The Wee Free Men Group Read for #MarchMagics

Welcome to our first MarchMagics group read -- THE WEE FREE MEN! Crivens! Though this is the 30th Discworld novel our beloved Sir Terry wrote, it is the first in the Tiffany Aching series and is a fresh take on that also-beloved world. It is billed as a YA series but I feel it is very different in tone to his children's books and fits more with his adult work. It is a story of danger and bravery, complex relationships and motives, and, yes, very ridiculous humor.

Since the plot of this first book is pretty straightforward (fairy queen steals child, protagonist comes to the rescue), how about we talk about the stellar characters today?

One thing that stands out immediately is the fact that Tiffany is only nine years old, doesn't know about her powers, and yet is already super amazing. She's a productive member of the Aching family, making the butter and cheese. She's a babysitter who takes her annoying little brother Wentworth on walks and even sometimes giving him sweeties. She's educated -- at least a basket of produce and a dozen eggs worth! And she's even a matriarch ... well, for a couple of days at least. She's a great protagonist because she's interesting from the start but, because she's so young, has SO much room to grow.

Then there are the titular Wee Free Men. They are thieves and fighters but also have the biggest hearts inside their tiny bodies. And how about that Scots dialect that the Nac Mac Feegles use? I kind of love when a book makes me read out loud inside my head to understand it. And, as Jean just found out, it also makes the audiobook version, read by the inimitable Stephen Briggs, AMAZING.

And, finally, there is the larger-than-life character who isn't even there anymore -- Granny Aching. Her influence on Tiffany, the entirety of the Chalk, and the supernatural world beyond is incalculable. I think the fact that Tiffany didn't even realize she was a witch proved she was one of the strongest ones possible. And yet she did it all as a "simple" solitary shepherdess, whose smoking habit seems a bit gross and whose belief in the medicinal uses of turpentine is horrifying.

So, if you read or reread along this month or even have read it in the past, what are your thoughts on the characters of THE WEE FREE MEN? Share them or any links to your own posts below!

Listening to the toad,

K

Postscript: Remember to observe a moment of silence on Tuesday (12 March), as we again mourn the far-too-early departure of Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE.

New Releases: Slay and School for Psychics

I wanted to do a couple of quick mentions for some new releases I've read recently. They are both series books so be forewarned!

Slay by Matthew Laurence is the sequel to last year's Freya and it's darker but just as fun of an adventure with the Norse goddess in modern times. This one focuses on Freya, Sekhmet, and Nathan (Freya's high priest) and takes place mostly in Los Angeles and San Francisco. It explores a lot of unique situations of love, fame, and friendship. It still has a corporation as the big baddie but there are little foes as well.

School for Psychics by K.C. Archer is the first in a new series and it also features a kick-ass female lead but a lot of the action happens inside Teddy's head, as you can probably guess from the title. She is an outsider who knows she's different but isn't quite sure how until she is recruited to attend a government training academy for psychics. The Institute turns out to be the place where she can not only explore what power lies inside her but also discover more about her mysterious past.

These two books are actually quite similar in that they seem tailor-made to be turned into movies. They're both vivid and fast-paced with enough action, drama, and hookups to attract key demographics. But, as books, they're perfect summer/vacation reads so I suggest picking them up and having some fun!

Celebrating extraordinary girl powers,
K

New Release: Truly Devious

I don't have a lot to say about Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson because it pretty much delivers what is on the jacket but I wanted to be sure to mention it in case anyone was looking for a YA read that

- is set in a New England boarding school
     - for super smart and talented kids
     - juniors and seniors only so that they are all old enough to hook up
- is a murder mystery inspired by the classics
     - multiple murders actually
     - and a very long-term missing person case
- has entitled divas
     - and tentative introverts
     - and a girl detective
- has a manor house
     - with an attic!
     - and secret passages!
- ends in a heinous cliffhanger so that you will be DYING for the sequel to come out ASAP.

If any of those things interest you, don't miss this one. I read it just about as fast as humanly possible and can't wait for the rest of the story!

