Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

This is book nine in the Wayward Children Series, a series of books about children who have found portals into alternate worlds that can be the stuff of nightmares or dreams, depending on the child. 

A good thing about this series is that you could probably read the books out of order, since they deal with different children and worlds. But there are recurring characters and themes throughout, which might be lost by going out of order.

This book is about Antsy, who has a knack for finding lost things, which, as you can imagine, may include doors to secret worlds. Antsy finds herself and a group of friends, including a land-bound mermaid, a boy from a skeleton world, and a girl who died in a previous book, on a quest. They jump from door to door in order to avoid the wrath of Sarafina, a student with the ability to make people do anything for her. 

Eventually they land in Antsy's world, where lost things go. It's a nexus world, with a store for travelers. She worked at the Store of Lost Things, where people can open a multitude of doors and explore different worlds. In her case, Antsy used the doors for trips to buy supplies or opened doors for her employer to make visits to other worlds. Antsy eventually learned with every door opened, there is a cost, and she wants to hold the store owner accountable for not telling kids what that cost is.

This lore about the doors is interesting because it applies to all the books. We also get to see multiple worlds, including Prism, which is Cade's world, that he doesn't like to talk about (although I don't think this book does much to help in that understanding). While this is a great overall book for the series, with a lot of relevant information, I found it meandering in execution.

Once again, I am torn about these books. I know I'm not their target audience, as the series skews younger. But I appreciate the concept. The books are so short, however, you don't get a lot of world-building. And they deal with heavy topics like death, sexuality, and belonging in such short packages, that sometimes I feel it's not enough to really dig in. But I also am not engaged enough to want a longer book. I keep picking them up thinking, "this will be the one I truly love" and it hasn't happened yet. But I think they're great for junior high or high schoolers because they are so short and sweet, but still heavily packed with relevant topics.

So while I keep feeling meh about these books, there's something that keeps me coming back because they are so creative, if not fully fleshed out. 

The Invisible Life of Addie Laroux by V. E. Schwab

Addie Laroux was born in the 1690's in France. Paradoxically, her very normal life led her to the most abnormal of circumstances. Facing the shackles of marriage and domestic county life, Addie ran into the woods and prayed for her freedom. In her haste, she appealed to whichever god would listen. But in her desperation, she also prayed after the sun went down, and forgot a warning to never pray to the gods who answer after dark.

And it was Luc who answered. Make no mistake, while Luc often took the seductive form of Addie's sketches of an unknown lover, Luc was no mortal. And it wasn't in benevolence he answered Addie's prayer. He required a contract from her. So Addie agrees to submit to Luc when she no longer desires the freedom he will grant her. And she does live in freedom, which includes the possibility of immortality, but also the curse that no one will ever remember her.

The logistics of this curse are very complicated. Addie can meet the same people over and over again because they don't remember her once they turn away from her. Her family doesn't recognize her anymore, and intimate relationships last only as long as the other person stays awake. Addie isn't able to own anything, partially due to landlords not remembering renting her rooms, but also due to the curse - she loses anything she acquires. Even worse, she cannot say her name or write or draw anymore. It seems she cannot leave a permanent mark on the world.

But Addie finds ways to do this. Whether it's in a song that haunts a musician, or paintings of an unknown girl by an artist, Addie indelibly leaves a mark, as distinct as the constellation-like pattern of freckles on her face. 

Through the years, Addie is visited by Luc, who tempts her to end their deal. Like a true devil in disguise, he is both seductive and horrifying, and beautifully written. Any scene with Luc is intoxicating and you quickly understand how Addie hates Luc, but also is drawn to him nonetheless. 

By the time Addie meets Henry, in New York, about 300 years later, she has learned how to adapt to her circumstances. She finds places to stay each night, sometimes even with a companion, and because no one remembers her, she is able to steal almost everything she needs. So imagine her surprise when one day, she returns to a bookstore Henry works at and he remembers that she stole a book the day before.

Is it a glitch? What makes Henry so different from the multitude of people Addie has met over the last 300 years around the world? And what will Luc think about this turn of events?

This is a great book on its own, but I listened to the audio book and loved Julia Whelan's narration. She brought the characters to life and took an amazing story and made it even better. The writing has a lyrical quality that can make you feel like your're dreaming or caught in a bitter nightmare. A definite recommend.

In An Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4) by Seanan McGuire

If you aren't familiar with this series, it begins with Every Heart a Doorway, a novella about Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. West runs a boarding school for children who have been to other worlds and returned unable to readjust to regular life. Every Heart a Doorway introduces a lot of children who have traveled to these worlds, but doesn't really flesh out individual stories.

