To celebrate the release of Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making as an illustrated hardcover book on May 10, this book is available to download for free through the evening of May 2 (Monday).  The book started as a web serial and won the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.  If you have not read a book by this amazing author, it’s a perfect opportunity to sample her work.  I haven’t read this book yet, but I’ve now read 3 of Valente’s books and they’ve all been beautifully written and creative.

Even though I downloaded the PDF version, I’ll probably wait for the physical book to read it.  It looks gorgeous:

About The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making:

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.