From the Backlist: Seasonal Reading Recommendations

Hello, Sup community,

This time from the backlist, we are turning back the clock to one of Helen Lowe's cosy book recommendations for reading 'in season.'

Join us as we explore her suggestions, get comfy and read!

Illustrator Yaoyao Ma Van As.

Solstice Favorites

by Helen Lowe

Tis the deep midwinter here on the far side of the world – which is absolutely the best time to pull up a chair by the fire and indulge in some solstice reading. 

 

And of course I want the kind of books that fit the season, all about secrets, mystery, adventure  – and cookies, which absolutely brings me to the first read on the fireside table: Robin McKinley's Sunshine.

 

 

Sunshine, given the heroine, Sunny, is a baker, delivers cookies a-plenty, as well as vampires, demons, and mystery in an adventure where Sunny herself may be the biggest secret... A great read for when the evenings start closing in.

Another pick, on the basis of name alone, has to be Patricia McKillip's Solstice Wood, which explores the boundary between the real world and the faerie realm.

 

There's a quilting circle that is more than what it seems, living on the verge of an "other" world, which delivers up sufficient changelings, undines, and witches to populate any respectable set of fireside shadows, plus forbidden love and misunderstood duty to keep things interesting ...

Read the complete article HERE and let us know what book you have by the bedside right now! 

Enjoy! 

 

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About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

 

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Speculative Fiction (Fantasy/Thriller/Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy) for adults and teens.

 

 

We're a group of best-selling authors providing news, reviews and interviews from the darker, more speculative side of fiction.

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Midsummer - Winter Solstice is Nigh

Art by Stephani Pui-Mun Law

Hey Everyone,

I invite you all to welcome the midwinter/summer Solstice! This marks when we have either the longest day of the year (N Hemisphere) or the shortest (S Hemisphere).  Here are the exact times for 2021.

MIDSUMMER/WINTER SOLSTICE

SUN @ 0° CANCER

LA - June 20 - 8:32 pm

NY - June 20 - 11:32 pm

LON - June 21 - 4:32 am

SYD - June 21 - 1:32 am

Ancient History

Since neolithic times, we as a people have celebrated the midsummer and midwinter solstices. It still means different things to different cultures but I like to think of it as a time of renewal. A time to fuel hope for the harvest to come (summer), or for the thaw and return of spring (winter). 

What Exactly is the Solstice?

Solstice literally means 'sun at a standstill' as the Latin name describes the sun reaching its maximum or minimum declination in the sky (from a geocentric standpoint). Hence we have a marker for the longest and the shortest day of the year. That alone is something to celebrate!

Ancient Stonehenge and the Solstice

And we do. Take Stonehenge for example, a literal touchstone and host to solstice rituals for the last 5000 years. And still today, modern druids gather at Stonehenge to watch the sun's first rays shine above the ‘hele stone.’  - Summer Solstice - Alban Hefin

The Solstice in Fiction

Fiction also connects us to the midsummer/midwinter Solstices, giving us a chance, at least unconsciously, to align with the power of restoration and renewal.

Plenty of films and novels offer up their interpretations of the Solstice, for example, the 'starts out sweet and turns to horror' film called Midsommar written and directed by Ari Aster. But be careful. It might put you off the whole idea of May Poles and other festivities this time of year.

Another psychological thriller, Solstice, by Joyce Carol Oates, explores an intense-turned-obsessive relationship between two women. In this case, the opportunity for renewal at the solstice is more metaphorical.

The Solstice in Fantasy World-building

Using lunar and solar events like eclipses, Equinox/Solstice, ingresses of planets and other celestial movements can ground a reader in the story. It offers a reason to celebrate or be afraid, or hopeful but no matter what, it gives cultural credibility to the story, deepening the world-building and making the work richer in scope.

In the Fantasy genre, we might see the Solstices mark times of initiation, seasons or events, as in my second Earth - Gaia series (under Kim Falconer) The Path of the Stray. Quantum Encryption Book 1. 

In this book, I used the midsummer Solstice to signify the time of year in a journal entry made by one of the main character's ancestors. The discovery of the journal leads the story back to that era. In essence, I had an element of world-building as well as an event to transition the reader back to the prequel.

Also marking a significant time, the Solstice is mentioned in  Hugo Award-winning writer, M. K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season - Broken Earth Book 1. 

In Traci Harding's Ancient Future Series, Stonehenge literally teleports the main character (and readers) to a distant past.

In this way, Traci's wildly successful series literally uses the summer solstice as a time machine, of sorts, to incredible effect. It all begins with car trouble, putting the main character, Tory, at just the right place and time.

...As she reached the perimeter of the circle a strong presence came over her and she stopped in her tracks. How strange that I should find myself here tonight. She was a little scared by this thought, for tonight was the summer solstice. When Tory recalled tales of Wiccan and Druidic practices traditionally held on this night a shiver ran over her...

