St.Patrick's Day Book and Movie Recommendations

Today is the day after St. Patrick's Day and I thought I would throw out a couple book and movie recommendations as well as a little information about some Irish folklore.

One of my favorite movies is: The Boondock Saints (R)


I absolutely love this movie! It is one of my favorites of all time. I secretly (well not a secret anymore) have the movie poster hanging up in my closet. The Boondock Saints stars Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) and Sean Patrick Flannery  you haven't seen or heard of it think Irish vigilante brothers who decide to clean up the streets of Boston. There is also a part two of the movie calle The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. I will say that there is a lot of violence and cursing in this movie, so make sure it is something that is age appropriate for you.

Another movie on the more romantic side is: P.S. I Love You (PG-13)

P.S. I Love You is a happy sad romantic movie. A woman's (Hilary Swank) husband (Gerard Butler) dies and she receives letters in the mail from him after his death with various things he wants her to do to keep living her life. I've only watched this movie once (because I hate crying), but I really liked it. It was romantic, sweet, sad, and hopeful. The movie is originally based off of the book by Irish writer, and daughter to the Irish Prime Minister, Cecelia Ahern. The book is also entitled P.S. I Love You.

Books:
The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Book 1: Morrigan's Cross


Book 2: Dance of the Gods


Book 3: Valley of Silence


This is an adult series that follows an Irish sorcerer and his band of protectors who are out to kill Queen Lilith once and for all. This book runs over with hot sorcerers, witches, vampires, and vampire hunters. This is an adult series. I listened to Morrigan's Cross on audiobook and loved it, the characters are comples and the voicing is amazing.

In YA:
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood



How I Found the Perfect Dress


What I Wore to Save the World



First off can I say how much I love the covers? They are absolutley beautiful! This series follows Morgan who gets her heartbroken and takes a bike tour across Ireland. From then on her life changes. She is transported back in time to a world where hot warriors and faeries reign. I have personally read the first book and really liked it.

Folklore:

Selkies- are creatures who live as seals, but have the ability to shed their seal skins and assume human form (found in Irish, Icelandic, and Scottish folklore)

Kelpies- are otherworldly horses who live in the rivers and lakes of Ireland and Scotland. They lure humans to the water with the promise of a ride where they then drown them by stealing their breath or eat them depending on the story. Good books that mention these are Holly Black's Tithe and Lesley Livingston's Wondrous Strange, both of these are YA. Tithe is considered to be "darker" YA with some mature themes.

Sidhe- pronounced SHEE are comparable to a mixture of faeries and elves. Considered to be very powerful almost as if they are gods. There are even some references to them being fallen angels. One of my favorite series dealing with the sidhe is Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, which is amazing! This is an adult book.

Bean-Sidhe- also known as a banshee is a feminine spirit of the faeries that is said to scream when the death of an important person belonging to one of the five major families is imminent. To read about these you might want to check out Rachel Vincent's soul screamers series


Leprechaun- a type of elf, usually depicted as a small man dressed in green. They are mischief makers who  are attracted to wealth and luck. Legend says that if you catch one he will take you to his treasure