back of your neck and send shivers down your spine.
there wasnt a story in this anthology that i didnt like and several that i wanted to hug and read more :)
there wasnt a story in this anthology that i didnt like and several that i wanted to hug and read more :)
Dec 23, 2012
Shannon Kitchens
is currently reading it
Mini-reviews for all the stories.
Diana Peterfreund - "Stray Magic" - 3 stars
This is a strange story about a canine familiar. I enjoyed how Peterfreund handled the internal narration and telepathy, but the story didn't wow me.
Frances Hardinge - "Payment Due" - 4 stars
Another strange story that's surprisingly excellent and bizarre. Witchy repo men and body swapping with lovely prose.
Diana Peterfreund - "Stray Magic" - 3 stars
This is a strange story about a canine familiar. I enjoyed how Peterfreund handled the internal narration and telepathy, but the story didn't wow me.
Frances Hardinge - "Payment Due" - 4 stars
Another strange story that's surprisingly excellent and bizarre. Witchy repo men and body swapping with lovely prose.
Short stories and 1 poem with witches as the central theme. Many are well written and perfect or the middle grade crowd- creepy but not too scary or gory. One or two in the collection were right on the edge of my comfort zone for the junior fiction reader,so parents may want to read and decide for themselves before handing over to their tweens.
A varied, beautiful collection of stories which explore different cultures, different worlds and offer insight into our own. I was swept away to new worlds and easy story was the right length, keeping me engrossed in my lunch hour and in another place for half-an-hour or so. I've found new authors, revisited ones I loved and been swept away by a wonderful number of stories.
Big love to one of my best friends, Cassie, for getting me this for Christmas: I've not found so much enjoyment and magic f...more
Big love to one of my best friends, Cassie, for getting me this for Christmas: I've not found so much enjoyment and magic f...more
Really excellent collection of stories with witches at their center. Once again, the Jim Butcher contribution was worth the price of the book. The rest of the stories were pretty awesome too. There were several with characters that I'd read whole books about. This is marketed for YAs, but it's very adult friendly.
Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
Under My Hat
OR
Witch Is the New Vampire
Well, it seems like everyone's shifting their fascination from vampires to witches. Mind you, this is a fantastic collection, with lots of good stories. Definitely written for teens and tweens, though, lots of young protagonists.
OR
Witch Is the New Vampire
Well, it seems like everyone's shifting their fascination from vampires to witches. Mind you, this is a fantastic collection, with lots of good stories. Definitely written for teens and tweens, though, lots of young protagonists.
How well you like this book will largely depend on the type of literature you read. By no means is this for epic fantasy hardcore readers, but if you enjoyed Harry Potter, you might enjoy this collection of witch stories. Some of them are significantly better than others, some are plain weird, but I don't think any of them were straight-up bad.
I just finished reading Under my Hat. It was OK; I enjoyed some of the stories and didn’t bother to finish others. Pretty uneven collection from my perspective.
I originally sought out this collection for the Jim Butcher Dresden story “B is for Bigfoot” (which I really enjoyed) and was pleased to find a few other authors I like in the table of contents: Charles de Lint, Tanith Lee, and Neil Gaiman.
“Barrio Girls” by Charles de Lint was interesting; “Felidis” by Tanith Lee was fun; but the Neil Gai...more
I originally sought out this collection for the Jim Butcher Dresden story “B is for Bigfoot” (which I really enjoyed) and was pleased to find a few other authors I like in the table of contents: Charles de Lint, Tanith Lee, and Neil Gaiman.
“Barrio Girls” by Charles de Lint was interesting; “Felidis” by Tanith Lee was fun; but the Neil Gai...more
It's all about the witch. This is an excellent collection of short stories from some of the best YA fantasy authors in the world.
Best decision ever to end with Margo Lanagan's bewildering intense tale. It will stay with me for a while.
Highly recommended.
Best decision ever to end with Margo Lanagan's bewildering intense tale. It will stay with me for a while.
Highly recommended.
As with most short story collections, some of the stories were great, some were okay and others were skippable. I would have preferred a story from Neil Gaiman rather than a poem, but oh well! Education of a Witch was by far my favorite of the bunch. Overall the collection was enjoyable.
So, one of these stories begins "Liesl, that grinch, stole my G string."
o_O
It turned out to be about musicians. It would have been much more original, if less appropriate for the audience, if it had been about magical strippers.
o_O
It turned out to be about musicians. It would have been much more original, if less appropriate for the audience, if it had been about magical strippers.
The 5 stars is for the Dresden story in there. I liked it a lot. It was short, but I have no real complaints, as the story was still told completely. Of course, I loves me some Dresden Files, so I am a little bias. :-)
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“Here's the thing. I hate kids. Always have.
I mean, I know the job of the race, biologically speaking, is to achieve immortality through reproduction, but the idea of getting impregnated and blowing up like a balloon as I serve as a carrier and service unit for this other person who will eventually burst out of me in the most terrifying way imaginable, then carry on using me one way or another for the rest of my life, is right up there with throwing myself off the top of a twenty-story building. If I have a biological clock, it is digital and does not tick.”
—
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I mean, I know the job of the race, biologically speaking, is to achieve immortality through reproduction, but the idea of getting impregnated and blowing up like a balloon as I serve as a carrier and service unit for this other person who will eventually burst out of me in the most terrifying way imaginable, then carry on using me one way or another for the rest of my life, is right up there with throwing myself off the top of a twenty-story building. If I have a biological clock, it is digital and does not tick.”
Dec 23, 2012 01:40pm