In my newest work, Curse of Shadows, the second book in the Amassia Series, the Solstice becomes the hands on a ticking clock. The Bone Thrower insists that our company of main characters begin a quest on the midwinter solstice and complete it successfully by the midsummer solstice. The consequences of failing are dire and we only hope they can do the impossible in time to save the world.

How about you? Do you have any solstice traditions? Books that mark this longstanding human propensity to connect with the cycles of sun, moon and stars? I would love to hear about them in the comments.

xxKim (aka A K Wilder)

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Kim Falconer, writing YA Fantasy as A K Wilder, has just released Crown of Bones and soon to announce the date for the sequel, Curse of Shadows.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site or have a listen to the audio version on the right.

Solstice Favorites

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Tis the deep midwinter here on the far side of the world – which is absolutely the best time to pull up a chair by the fire and indulge in some solstice reading.

And of course I want the kind of books that fit the season, all about secrets, mystery, adventure  – and cookies, which absolutely brings me to the first read on the fireside table: Robin McKinley's Sunshine.

Sunshine, given the heroine, Sunny, is a baker, delivers cookies a-plenty, as well as vampires, demons, and mystery in an adventure where Sunny herself may be the biggest secret... A great read for when the evenings start closing in.

Another pick, on the basis of name alone, has to be Patricia McKillip's Solstice Wood, which explores the boundary between the real world and the faerie realm.

There's a quilting circle that is more than what it seems, living on the verge of an "other" world,

which delivers up sufficient changelings, undines, and witches to populate any respectable set of fireside shadows, plus forbidden love and misunderstood duty to keep things interesting.

For secrets, adventure, and the exploration of consequences, I definitely can't go past Kristin Cashore's Bitterblue. The cyphers and mysteries Bitterblue must unravel make great winternight reading, as does the heroine's first foray into the ups and downs of romantic love...

Of course, if you're on the balmy, midsummer side of the world, you'll still enjoy these reads – but what others would you put on your summer or winter reading table?

 

 

Celebrate the Solstice

Celebration Posters by Keith Mallett

Celebrate this mid-winter or mid-summer solstice with joy, optimism and excitement for the future!

It's a turning points, symbolic of endings and new beginnings, and with Jupiter so close to the sun, and about to cross this solstice point for the first time in twelve years, whatever you intend is magnified a hundred fold!


June 20/21 SOLSTICE times:

LA – Thursday - 10:03 PM
NY – Friday - 1:03 AM
LON - Friday - 6:03 AM
SYD - Friday - 3:03 PM


Here are some hints for setting powerful intentions on the Solstice. What are you doing to celebrate?


ARIES: Clean the house, wash the windows, clear the air, especially with family. Ask: is your home a true reflection of you? All new things are coming in this area of life. Cherish your body too!
TAURUS: Start a new course of study, join a community project, get friendly with the written or spoken word. Ask: is there anything you’d like to learn, teach or share? New ideas are coming in. Communicate!
GEMINI: Indulge in all your core values, develop your talents and be MORE of who you are. Ask: Are you letting the abundance in? It’s enrichment time. Think more self-sustaining. A hobby turns into a career!
CANCER: This is a new chapter in your life. Open the door to your dreams by showing up! Ask: is your life an accurate reflection of who you want to be? Change is easy now. The universe has your back!
LEO: Commune with your unconscious. Take time to record and reflect on your dreams. Ask: are you deep in the well of your creative heart? There are opportunities pouring in. Be ready!
VIRGO: Friends and like-minded others are a source of inspiration if you’re hanging out with your own kind! Ask: are these birds really of your feathers? Plant your hopes and wishes for the future in fertile soil. Now!
LIBRA: Your career takes a turn for the better with a chance to carry more responsibility for a much greater reward. Ask: Do you light up in a smile when you think of your life work? This is the time to take a risk.
SCORPIO: Take your mind, body or spirit somewhere it’s never been before – meditate, travel, read, learn. Ask: are you holding yourself back from your real dreams? Best not, as chance of a life time offers pour in.
SAGITTARIUS: Intimacy and intensity is what will light your fire now. Go ahead and take a leap in the dark. Ask: are you playing it safe with your emotions? Express, purge. Make room for incoming love.
CAPRICORN: Partnership is the focus and you will benefit by assessing the relationships in your life. Ask: do you feel free to be who you are? Time to connect to the part of you that is brilliantly authentic and true.
AQUARIUS: Putting energy into the body, health and physical well being brings great results! Ask: are you getting enough exercise every day? It’s time to listen to your body, really listen, and respond.
PISCES: Creativity springs from a well of romance. Write, play, choreograph, sing, act. Ask: are you allowing for love in your heart? Be ready to let the inner child out and the opportunities in!

Kim Falconer is a Supernatural Underground author writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, YA and epic science fantasy novels. She also co-directs Good Vibe Astrology, an astrology and law of attraction school.

You can find out more about Kim at kimfalconer.com or on the 11th House Blog. She posts here at the Supernatural Underground on the 16th of every month. Her latest release is Supernatural Underground: Vampires Gone Wild.