FOUR ARCs: The Cottingley Secret; You'll Never Know, Dear; Hounds of the Underworld; These Vicious Masks

ALL FOUR of these reviews are based on ARCs (Advanced Reader's Copies received for free in exchange for an honest review).

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

This is one of those books that explores a historical event---in this case, one that happens to be true---from the perspective of a present day woman exploring her past and coming to terms with her life. The historical event is the photographing of fairies by Frances Griffiths and her cousin Elsie Wright in Cottingley. Starting in the early 1920s, Frances and Elsie sparked worldwide interest and debate regarding both whether fairies are real and, in any case, whether they'd in fact been photographed by the girls. This book considers the perspective of Frances in the form of a memoir read by someone (Olivia) in present time. (Exactly 100 years after Frances first saw the fairies in 1917.)

Olivia is a young woman who has just lost her grandfather and is attending his funeral in Ireland. He has left her the memoir in his passing, along with his house, his bookstore, the care of her grandmother with Alzheimer's, and some debt that he'd failed to mention. Olivia unfortunately has a bit of a jerk of a fiancé back in London and a life there that she's increasingly interested in abandoning.

As Olivia reads the memoirs to herself and her grandmother, she learns more about what matters and what is really important in life, not to mention the Cottingley secret and perhaps even a snippet of her own ancestry.

It was an interesting story, well told and pretty well paced. I often didn't love Gaynor's use of metaphor -- what others have found poetic, I have found clunky and oddly cliched (the metaphors seemed to highlight the cliched feelings/thoughts in their attempt to obfuscate them). I also found some of the contradictions annoying (the biggest one being that the memoir was left for Olivia in a package from her grandfather, as noted in the beginning, and discovered by Olivia in the store after is passing, as stated about halfway through). But overall, despite these hitches, I still found the book enjoyable and interesting. I also thought Gaynor did a great job with the family dynamics and reveals. I almost found Olivia's story more interesting than Frances... it was nice that the story (Olivia's) created for the purpose of exploring a different story (Frances) was independently interesting and engaging.

So all in all, some history, light romance, fairies, family and self discovery, and a quaint Irish seaside town made for an enjoyable read.

Rounded up to FOUR of five stars.

You'll Never Know, 

Dear by Hallie Ephron

I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was expecting something extra creepy and maybe in the horror camp. This was more suspense, maybe a little lite-horror, some relationship building, and just good story-telling.

It's called "A Novel of Suspense," and I would agree with that. Even though you may (I did) "figure it out" really early in the novel, it still reads really well and still creates a tension and a suspenseful feeling as you quickly turn the pages to find out if you're right, *how* you're right (or wrong), *why* you're right (or wrong), and most of all, how it all resolves anyway.

I love the creepy doll backdrop and I enjoyed the different perspectives from which the book is told. Although I am not always a fan of the back and forth, and certainly not when such perspective is used for convenience, in this book, it really just worked. It was a quick and definitely enjoyable read for me, and I easily recommend to those who are looking for a quick, rainy-day read. A strong FOUR stars!

Hounds of the Underworld by Dan Rabarts

I received this book in e-book format. The only e-book specific complaint I had was the font kept on switching back and forth between font-sizes. It was distracting, but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the story.

First, I would not compare this book or its characters with Sherlock... the analysis and personality just do not match. This is a book set in the not-too-distant future (in New Zealand!) about a young (20s?) headstrong girl (Pandora (Penny)) who wants to be a scientist, darnit, even if her wealthy parents think it's a silly career for a girl to have, and her mess-up brother (Matiu) (30s?) who maybe interacts with people or things that aren't there. She is on an assignment from the police (to be a scientific consult) with her brother as her driver (literally... he's essentially her personal taxi, ordered by their parents who own the taxi company) when Matiu has a foreboding flash that causes him to scream and urge his sister to not get involved with the case. Of course she does. Did I mention she's headstrong? Headstrong never heed good advice in modern literature.

Anyway, because she insists on working the case, he insists on helping her. I believe he's supposed to be the "Sherlock" comparison -- grumpy, but notices things that other people miss? Though he's apparently very handsome and charming when he wants to be. He's described such that I sort of picture a slightly buffer, slightly rougher version of Joel McHale.

So there's danger and supernatural and science and police and detective elements. It was enjoyable and I definitely wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next and how it concluded. And I was not necessarily disappointed in the conclusion either. I just found it, overall, a bit unpolished. It reads a bit like a gritty sketch of something more than a novel. And while that sort of works with the type of story, I felt it could use a bit *more* polishing.. maybe not too much, but a little bit more. I do anticipate that this series will settle into itself, though. Since this is the first, there are generally a few kinks to work out. I'd be open to the next ...

THREE AND A HALF of five stars.

