The Craftsman by Richard Sennett (Yale University Press) I loved this book! It is a philosophical and historical examination of craftsmanship: the idea of doing good work for its own sake. He makes a good case for the importance of caring about what you are doing for your own sake. If you don't care enough about what you are doing to do it well, than maybe you shouldn't be doing it at all. If you think about the people you know, you soon notice that some people seem able to become involved in everything they do instead of just going through the motions. This fits with the ideas Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (try spelling that name without looking!) discusses in Finding Flow (Perseus). If this doesn't sound like an enthralling topic, you may be surprised. Craftsmanship lies at the heart of so much of our lives from parenting to computer-programming, plumbing to painting. I recommend this book (actually, both of these books) to anyone who has creative tendencies, even if those tendencies lie in areas not usually thought of as "artistic."

East by Edith Pattou (Harcourt) is now available in paperback so there is no excuse for not running out and buying it. East blossoms into a rich quest fantasy from the seed of the classic fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. A brave and adventurous girl agrees to go away with a huge white bear so that her family may flourish. She breaks her promise to the bear one night when her curiousity gets the better of her and lights a candle to see who it is that sleeps with her every night. Wax drips on the young man's shirt, staining it, and he is whisked away by a troll queen. Now the girl must rescue him from the castle which lies "East of the Sun, West of the Moon."

Spinning Straw Into Gold What Fairy Tales Reveal About the Transformations in a Woman's Life by Joan Gould (Random House) is a lucid, unsentimental, and extremely enjoyable examination of how the best known fairy tales (in all their incarnations) mirror women's lives. She also examines how Disney in particular turned the stories on their heads by changing them from stories of transformation of a girl to a woman into stories of powerless little girls being rescued by men. While that description may sound bitter, the book is not, by any means, a diatribe. It is a fun and fascinating read. Gould seems like someone it would be fun to know.

The Book of Flying by Keith Miller (Penguin)This is an extraordinary fairytale about a young man named Pico. He lives in a city by the sea where some people, like his parents, are born with wings. Most, like Pico, are not.Yet Pico falls in love with a winged girl and when it becomes clear that only by getting wings can he get the girl, he sets off on a quest through the forest and across the desert to reach the "morning town." The story is told through stories: Pico's own, as well as those of the people and creatures he encounters along the way.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Now available in paperback!) is a wonderfully atmospheric, almost gothic, mystery that begins in Barcelona in 1945. The ten-year-old son of a used book dealer is taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books to choose a book to protect from the utter oblivion of time. He adopts The Shadow of the Wind by the obscure author Julian Carax who becomes his own private obsession. But there is someone else obsessed with Carax; someone determined to destroy every copy of every Carax book in existence. There are hints of Les Miserable and David Copperfield among other classics, but the book is a true original. You can't help wondering if (hoping that) the Cemetery of Forgotten Books actually exists.

Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill (Algonquin Books) is perfect for sinking into for a long delicious read. It is, on the surface, the story of a young couple whose 2-year-old daughter slips down a long forgotten mine shaft. The rescue attempt is woven through the body of the book, a lways resurfacing when you had nearly forgotten about it. The rest of the book is key moments--turning points--in the lives of the people who went before and led to these people being here now. I loved it.

Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh (HarperPerennial) is the story of three women linked together by the man who makes each, in turn, his wife. One of the things that makes this so interesting is that Mr.Kimble more chameleon-like than he is a schemer. He seems to actually become a "new man" with each change of partners.

Not Even Wrong by Paul Collins (Bloomsbury) When Collins began doing research for this third book, he intended it to be about the "wild" children of Europe in ages past. And it is about them, but it is also about discovering that his 3 year-old son was autistic and making his way through all the confusing and conflicting channels of diagnoses, education and treatment. Collins is clearly a person who is fascinated by everything and quite good at drawing the reader right along with him.

Apprentice to the Flower Poet Z. by Debra Weinstein (Random House) is a coming of age story of sorts. A young would-be-poet is thrilled when she becomes the under-graduate assistant to a famous poet. She is less thrilled as she realizes that the poet takes more from her assistants than time and energy. She takes their words as well. Written with a light touch, it contains some pretty good poetry within the story.

The Ogre's Wife Fairy Tales for Grownups by Richard Park is yet another example of good things being ignored by major publishing houses. It is a wonderful short story collection which includes several futuristic ghost stories and some straight sci fi. Best of all, though, are the fairy tales and original myths aimed at adults. This book can be ordered through your local bookstore. Your bookseller will love you if you give them the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) which is 0-9659569-5-4 I am only sorry that it was not given the binding and jacket it deserves, but was web published as a plain trade paperback much like my own A World Apart (from xlibris.com).

The Big Year by Mark Obmascik (Free Press) is that most unlikely of things; a hilarious, non-fiction, page-turner about birders. You don't need to be a birder (you don't even need to like birds) to enjoy this anymore than you need to be a horticulturist to enjoy The Orchid Thief. And The Big Year has a definite advantage over The Orchid Thief. It actually has a plot full of suspense that will have you cheering on your favorite and booing the jerk.

Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters Trilogy Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, and Child of Prophecy. This is the kind of Celtic fairytale-based saga that you can sink into and enjoy. It moves from touching on many well-known and less-known tales to create a rich and rewarding whole. If you liked The Mists of Avalon you will love this trilogy.

She's Not There by Jenny Boylan is one of the most unusual, memoirs you will ever read. It is the story of James Boylan, a witty, self-effacing guy, who eventually, with the support of his wife and friends, has a sex-change operation. However you may feel about sex-change issues, you will come away from this book wishing you could get to know this person.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie is one of the finest and funniest modern fairytales around. Rushdie takes us on an adventure as a Haroun tries to rescue his father, a reknown storyteller who has lost his Gift of Gab. This book begs to be read aloud to children and adults.

Out of the Flames by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone (Broadway Books) This is the true story of the rarest book in the world. The Christianismi Restitutio, written in 1553, was burned at the stake along with its author. But of course one copy escaped. It is a wild ride through the insanity of the 1500s when religious zealots warred across Europe.

Spirits in the Wires by Charles De Lint (Tor) If you have ever wondered where all the magic has gone you should read Charles De Lint. The internet isn't an actual place, it is merely a collection of connected computers. Or is it?

The Seduction of Water by Carol Goodman (Ballantine Books) is the story of a young woman searching for herself as searches for mother who died when she was 10. It includes a magical fairy tale that is worth reading all on its own.