Medieval Bodies by Jack Hartnell

 

Now I am the first to admit that not everything I read is for everyone. Among my many interests are not only medieval history, but also medical stuff and death. A little weird? Yes, absolutely. Among the things that I have done since starting this blog so long ago for the 365 project, and before coming to work at the library, I spent close to a decade as veterinary assistant at a small animal practice. The level of hands on experience I got with surgery, dentistry, euthanasia, and so many gross medical things has left a lasting impression. It was a job that suited me, for a very long time. Just to add to the conversation that goes down in this household, my wife is a medical coder, and therefore also well versed in the field. When I was at last leaving veterinary practice, jobs I seriously considered were working in a mortuary/funeral home and being a medical scribe (I was actually offered a job as the latter, but the pay was terrible, after acing their short training program).

In short (too late) if you are not a fan of medical details, this book is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, like myself and my wife you are a fan of the Sawbones Podcast and or the Order of the Good Death and/or the videos or books of Caitlin Doughty, you might want to check this one out!

The sections are organized by body part, arranged literally from head to feet, but what each chapter contains from there is diverse and hugely exhaustive; Not just the ailments and medieval remedies thereof, but also all kinds of information on religious and societal attitudes and myths about parts of the body. The tone is delightfully friendly but informative, and there was so much in here that was new and educational even for a person who already had interests along these lines. 

Anyone perusing my reading lists in general will quickly see a trend, that my reading tends heavily towards fantasy/sci-fi and novels. For a nonfiction book to really catch and hold my interest, it has to be something special, but this book absolutely fit the bill. And yes, there are illustrations. 

So I don't recommend this book for everyone, but I know there are absolutely some other freaks out there like me who will love it!

The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest

 

This one was actually donated to the library, for a small section where we sell used books on the cheap to help fund programs. I was helping to sort the donated books and was immediately intrigued, and my money can go to help fund programming as well as anybody else's. 

This is not a novel, but a collection of short stories, edited by Fantasy greats Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, with illustrations by Charles Vess. All three of these names tend to promise good stuff, so I was duly excited. 

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite, here. The stories range from modern-day magic, where faery rubs elbows with our busy cities, to ancient mythology. Possibly the one that rang closest for me, though, was 'Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box' by Charles de Lint. It's about a painter who found faery, in the pursuit of Art, and it rings of Appalachia. Everything about this one just struck true and right in my mind, like all the best stories do.

If you can get your hands on this one, I highly recommend it. The list of author's reads like a who's who of well known talented Fantasy legends, and none of the stories in it were anything I remember seeing anywhere else. A perfect read for a green summer day.