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker

Review based on audio CD.

I've often said that a reader can make or break a book... sometimes, however, the reader isn't your favorite, but the story withstands it. This was one of those instances. The reader for this book stated essentially every non-dialog sentence archly (and a fair number of the dialog sentences too). It was irritating and distracting. Although I understand the main character, and maybe a couple others, were supposed to be, I don't know, sardonic or sarcastic or whatever would naturally result in their thought process coming across that way... it just just fell awkwardly when every single sentence was phrased that way. And I know the reader *could* read in other ways because dialog was read more naturally (except for the more "arch" characters), so I'm not sure why she made the decision. But it was weird.

Nonetheless, the story was interesting enough that I kept listening and eventually *largely* became accustomed to the reading style. I was so into the story, in fact, that I checked out the e-version from the library so I could get through it faster (flipping back and forth between the e-version and the audio version)! (That's one of the down-sides to listening to audio on CD -- you can't speed up the reading to 1.5x speed, which is how I listen to most books.)

It is about a young girl (I believe she is seventeen), Evelyn, whose sister Rose is taken by some unsavory characters and Evelyn's seeking her sister in order to rescue her -- aided in large part by two men who she may or may not have a romantic interest in... or vice versa. I know, teen love/teen triangles. Normally very eye-roll worthy. But it was actually okay for me in this one -- maybe because I liked the rest of the story. And sure, I thought the triangle-aspect was ... confusing and ... contrived. As I usually do. But it wasn't enough to put me off of the rest of the story. And I clearly thought there was one "worthy" contender here, but a triangle can't exist without a second, right?

Aaaaanyway. I don't want to spoil the story, so I won't say much. But there is fun in the discovery of things, in the interpersonal relationships other than the love-triangle, even in some of the relationship development within the triangle, and in the figuring it all out. I will add that there is a "supernatural" element to it all ... though it is "based" in science. I like that sort of thing. I enjoy new explanations for made-up things. :) Overall, FOUR of five stars. Definitely will read (or listen to!) the next in the series!

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

Partial Review based on partial ARC (Advanced Readers' Copy received in exchange for an honest review).

I won this audio book as a part of the Early Reviewers program on LibraryThing. It is a 9-disc book, and I began listening in earnest. Once I finished the first CD, I was delighted. Oh, I thought, this is going to be so good.

Alas. The remaining eight CDs were all blank. :'(
I have contacted the ER program and hope to get a replacement. Meanwhile, I will have to wait until I can get to the physical copy, and that may take quite a bit longer.

Based on the 1st CD, however, I expect this to be a strong and enjoyable book about extraordinary circumstances. I'm not sure who the baby is yet. I'm not sure what happens to Mary yet. I'm not sure how Waylon (sp?) fits into everything yet. But I look forward to finding out! A current 4 of 5 stars.

UPDATE:
I've now finished the audio book (checked it out from the library). It continued to be a wonderful, magical read. I loved the characters and thought the readers did a great job of bringing each of them to life. Weylyn is particularly endearing, of course, as I believe he was meant to be. I was surprised that I didn't mind the various narrators each giving him their own version of his personality more... it fit alright and I never felt that it was too jarring. Even though there really isn't much of a plot-arc, per se, I nonetheless enjoyed the love story (and, indeed, that's what it is) and the friendships and family lines. Definitely recommended. FOUR of five stars.

Dark Flowers by Caytlyn Brooke

Review based on **Audio** ARC (Advanced Review Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review).

I think this could have been a great book, but the various issues left it at good for me. It is touted as Young Adult Horror, and I think perhaps, if I had been reading it myself or if the narrator had been better, it might have pulled that off. Unfortunately, although the actions were horrific at times (very dark things happen), the tone of the book as read was very light and almost instructional. I felt like a Sunday School Church teacher had been trying to teach a lesson to fifth graders rather than someone reading a horror novel to me. It was quite disconcerting, particularly in the context of the book at times. When someone is committing an act of horror, but it's being talked about as if you were being offered "coffee and bars," it's jarring.

There were also issues with the recording -- it skipped at times, repeated little snippets at times, and, as others have already mentioned, omitted an entire portion of the book in the middle. Frustrating. On top of that, the reader mispronounced a variety of words -- the one that stuck out the most was pronouncing "bared" (as in, "bared teeth") as if it were barred. Oops. That definitely also threw me. In addition, because of the format it was sent in, it kept restarting the chapter (and sometimes the whole book), so I had to keep track of where I was at all times in terms of chapter & minutes/seconds in order to not have as much interruption.