McGuire's subsequent books explore these individual stories. One of the great things about this series is that you don't really have to go in order. While there are some threads between books, you really can read them as stand-a-lone books.

In an Absent Dream is the story of Katherine. She's a rule-following girl who always listens to adults and does what is expected of her. Her father is her elementary school's Principal. And because of this, Katherine finds it hard to make and keep friends and feels disconnected with her family. One day, she strays from her normal path home and finds a door in the trunk of a tree. Of course she decides to see what is inside.

Beyond this door, Katherine discovers the Market, which has rules that must be followed based largely on fair value and making and keeping agreements. As a young child, she is given leeway in the agreements she makes and others are allowed to take on debt she incurs. She develops a friendship with another girl and is mentored by a mother-like figure during her visit, which eventually ends.

Upon returning to the normal world, Katherine, who now goes by her surname, Lundy, tries to adjust to normal life. The mystery of her disappearance is an open secret by those around her, except to maybe her father, who seems to know something about her experience. 

As she grows older, Lundy travels back and forth between worlds, learning more about the Market and the importance of paying back debts, including those her dear friend took on during Lundy's first visit. But Lundy also develops a deeper relationship with her sister, and subsequent visits to the market are interrupted as Lundy travels back to keep commitments to her family.  Lundy knows however, that the flexibility given children by the Market will soon fade and she will eventually be forced to decide between the two worlds.  

In An Absent Dream is a short story about another world that might not be perfect, but might be just what Lundy is looking for. It's interesting and dark and fun to read about, but I feel that there is a certain spark that is missing that could elevate this book to a higher level. I'm not sure what exactly it is: that the books are too short to dig deeper, or that the Market isn't a world that speaks to me. 

One of my criticisms about Every Heart a Doorway was that the individual stories weren't fleshed out enough so I appreciate these individual stories. While I feel there could be a lot more said about Lundy's world, I think what we got was just enough to get the point across in this short story.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

I must have felt like I needed a book hug, since I chose this one, which was described as a cozy read. I've heard of cozy mysteries and have been curious about the quaint worlds they inhabit. To be clear this is not a cozy mystery, it's a cozy story - a gateway drug of sorts into cozy mysteries. 

 

This is a story about Mika, a witch who lives in England. Mike meets with other witches, in a sort of bi-monthly support group, but members are discouraged against regularly interacting with other witches, as their power might draw attention. 

You can see how this might be an issue when Mika is contacted by someone who lives in a house with three young witches, interested in a magical nanny. Apparently her Instagram posts, where she "pretends" to be a witch, haven't fooled everyone. 

Mika knows having so many witches together could go wrong in a myriad of ways. But without her help, things could be worse. And Mika is intrigued by this strange family - three young adopted girls, a mysterious and famous head of household, and four adults who run things in her usual absence.  

As advertised, the story isn't offensive, or overly stressful (although Nart brings up an important point about how I really glossed over a problematic plot line). There is some drama, but nothing that's too high stakes or heart clenching. So as you might expect, it isn't terribly exciting either. The story was unique enough that it wasn't boring, but I'm not sure I'm a full convert to the genre. I will say, however, that if I feel like I want to read something for the sake of reading, I might turn to these types of books as sort of literary fidget spinners. I could see how the familiarity might turn to investment for a particular series.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

This review is a bit reflective of my experience with this book - fragmented and maybe incomplete. I started Poison Study years ago on audio book and for whatever reason, didn't finish until just a few days ago. Excuses aside, the story didn't invest me enough to overcome them.

So what follows will be a really bare-bones review of what this book is about. Poison study is a fantasy novel (and the author's first!) that takes place in Ixia - a society that seems like it's from days past, but might actually be a vision of a future possibility. Yelena is sentenced to death for killing someone, which is illegal regardless of the reason. And I'm sure Yelena had a good reason, I just don't remember what it was.

But after being imprisoned for a year, Yelena is offered a choice: she can be executed or become the Commander's food taster. From what I can surmise, the Commander is like a governor (or mayor? king? dictator?) of a region that is basically under martial law. Yelena accepts the offer and gets to work learning how to detect the slightest trace of poison in food. In order to keep her from trying to escape, she is administered butterfly's dust, a poison that will kill her in a day if she isn't given the antidote regularly.

