What Do You Mean There Are Different Types of Fantasy?

If you are new to the fantasy genre or have only read the occasional book or series within the genre because of Booktok, then it may surprise you that, yes, there are many subgenres within fantasy itself. You may be surprised to learn this even if you are an avid fantasy reader, but just pick up books that look good. Did you know there are a couple different types of magic systems as well? Today, I am going to do a bit of a deep-dive into what defines fantasy, itself, as well as what makes each subgenre unique. Going in, just know that it is not uncommon for subgenres to overlap. A book can be high fantasy and grimdark fantasy as well as another can be low fantasy and cozy fantasy or vice versa. These are essentially description tags the book community uses to further distinguish types of books so readers might have a better sense of what they are picking up. 

Fantasy

What is fantasy? This seems pretty self-explanatory, but let's talk about it just in case someone doesn't know. Fantasy is an all-encompassing term to describe books that contain magical elements. It differs from science fiction as the elements will often defy the rules of our physical world in a way that cannot be attributed to advancing science and technology. The vast majority of the books discussed on my blog and all of the books listed below will fall into this category. For my purposes, I tend to think of this genre as a tree that branches out into many subgenres. Fantasy is the trunk. Hold on to this metaphor--I'll be coming back to it!

High Fantasy

High fantasy describes any book that is not set in real world history. The terms "high fantasy" and "epic fantasy" tend to get used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences. In my tree metaphor, I would consider high fantasy to be a main limb of the tree, as it's broader and more encompassing, whereas epic fantasy is a smaller branch off of that limb. Basically, if a book is set in a fictional world with a fictional history, it's considered high.

Examples: The Hobbit, Warbreaker, and Priory of the Orange Tree

Low Fantasy

Next on the list is low fantasy. No, it does not mean "lesser." Far from it actually! Fantasy books that are set around real-world places or events are considered low fantasy. These are the books that tend to have magic hidden in the real world. I would consider this to be another main limb of my fantasy tree, as there are many other subgenres that are similar, but again, this one is more general and less specific.

Examples: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Outlander, and Twilight

Epic Fantasy

Now that the "foundation" of fantasy is established, let's start digging into the more specific genres starting with EPIC FANTASY. Epic fantasy are books that have a very large, grand scale story revolving around an equally large cast of characters facing an ultimate big bad with the potential for world-ending stakes. The classic good vs. evil, if you will. These books are typically a part of a large series as there is often way too much to put into just one book. More often than not, epic fantasy books tend to be a branch off of the high fantasy limb in my fantasy tree, but that is definitely not always the case. 

Examples: Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, and Storrmlight Archive

Urban Fantasy

Likewise, I would consider urban fantasy to be a branch of the low fantasy limb for obvious reasons. It takes place in the real world, more specifically, the modern real world. (Anyone else start singing "Real World" by Matchbox 20? No? Just me? Ok, moving on...)

Examples: Dresden Files, Shadowhunter Chronicles, and American Gods

Historical Fantasy

Like urban fantasy, this is often set in the real world, making it a branch off of low fantasy. Historical fantasy typically is a re-imagining of an actual historical event with magical elements inserted. There is usually a balance between realism and fantasy elements. 

Examples: Outlander, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and What the Wind Knows 

Sword and Sorcery

Honestly, I didn't even know this was a subgenre until I started looking into how many different types of fantasy there was. It's defined as a competent hero that fights their way to victory, often with exciting but violent battles. I feel like this is kind of summed up within the definition of other subgenres, but people like it as it's own thing, so who am I to argue? I could see this being a branch off of either high or low fantasy and even being an offshoot of a more specific subgenre as well. 

Examples: Conan, Game of Thrones, and The Name of the Wind

Dark Fantasy

This type of fantasy doesn't necessarily stem from high or low fantasy. What characterizes dark fantasy is the focus on a creepy atmosphere, rather than violence.