But the story was good. Although there were elements that felt "debut" and amateur, mostly, I think it was a well-thought-out teen horror. The creep-factor is strong, there is definitely gore and psychotic or sociopathic behavior, and supernatural elements. At times it felt a little undirected (for example, some things that I felt would go somewhere ended up not really being relevant to the story), but I nevertheless really wanted to know what happened next, and how it all resolved. For me, there weren't really any great surprises, but I thought it could have been a great, quick read. I would read something else by this author. Unfortunately, however, I would try to avoid listening to this reader again.

overall, THREE of five stars.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

Review based on ARC (Advanced Review Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

The Roanoke Girls is set up as some kind of mystery  (by the book - from synopsis on back of book) -- Lane Roanoke's mother commits suicide, so Lane comes to live with her grandparents and cousin Allegra in a small town in Kansas. Lane "discover[s] the dark truth at the heart of the family" and runs away. Years later, when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing, Lane returns to figure out what happened to Allegra -- did she run? or "something worse"? Lane must now face the "secret" that made her flee while she attempts to discovery Allegra's fate and, at the same time, maneuver the relationships with her grandparents, friends, and ex boyfriend that she left behind.

Well, the "secret" is not really a secret -- although it is not explicitly discussed early in the book, it is fairly obvious what it *is* fairly early in the book. Although I don't give spoilers, I will say that this garners "trigger warners" for some readers. Fortunately, Engel did not feel the need to go into too much detail with her descriptions, for which I commend her. Although it is obvious what is happening, when, and with whom, the heart of the story isn't Engel's ability to shock her reader, but, rather, in her ability to explore one girl's response to such behavior.

I was impressed with the way Engel delved into a sticky and difficult area and show her readers how some would respond in such an extreme situation -- both the common and the uncommon responses. Although I thought some of Lane's thought processes were a bit repetitive and redundant at times (not so much in her *thinking* repetitively, which is likely, but in her presentation of the "shocking secret" as such to the invisible reader in an oddly redundant way), and although I probably would have liked a little more of the snippets we receive into the thoughts of various other characters, overall I thought that this was a great read. Uncomfortable at times, yes but worthwhile and definitely readable.

As for Engel's writing style, I found that I was immediately engaged in the story and found myself itching to return to the book until I was finished reading it. At a time in my life when I am otherwise rather preoccupied, this was a noteworthy feat! Recommended as a quick read with a touch of mystery (what happens to Allegra, not what the so-called "secret" is), a touch of romance, a touch of dismay, and a touch of hope. FOUR of five stars.

Welcome to the Club by Raquel D'Apice

Review based on ARC (Advanced Readers Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review)

This appears to be a blog-turned-into-a-book (and if that's not true, then it certainly reads like one!). I am currently pregnant and read the book as a sort of "welcome" that the title announced. In reality, I think the book would probably be a bit more preferred by people who are already parents, especially those in their first few years of parenting.

What D'Apice essentially does is lay out, in a humorous and often sarcastic way, many "firsts" that new parents experience, such as First Time Baby Accidentally Head-Butts You in the Lip or First Time Your Child Refuses to Eat Something or First Car Ride Alone with the Baby When He's Screaming His Head Off. D'Apice does not generally offer advice, so much as camaraderie. She lets new parents know that all the crazy new stuff they're experiencing is normal, not that crazy, and experienced by others. She thus addresses many new parents' fears and frustrations in a funny, light-hearted way.

I think, for me, although I found it generally humorous and fine, I wasn't really blown away. Although I am a soon-to-be parent, I don't think I'm typical in that I am not really concerned about all these things that could and likely will go wrong... this is likely due to the fact that I'm on the older end of "new parents" and the fact that most of my good friends have children, so I've already "seen it all" (not all, of course, but a lot :)). So, it was enjoyable, a quick read, fine. And I think that a lot of new parents will really appreciate it, but it wasn't my favorite, my most amusing, my most helpful book.

Overall, still, Three and a Half of five stars. Solid and certainly recommended for the new parents who feels overwhelmed and alone.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Eep! It's been a while! Well, here you go... :)

Review based on ARC (Advanced Readers Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

I loved this book. I have struggled with reading lately primarily because my focus is so hard to keep... life and what not. But this book kept me trapped in its pages when other failed!

Brief synopsis: (nothing more revealing than what's on the inside jacket cover) Jason Dessen is a physics professor at a small college in Chicago, married to the love of his life and with a beloved teenage boy. One night, he is abducted by a masked stranger and asked if he is happy with his life right before he is knocked unconscious. He awakens to a life he does not recognize, unmarried with no children, but wildly successful in his career. Any more description is essentially spoiler, so I'll leave it at that....