Because Yelena works for the highest official of Ixia, she lives in the...palace?...and hears all the good gossip and is involved in any intrigue to be had. This involves learning to fight, nearly dying, killing people, and falling in love, oh, and there's a bit of magic too.

I don't know why I didn't strongly identify with this book. Maybe it was the audio book itself. I really didn't care for the music between chapters and I didn't like a few voices the narrator used for some of the characters. I wonder if I would have had a different feeling reading it the good old fashioned way.

So I'm just meh about this one. All the other reviews I've read on it are glowing, and there are a lot of other books in this series. It might be worth a look if you're a fantasy novel junkee. I'm not, to be fair. But this didn't bring me any closer to being one either. 

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die Prequel #1)

This is the backstory on Dorothy after she spent her first time in Oz wanting nothing more than to return to Kansas and then spent her time back in Kansas wanting nothing more than to return to Oz. We begin with Dorothy's infamous (at least to her) 16th birthday party, and are reminded how terrible teenagers are, no matter what universe or timeline you are in. Then Dorothy mysteriously returns to Oz and unfortunately brings Toto, her Aunt Em, and uncle Henry with her. I say unfortunately because not only are Aunt Em and uncle Henry buzzkills for Dorothy, they're buzzkills for me too. I get that they're from a different time and simple, down to earth people, but they were unrealistically annoying. But we don't have to deal with them for too long, if you know what I mean *murderous wink*.

I think it's unfortunate for Toto because he turns into an evil diva and that seems unfair to poor Toto.

Paige provides insight into Dorothy's relationship with Ozma that leads to the unfortunate mind mush incident. And while the mechanics aren't as fleshed out as they are with Amy in the Dorothy Must Die series, we see Dorothy's transition from magical virgin to becoming accidentally more powerful than Oz's rightful ruler - even though Ozma has access to the oldest, strongest power in Oz. I feel like there is a parallel with people who end up in the emergency room after "accidentally" slipping on the Mrs. Buttersworth bottle, but I could be wrong. 

While I had to push the "I want to believe button" for more than once in this book, I'm already balls deep in this series and will pretty much keep reading even if Mrs. Buttersworth herself flies in a declares she's the Queen of Oz.

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die Series, book 3)

I gotta tell you, this book seems more like a vehicle to get from book 2 to book 4. I don't really remember much about it except that Amy has returned to Flat Hill Kansas and is looking for the first pair of Dorothy's magic shoes (apparently the ruby slippers were her second pair that Glinda used to bring her back to Kansas after returning home). 

Amy has returned to her mother, who seems to be doing better without her, but is eager to make up for lost time. She also returns to high school, with Madison, now a mother, and no longer queen bee at the school. Together with Madison and Madison's baby daddy Dustin, they search the high school for Dorothy's first pair of magic shoes. 

I think this book isn't as memorable because half of it takes place in Kansas, where Amy cannot use her magic. A lot of the world-building from the first two books is missing in book 3. And while we get glimpses of characters in Oz, it's really just that. Brief glimpses.

The second half is a return to Oz and another battle between the good and the wicked. I think it all starts to run together by this point.

Having said that, I'm invested in the story and was eager to read it each time I picked it up. It just didn't have the surprises of book 1 or the adventures of book 2. Amy had a very focused task in Kansas and returned to another great battle, both of which set up the story for book 4.

The End of Oz by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die Series, book 4)

This is the fourth and final installment of the Dorothy Must Die series. The first three books are dark in their own right, but this book feels a little more so. In book 4, we travel to Ev, land of the Nome King. I'm not familiar with the original Oz books, but if you are familiar with the difference between The Wizard of Oz movie and the sequel Return to Oz, that is the change of pace to which I'm referring. Remember the wheelers? Yeah, I tried to forget them too. And the queen who wore different heads? Uh huh. Although I actually could have used more heads than were actually offered.

Most of this book takes place in Ev, beyond the land of Oz, where Amy, Madison, and Nox find themselves after escaping the Nome King. They travel to...well...are carried by wheelers against their will to Langwidere's castle.

"Oh my god...I hated this movie." -Madison upon seeing the wheelers

So we learn more about Langwidere and her head collection and get some of her backstory. There is some hiding in tunnels and caves, and then...a wedding. 

One big difference in this book is that the chapters alternate between what is going on with Amy and what is going on with the Nome King's newest prisoner. Of course, there's a big battle at the end, can't not have one of those. And the book resolves, but leaves the door open for more to come.

