2 Books Like Queer as Folklore

I had not read cosy fantasy before I decided to give this title a go, and I'm really glad I did. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and such an antidote to the sometimes dark nature of the real world. This book is both funny and original. I love the idea of a baking wizard, whose main skill is making gingerbread men dance, and who has a temperamental sour dough starter called Bob. The plot becomes something of a murder mystery, unravelling secrets about the city where Mona - the main character - lives. In the end, it's up to Mona to defend the city with the skills she has, as inoffensive as those skills may seem. She's going to need a bigger gingerbread man - and a lot more of Bob! I liked it so much that I have gone out and bought more cosy fantasy books. I think it's my… show more.

I've always liked Joanne Harris's short fairy tales that she has posted online over the years. This book spins an original fairy tale about the ill-fated love between the Moth King and the Butterfly Queen, and intersperses it with a time-shifting urban fantasy set in London - which turns out to be the same story. As someone who lives close to the home of the Cottingley Fairies, I love the link between glass plate photography, lepidoptery and fairies. I also like the idea that, when walking in a place like London, with centuries of history overlaid, you can slip through the veil into another age, or it can slip into yours. I was fortunate enough to hear Joanne Harris speak on this book at Bradford Literature Festtival, and to have my book signed by her. It was great to hear her insights into the themes of the book, but it's… show more.