I'd describe this book as a light sci-fi (there are definitely sci-fi elements, but the science itself is pretty light and in no way overwhelms the story), very light horror (just a little dark at times), thriller. It is fast-paced and the concept does not lose intrigue over the events of the story itself. (This is a peeve of mine - when stories drop their fascinating concept in favor of over-characterization or over-describing scenes, etc.) Jason Dessen is relatable and charismatic; his wife is somehow both perfect and quite imperfect in a way that does not grate; and the other characters (who I'll not name so as to not spoil anything) are lovely and well filled in. It is also a love story that is not sappy and, in my opinion, perfectly shows a scientist's split attentions and focus, while still prioritizing the thing that, of course, would matter the most. (no more details ;))

I have already recommended this book to my husband and mother and plan to recommend it to anyone else who thinks it sounds interesting because I think it won't disappoint! Also, very excited for the movie that is supposedly in development! (Note: This is in NO WAY related to the syfy tv series.)

An easy 5 stars from me!

A Curious Beginning: A Vernoica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn

Review based on an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

This is one of those books that fall into the category of "I really wanted to like it..." I really did. I love the cover and I've heard very good things about the author. The plot sounded interesting as well: a young lady in late 19th century London is orphaned by the death of her aunt and decides to set off to continue world travels to study science, with the occasional fling along the way. But Veronica's plans are thwarted by her attempted abduction and the help of a mysterious German baron who apparently knows who she is (and her parents!) and offers to keep her safe. Veronica accepts the help in the hopes of learning more about her past/parents, and she is deposited with Stoker, an ill-mannered, angry, reclusive natural historian. Next Veronica and Stoker know, the baron is suddenly found murdered, and Veronica and Stoker choose to go on the run, hiding and seeking the truth.

Veronica Speedwell is apparently one of those beautiful ladies that every man must admire, and she has spunk to spare. Her character felt more like a caricature of a person than an actual person. She is steadfastly, annoyingly stubborn and insistent on repeatedly getting herself into trouble. I believe this was meant to show spunk, but it just felt immature and idiotic most of the time.

Stoker is supposed to be some sort of manly, gruffy gentleman-in-a-beast's-body sort of thing, which, again, was rather two-dimensional. In light of his actual personal history -- both his upbringing and what has happened since then -- his whole personality felt forced and intended to create attraction rather than a realistic character. I also found Stoker terribly annoying.

And worst of all was the relationship between the two. It was insufferable. If I actually knew these people in real life, I would probably need to remove myself from their vicinity ... as far as possible.

The bit characters were okay -- some were even intriguing. But with the book revolving around Veronica and Stoker and their forming relationship, I just found the whole thing rather boring and uninspired. I would probably recommend to people who enjoy those types of romance stories that are surface and obvious, with cliched tension and resolution. I didn't really think the mystery was much to speak of. It... just didn't matter to me.

Overall, TWO of five stars.

Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

Review based on ARC (advanced reader copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

I didn't really know that much about this book before starting it.. This is how it was described:
When the gleaming new Manderley Resort opens in twenty-four hours, Santa Barbara’s exclusive beachfront hotel will offer its patrons the ultimate in luxury and high-tech security. No indulgence has been ignored, no detail overlooked. But all the money in the world can’t guarantee safety. As hotel manager Tessa and her employees ready the hotel for its invitation-only grand opening, a killer is in their midst. One by one, staff are picked off with ruthless precision. And before the night is over, as Tessa desperately struggles to survive, it will become clear that the strangest and most terrible truth at Manderley is simply this: someone is watching.

With stunning ingenuity, Gina Wohlsdorf puts readers front and center as the elite resort becomes a house of horrors. Riveting to the final sentence, Security is fierce, wry, and impossible to put down. With a deep bow to the literary tradition of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Daphne du Maurier, Wohlsdorf’s razor-wire prose blitzes readers with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is at once a shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a moving, multifaceted love story unlike any other.

So, I thought of it as a murder mystery with a bit of thriller thrown in. And maybe some lite horror.
In fact, this is a gory slasher novel with explicit sex scenes... which is apparently standard in the classic slasher novel.

It is gory, which doesn't actually bother me. It's explicit with exactly WHAT is being done to the victims and exactly how that looks and maybe feels. SO in that way, it's classic horror/slasher, and well done. It's not scary to the reader (well, at least not this reader), but it's a thriller, so it's tense. I never felt afraid in my empty house, but I was wound tightly while I was reading it, and eager to keep moving through the novel. As I mentioned above, there is explicit sex (though NOT by the perpetrators, so there's no rape element here). That's generally on my list of "not interested," and I didn't love it here either. I thought it was unnecessary and a bit distracting and clumsy to boot. But fortunately, Wohlsdorf moves pretty quickly through the scenes, so you're not dwelling in them. Which for me, was a definite plus. And surprisingly, it's funny. I absolutely loved the perspective. It is narrated from the perspective of someone watching the developments through security cameras and that character was probably my favorite of them all. And it's a murder mystery and a slasher thriller -- there are killings, but we don't know what's really happening or why.