Examples: Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and Fairy Tale

Grimdark Fantasy

Again, grimdark fantasy doesn't require any specific setting as far as real-world or fictional. What makes grimdark grimdark is the overall tone. The setting is usually very grim (hence the term grimdark), the characters consist of anti-heroes, and there is often more violence. 

Examples: Lies of Locke Lamora, The Blade Itself, and The Poppy War

Steampunk Fantasy

Unlike all of the other subgenres, this one doesn't usually have a lot of magic or other fantasy elements in it. Steampunk fantasy is usually an alternative Victorian Era, or sometimes Wild West, setting. There is usually a heavy focus on technology, usually that is steam powered. Based on that, I would consider it a branch off of the low fantasy limb.

Examples: Infernal Devices, Boneshaker, and The Falconer

Science Fantasy

Science fantasy blends the elements of science fiction and fantasy. It tends to have heavy elements of technology, but will often have elements that are not explained by advancing technology and science. I would branch this subgenre off of low fantasy, as well.

Examples: Cinder, The Fifth Season, and This Is How You Lose a Time War

Portal Fantasy

Portal fantasy is kind of like a bridge between high and low fantasy. It is defined by characters traveling from the real world to a fantasy world through, you guessed it, a portal!

Examples: Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pan, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Paranormal Romance

Paranormal romance would be a branch off of low fantasy as they are set in the real world with paranormal characters such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. As the name suggests, romance is also a key plot element.

Examples: Twilight, Vampire Academy, and Beautiful Creatures

Fantasy Romance

Fantasy romance is the romance subgenre that branches off of high fantasy. These books take place in entirely fictional worlds and also have a heavy emphasis on romance. 

Examples: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Shadow and Bone, and From Blood and Ash

Medieval Fantasy/Arthurian Fantasy

Books in this subgenre usually are more high fantasy type books, but they can be set in the real world as well. They are inspired by the Medieval time period and often center around myths and legends.

Examples: The Once and Future King, The Mists of Avalon, and The Farseer Trilogy

Cozy Fantasy

Cozy fantasy is just what it sounds like. Cozy. These books are lighthearted, low stakes, and low violence. The are the perfect palate cleanser after completing an epic fantasy. They are also perfect for if you just aren't into the intense high stakes the other subgenres have but still like to read about magic. This is another subgenre that can branch off of either high or low fantasy.

Examples: House in the Cerulean Sea, Legends and Lattes, and The Goblin Emporer

Fantasy Retellings

Another self-naming subgenre, fantasy retellings are fairy tales and myths reimagined. There is a huge trend right now of doing spicy retellings. 

Examples:  The Song of Achilles, Alice, and A Touch of Darkness

Magic Systems

Whew! That was a lot to get through. Honestly, there are many more subgenres than what I covered here, but I tried to hit the main ones that people like to talk about. Now on to magic systems. Thankfully, this section will be much shorter, as there are essentially two types: hard magic systems and soft magic systems. 

Hard Magic Systems

Hard magic systems have set rules and limitations. The magic is consistent and predictable. It's almost as if there is a scientific formula to how the magic works. By writers choosing to use a hard magic system, the characters will often have problem-solve within their set limitations to overcome obstacles. The reader will also get a deep understanding of the magic system. A strength of this magic system, in my opinion, is that characters cannot just magic themselves out of a situation and magic can't be used to move the plot forward (usually). I like the law and order of hard magic systems.

Examples: Allomancy in Mistborn, Surgebinding in Stormlight Archives, and Coporalki, Etherealki, Materialki in Grishaverse

Soft Magic System

Soft magic systems are the opposite. They typically have few rules, if any, and are used more to inspire awe and wonder. With soft magic systems, there is more sense of mystery than with hard magic. It's also easier to adapt to an ever changing story. Although I can definitely see the pros to soft magic, for me the cons tend to be deal breakers: Soft magic systems often lead to magic being used as a plot device. "Oh no! The character is trapped, but he got out because magic!" This leads to convenient endings, which frustrates me. Another drawback to soft magic systems is inconsistencies. Due to being able to adapt to the story, there are often inconsistencies that just get explained away with a wave of the wand. Personally, I like rules.

Examples: Gandalf's magic in The Lord of the Rings, and Naming in The Kingkiller Chronicles

Hybrid Magic System

I know... I know! I said there were only two sections here. But, there are actually three. The last one is a hybrid magic system. This is when the magic system has rules of what magic can and cannot do, but they are easily and frequently bent, if not flat out broken, to fit the needs of the plot. Then, when the rules of magic change, it's usually explained that suddenly it works because "reasons."

Example: the magic in Harry Potter

Conclusion

Although the definitions of everything above is accurate, some of it (primarily with my tree metophor) is my interpretation. Also, it should be noted that classifying many books as one thing or another is subjective, so if you don't agree with where I classified something, that is totally fine. Some of these subgenres are not ones that I would normally read, so I was at the mercy of Google for giving me recommendations for them. This was meant to be a "brief" rundown of different types of fantasy and different types of magic systems to help you make sense of what people like me are talking about. 

Let me know what you think of posts like this. Love it? Hate it? Want me to do more deep dives into elements of fantasy literature? Let me know in the comments below!

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Title: Midnight for Charlie Bone
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

I purchased this ebook and chose to do an honest and unbiased review.  Jenny Nimmo and Orchard Books neither requested nor are associated with this review.

Goodreads Description:            

A magical fantasy that is fast-paced and easy-to-read. Charlie Bone has a special gift- he can hear people in photographs talking!

The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy.

His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.

Here's What I Thought:

I frequently read YA and really enjoy a lot of those books.  I don't, however, normally read middle grade.  My reason for choosing to read this series is that the books were first released around the time that I would have read middle grade, but the series wasn't complete until I was well past reading this level of book.  I kept pondering the series and needed closure.  Hence, I will be throwing in a book or two of the series every now and then to find out how it all ends.

As I don't typically read middle grade, it's hard for me to fairly review it.  The plot was simplistic. The prose was clunky. Everything happened at a breakneck pace without much explanation of how we got from point A to point B. But as it's a middle grade book, this is exactly what I would expect.  The target age group doesn't have the attention span for a lot of detail. I mentioned in my review for The Dragon Reborn that I never use to have the patience for those lengthy descriptions and elaborations and it wasn't until I got much older that I truly had an appreciation for it. So these complaints make sense.

The other thing that I found myself doing that I just kind of think was funny was that I was identifying more with the adults and critiquing their reactions to children doing incredibly dangerous things.  Like, "Sure! There is nothing wrong with your 10 year old son running around town investigating an eight year old mystery of a stolen baby... That's totally legit parenting!" Or in Benjamin's case, "Yes, it's completely normal that you are pretty much living on your own at 10 years old because your parents seem to work literally 24/7." Needless to say, I did not have that reaction my first time reading this book when I was 11. This isn't so much an issue with the book itself, but just a note on how we really do grow up!

Despite these things, I really did enjoy the book. The magic system is interesting and I really wish it would take more of a center stage.  Those that are endowed with gifts are all descendants of the Red King, a magician with many talents--although his descendants only seem to inherit one gift. Charlie can hear photographs, Billy can talk to animals, Gabriel can feel emotions in clothes, Manfred can hypnotize, and so on. I think the concept of hearing pictures is so interesting because I really haven't seen it anywhere else.  I really hope that future books will expand on this magic system more. I also enjoyed the plot and solving the mystery of what happened to the baby that was traded for a suitcase.

I do think that there were several elements that were borrowed from other popular series such as Harry Potter. Bloor's Academy is essentially Hogwarts that allows muggles as long as they are geniuses. The Matron is a female version of Filch. Although Charlie does have his mother and nice grandmother, Grandma Bone and her sisters treat Charlie similar to how Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia treat Harry.  The only difference here is that Grandma Bone and her sisters treat Charlie like they do in the beginning because they believe him to be normal, whereas Harry is treated the way he is because he is not.  In both series, it boils down to the families not thinking Charlie or Harry are fit to be considered a member of the family (even after Charlie discovers he's endowed). I'm sure there are other similarities as well, but that's what I could think of off the top of my head and I am not trying to do an in-depth analysis.  So, there ya go! There are similarities between the two series. 

I give this book three stars because, although there are some elements that seem to be very Harry Potterish and it seems immature with a simplistic plot, it was exactly what I expected it to be with the bonus of an interesting magic system. And I did enjoy the story itself, as well. Take my review with a grain of salt as I don't normally read middle grade books.  I would recommend it as either a nostalgia read (us 90s babies seem to be all about the nastalgia don't we?) or as a book to read with your kids.

 

Any Thoughts?

What are your favorite nostalgia reads? Is there any book that you will be sure to read to your kids or future kids? I would love to hear what it is! Make sure to drop a comment below!          

About The Author:

Jenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.

She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.

 

Links:

 

http://www.jennynimmo.me.uk/

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

I promised I was going to get more consistent about reviews! I guess this is an improvement from my last hiatus, so I'll call it a success!  The book I am reviewing today is a bit different than my normal fantasy read. Based on a great recommendation from a coworker, I read The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica which is a murder mystery.

Goodreads Description:

She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs.

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.

Here's what I thought:

So, as we know, this is definitely not my typical read, but I was excited to try something new. The book starts off with Sadie and her family moving to Maine for a fresh start after Will's sister committed suicide and left her house to them. It is unclear why they needed a fresh start in the beginning, but you soon find out that Will had an affair and their older son Otto got into some sort of trouble in school, and she was forced to resign at work.  The events in Chicago are slowly revealed through several flashbacks throughout the book.  This is one aspect that kind of drove me crazy throughout the book.  I didn't mind the flashbacks with the backstory, but Kubica would go straight from present events to a flash back with no transition, no page break, no font change, no anything. This made it difficult to discern when a flashback started right away.

While Sadie is moving into their new house and starting her new job and then learning about a horrifying murder that was committed in the small, island town, Sadie is concerned for her family's safety. Especially since their niece, Imogen, who they now have custody of, is less than welcoming to say the least.  And now the neighbor told police that Sadie was seen arguing with Morgan right before the murder, even though Sadie has never even met Morgan.

There are three things we know about Morgan Baines's murder. Her husband was in Japan for business.  Her six year old step daughter found her. Morgan and her step daughter were not close. 

There are three things we know about Sadie. Her husband had an affair. She feels like she is competing with her husband's first fiance that was killed in an accident.  She has mental health issues.

The point of view then shifts to Camille.  It's clear right away that she is the other woman, but it's not clear on how she is entwined with the events happening in Maine as the affair was back into Chicago. One thing I was absolutely sure of though, was she was crazy and definitely a stalker. Camille, I quickly realized was capable of anything and showed little restraint.

Now enter Mouse, a six year old little girl. The first time, we meet Mouse, she is a happy little girl being raised by her father.  When he comes home from a business trip, he has a surprise for her.  As she has always wanted a puppy, she was extremely disappointed to learn that she had a new stepmom.  As Mouse's story unfolds, my heart broke for her after learning the abuse she endured.  This must be Morgan's stepdaughter.  

So we have been introduced to Sadie-the possible suspect, Camille-the other woman, and Mouse-the step daughter. I was also convinced that Morgan had it coming. 

As Kubica spins her tale, I was definitely kept on my toes.  Some twists were predicable, others not so much. She was able to tell the story from three view points and weave them together flawlessly--until the end.  I don't want to spoil it, so I will leave out the specific reason that I was irritated about the ending.  Kubica wonderfully painted a picture of someone struggling with mental health issues, but by the end, she she used a solution that is highly debated within the mental health field. I work as a psych nurse and have asked numerous psychologists and psychiatrists their opinion on the twist and even psychiatrists that have been in the field for 40+ years have never seen or heard of it happening.  It took a lot of the believability out of the story for me which really disappointed me as I was enjoying the book so much. 