Briefly,
K

Graphic Readathon Gems

During last weekend's Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon, I chose to read three YA graphic novels that all coincidentally ended up being about diversity, self-acceptance, and friendship. They are all also from the stellar publisher First Second Books (not coincidentally since they're review copies that I received at various times). I highly recommend all three!

The first is a new release -- Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol. This is a semi-autobiographical story based on Brosgol's own childhood as a Russian immigrant in the U.S. Vera has trouble finding her place with her American peers and thinks that the Russian camp that a fellow Orthodox churchgoer attends will be the place that she finally feels at home. Of course, things don't go quite as expected and Vera has to decide if she wants to be popular or be herself.

The second is also from this year and it is The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. This one tells of Frances, a young but up-and coming dressmaker and designer who gains a very influential but secretive customer -- Prince Sebastian, who ventures out at night in his mother's cast-off dresses and a wig -- the clothing in which he feels most comfortable. Once he hires Frances, he creates his Lady Crystallia persona and gains confidence because he is clothed in such beautiful dresses. Of course, obstacles come up that threaten the happiness of both characters and so we must watch as they go through both the good and bad consequences of being different.

American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, is from 2006 and it begins as three separate stories--one modern, one ancient, and one seemingly fictional--that come together to provide a story about accepting oneself as a member of multiple cultures.

Each of these stories left me feeling like I understood someone a bit better and, through that, would be able to more easily consider other people's stories in the future. And, as some of the biggest challenges facing our nation right now are due to the intolerance shown by those who are unable to understand or consider the stories of others, be they different in lifestyle or culture, it is essential to get books like these into the hands of young readers. I will be setting them out for my teenaged son and nieces to explore this summer.

Still growing and learning,
K

The Broken Lands

I can't even begin to find a way to explain Kate Milford's The Broken Lands to you. It's a prequel to Boneshaker and has a minor character from that book in a medium-sized role. It happens in late-19th century New York City and has card sharps, Chinese fireworks experts, devils, demons, and magic. It's such an amazing and perilous world and I absolutely loved it. There are also real cultural issues and complex war musings. It's another one of those books that has no target age group. It has elements of the fantasy, horror, adventure, and coming-of-age genres and is simply another amazing Milford story.

The coolest news this week was that Bluecrowne, an early Kickstarted story by Milford, has been updated and is being rereleased this October. It's a bridge between the Greenglass House world and the Boneshaker one and I cannot wait for it. I will be more than happy to reread everything this summer before this new adventure comes out.

All about this world,

K

New Release: Jane, Unlimited

Jane, Unlimited is the latest by Kristin Cashore, of Graceling fame. Although she spells her name wrong, she sure knows how to tell a compelling story.

The beginning: Jane is an uber-orphan, first losing her parents when she was two and then losing her aunt/guardian recently during her first year of college. She is grieving and adrift so, when invited to a unique island home by a former tutor, Jane leaves her life behind and heads to Tu Reviens. Almost from the first moment they arrive, she begins to sense (and investigate) the mysteries unfurling around her.

The twist: What follows are five different stories stemming from a single choice, a full set of alternate realities.

I don't think I can even begin to tell you anything else about this book because my brain hurts when I try to put it into a nice little pigeonhole in my mental library. This is a story with many genres and I found them all equally strong. The only thing I hoped for as I read was more romance because I liked Jane best when she was considering love and/or attraction. I wrote a little bit after I finished Bitterblue, the final book in the Graceling trilogy, and one sentence just stood out to me as I looked back: "It was harder to side with Bitterblue when she was being irrational or petulant but then a learning experience would happen and she would win me over again." This is almost EXACTLY how I felt about Jane too! She had a tendency to blurt without thinking first, to ask impertinent questions, or to be downright rude and I would get annoyed by her only to have a personal revelation or a discovery bring me right back to her side as an ally. Also, her hobby was making umbrellas which I couldn't get enough of for some reason. Anyway, if you aren't sure about genre fiction and need a unique story that lets you dip your toes in it, pick this one up!