The pace is good -- while I did not fly through the pages, I also did not pause much. I read the whole book in essentially one sitting, and it was a very satisfying read in the end. Entertaining, interesting (the unique point of view is a strong plus here), and, for me, well-resolved. I know some people did not love how it ended, but I thought it was as complete as it needed to be. To say any more would be spoiler, so I'll refrain.

Overall, . Recommended for horror/slasher/thriller fans. But not probably for people who don't like that/those genre(s)

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson

Review based on ARC (Advanced Readers Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

I just love the way Karlsson views life. This is the second book I've read by him, and I enjoyed this at least as much as the last. Probably more.

The protagonist, a film buff who works at a not-too-busy video store receives an invoice in the mail one day, claiming he owes a lot of money (it is written in terms of kronor, but the exact amount is not necessary to understand). When he inquires further, he discovers that everyone has been billed for essentially their life-enjoyment quotient.

So he embarks upon an investigation (casual, comprised largely of phone calls with an employee of the corporation who has issued the invoices) of how and why his invoice has amounted to what it has.

But what is brilliant about the book is how Karlsson goes about examining how someone's life could be reduced to a monetary figure. It is thoughtful, funny, surprising, and brilliant.

While somehow examining the philosophy of human happiness, Karlsson also manages to be entertaining and somehow brief. I read the small book easily in one sitting.

I just don't want to say anything else because the discoveries in this book are what make the book. But highly recommended to ... everyone? It's such a fast and easy read, I think I'd say yes. Everyone.

FIVE of five stars.

Some Possible Solutions by Helen Phillips

Review based on ARC (Advanced Readers' Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

This is a series of short stories that all consider something unique, something out-of-the-ordinary, something bizarre. Some of them were excellent, some of them were thought-provoking, and all of them were interesting. I read this series of short stories in two sittings. Although Phillips seems to be a bit infatuated with the female body and perhaps a bit falsely cavalier about sex, the stories were nonetheless well executed, well-thought out, and well-manufactured in short story form.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys speculative or unusual fiction. I will give a brief response to each of the short stories below.

FOUR of five stars.

The Knowers Phillips starts out with a sci-fi type piece where you can find out the date of your ultimate demise, and with it considers how some might react to the possibility and the way such knowledge may impact a typical relationship. The ending is unexpected and I actually kind of loved it.

Some Possible Solutions delves briefly into a few ways to "solve" some relationship "problems." The first is a bit disconcerting in the best way (you know, that creepy, crawly, under-your-skin feeling).. I believe Phillips has taken real things people think about and taken them a bit further along in their "natural conclusions" progression. Well-considered.

I didn't think I liked The Dopplegangers that much while I was reading it, but I was disarmed by where it went and am impressed in retrospect.

The Messy Throes... was funny and a bit surprising.. consider if all of a sudden you alone had not frozen in time during a diner party..

Life Care Center was probably my least favorite of the bunch... I don't know, it just felt a bit bleak and unfocused. Which was probably intentional, but I didn't really understand how it fit in with the rest.

The Joined, conversely, may be my favorite. It considers a different kind of answer to the problem of human relationship insecurities, and, once again, surprises and impresses me with its ending.

Flesh and Blood is one of the more "bizarre" ones.. It removes certain objects from the narrator's vision and follows through her responses. This was also not one of my favorites.. I think because, unlike many of the others, I was "meh" about where it went.. It was sort of predictable.. but any short story collection will have one or two of these..

When the Tsunami Came is perfect in its short and sweet honesty.

Game was another I didn't particularly like. I think I understand what Phillips was trying to do with the dual story lines, but it's one of those views of an inane relationship that just didn't strike me in any way. I couldn't wait to be done with that one.

One of Us Will Be Happy... was also not one of my favorites. It felt a little forced and aimless at the same time.

Things We Do was another meandering relationship piece that felt a bit like Game to me.. just kind of meh. I'm sure some people will like these pieces the most -- but the review of depressing relationships has never been my favorite thing in literature.

R is one of my favorites. I love the perspective. This was a sort of quick view into a dystopia where weather and it seems jobs are controlled to protect people, and how two strippers(/prostitutes?) fare in such a world after experiencing something they shouldn't have.

Children was another great one -- where might a line be between insanity and truth..

The Worst was almost a satirical look at perspective. Enjoyed in its brevity.

How I Began to Bleed Again... touches on everyday pain and losses with a touch of mysticism and leaves just enough unanswered to satisfy.

The Beekeeper was an almost light story about a developing, unlikely relationship at a time of fear and worldly problems.. I liked the story and mostly liked the ending, but it was a little abrupt -- not what happens, but what happens after. (I know that's confusing, but I don't spoil :))

The Wedding Stairs is somewhat unsettling, somewhat shocking, somewhat sad, a little confusing, and very well done. Another one of my favorites in the bunch.

