While there were a few stories that just didn't speak to me, this anthology (on the whole) is quite good. As usual, the de Lint and Gaiman stories were my favorite of the bunch, but other standout authors/stories (IMO) were Terry Windling, Shira Lipkin, Angel Leigh McCoy, SatyrPhil Brucato, Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg and Laurel K Hamilton. It definitely makes me want to pick up a Sooj Tucker CD and hear the vocals to go with some of her lyrics.

2010 Reread--Even more excellent than I remembered. Recommended (if you can find it). ( )

Ravens in the Library is an excellent collection of stories by Laurell K. Hamilton, Seanan McGuire, Neil Gaiman, and several others. I look forward to opening its magic again and again. Created as a fundraiser for bard extraordinaire S.J. Tucker, the anthology just goes to show that fairy tales with happy endings still happen. ( )

A great book for a great cause. Includes my all time favorite authors (Gaiman and Block) and has introduced me to my next favorite authors.
The procedes go to help pay off the medical bills of uninsured musician S. J. Tucker A.K.A. Sooj, Skinny white chick. She's on wikipedia. You can find the book at www.skinnywhitechick.com ( )

I finished "Ravens in the Library" today. It took me a while to find a common thread to the collection. There are stories of fantasy, of time travel, of urban settings, of rustic settings, of magic and mundanity, of loss and of love. The artwork was equally varied, but each image well suited the story it went with.

While the subject matter tends to be very different from one to another, as a whole it is clear to me that this is a collection of fables. Rather than a moral, each story (including the introduction) contains a warning of one kind or another. Some are cautionary tales, while others show the value of hope.

I’ll admit that a couple of the stories may have been darker than I prefer, but there is not one poorly written story in the collection. Whether heartening or haunting each was evocative and worth reading once, some I will read again and again.