Ready to reread already,
K

#RIPXII Book 1: Ash and Quill

Third in The Great Library series, Rachel Caine keeps upping the stakes for our young Library initiates and Ash and Quill is a ridiculously stressful, entirely readable entry in the series. For those still unfamiliar with it, the alternate universe premise is that the Great Library at Alexandria was never burned and a global civilization that venerated learning was established. But, of course, eventually the leaders started caring more about power than anything else. The first book starts with a group of young initiates who quickly bond as they start to uncover injustices and irregularities within The Library. I don't know how long this series is going to be but if Caine keeps up the character maturation, the high-stakes action, and the unadulterated bookishness, I'll stay on board for at least a few more books!

( I wrote a bit more about the first two books last year.)

Sharing this book instead of hiding it,
K

Friends With Boys

One of the graphic novels that I enjoyed the most this past Readathon was Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks. Maggie, the lovely girl on the cover, is the youngest of four kids. Just like her three older brothers, she was homeschooled until high school by her mom. The difference now is that her mother, finally done with raising her kids, has gone away to live her own life. So Maggie starts high school with no friends, a police chief father, and, well, a ghost lady from the nearby graveyard as her protector.

This was just such a great story. There were parts with no words that didn't need them --

because Maggie's face was so expressive. There were parts of the story that were so perfectly high school --

like the random enthusiasm of Lucy for this old museum piece. There was the hint of supernatural stuff, which I love, but most of it was honest emotion and high school-type happenings. I rarely reread graphic novels but this is one that I'm already looking forward to revisiting later.

Making a new book friend,
K

A College of Magics

One of the benefits of book shopping online is the little "based on this title, you might like" strip that comes up across the bottom of a page. I had one of these pop up during a recent Powell's visit and was recommended A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer. She is one of the co-authors of Sorcery and Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and also of a lovely short story that I read in the Queen Victoria's Book of Spells collection (with Ellen Kusher, whose group effort Tremontaine I'm reading right now!). I had never read one of her solo books though but figured I couldn't go wrong, especially by grabbing a used copy of this out-of-print book. Well, you can probably guess how this went ... LOVE.

I was just trying to write up a regular plot summary but it sounded so stupid and flat compared to the actual story. The back of the book makes it sound like a boarding school tale, which it admittedly is at the start. But there are three parts to the story and the second two are full of real life and high stakes adventures. Faris, the main character, is a couple years from coming of age at the beginning of the story and has an "evil" uncle who is ruling her country of Galazon until she is 21. And the school? It seems like a normal finishing school but the girls who excel there are those that are able to use magic. But do they teach magic at the school? Not really. It's just theoretical instruction and then innate ability just kind of takes over by the time the young women are ready to leave. Faris hates it at first but then finds friends and loves it and then, of course, is pulled out early by her evil uncle, but not before things go totally wonky with her nemesis, Menary.

And then once she leaves and heads toward Galazon by way of Paris, the adventures/perils begin, with real consequences for Faris, her companions, and her enemies. Some of the things that happen are actually quite intense. The back of the book says "ages 10 and up" but there are some violent things that happen that seem more appropriate for a slightly older kid. I say this because the intensity did something to me, the adult reader. During the days I was reading this book I was tense and stressed and had to keep getting back to it. The world felt so real and Faris's eventual mission so important that I ended up speeding through the almost 500 pages of story. Then the ending was so unexpected, so outside of normal children's fiction norms, that I ended up in awe of Stevermer and her feminist ideals.

As this book was first published in 1994, did any of you read it as a kid/teen? I'm really curious how a young reader would actually handle some of the things that happen in the story. Also, I would LOVE to see this book made into a film. In the meantime, I'll just search out more of Stevermer's books and collaborations and enjoy her fabulous worlds!

