Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (Kindle edition, too) is scheduled to be released next week, but it is already shipping. The reviews around the web are quite wonderful of the book edition which is wonderful. If you weren't aware, the book was the first online, crowdfunded book to win a major literary award before traditional publication. In other words, it was published online first. (Another reason I find the internet and publishing trends so fascinating these days!) There is still a free preview of the first two acts of three available on her website.

The book is popular with both online reviewers and most of the traditional journals--Booklist starred it, for example. The cover is gorgeous, too. What else do you need? Oh, a description and book trailer? Here you go:

Book description from the publisher:

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.

Here is a book trailer, too, another fascinating trend in publishing.