The Sword and Laser discussion

The May Book Pick is Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This was the runner-up in this years March Madness competition.

Synopsis: (view spoiler)[ A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart. (hide spoiler)]

I was just about to make the announcement thread. glad I checked. it's been a busy day...

Thanks for the assist

I noticed you had added the Book and made the Folder, I thought you may have got busy.

For anyone who notices the shortened name, Folders have a 32 character limit (including spaces)

yeah. I had a draft of the thread on my desktop. I just got distracted, then my dinner arrived.

Tuesdays are my busiest day in general

I literally just finished this today. I think most people will like it well enough.

Pretty stoked with this pick, it IS the one I voted for (truth but also given all the things in Cordelia's Honor about "I didn't vote for him" I figured I'd add it). I already picked it up but will finish Barrayar before I start into it.

Well I scooped up the kindle edition when it was cheap- I see it’s now tripled in price so I can feel smug about scoring a bargain! This looks good, I’m getting a similar vibe to the Lady Trent series which I enjoyed.

^ I'm reading it from the library, which is free...but because ecopies were so far out I got a physical book. Which for me has a "cost" in that I can't read it during my most prominent reading phase, middle of the night insomnia. And that's the time that reading gives me the most comfort. So the book is ever so slightly into the "homework" category as I must set up specifically on the couch with reading glasses and take care with someone else's property. But I see the sequel is already out and only a short wait. It's a fun faux academic vibe, steampunk-adjacent.

Read this one during the Madness that is March. I thought it was a pretty fun read and I'm interested in seeing what discussions will be had.

I was able to get a print copy from the library so I'm ready to go once I finish Bardugo's Familiar.

I'm #4 in the queue at the library so optomistic that I get it before the end of the month.

First physical book I've read in so long, I've only been doing ebooks and audio for years now. This one feels appropriate in paper form :)

I finished it yesterday...there's even a special font used. The author comments on it in the afterword.

I'm reading the sequel now in ebook and it's definitely easier. But it does lack some of the charm of the physical book.

I’ve been doing a “book crawl” yesterday and today and saw the print edition in a few shops but wanted to buy it at my “normal” shop…and they didn’t have it. 😭
So I’m listening to audio for now until I can get a physical copy somewhere. I bought the audio through librio so my LIBS gets credit. I also have kindle edition just in case.

Wait what?? Special font?? I see the Afterward, but the font in mine looks exactly like any other. Times New Roman? Is it because I have the "Barnes & Noble" edition of the book? Or are my eyes just not that discerning? :O

I have the hardcover from the library. The very last page that has text on it says the following:

About the Type

This book was set in Legacy, a typeface family designed by Ronald Arnholm (b. 1939) and issues in digital form by ITC in 1992. Both its serifed and unserifed versions are based on an original type created by the French punchcutter Nicholas Jenson in the late fifteenth century. While Legacy tends to differ from Jenson's original in its proportions, it maintains much of the latter's characteristic modulations in stroke.

the month has begun. go forth and discuss!