Always looking for more magic,
K

New Release: Yearbook

Paul Dry Books, an independent press in Philadelphia, kindly sent this book that I couldn't resist since it is set in the Puget Sound region and takes place in 1996, the year I moved to Washington state at the tender age of 21. Yearbook by Jesse Edward Johnson follows a small group of friends through their senior year of high school, focusing mostly on Lester Smith -- smart aleck, Milton fanatic, and Ramones addict. Lester is chock full of problems, the largest of which is that his father abandoned his family, and he takes many of his frustrations out on the young new AP Humanities teacher, Jeff Traversal. The only thing that he has any interest in at all during the school day is yearbook class. But when a tyrannical temporary principal threatens the quality of that bastion of high school memories, Les and friends must do some pretty daring things to rescue their legacy.

Though there were a couple of far-fetched things that happened, for the most part this was a ridiculously accurate representation of life in the 90s as a wayward teen. This meant that there were times that I was completely frustrated with Les and his stubborn, wrong-headed decisions but I also intensely felt his reasoning (or lack thereof) for the things he chose to do. His relationship with his freshman sister was familiar (I had the same age spacing with one of my brothers) as were his few but close friendships. Overall, this is a coming-of-age story that has real heart and honesty and I'm glad it found its way to me.

Keeping in touch and not letting the man get me down,
K

Spill Zone and Decelerate Blue, or YA Dystopian Graphic Novels Are Harsh

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you saw that I read a nice stack of graphic novels and comics during this last Saturday's 24-Hour Readathon. Two of them were dystopians and they've both stuck with me for days.

Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland have created Spill Zone, which actually comes out today from First Second. It's about Addison and her little sister Lexa, two of the survivors of a horrible something that happened in Poughkeepsie, New York. They now live alone/together in a cordoned-off area just outside the abandoned not-exactly-a-ghost-town. Lexa doesn't speak and Addison financially supports them by sneaking back into town and taking pictures of the derelict buildings and frightful creatures -- but never the people who have been left behind, the ones who hang almost-lifeless in the air with creepily glowing eyes.

In a time where we now have to face the possible prospect of nuclear war, a town that has been destroyed by some sort of bizarre radioactive substance is not the easiest subject to read about. But Addison's story is compelling, Lexa's is perplexing, and this book definitely will leave readers yearning to know what happens next. I did have to tell Z (almost 13) that he couldn't read this book. He asked if it was because of blood but, no, it was because of the super high amount of foul language. It seemed entirely appropriate for the plot and the characters but it's not something I would put in front of a tween or younger teen. This one definitely skews older YA or adult even.

A few weeks ago I got a surprise package from First Second with YA graphic novels in it. One of them was Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallaro, a beautiful book with blue edges and black and white art. It's about a future where nothing matters but speed and brevity. All food is preprocessed, all books and films are condensed. Even language is as brief as possible. Lives are run by a corporation and, as you can guess, not everyone is thrilled about this. Angela is only in high school but she already knows that this life isn't for her. She wants something different and she finds it by accident when she stumbles into the lair of the resistance.

The beginning of this book seriously had me stressed! The frantic conversations, each sentence of which ends with the word "Go", made me feel rushed and irritated. Angela's frustrations came through clearly, as did her immediate relief once she found the resistance. The ending was heartbreaking but the ultimate message of appreciating each moment balanced that out somewhat. As some of us participate in small rebellions and resistances of our own these days, this book seems particularly relevant.

Speaking up today to keep these from being our tomorrows,

K

New Releases: Traveler and Freya

I wanted to get a couple of reviews written before March Magics so today you get two YA new releases --

Traveler by L.E. DeLano was released a couple of weeks ago and is the story of Jessa, a girl who is having very vivid dreams of a boy that she doesn't even know. When she finally sees him one day in real life, she isn't quite sure how to react -- especially because moments later, he saves her from certain death. It turns out that the boy, Finn, is from an alternate reality and can travel through mirrors. He's come to tell Jessa that she can do the same ... and that Jessas in other realities are being killed. Whether he can save her in this world depends on if she can trust him and figure out who is out to get her and why.

