Saturday on Research

Or: This is a really lazy post!

One of my books is based in mythology, largely Irish. I'm doing research for it and another I haven't started and I thought it'd be fun to talk about what I have, what I used to help write the first draft of my book, and that sort of thing.

Irish Myth book:

What I read before I drafted:

A Dictionary of Fairies by Katharine Briggs

This one was a HUGE help. It was printed in 1976 and I'm actually thinking about buying a copy I found for 15 dollars (includes shipping) because it's just crazy useful and I want a copy and it's out of print so they're kind of expensive.

Bearing in mind that it's about 500 pages, would you guys buy it for 15 dollars??

Oh, this is also known as An Encyclopdia of Fairies if you want to check it out from your library or something.

I very much recommend this one. *nods*

Goodreads link!

Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts: An Illustrated Encylcopedia of Fairies by Katharine Briggs

This is basically the simpler, sort of for kids if you either have strange (and awesome) children or want to terrify them for some reason. It has less information but it's easier to read.

And (surprise surprise) I found a copy for a bit less than 6 dollars that I'm probably going to buy because 6 dollars and I want it.

Recommended because it shows more of the storytelling aspect of the mythologies.

Goodreads link!

Banshees by Kelli M. Brucken

This is a kids' non-fiction book but it had some very interesting stories and it was one of the only books I could find strictly about banshees.

(What's with the banshee hate??? I mean, yeah, death omen and all, but people are all over ZOMBIES.)

(You can't get that image out of your head now, huh?)

Anyways, fun. I wouldn't buy it solely for research but it's fine for what it's supposed to be, you know?

Goodreads link!

Things I have now to read:

Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith

KT got me this one. I'm about a third through it and it's pretty extensive, but the only thing is, the author comes off a bit... she writes as though she honestly believes this/has experienced it and that throws me when I'm reading non-fiction about mythology, you know?

But it's got some good stories and there's a really extensive bibliography so other than the author coming off oddly, it's pretty good. She also  talks about mythologies from other countries than just the Celtic ones and that's cool, too.

Goodreads link!

Ireland: Its Myths and Legends by Kay Retzlaff

The picture of this is large because the book is really big. It's adult non-fiction, but it's one of those ones that are like picture book sized. It's probably because it has amazing pictures.

I've only flipped through it but the pictures are great and it seems interesting if nothing else.

Goodreads link!

A Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend and Folklore by W. B. Yeats and Augusta Gregory

Can I just say how HUGE this book is? It's like 700 pages long. You could kill somebody with this thing. Seriously, if I was being attacked, I'd probably go for this thing. HUGE.

I haven't read this one yet so I don't know how helpful it is. Sorry!

Goodreads link!


Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom by Caitlin & John Matthews

I think I ordered this because I got a bit carried away on my library website but there seem to be a few legends and such that might be interesting.

Goodreads link!







The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog by Patricia Monashan

I haven't read it yet but I think this is like a combination mythology book and travel memoir. Either way it sounds good.

Goodreads link!








Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins by Carol Rose

This is an encyclopedia format book. (Also I hate the word encyclopedia!) I like the look of this one. It seems to have a lot of information about a lot of things and I like that in a research book. This one might go on my Want To Buy List.

Goodreads link!





Circus Book Books:

Wild, Weird, and Wonderful: The American Circus Circa 1901-1927 by Mark Sloan

I got this one a while ago now and it's freaking awesome. It's all black in white (hey, 1901-1927, what do you expect?) and the pictures and stories are amazing. I just wish it'd been about eight times longer because it was so cool to read.

Goodreads link!

Circus Techniques by Hovey Burgess

*shrugs* Figured it couldn't hurt :D

Goodreads link!




The New American Circus by Ernest Albrecht

This one seems to have a lot about the history of circuses. I think this is more on the Circque de Soleil type of circus than the Ringling Bros. type of circus.

Goodreads link!







Circus by Linda Granfield

Kids non-fiction again but there are tons of pictures and it seems to have quite a bit of information so that's neat.

Goodreads link!



Two Hundred Years of the American Circus by Tom Ogden

This one I'm really happy I found. It's almost 400 pages long and it just seems like it'll be REALLY helpful.










Okay. This was supposed to be a quick little post and it ended up taking an hour and a half longer than I thought it would. Not so lazy after all, I guess XD

What kind of research, if any, do you do for your books? What are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Leave me answers in the comments while I go collapse of exhaustion.

Peace and cookies,
Laina