Overall, I like these books. Look, I'm not doing any heavy thinking about life or myself because of these books, but they're short, entertaining, and fun to read. Paige also has even more novellas giving backstory on other main characters - Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and Tin Man, Glinda, the Wizard, Polychrome, Ozma, and the Order of the Wicked. Will my life change by reading these books? No. Will I read them anyway? Of course!

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die Series, book 2)

This is an example of where the second installment is better than the first. If you aren't familiar with the Dorothy Must Die series of books, you can read my review of book 1 here. 

Basically, this is the second book in the Dorothy Must Die series, which tells the story of Amy Gumm, a teenager from Flat Hills Kansas, who finds herself whisked away to Oz. Amy discovers Dorothy is real, and has transformed Oz into a magical wasteland and ruled with an iron fist. Amy has joined forces with other witches to try to stop Dorothy and her entourage consisting of Glinda, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man.

Book two picks up right where book 1 left off. But unlike book 1, I feel like the pace was better, and we get to see more of Oz - the jungle where Lulu, the monkey queen rules, and Rainbow Falls, home to Polychrome and her fake (but mayby real?) panther/unicorn Heathcliff.

Amy also settles into her magical powers more and evolves as a witch. Or maybe she's devolving, as we start to see hints of, well, wickedness creeping into her craft. And as Dorothy begins to tap into the evil of Oz's magic, we travel with her to the shadowlands and see her transformation into a literal magical monster.

And Paige doesn't pull punches. There are a lot of characters we say goodbye to in this book, some we like and others we don't. Paige even killed a few characters I was really sad to see go. And I have to hand it to her, she wrote in a few really good battles. I tried reading them as if I was watching a movie and she had some great visuals and moments of flair that were pretty satisfying. I'm actually amazed these books haven't been turned into a miniseries or movie yet (I read on wikipedia the CW was in negotiations, but that was 10 years ago!). Her characters are sassy, colorful, and fun. She has truly evil villains and wicked heroes. And while there were times I rolled my eyes (generally anything to do with the love story arc) overall, I was here for it.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die Series, book 1)

"[My mother] told me that, whatever anyone at school said, a trailer was where I lived, not who I was. She told me that it was the best home in the world because it could go anywhere."

And what better place to go than the colorful, magical land of Oz? But we learn quickly that this ain't your mama's Oz. 

Dorothy Must Die is the first of a series of novellas about Amy, from...(I'll give you one guess). She's in high school with a mother who suffers from addiction and needs more care than she gives her daughter. Amy doesn't get much relief at school either, where she is mercilessly teased by the uber popular, glitter encrusted, and soon to be teen-mom Madison. Madison is of those people you love to hate, and although her appearance in this book is short, she's full of character and wit.

One day, a storm brews and Amy finds herself at home hunkered down for an incoming tornado. Her mother has left her to party with friends and Amy's only company left is Star, her mom's pet rat.

I'm sure you know where this is headed, but this is no family-friendly jaunt to the Emerald City. There is no room for singing and merriment in a world that has basically been turned into a barren wasteland ruled by the unmerciful, ambitious, and devastatingly stylish Dorothy. Her friends are there too - The Scarecrow has gone from dopey and curious to a downright sadistic war criminal. The tin man? Sure, he has heart...and knives and swords that he wields with blind devotion for Dorothy. And the lion is basically a soul-sucking dementor. We also have appearances from the Wizard and Ozma and a lot of new and memorable characters.

Which brings me to a separate point, if you're into books about magical worlds like Harry Potter, this is a fun one. Oz is, of course, a magical place, and author Danielle Paige really focuses on this - the mechanics of how the magic in Oz works and how it can be used and harnessed. She adds a new chapter to the familiar family friendly story we all know with a bit of horror, dark comedy, and tongue in cheek irreverance. 

Magic Treehouse #1, #9, #10, and #17

These are short, easy to read fantasy novels for children about a brother and sister who can travel anywhere a book is set via their magic treehouse. There is a little bit of subplot connecting one book to another (specifically the first 28 - yes you read that correctly - involve the Morgan LeFay missions where the mystical Morgan tasks the siblings with various errands). But my 7-year old son and I skipped books and found them readable without much confusion. Here's a summary of the books we've read:

Book 1: Dinosaurs Before Dark
Jack and Annie find said tree house of magic filled with books. Jack picks up a book about dinosaurs and inadvertently utters the magic wishing words. They are promptly whisked away to dinosaur times and have a brief adventure. On a side note, Annie is a little annoying - even taking her age into consideration.

Book 9: Dolphins at Daybreak
Something about dolphins, the ocean, and being in one of those really small claustrophobia inducing underwater vehicles. Overall take home? Annie's borderline pathologically dangerous behavior surprisingly hasn't killed her or Jack.

Book 10: Ghost Town at Sundown
Jack and Annie are taken to the old west, where they meet a man who needs their help. I don't remember whose idea it was to go with him, but based on her track record for making reckless decisions, it was probably Annie's (girl wouldn't last a day on her own outside of fantasy lands). She's lucky the cowboy didn't have nefarious intentions.

Book 17: Tonight on the Titanic
I take my hat off to Mary for taking on the Titanic in a children's book right in the middle of it sinking. And to make matters worse, she throws a puppy in the mix. I was horrified reading this. Jack and Annie really shouldn't have made it out of that one.









I suppose these are good chapter books for young readers. I'd recommend them more for kids to read themselves, rather than being read to, as the simple dialogue and sentence structure (and Annie) can make for an annoying read. I'm not sure the top age group for these books, but it seems older kids beyond about 3rd grade would out grow them.

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

This was a book that my third grade teacher read to our class every day after we got in from lunch. I remember how we listened to my teacher's every word about Omri, a boy who is gifted a magical medicine cabinet that brings plastic toys to life. We couldn't wait until the next day to realize the resolution of each chapter's cliffhanger.

So it seemed a great choice to read to my 7 year old son. But would a second reading, more than 30 years later, hold up to the test of time?  I had my doubts, which began with the title of the book. Could this foreshadow greater problems to come? Against my better judgment, I decided to find out.

While my son seemed interested in the story, there were some cringey moments that maybe I was sensitive to, but hopefully were lost on him.  There were references to injuns and talk of scalpings and firewater, stereotypical stuff. And the way Little Bear spoke in broken English didn't help either. And besides all of that, Omri's friend Patrick was a terrible person. I quietly seethed through most parts of the book involving him.

So are we going to read the second book in the series? I don't think so. And while I don't think my 3rd grade psyche was damaged in any way by the first reading, I feel the book, like those memories, belongs back in the 80's.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

According to wikipedia, Anne Rice is an author of "gothic fiction, christian literature, and erotica."

One of these things is not like the other... 

I know Interview with the Vampire has been around for awhile, after all, I was in high school when Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt played Rice's vampires, much to her dismay. That was more than *gulp* 20 years ago. But crap, the book is 40 years old people!

So if you live under a rock, like me, or you just have yet to dabble in the literary vampire arts, here's a briefing.

The story is told in the present day, with the vampire Louie telling a young reporter about his life over the past 200 years. He begins in New Orleans in the late 1700's when he was made a vampire by Lestat, a sadistic, manic vampire who doesn't seem the type to play well with others. I kinda get the impression vampires, as a class, don't play well with others though. So Louie is really an outlier. He maintains a semblance of compassion and humanity. He struggles with killing people every night and doesn't have a penchant for playing with his food, like Lestat does.

The story is great. We travel from New Orleans to Eastern Europe to Paris. We cross the span of 200 years (although there aren't a lot of historic or social landmarks that highlight the different time periods). But what I really liked was Louis' voice. Like literally. The man who narrated my audiobook did a great job. He kinda sounded like he had an eastern European accent from...well, wherever the Count is from. Yes, I'm talking about Sesame Street again. Anyway, I liked how Rice wrote him too (Louis, not the Count). He struggles with questions of immortality and religion. One of my favorite scenes is when Louis is in a church, looking around at the relics and religious symbols. Disillusioned, he thinks to himself, "I'm the only supernatural creature in this church."

And when he is talking with Armand, one of the Paris vampires, about the purpose of life without God, he says, "And what constitutes evil, real evil, is the taking of a single human life. Whether a man would die tomorrow or the day after or eventually... it doesn't matter. Because if God does not exist, then life... every second of it... Is all we have.”

That struck me. I've heard only the opposite argument, that if there is no God or no cosmic repercussions of any kind for human behavior, then what is the point of morality? Louis argues that it just becomes even more important to make the most of this life. Leave it to a fictional vampire played by Brad Pitt to bring me to an existential epiphany.

Here's another one I liked.

"Consequently, if you believe God made Satan, you must realize that all Satan's power comes from God and so that Satan is simply God's child, and that we are God's children also. There are no children of Satan, really.”

This stems from Louie struggling with whether or not he is good or evil, given his religious background and carnal reality. Whether or not you agree with these things is immaterial. Rice's writing will make you think about why you do or do not believe as you do through Louis. And according to Brad Pitt (who played him) he's a lot better in the book, than the movie. So....

An oldie but goodie. But I'm gonna watch the movie anyway.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

In the words of the great John Cleese, "and now, for something completely different..."

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't that. And yet, it's probably spot on for Gaiman. So what do I know?

I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to say because in reading the back of the book synopsis and other reviews, I just didn't realize that this story was so out there. Whoever was tasked with writing that synopsis stuck on his best poker face and really kept his hand close.You read the back and think, "okay, some guy visits a childhood friend's home and remembers stuff." Whatever. Maybe it's the crazy adventure to the creek or that epic slumber party.

Suffice to say, when things took a left turn (and it was abrupt) I was a bit surprised. My suspension of disbelief hadn't warmed up yet, I guess. Gaiman throws you right into his world where otherwordly creatures live amongst us mere mortals. I know all you Gaiman groupies are rolling your eyes right now in your best "er-doy" expression, but humor me.

The story is sufficiently creepy. Some of the imagery Gaiman evokes made my spine tingle. And the story seemed blissfully compact. I don't know how Gaiman told it in the number of pages he did, because it didn't seem as long as it was. There weren't any moments where I was bored or felt the action or tension really eased, yet I wasn't exhausted from all the excitement. I know I'm making myself sound like some kind of geriatric reader, "Oh the tension! It was too much! I need a nap."

I realize at this point in the review, I've normally given a better synopsis of the story. But like I said, I'm not sure what to say. Basically, if you already know you like Gaiman, I think this book won't disappoint. If you've never read him, it's a pretty good intro to his stuff. I definitely liked it better than some of his other books I've read. *ducks and hides*

Some interesting tidbits I got from Wikipedia about this tale, his characters, the Hempstocks, have appeared in other books, like Stardust and The Graveyard Book. He also wrote this book for his wife, who doesn't like fantasy. And some elements are drawn from his own childhood (like how someone stole his dad's car and commit suicide in it). Creepy.

A film may be in the works...the rights were bought a few years ago, and Tom Hanks is a producer. Should be interesting.

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Part fantasy, part historical fiction, Shadow of Night is the second book in the All Soul's trilogy (and you really need to have read A Discovery of Witches first to get what is going on). As a tale about witches and vampires, there isn't a lot of action or back story on the whole witch/vampire/daemon culture. But this book was full of day to day details of life in 16th century Europe, which was a surprising highlight for me.

Shadow begins where Discovery left off, with Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont having time walked back to Elizabethan London. In search of the elusive manuscript, Ashmole 782, Diana is also hoping to hone her skills as a witch before they return to the 21st century.

We learn a lot about Matthew's past and his varied connections throughout Europe which include Queen Elizabeth and the emperor of the Roman Empire (or something like that). We also gain insight into Diana's unique skills, although I really wasn't visualizing the string metaphors Harkness used to help us explain them. We also get many examples of how Diana and Matthew are hopelessly devoted and bonded to each other. The latter involving the ever romantic rituals of bloodsucking and kissing third eyes.

It seemed the search for Ashmole and Diana's training were just vehicles for Harkness to explain what Diana and Matthew wore and ate from day to day, "Diana! Where are my hose!?" Matthew's many ties took them from country to country, meeting new characters that I couldn't keep track of and getting involved in tangentially related hijinks, the details of which I couldn't relate. But I certainly remember their accommodations and the social customs of each location.

At the end of the book, I felt the plot furtherance didn't match the geographical and chronological grandeur Diana and Matthew experienced. I'm worried that the third book will be another slow-moving read, especially without the historical interest the second held over me.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

"If there really were vampires, what would they do for a living?"  That is a question that this book became the unexpected answer to, according to the author on her blog.  As for me, although I've read that Harkness hasn't read the popular YA series, I'd dare say this book could be considered a Twilight for adults.  Compliment?  Or criticism?  You decide.  But at its simplest, there are vampires, witches, and daemons.  (If you're not sure what a daemon is...think borderline insane, ADHD, wildly creative person...beyond that, I haven't figured it out in terms of superpowers or anything).