This book is part of Feiwel and Friends' Swoon Reads crowdsourced imprint. I'm glad that DeLano finally got her chance to be published because this was a compelling story. I loved the idea of travelling to parallel universes by trading places with the "you" in that place. The peril in the story seemed real, the mystery was complex, and the characters with disabilities or struggles were portrayed honestly but with sensitivity. I especially appreciated that a variety of kids were shown who were on the autism spectrum because it is indeed a spectrum. I did have a bit of trouble siding with Jessa because she was all over the place and not always in a tolerable way. Also, there was no indication until the very last moments that this was going to be the start of a series and it had very little closure. It seemed like the middle of one big story instead of the end of the first chapter of that tale, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure if I will look for the next book in the series but I did enjoy reading this one overall.

Freya by Matthew Laurence will be out in mid-March (but I'll be busy then so I'm mentioning it early) and is pretty much an intersection between one of my favorite books, American Gods, and one of my favorite t.v. shows, The Librarians. As you can guess from the title, this is the story of Freya, Norse goddess of love and war, and where she is now -- a mental hospital in Orlando, Florida. She's been hiding out voluntarily for decades, weakened from a lack of belief and weary from being around for a thousand years. She still has value to someone though because a man shows up, offering her strength and believers, if she will only come and use her skills to help the corporation he works for. She refuses and immediately becomes a target for destruction. Her only chances for survival are the acquisition of a high priest, Nathan (who she abducts from the hospital), and the will to overcome her own godly nature.

With just a few iffy descriptions (ie., lots of throwing around of the word "crazy" at the beginning of the story in the hospital) that may have gotten fixed before the final version, this story was incredibly fun and action-packed. Freya a.k.a. Sara was a great main character and I really enjoyed exploring her inner self. The tie-ins to Walt Disney World were amusing and the other gods were varied and interesting. Even the villains had some depth to their characters, which made for a more satisfying read. There was also a nice mix of magic and technology, of ancient and modern.

And unlike in the other book, it became apparent at just the right time in this story that it was the first in a series and I couldn't be happier. Laurence could only introduce so many gods in this book and there are many more that I'm now dying to see in a modern setting. I also wouldn't mind if this got picked up and made into a movie because there are so many strong females and good magic and action in it! However, I would want Freya to be played as a curvy and beautiful size-10, the way she is described in the story, and not as the svelte girl the publisher chose to put on the cover. (Sorry, svelte girl.)

Transporting and transfiguring,

K

New Release: The Book Jumper

I know I'm posting a lot at the moment but I just checked the release date on this gem and it's TODAY in the US and I wanted to make sure that I helped spread the word about this fantastic new YA novel.

When I needed a book to get me happily reading again in early December, I spotted Mechthild Gläser's The Book Jumper on my review stack and couldn't resist the beautiful cover and intriguing title. Well, the premise is exactly what you might think it would be. Amy Lennox and her mother have had some tough times in Germany and so they retreat to the family estate on the island of Stormsay, a fictional Shetland Island off the coast of Scotland. What Amy doesn't know before going is that both the Lennox family and the other ancient family on the island, the Macalisters, while teens, can enter the book world and they have charged themselves with maintaining order and the integrity of the stories. Amy's grandmother sends her right off to book jumping lessons which she takes to immediately. At these lessons, she meets Betsy and Will Macalister and they all get involved in a mystery that is emerging both on the island and in the world of fiction. Who is stealing ideas and items from stories and why did the thief kill Sherlock Holmes?

Though you might be familiar with the idea of book jumping from Jasper Fforde's stellar Thursday Next series, its use in this story still feels fresh and unique. Amy is a girl damaged by bullying and she is more than ready to escape into fiction. The book world is fun for her but quickly becomes dangerous, just as the happenings in the real world become more mysterious and unexpected. It's a fantasy YA that still explores some very real issues.  I enjoyed just about everything about this book even though parts were bittersweet. I hope that more readers fall in love with it the way I have!