The final piece, Contamination Generation was hopeful and heartbreaking and so well executed. It is not-too-distant future in a world in which we have kind of killed nature, but in which the very rich and the middle-class (?) live side-by-side and the stark differences are outlined and felt. I wanted it go to somewhere different than it did, but Phillips was correct in her decision and it was the right ending to the whole book.

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz

Review based on an ARC (Advanced Readers' Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review). Also note, review based on audio version.

I absolutely loved how this book set itself up. Bibi Blair  is a smart but young author with a lot of potential and a little fame. Her fiancé is a special ops type of army-guy on a radio-silent mission when the book starts. Bibi is going about her normal everyday business when she suddenly tastes something funny and begins to feel a tingling along half of her body. A little longer and various bodily functions stop working on that same side. Although I won't say what precisely is revealed, the set-up of the book is that Bibi is told she has some rare, essentially incurable disease.

She nonetheless recovers quickly and miraculously. Her parents celebrate by sending a psychic/medium to Bibi, telling her to go at it with an open mind. In her experiences with the psychic, it is revealed that Bibi's life was saved in order for her to save another's -- Ashley Bell's. The problem is, Bibi doesn't know any Ashley Bell and the phone book doesn't seem to be helping much.

Follows is an intense cat and mouse type of thriller, where Bibi is rushing to find and save Ashley Bell while others, who are determined she do no such thing, rush to find her and perhaps end her life. There are elements of the supernatural weaved in as well, as Bibi struggles to understand the various experiences that she has had since she was a little girl. However, because of a memory trick taught to Bibi by her grandfather when she was little, Bibi and the reader are not really sure what those experiences are, or how they affect her current chase... we are only relatively certain that they do.

And I can't say much more than that because it would be spoiler and I'm anti-spoiler.

What I loved about the book: the puzzle, the pace (although the audio reader was a bit slow for my preferences, the book's pace was good), and many of the characters. I LOVE Bibi's old professor Solange St. Clair and her old teacher whose name is presently evading me. I also thought that (the bad guy whose name I won't reveal) was well-written and well-done and had a good amount of creepy/angry/disturbing personality. I thought Bibi was a fine, plucky character and her mom was interesting as well. And I also liked her best friend, the brilliant surfer dude. Conversely, I felt that her dad and her fiancé were pretty flat, but I didn't mind that. I didn't think every character needed to be robust. Her grandfather, however, I felt should have been fleshed out a little bit more -- having had such a large role in her childhood, I thought there were some pretty big holes that never felt answered with regard to his life and experiences.

As for the plot, although I loved the set-up, I felt that it started to waver and ultimately fall a little flat in the end. Not completely, but its end was definitely not as strong as its middle. In fact, I think parts of it could have been better had they merely been resolved a bit more quickly. There comes a point when the reader knows exactly what is happening and is fairly certain how it will all turn out... I thought the book took a little too long to conclude once that point occurred.

But overall, I still recommend it. I just recommend it with the caveat that it has a somewhat weak ending.

So overall, a strong THREE out of five stars. Recommended for people who like psychological thrillers with some supernatural elements... with the caveat mentioned above. I also think this probably reads better in a hard copy than the audio version because you can get through it a lot more quickly, and perhaps the lag near the end won't be as noticeable.

Arcadia (#3 in Advent Series) by James Treadwell

Review based on an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

I re-read the first two books in the trilogy in order to "prepare" for the third and final installation. I again enjoyed Advent and continued to be impressed with Treadwell's creation of the world we know so well, as affected by magic in a way that we could not predict. I love some of the people and non-peoples he created, and the depth he gave some of his characters.

I again particularly enjoyed Anarchy. I thought Treadwell did an excellent job of showing the chaos experienced by the reintroduction of magic in our world. I loved the new stories and new characters he introduced, and I liked how it all tied together in some way or another.

So I was a bit disappointed with Arcadia. Arcadia begins about a year and a half after Anarchy ends, so magic has been well-incorporated into our world, and we have well screwed ourselves almost completely trying to deal with it. It's a sort of post-apocalyptic story in that sense, which is definitely my speed. But then Treadwell focuses our attentions on a single small island off the coast of England and we don't really experience the chaos of the world. Not that that is a bad story, it's just not what I was expecting. After the development in Anarchy, I was expecting Arcadia to be a bit more... exciting.

