Instructions by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess

Instructions is a poem about what to do if you find yourself inside a fairytale. "Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story." Illustrations by Charles Vess give it the look of a classic. It would make a good gift for someone embarking on a journey: starting school; graduating; moving to a new job or city; getting married or having a child. It is suitable for readers of all ages.

A lovely recording of Gaiman reading the book, complete with Vess's artwork, is available here.

Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

Not all urban fantasy is set in a city. The small town of Santa Olivia was once part of Texas, but is now in a military buffer zone between the U.S. and Mexico. (The setting reminded me of that in Nancy Farmer's House of the Scorpion.) A large army base was built nearby and the civilian residents of Santa Olivia are forbidden to leave, even decades after the buffer zone was created. Life is very tough for them, strictly controlled beneath the military's boot. What the people of Santa Olivia need most is hope, and this is what they get when a young woman takes on the role of an avenging angel-saint.

Loup Garron's father was a wolf-man; genetically modified to be faster and stronger than normal human beings. He was on the run from either government scientists or the army or both when he came through Santa Olivia. Loup has inherited her father's gifts, but she must hide them or risk being taken away by whoever was after her father.

Loup is such a great character, with amazing physical abilities, a total lack of fear and a strong sense of justice. She also has a passionate love affair with another young woman. Highly recommended.

Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee

The word that Shawna Ghallagher refuses to say is 'lesbian.' Her mother abandoned her and her father in order to be with her new love, Fran. In the years since then, Shawna has barely seen her mother, who has made a life with Fran and two sons. Then, she gets a phone call from Fran: her mother is dying.

Shawna has always strived to be perfect, but when her mother dies, there are so many hard choices. She is torn between pleasing her controlling father and doing what her heart tells her is the right thing. The path to perfection is no longer clear.

Psychologically-complex characters struggling with thorny issues make this an emotionally engaging coming-of-age story.

Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito

My sweetie and I hardly eat out anymore because we prefer our own cooking. Meals, including breakfast, are often some variation of sautéed vegetables with rice or pasta. Sometimes it's fun to try new recipes and, working at a library, I am spoiled for choice of cookbooks.

I've never watched Mary Ann Esposito's Ciao Italia television show, but the subtitle - Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen - had me hooked. My fond memories of travelling in Italy always include the fabulous food. Plus, usually by the time I think of preparing a meal, I'm already hungry, so the "quick" part of the title sounds good too.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Vegetables has already become part of my standard repertoire. The first time I made it, however, I had to triple the suggested roasting time. (This didn't surprise me; I didn't expect them to be tender after 10 minutes, even though I chopped them smaller than instructed and used a higher oven temperature.)

Another recipe - Garlic, Oil, Walnut and Pecorino Sauce - seemed so out-of-proportion that I altered it without hesitation. It was supposed to dress a pound of linguine and called for 1 cup of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/3 cup parsley, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese. I halved the oil and doubled the other ingredients and it was perfect. Then, I noticed a very similar recipe - Linguine with Walnut Sauce - in another section of the book. It called for 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 cups walnuts, 4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of parsley served with 1 pound of linguine. The absence of cheese doesn't make the second recipe very much different from the first (aside from the proportions of each ingredient); it therefore seems an oversight to have them both included.

If you are an experienced cook who doesn't follow recipes so much as use them for inspiration, then this book will satisfy a craving for good Italian food.

How I Made It to Eighteen by Tracy White

"This is the story of what happened to me when I had a nervous breakdown at seventeen." Tracy White's simple line drawings and spare text create a very readable account of a messed-up teenager. She has switched her name to 'Stacy Black' and also given her friends pseudonyms. Four of these friends make regular appearances throughout the book, answering interview questions. Their cameos are a good counterpoint to the main story, set in a hospital. Flashbacks are made visually clear by presenting those panels on a grey background. It's a quick read, but her story is memorable. Readalikes: Perfect Example (John Porcellino); At a Crossroads (Kate Williamson) and Inside Out: A Portrait of an Eating Disorder (Nadia Shivack).

A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

Japanese manga artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi covers about 15 years of his life story, starting in 1945 when he was 10 years old. Tatsumi chose to alter some names in the book, most notably his own. He calls himself Hiroshi Katsumi.

It was nice to pair reading this book (at work during breaks) with The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (at home). A double dose of Japanese culture. Tatsumi’s illustrations of himself stepping up into his family home’s doorway and sliding the paper screens shut between rooms were exactly how David Mitchell described Nagasaki architecture in the 19^th century.

Tatsumi’s depictions of custom and dress are delightful too. For example, Hiroshi bows in apology to someone to whom he is speaking over the telephone. In another panel, a publisher sitting across a table from Hiroshi bows towards him in thanks while still in a partly seated position. Traditional wooden clogs were apparently still very commonly worn in the 1950s.

I also learned that censorship opposition to comics was not restricted to North America. In 1960, an organization of Japanese bookshop owners, in cooperation with police, attempted to eradicate “immoral books.” Their definition of immoral included "any book with pages, two thirds or more of which is without text."

Even if, like me, you don’t have a special interest in the history of manga, there is much to enjoy. The depth in this autobiography comes from the portrayal of the artist’s passion for his work and his efforts to overcome selfdoubt.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

In 1799, a young accounting clerk disembarks at Nagasaki to begin a five-year stint for the Dutch East Indies Company. The trading company's warehouses and crew quarters are on Dejima, a small island connected to the city by a short bridge. Japanese guards are posted at the gates to Dejima and access is strictly controlled in both directions. It is an era when Japan was still tightly closed against foreigners.

Jacob's job is to untangle ledgers that hide evidence of corruption in the highest levels of the company ranks on Dejima. This does not make him popular, to put it mildly. Life for Jacob soon becomes even more difficult as dramatic events unfold. It's a good thing that he has a strong moral conscience and stout courage. It is his heart that is Jacob's greatest challenge; he falls in love with a Japanese woman who studies medicine on Dejima.

The intricate cast of characters, the fascinating setting, the complex plot that includes evil practices at a secretive Japanese shrine -- all of these combine in a fabulous story. A very rewarding read.