Trying to jump for the millionth time,

K

#RIPXI: 1, Ghostly Echoes

I have a goal to review each RIP book I read this season the day I finish it (or the next day if it's late) so that I don't end up with a backlog. And yes, I already finished my first book -- Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter, third book in the Jackaby series. I actually reread the second book right before so I was totally in the mood to spend more time with R.F. Jackaby, supernatural detective, and his apprentice, Miss Abigail Rook. I really love this pairing. Jackaby is definitely a Sherlock-like character but he knows his limitations. While he is a Seer and can see things like auras and spiritual residues, he knows that this causes him to overlook the more mundane but just as important details. Abigail is perfect at spotting these things and quickly seeing their value. This book ends right in the middle of the overarching storyline so if you want to wait until the fourth (and final, I believe) book is published, feel free. But if you just can't wait to read about creatures, ghosts, mad scientists, and peril in nineteenth-century New England, by all means, pick up this series ASAP!

I read the first book, Jackaby, for RIP in 2014 --

I loved, loved, loved this book. It has some of everything and it is all brought together in an interesting and fun way. Jackaby is smart and amusing and Abigail is brave and also intelligent. But what I loved most is that they still needed each other. Their world views are very different but they are definitely complementary.

-- and reread Jackaby and read Beastly Bones for RIP last year.

With a smart and secretly caring detective and a strong and capable female assistant, these stories are a pleasure to read. The crimes are bloody and the climaxes are explosive but everything is tempered with a bit of humor and romance, which makes these my ideal RIP books.

This series is definitely one of my favorite new traditions and I know I'll be rereading them over the years.

Straining to see,
K

Do Not Miss: The Great Library Series

I've spent a lot of this summer searching for fun, escapist reads and I stumbled across Rachel Caine's Great Library series. It's an alternate history YA dystopia full of forbidden knowledge and peril and a wee bit of romance.

The first book in the series is Ink and Bone, the story of Jess Brightwell, a book smuggler from London who earns a place in the newest group of Great Library trainees. The Great Library (in Alexandria -- it never burned) is the ruling force of the world, keeping books and knowledge under lock and key, doling out only what they deem safe and in the best interests of the Library. Shortly, Jess and some of his fellow postulants will discover that their best interests might not be those that the Library has always dictated to them.

Picking up right where the first book left off, Paper and Fire follows Jess and friends as they become scholars, soldiers, and captives. However, the more information that they are exposed to, the more they are determined to help the Library become what it should be--a beacon of light and knowledge--rather than a scary, totalitarian regime.

I sped through these books. Seriously. I couldn't read them fast enough. They're chock-full of excitement, but excitement that has secret depth and some important themes about why we should value free-flowing information and ideas. The relationships are complex and no character seems off-bounds for disaster. I've already been shocked a few times, both by current actions and about revelations from the past.

I don't know how long this series is going to be but I'm a bit bummed that this second book JUST came out because I'm dying to know what is going to happen next!

Feeling the burn,
K

The Apothecary Series

After hours of walking around my neighborhood (not all at once!), I've finally just finished listening to the third book in the Apothecary trilogy by Maile Meloy. Since I walked through all of these books in just a couple of months, I can talk about them together today!

First of all, I highly recommend the audiobooks, narrated by Cristin Milioti. She is so good at doing the various voices that sometimes I would forget that it wasn't an ensemble performance. The Apothecary follows Janie Scott, a young American in 1952 whose family has fled to London after her Hollywood writer parents become targets of the McCarthy-era Communist witch hunt. She meets a boy at school, Benjamin, who happens to be the son of the kind apothecary near her new home. What Janie doesn't know is that Benjamin's father isn't a regular shopkeeper and that she and Benjamin are about to become tangled up in a race against time and the threat of nuclear war. Luckily, they have the weapons of science and nature to fight the poison the Russians are preparing to unleash on the world.

The first two books in the series fit together perfectly, with The Apprentices continuing the fight against those who are attempting to escalate the Cold War toward a nuclear end. In this book, however, Janie and Benjamin have been separated and are trying to find each other again. Janie is fighting against her need to prove herself and Benjamin is simply focused on reuniting with her.

