Hail library patrons and well met! Summertime Renaissance Faire season is upon us! Here are a few items we hope will excite and inspire you to join in the revelry. Let the anachronistic good times roll!
For some background, have you ever wondered how the idea of a modern Ren Faire came about? In Rachel Rubin’s Well Met the author explores various aspects of its evolution from a humble 1960’s fund raising event in California, to the modern celebrations that host hundreds of thousands across the US.
When it comes to fiction, humor seems to be the name of the game when set at the Ren Faire.
For a rom-com consider these two titles: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher, a YA novel about a teen grappling with the recent loss of her mother and change brought on by new management of her beloved and formerly-predictable Ren Faire, and an adult fiction Well Met by Jen DeLuca, the first in a series of romantic comedies centering around a summer Ren Faire tour. Anything can happen at a Ren Faire, especially love, in a place where anybody can become someone, or something, else.
More in the mood for a cozy mystery? In The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews, our main character, Meg, brings her amateur sleuthing skills to bear when an actor is found dead at her grandmother’s Ren Faire. A host of quirky characters and Faire shenanigans abound.
For a fun middle-grade read, try All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. In this graphic novel we follow 11-year old Imogen who decides to tackle public school after being homeschooled by Ren Faire loving parents. Trying to apply her squire code outside of the Faire, Imogen learns there are different sorts of dragons to slay in middle school – peer pressure, frenemies, bullying. Can she rise above and be the brave knight of her own story?
Speaking of knights, A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger is peak “medieval meets modern” and frankly an early 2000s cinematic gem. The tale may be a classic one – peasant squire masquerades as knight and tries to woo yonder fair maiden – BUT its execution is a riot full of comedy, a bit of drama to keep it grounded, and a rockin’ soundtrack featuring Queen and David Bowie.
Feeling ready to give this Renaissance Faire thing a try? If you want to dress the part, check out Medieval Costume and How to Recreate It by Dorothy Hartley. Chock full of historically accurate guidelines, it’s sure to help you create your own medieval masterpiece. If you want to add armor or props, but wearing metal in summer heat is perhaps more authenticity than you’re ready for, take a look at professional cosplayer Svetlana Quindt’s book The Costume Making Guide. It’s full of tips and tricks to help you look like you could slay a dragon without all the bother of actual plate mail.
For more recommends come visit ye olde library where staff will be happy to help guide you on your next adventure. Fare thee well good readers! See you at the joust!
~Posted by Chelsea M.
Shelf Talk 