Sometimes you just need a little library love to sing about

The weekend before last, I made an unexpected trip to my local library; my sister suggested it as a good plan for the two of us and since I was feeling a little restless myself, it seemed like a good idea.

Turns out that was a much needed 
 outing for me there(the reasons which I’ll get to in a moment) in more ways than one but first, let’s look at the books I borrowed that day:

First up was Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman, set in modern day New York yet possessed of very Golden Age detective vibes.

Our leading lady is Tory Van Dyne, the curator of the title location in Greenwich Village, who spends her days caretaking the literary establishment set up by her late grandmother and is pleased to have such a quiet, uneventful life.

One evening as she’s closing up, a peculiar elderly lady has made herself comfortable in the  building’s replica of Agatha Christie’s home library. This mystery guest is rather knowledgeable about the place and as she claims to be Mrs. Christie incarnate, it’s somewhat logical.

While Tory is convinced that her newfound friend is simply delusional, finding the right way to make her leave becomes rather awkward as she claims that her arrival from the great beyond is to help Tory solve a murder.

Just as Tory is about to send this charmingly determined woman packing, the doorbell rings and a series of events unfolds that does bring a murder mystery into Tory’s life, with her guardian angel of a writer popping in and out most conveniently to aid in the case. Is Tory being visited by the true Queen of Crime and if so, can such classic detective skills save the present day danger?

I am currently reading this novel right now and it’s one of those books that you have to make yourself put down in order to get your regular  daily business tended to. Chapman has quite the flair for engaging characters and whimsical, screwball comedy mixed with true tension. 

This is meant to be the first in a new cozy mystery series and I certainly hope it won’t be too long before  this version of Mrs. Christie visits us:

My next find was R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis, which is about a literal journey into hell.

When grad student Alice realizes that the untimely demise of her mentor Professor Grimes will severely affect the status of her academic career, she undertakes a road trip through the netherworld to bring him back.

Forming a reluctant partnership with her rival Peter, Alice finds that many of the texts she’s studied regarding this realm are both more accurate than expected and yet not at all what they were said to be. Is this proverbial highway to hell worth the risk or are Alice and Peter just getting a jumpstart on their eventual damnation?

From I’ve heard about this novel, it should be quite the wild ride and some page turning perdition ought to be interesting indeed:

My last pick of that day was A Drop of Corruption , the follow up to Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup which introduces us to a fantasy world take on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Here, our amazing detective is Ana Dolabra, whose senses are so keen, she has to wear a blindfold in order not to get too overwhelmed by every day activity. Her assistant Dinios Kol is rather capable in her investigations but not without a few surprising tricks up his sleeves as well.

As their recent assignment changes from a disappearance to a murder and then into a plot to take down the very empire that rules over them all. Ana and Din find themselves up against a nemesis that might be their own personal Moriarty , a challenge that could prove to be beyond their own formidable abilities to defeat.

Having found the first book in this series at the library, it is fitting that I was able to find the second entry there as well. While I’m not a major fan of Holmes & Watson, my familiarity with these particular pop culture templates makes this blend of mystery and fantasy very alluring, especially with a big league villain in play:

This spur of the moment library trip was a great success, as it kept me from brooding about a sad piece of news that I had heard that morning.

The recent passing of actor Nicholas Brendon, best known as one of the key cast members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was quite sorrowful to many of us in the fandom as it also followed the demise of another major cast member , Michelle Trachtenburg, last year.

In addition, the abrupt cancellation of the reboot of the Buffy series with Sarah Michelle Geller reprising her role as a mentor to a new generation of slayers was a bit of insult to injury there.

 I know that most folks will be rolling their eyes and be quick to point out that there are far more important things going on these days to even be expending any emotional energy on this but you know what? There’s nothing wrong in mourning such losses.

As a fan of the original show(as well as it’s spinoff Angel), this wasn’t just about wallowing into nostalgia for some escape from reality; Buffy gave a lot of us a true sense of community back in those early internet days and many friendships were forged both online and off due to our shared love of supernatural metaphors and high school angst. A couple of friends that I made through this fandom are sadly no longer with us as well and they would be just as heartbroken about these recent events.

It’s a series that never got the respect it deserved for taking creative chances and even heading down some dark places as the characters matured. Sure, it didn’t always hit the mark in certain seasons and the behind the scenes horrors that happened to many of the actors, such as Charisma Carpenter ,took too long to come to light.

However, despite all of that, Buffy was a meaningful part of our lives and while it would have been great to have many of the bad things reversed, there is still some good remaining that is still helping old fans and new get through these tough times.

Going to the library in this case was very appropriate as Buffy’s Watcher Giles briefly made being a school librarian be seen as incredibly cool(probably inspired a few people to enter that profession, I dare say). 

Regardless, both BTVS and the library do have one thing in common; they give us something to sing about during our darkest times. As a wise woman once said, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. 

That  burden is lessened by good books and great art, which can give us a showstopper of heartfelt hope when we least expect it and truly need it all at once: