Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Anansi Boys is a fantasy novel by English writer Neil Gaiman. In the novel, "Mr. Nancy" — an incarnation of the West African trickster god Anansi — dies, leaving twin sons, who in turn discover one another's existence after being separated as young children. The novel follows their adventures as they explore their common heritage. Although it is not a sequel to Gaiman's previous novel American Gods, the character of Mr. Nancy appears in both books.

Anansi Boys was published on 20 September 2005 and was released in paperback on 1 October 2006. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won both the **Locus Award** and the **British Fantasy Society Award** in 2006.

Let no one say that Neil Gaiman is not the king of urban fantasy. Certainly, Anansi Boys does nothing to bring his title under dispute; however, as a fan of American Gods, I found myself missing the darker, grittier tone of the latter. Anansi Boys is excellent, but will not meet the expectations of readers looking for American Gods redux.

This was a re-read just because I adore the Lenny Henry audiobook, and BBC just released a radio play based on the book, with all sorts of awesome actors, including Lenny! Wanted to refresh my memory before listening to that.

This was every bit as fun as I remembered. I have so much affection for Charlie, and love how his character develops. But all the characters are delightful, from the mischievous Anansi to the odious Grahame Coats; from the earnest and fun Daisy (Evildoers beware!) to Rosie's mum, who lives on vitaminized water, rye crackers, and spite (but turns out pretty awesome in her own way).

If you've ever enjoyed Brer Rabbit or Bugs Bunny, or if you've ever wondered what your personal theme song was, or if you just love stories, go read this! (Or better yet, let Lenny read it to you.)