And finally, in The After-Room, the teens have to deal with the consequences of their actions in this dark tale of loss. But, whereas the first two stories are based on the idea that there is a secret association of apothecaries/scientists/herbalists who understand the power of science and nature in such a way that it seems that they can do magic, the third part all of a sudden brings in real magic with no explanation. It was a very strange direction for the story to take and I didn't enjoy it as much as the original premise. However, I still highly recommend this trilogy, although for a slightly older reader than the middle grade audience it's marketed toward. Some parts are very dark and violent and there's a lot of relationship stuff that I'm not sure 10 year olds need to be reading about.

Believing in the magic of nature,
K

RIP X: 10, Jackaby and 11, Beastly Bones

With Beastly Bones being released this month, I couldn't help but reread Jackaby as well because William Ritter has created a fascinating world of strange magic and malevolent creatures, part Sherlock Holmes, part Doctor Who. (I know it says this same thing in the cover copy but I swear that it is true. You will find yourself thinking of both as you read.) With a smart and secretly caring detective and a strong and capable female assistant, these stories are a pleasure to read. The crimes are bloody and the climaxes are explosive but everything is tempered with a bit of humor and romance, which makes these my ideal RIP books.

My review of Jackaby was actually posted a year ago tomorrow and I would be immensely pleased if Ritter could keep to this brisk schedule as he releases successive books in the series. I wouldn't mind total series rereads every October!

Under a spell,
K

The Tiffany Aching Novels

I have been slowly working my way through Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and hadn't yet gotten to the Tiffany Aching books. (The entire world is broken down into smaller series and these are the later books in the Witches sub-series.) However, since I knew the final Discworld novel (and Pratchett's final book ... sob!), was coming out in October, I decided to catch up beforehand so that I could cheer/grieve with everyone else. I started at the beginning of August with The Wee Free Men and fell instantly in love with not only the main character, Tiffany Aching, but with almost every side character as well. Then, about every two weeks, I picked up another of these books (or audiobooks) -- going from A Hat Full of Sky to Wintersmith to I Shall Wear Midnight and then finishing with The Shepherd's Crown on the morning of Readathon.

I can't say enough good things about this series. The characters, many of whom are witches, are interesting and smart and complex. The plots are exciting and unique while being nestled in a coming-of-age master plot. The audiobooks, read by Stephen Briggs, are wonderful. (To be honest, having the audiobook helps a lot with understanding the Scottish-like brogue of the Nac Mac Feegle.) Through the series I laughed (a lot), gasped, and even cried.

These books are listed as YA but I really think that's only because Tiffany herself is a tween/teen throughout the series. I didn't notice much difference between the writing in these books and in the other eight Discworld books I've read so far. If you are new to this series, the Tiffany Aching books aren't a bad place to start either.

I will absolutely be buying my own copies of these five books for my personal library. I plan to reread them often as I continue working my way through the approximately three dozen other Discworld novels that I haven't yet had the pleasure to read.

Until we meet again,
K

RIP X: 1, The Madness Underneath

I kicked off my RIP reading this year with The Madness Underneath, second in the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson. The third book is already out and this is definitely not a trilogy (according to those who have read it). So, I'm not going to talk much about plot here because this is one of those series that build from book to book. The basics though are these: Aurora, Rory for short, has moved from Louisiana to London and has enrolled at a posh boarding school. Soon after she arrives, she almost dies when she chokes at meal time. This leads to her being able to see ghosts which, as you can probably guess, leads to nothing but trouble.

This second book is comparable to the first though the plot has moved on past the Jack the Ripper plotline. For some reason, Rory bugged me more in this one, making blatantly bad decisions and acting in nobody's best interests. Still, one feels for her and can only imagine what it would be like to be thrown into ridiculously fantastical and perilous situations in an unfamiliar place as a majorly hormonal teenager. I'll keep reading the series but I'm going to get the next book from the library rather than buying it. I think this is a one-time-through kind of series for me.