Here's what I like about the book, and it mostly concerns the author.  Harkness is a historian.  She has several degrees and teaches at USC and has extensively studied the history of magic and science in Europe from 1500-1700.  If you, like me, have ever wondered why classes like this exist beyond giving history buffs something random to chew on, maybe this novel is one.  Harkness' love for these things is obvious from reading A Discovery of Witches, which is a historical work of fiction.  There are all kinds of allusions, most of which were lost on me, to scientists, authors, and novels.  The story spans a range of geography and time, and Harkness seems comfortable with it all.  At times, I feel our 1500 year-old, well-learned vampire Matthew can get a bit pretentious, but understanding Harkness' love for history forgives that for me.

The story begins with Diana, an alchemical history professor at Oxford university (if there is such a thing at Oxford, I wasn't able to figure it out from their website).  Diana is descended from a prominent line of witches, but has shunned her magical ability, at least to the degree it's possible (WHY!?!?!).  During her studies, she is able to recall an old, long-thought-lost volume of magic called Ashmole 782, and this draws the attention of not just her fellow witches, but other supernatural creatures as well.  While Diana doesn't realize the significance of her finding, it sets in motion a series of events that make magic an inevitable part of her life.  As she becomes entrenched in the mystery of Ashmole 782 (which you can read about on Harkness' blog), Diana meets Matthew, a geneticist (and also a vampire).  Why would a vampire be interested in an old book of magic?  Is there something extraordinary about Diana that Matthew sees?  How could Diana's find be the catalyst for a war between witches and vampires?

These are the questions A Discovery of Witches begins to answer, BUT...and here's where other reviewers and I agree, the pacing is slow.  In fact, it took me several months (if not a year) to get through this book as it was a between-book-read.  But I felt, by the end, Harkness had really laid out her premise and introduced her characters fully.  It also helped that the book picked up steam near the end and left off on a cliff-hanger that makes me really curious to see how she handles book two (yes, this is a trilogy...and yes, there is a movie in the making).

So, to be honest, this was a book I almost gave up on.  But in desperation for something to read, I finished it and now want to read the second book.  Probably not for everyone, but if I had you at "vampires" or "Twilight," then we already know you'll want to read it.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The premise of this book is right up my ally...imagine that people who immigrated to the United States brought their gods, myths, and superstitions with them. Not just in spirit (no pun intended) but physically as well. As times and priorities shifted, the elves, fairies, and pagan gods (among others) were neglected for newer gods. This book is about an impending battle between the old world gods and the new world gods. Imagine Easter fighting a manifestation of Technology; or Odin, the All Father, fighting the god of modern day drugs.

Sounds good, right? Well, unfortunately, I read a different book. It took me months to get through it because I just wasn't interested, so I'd pick it up between reading other books. Not a good strategy because I'd forget what I had previously read and be completely lost. This would annoy me and so I'd only read a small bit, half assed, retaining nothing for the next time I'd pick the book up (in a month). It was a vicious cycle broken only by the last hundred pages or so, when the story picked up steam. Of course, when the mystery behind a major plot line was revealed, I had no idea what was going on.

So I did what most lazy readers do, I checked out the cliff's notes version of the story. Thank you Wikipedia. After reading the plot summary, I thought, "hmmmm....sounds like an interesting book. I should read it sometime."

I actually started reading the book again...but lost interest and haven't picked it up since.

Not sure this is a fair review...I've met a couple of people who really like this book. And it seems that if you are a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, you won't be disappointed (at least, that's what I hear).

As for me, too many characters for my little brain to keep track of, I guess. And a lot of build up to an anticlimactic end. Give me Coraline over American Gods any day.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Finally, a story about a circus that is cool. There aren't creepy clowns or abused animals in this circus. All of the food sold at this circus is out of this world and probably doesn't give anyone indigestion. And while there is no shortage of bizarre entertainment, the freaks in this circus have talents most other circus performers don't...and that's the secret of the Night Circus.

Morgenstern's debut novel takes place in England in the 1800's. We meet two men...The first is Prospero the Enchanter, who has natural magical abilities that he disguises as illusions for audiences. The second is the mysterious Mr. A. H. who agrees to a challenge with Prospero. They will each raise a protege to compete in a magical competition of sorts. Prospero's protege has natural ability while Mr. A. H.'s will be taught. Unbeknownst to the proteges, they will compete against each other in this strange competition. So begins the Night Circus.