Instead, we follow a ten-year-old boy who knows that he is likely to be the next (and last) "man" to die in his universe (the island), as a result of Them. If you have read the first 2 books, ****NOTE: THERE IS SOME SPOILER'ISH LANGUAGE IN HERE. IT'S NOT VERY SPOILER, BUT I DID HIDE IT ON SITES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. it is clear rather quickly who They are. If not, I can imagine this might actually create some uncertainty that could have been interesting. For me, though, it felt like the first 50-60% of the book was just repetition of how boring life on the island is; how scared everyone is of Them; how likely it is that the main character is going to go off to Them anyway; how crazy his mom is; and how frustrating the rest of the characters are. Treadwell's gifted writing is still rather evident, but it was just a bit of a (long) lull.

That being said, when we MORE SPOILER>>>>  get to the mainland and see more of the after-effect of the introduction of magic, and especially when we arrive in the Valley, the magic (heh heh) of Treadwell's writing is fully exposed. I *loved* the Valley and I loved how uncertain and creepy that whole part is.

Ultimately, I felt that the end was a bit of anti-climax as well, but I also felt that Treadwell did a very good job of wrapping up... much. (but not all) All in all, I still definitely recommend the book as part of the trilogy.  It is worth completing the trilogy and, overall, the trilogy is a great one. I like that it is involved and hearty and satisfying.

So, overall, FOUR of five stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World by David Jaher

Review based on ARC (Advanced Reader Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

This is a book with a fascinating subject: The existence and experience of spirits and seances and whether or not they are real (or were proven to be real and/or false). Houdini, named in the title, himself experimented with so-called psychic experiences, but as he never really did them but happened to be particularly talented at convincing people he was "the real deal," he was particularly skeptical about all others who claimed to in fact be in contact with spirits and/or the dead.

In addition to Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was heavily involved in the whole spirit world - he was an ardent believer of contact with the dead, largely driven by various deaths in his own life and others and the loss of so many people in the recent war and epidemic.

And then there is the famed Witch of Lime Street, the wife of a Boston surgeon. She is young and smart and appears to be genuine.

In addition, Scientific American created a contest to determine whether any psychic could prove his or her merits. And of course Conan wants Margery (the Witch of Lime Street) to enter the contest, and Houdini is on the committee to determine whether she (among others) are legitimate.

So, fascinating, right?! Right up my alley. Interesting historical topic about very interesting people.... and Jaher doesn't do a bad job. He just doesn't do a particularly good job either. I found the book often dragged and spent too much time re-explaining the same inclinations of the various peoples, rather than moving more quickly through the events and analyses. Nonetheless, I enjoyed learning more about the topic and found myself repeating the information I'd learned to others in (somehow) every day topic.

Overall, a good historical account of a fascinating group of people and series of events. I would recommend to people interested in the subject, with the obvious caveat to simply "bear with" the parts that seem to drag.

Overall, THREE of five stars.

Slade House by David Mitchell

Review based on ARC (Advanced Reader Copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

I have talked about and written about this book so many times since reading it, I didn't realize I hadn't yet officially reviewed it!

In short, I loved this book. It's a mini little ghost story with a lovely repeating but not really repetitious pattern.

It is almost a series of short stories, taking place every 9 years. It starts with a small black iron door. It starts with the Slade House. You may not find it, but if you do, you will be invited, expected, needed.

You're not quite sure who lives there, but you are sure that the brother and sister who crop up every 9 years play a significant role.

No more explanation. It's all spoiler other than that. But it's a quick read, an interesting read, and a thought-provoking read. It's creepy and atmospheric.. the perfect read for a dark and stormy night...

I love how it starts. I love how it middles. And I love how it ends. An easy 5 stars from me.

Note: I've only read 1 other David Mitchell book, so far. Cloud Atlas was a very good book, but a completely different type of book. I am impressed with Mitchell's ability to write different types, different characters, different perspectives. I look forward to more!

Death Before Decaf: A Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig

Free copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I felt that this was an "okay" cozy mystery. While I did not particularly enjoy the romantic aspect because I felt that it was a little cliched and clunky, the mystery itself was interesting and novel.

In the book, Juliet Langley has returned to her college town to work for her old crush and former co-worker, the now-owner of local coffee shop Java Jive. Juliet has returned because her life and career have crashed and spectacularly burned after a horrible relationship with an apparently horrible person has ended.

Given Juliet's experience both at Java Jive and in the food industry, her old crush and one of her best friends Pete makes her manager. Juliet, however, does not appear to remotely be a people-person and immediately pisses off pretty much everyone in her employ. This is only made worse when the chef turns up dead.

Juliet is, of course, a prime suspect. In order to try to clear her name, she delves into amateur sleuthing. With the help of a local college professor who seems perhaps much more sinister than at first glance and, of course, Pete, Juliet slowly works through a list of culprits as more people end up dead and Juliet begins to get death threats herself.

