I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

Flavia de Luce is back and it's Christmas at Buckshaw and there is a film crew on site and a baby is born (it is CHRISTMAS after all) and of course, someone is murdered...

This might have been my favourite of the four so far - the relationship between Flavia and her sisters is expanded just enough to make me feel better about it. Flavia is still quite isolated and I'd love to see her make some friends. We learn a little bit more about Dogger - was he a medic during the war? Flavia sets off the most spectacular fireworks display. Buckshaw might be saved from creditors by Shakespeare, but will it? And maybe Santa Claus delivered some amazing chemistry supplies to Flavia.

I can't wait for book five...

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

This was also a one day read - I really liked the idea of the book...a teenaged girl leaves a diary in a used bookstore and dares a male reader to go on a little scavenger hunt. They go back and forth with the diary until they finally meet...I'm a nerd and that would totally have appealed to me as teenager. Heck, even as an adult it would appeal...I love the choas and disaster that happens. And when the book ended, I kind of wanted to know what happened next...

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Princess of the Midnight Ball is The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I wasn't sure how the fairy tale would be extended to novel length, but I really like how Jessica Day George did it. I don't have a whole lot to say about this book, but I am planning to read the others - I'm looking forward to the Cinderella adaptation - Princess of Glass.

Goodnight Mister Tom

I read Goodnight Mister Tom in just a few hours. (WWII obsession...check) I loved this book even though there are some painfully sad parts. I love that grumpy Mister Tom softens and that scared Will becomes comfortable and happy and I love that something so wonderful could happen in the middle of such a horrible place in history. I haven't read a book recently where I wanted the book to keep going and not stop - I have been reading a bunch of series and I know there is more to come, so even though I feel like those stories are not complete, I know there is more coming...it's different - I really wanted to read page more about Will and Mister Tom.

The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

First of all, I need to remember to take these pictures with my camera, not my pathetic phone. What a hideous picture!

Secondly, I need to post these soon after I read the book...especially when I am reading a ton of books, close together.

Third, I'm kind of looking forward to this series being done. But that might be because I have read four whole books and two partial books since I read The Sorceress, so my memory might be fuzzy. I am still convinced I need a good, basic course in world mythology, so I'll work on that. In any case, I liked this book well enough - it takes place simultaneously in San Francisco and London...there's time travelling...there's magic and twins and twin magic. I have The Necromancer sitting on the table waiting for me to finish another book and then I'll be back in the thick of the Nicholas Flamel world...