It is for that reason and that reason alone that I give this book 4 stars. Outside of that one twist, it was truly a great book and despite it, I highly recommend it.  The only reason it bothered me so much is that I work in the field. Anyone else wouldn't even pick up on it. 
 
                                       

Any thoughts?

Have you read The Other Mrs.?  Do you agree? Disagree?  Maybe you just want to talk about it a bit more.  I would love to hear from you

About the Author

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many novels. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. Mary lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children.                                                               

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title:  The Diviners
Author:  Libba Bray
Genre:  Fantasy/Mystery/Historical/YA

Goodreads Description:

 Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Here's What I Thought:
This book took me a while to read, but that was due to life in general and not the book. The book starts off with an unnamed girl's birthday party where she brought out a Ouija board as a joke to liven up her party.  That is when Naughty John is introduced and he speaks of the Whore of Babylon.  The scene wasn't terrifying by any means, but it was definitely creepy.  After the party goers summon Naughty John, we find that there is an observer outside the window.  The wind.  You follow the wind through the city and into an old mansion that was once elegant and beautiful.  The wind feels the evil presence that now inhabits the house come back to life.  The wind wants to warn the people of the coming evil. But, it's just the wind, and no one listens to the wind.

This was one of the best personifications I have ever read.  For just that moment, the wind was a sentient being. It's thoughts as it was going through the old house felt as real as my own.  It's fear was almost palpable.  I wanted to draw special attention to this scene for this exact reason.  Not very many authors carry out a personification for several paragraphs, and even fewer can do such a beautiful job.  It was one of my favorite scenes.

From there, the story is told from the perspective of Evie, Theta, Henry, Sam, Jericho, Mabel, and Memphis.  Evie has the ability to read objects and see the owner's secrets.  Theta has a mysterious past with a dark secret that makes her different. Henry does not fit into the social norms of the Roarin' 20s. Sam is probably the best pick-pocket of all time due to his own unique abilities.  Jericho has a secret that he is afraid to reveal out of fear of what his friends will think.  Mabel is a normal girl with Socialist parents that are too consumed with organizing protest to pay attention to their only daughter.  Finally, Memphis was a healer who failed when it mattered most.

In a world of speakeasies, bootleggers, and flappers, a horrible string of murders has been taking place and they seem to be occult related.  Ms. Bray takes the reader on an adventure through Manhattan and down to Coney Island and even to the backwoods of upstate New York.  The story is filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing. The mystery of the murders, as well as the mysteries around the characters themselves, are unraveled a little at a time.  At the same time, a bigger mystery is beginning to unfold.  There are hints of a storm coming.  Things are happening.  The spirits are becoming restless.  The Diviners will be needed.

Ms. Bray kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. There were plenty of light moments to offset the dark ones.  It's technically a YA book, but murder mystery fans of all ages would find this book enjoyable.  It is obvious from the writing, that she had logged a lot of hours of research in order to create this beautiful, dark world. My only complaint is that I wish Henry and Mabel would have gotten a little more attention.

Just like any book, there is a romance that begins to form.  As of this first book, the romance is just lightly sprinkled through, rather than upfront and center-stage.  I really like this.  I don't mind romance, but I really don't care to read a romance novel.  I just hope that the future books continue to keep it as a loose story arch and it doesn't overtake the story like other authors have done with romances.

The Diviners is the first book in the series and, even with so many questions answered, I still have many, many questions that remain.  I cannot WAIT to read the second book, Lair of Dreams.  However, that must wait as I have other book commitments that I must attend to first.  I highly recommend anyone looking for a murder mystery filled with suspense to pick this one up today.

Any Thoughts?
Have you read The Diviners? Let's chat! I would love to hear what your favorite moments are! Are you more of a Sam fan or a Jericho fan?  Leave your comments below.

About The Author:

What is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.

I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.

But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?

God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.


TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray

1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.

2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .

3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.

4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.

5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.

6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.

7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.

8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.

9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.

10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.

Links:
http://libbabray.com/
libbabray