Imagine you wake up one day and see black and white circus tents set up that weren't there the day before. No one heard the trains arrive in town, no one noticed the tents being set up, but there it is. And even stranger, the circus is only open from dusk to dawn. Instead of a main tent, there are many tents and exhibitions...too many to explore in one evening. There are performers like Celia the illusionist, Tsukiko, the contortionist, and Isobelle, the fortune teller. There are experiences like the ice garden, the labryinth, or the wishing tree. And each thing you see and experience seems geniune. You don't know how the illusionist made a person in the audience disappear, or how the contortionist fit in that glass box, but you are enchanted and find yourself obsessed with the circus.

Besides the competition between Propero and Mr. A. H.'s students, the Night Circus involves a host of other characters. Morgenstern introduces us to many of them, and they are as interesting and integral to the story as the others. We learn that although the Night Circus is a magical place, it isn't immune to human weakness. Can the circus be sustained? Can its secrets be kept? And how will the strange competition that began it all end?

This book left me satisfied. Morgenstern is a very visual writer. She takes the time to describe everything in delicious detail and as I read, I kept seeing everything as if it were a movie - which is my hope (apparently the film rights have been sold to Summit Entertainment so maybe her visions will come to fruition). The book has a victorian, romantic, and yes, magical feel. While I'm not sure it's an automatic pick for my year's top five...it's definitely a candidate.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (CBR book #31)

If you're into Twilight or other angsty teenage supernatural type books, then you'll probably dig Beautiful Creatures. Now that I've mentioned Twilight, some of you die-hard fans (I am not one of them) might want to know which is better...honestly, I'm not sure. I think Twilight fans would still prefer the Twilight books to Beautiful Creatures, but with three books already in the series, Beautiful Creatures may be worth a deeper look.

Okay, now I'm talking to normal people. This book is along the lines of the Twilight series so...possibly an entertaining, brainless read with a cup of annoying and over dramatic mixed in.

Basically, Beautiful Creatures takes place in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where the civil war is still the biggest news of the day. Ethan Wate, a sophomore in high school, has his friends and basketball team. But then Lena Duchannes comes to town. The niece of the town's mysterious recluse, Lena's welcome in Gatlin is anything but. Ethan, however, is strangely drawn to Lena. Haunted by a recurring dream, Lena seems to be the clue to Ethan understanding it. As their friendship develops, Ethan learns more and more about Lena's family and all of its supernatural secrets.

I think this story focuses more on the relationship between Ethan and Lena (read: a love story) as opposed to really exploring and understanding Lena's supernatural world. In that sense, I found the book lacking. I love being immersed in new worlds but the perspective is Ethan's, so you feel just as in the dark as he does about all the interesting things Lena is privy to. Of course, things are slowly revealed throughout the book, but I still had a lot of questions and wanted to know more. I suppose that's the point of a series though, isn't it? Perhaps I'll read the second book to discover more. But I'm not sure the first book entranced me enough to go to the trouble.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (CBR Book #30)

I'd seen the Disney cartoon, the Johnny Depp version, and a creepier version on TV back when I was younger...so I thought it appropriate to pick up the actual book and experience Lewis Carroll firsthand.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was written by Carroll (a pseudonym for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) in 1865. Apparently Carroll was a man of many hats (author, poet, mathematician, logician...is that a word?). And this book showcases all of these hats, although with characters like the mad hatter wearing them, things get a bit...strange. Apparently, according to wikipedia, and I'm sure a host of other web sites, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is rife with literary allusions and symbolism. But it was all lost on me. I suppose this book would be more interesting studied and picked apart in an academic setting than just as a summer read. Because as the latter, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But I guess that's the point, since Carroll specializes in the literary nonsense genre (didn't make that up).

Alice's story begins in her garden, where she finds a rabbit hole and falls down into a fantasy world. Each chapter is a new adventure in Wonderland, with new characters and silly situations. A lot of what happens in the book reminds me of a dream. Events are random, don't make a whole lot of sense, and crazy seems to be the norm. I won't go into details about the story itself...I think most of you are familiar with Alice in Wonderland in one way or another. I'll just skip to my impressions. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I had hoped. In fact, it took me awhile to read - I'd pick it up between reading other books. As silly as the story is, I didn't find myself that interested in it. I guess a lot of the humor and irony was over my head.

Would I recommend it? Not for a casual read. And definitely not as a children's book. I think of all the versions I've seen, the one that I liked the most was the 1985 Alice in Wonderland movie which also included a sequel, Through the Looking Glass. I just remember they were creepy as all hell and Through the Looking Glass featured one of my favorite poems, Jabberwocky (also written by Carroll). Of course, I was only 6 when the first movie came out, so it's probably cheesier than a can of whiz. But given the source material, I can't really say it's too far off base.