Avoiding the cracks,
K

Cleaning the Slate: A Bunch of Quick Reviews

This is the stack of books that has been sitting next to my computer and growing, waiting for reviews to be written. I'm tired of looking at it and stressing about writing back reviews so you are going to get a quick rundown of these books. If there are any you would like more thoughts about, just let me know!

Starting from the bottom with the ones I read in ... gulp ... February --

Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan
My notes on this book say "not special but solid". If you want to read a wonderful book of this type (dual narrative in time), read Kate Morton. Her mysteries are much more spectacular and shocking. If you've already read all of Morton's books and can't wait until the new one in October, then pick this one up this summer!

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
I hated every character in this book. I hated their personalities and I hated the things they did. But it was such a well-written book that I couldn't take my eyes off the train wreck! This one ranks toward the bottom of Sarah Waters' books for me but it was still quite readable and I could imagine rereading it at some point.

The Suicide Shop by Jean Teulé
Wow. This novella about a shop run by a French family that sells methods for committing suicide blew my mind and broke my heart. Black humor followed by utter blackness. I loved it but the ending turned that love to hate in less than a handful of words. This is one book where you just can't read the end first. It would taint your entire reading experience. And now everyone wants to pick it up and read those words, right? But I promise you, you will ruin everything. Just go find this one and read it (or don't if you don't want your heart broken into a million pieces).

My Real Children by Jo Walton
My first Jo Walton fiction! Finally! It blew my mind. The premise is that an aging woman in a memory care facility has clear memories of two entirely different lives, hinging on the moment she decided to marry a man or not. She has different children, different partners, and a really different life experience based on that one decision. I loved this thought experiment and I loved Walton's writing. I will probably read more by her this year.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Bottom line, if you loved Seraphina, you will love Shadow Scale. It's a really different story from the first but the amazing characters are still there and there are super crazy things that happen (both good and bad). This is only a two-book set so it's not a lot of time-investment from start to finish. Just know that both books are a bit slow at the start but their overall thoughtfulness is ultimately a strength.

The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing
I hadn't read any noir lately so I grabbed this one. It was not great. A lot of the prose was ham-fisted, the ending was too ambiguous, and the characters were completely one-dimensional. This wasn't the worst book I've ever read but I wouldn't ever read it again.

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
I'm just going to mention this here because I really want to do a full post on it soon. Bottom line: it's a much deeper book than it looks like from the outside!

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
This was an unexpectedly great book. I have only read Until You Reach Me and I loved that but this one was so different, I wasn't sure. It was so much packed into a very small book. I don't want to spoil anything about it but the basic premise is that a family moves from their house into an apartment building and the son meets a very strange friend there. Gah. That is such a sterile description but this story was anything but. Just trust me and read it. It's another quickie!

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville
This was one of my planned rereads for this year and I'm glad I took the time for it. I had forgotten so much about it but just knew that I really liked it the first time. Well, I did again! If you're wondering what type of book it is, his acknowledgements at the end say it all --

"As always, I'm indebted to too many writers to list, but particularly important to this book are Joan Aiken, Clive Barker, Lewis Carroll, Norton Juster, Michael de Larrabeiti, Tanith Lee, Walter Moers and Beatrix Potter. Particular thanks are due to Neil Gaiman for generous encouragement and for his indispensable contributions to London phantasmagoria, especially Neverwhere."

If those names are on your list of favorite authors, you will probably love this book too. I wish that Miéville would write another children's book. If it was set in Un-London, I wouldn't mind either.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
I picked this one up for a lot of reasons. One was magic. Another was alternate Londons. Finally, there was a bit of fangirlishness about it out there that I couldn't resist. What I wasn't expecting was just how action-packed and truly dark this book is. I was frequently shocked at violent events and the fact that no character was safe from peril. I look forward to reading the second book in the series later this year!

My next post will be kicking off the readathon on Saturday morning. If you haven't signed up yet and want to join over 1200 people that are reading together for 24 hours, go get the deets on the Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon site!

Breathing a bit easier,
K