So that's the set up and it's a good one. I generally liked the characters and I especially liked Seth (the professor). I did not particularly like that, rather than tale responsibility for her anger issues, Juliet simply called her temper the Red Headed She Devil (Juliet is a red-head)... it was too cutesy and lame as an excuse for her poor people skills. And I did not particularly like the cliched and, somehow, also clunky romantic triangle between Juliet, Pete, and Seth that is rather unsatisfying in the end (though this is a series, so surely there is more to come).

But as I say, the mystery itself was fun and it was a good, quick read for a cold night. I would recommend to "cozy mystery" fans, especially if someone were looking for a softly-steamy romantic one with a fiery protagonist. Overall, THREE of five stars.

Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash

Book received for free from publisher in exchange for honest review; thanks to NetGalley!

This was a decent supernatural action-adventure book with some interesting characters and a creative plot.

Wes has spent his life being second to all in his family, struggling to prove that he deserves the Rockville family name as a police officer under his father's directorship. Unfortunately, on his first assignment, he makes his first huge mistake, resulting in an escaped prisoner and embarrassment to the Rockville family name. Without giving Wes a second chance, his father transfers him to a different department for his last chance in the force.

With all the pouting, grunting, and moaning to make a 13-year-old teenage girl proud, Wes goes to his new boss. There, Wes discovers that not only are there witches in the world, but they are separated into two factions (the wicked willas and the good davinas) and infiltrate every aspect of every-day-living (including hollywood and the tabloids). Grumbling every step along the way, Wes accompanies his new boss Alastair to meet an old davina Junie, who expresses her concern over what appears to be a huge willa plot.

Enter Morgan Pendragon - heir to a multi-billion dollar cosmetics corporation currently run by her aunt - and the story is on its way. Morgan is an apparent davina who is doing nothing more than just trying to stay under the radar; unfortunately, her aunt wants her to hand over the rights to run the company and Morgan does everything in her... power... to avoid doing just that. However, because of what Junie knows and Alastair/Wes suspect, Morgan will soon have to confront her aunt and her wishes, face to face.

The plot is fast, the pace is well done, and the story is fun. I liked Alastair and Scarlett (the aunt's #1 protege) in particular - they were very well written and not quite as... predictable as the others. I also thought some of the minor characters were nice additions -- Jasmine and Wu to name a couple -- and I liked some of the less conventional mini-sub-plots that Cash (author) threw in there.

What I didn't love as much were the often-stilted conversations, the over-stereotypical behaviors of many of the characters (Morgan and her aunt, in particular), and the incredibly immature, unbelievably whiney and snarky Wes who was, unfortunately, the main character of the story.

Fortunately, Wes does show some growth throughout the book and ends up much more mature and respectful by the end of the book -- which I do think was the point.

Overall, a fun, fast read that I'd recommend to anyone who felt that the plot was right up their alley. I expect this to be a series based on how it was set up, and I would definitely be curious to see how it continues!
THREE of five stars

After Alice by Gregory Maguire

Review based on advanced review copy received for free in exchange for an honest review.

I am no stranger to Gregory Maguire. I started with Wicked, as everyone should. I was wow'd. After Alice did not completely move me, as Wicked did. However, it w
as a wonderful little novel with a lot of the magic that Maguire showed in Wicked coming through.

As the title and cover imply, After Alice is somehow a take on Alice in Wonderland. However, this story does not really track Alice, per se; rather, it tracks her awkward, chunky, physically disabled friend Ada. Ada is mentioned in Carroll's own Alice only in passing (passage at the beginning of After Alice shows only mention of Ada's long ringlets).

In Maguire's version, Ada is a difficult, perhaps abrasive, curious, but sweet-hearted child, with a near-full body back-brace and an inclination to get in trouble. Ada perhaps intentionally misunderstands the instruction to bring Alice some marmalade and uses the opportunity to escape not only the vicarage, where she lives with her noisy baby brother, but also her governess who is always attempting to correct Ada into ... well, into someone perhaps more like Alice.

Ada sees the famous white rabbit with a timeclock and, as we know Alice has done, follows the rabbit and falls down the hole to wonderland. Everything from the fall itself to Ada's experiences in Wonderland and the various "people" she meets down there are described with a very strong nod to the images and stories we know from the traditional Alice. Unsurprisingly, Maguire's take is dark. There is an ominous presence hanging over everything and even careless death occurs without the batting of an eye.

Additionally, amidst Ada's adventures, Maguire takes us back and forth between her nanny's awful day (she has lost one of her charges!), Alice's sister's day (her very teenage confusing feelings about her mother's recent passing and the attentions of an American visitor and his black adoptee), and Siam, the black child who has escaped slavery and worse under the care of Mr. Winter (the American). And there are, I believe, a few other perspectives as well. Yet Maguire is certainly a talented writer, and the varying perspectives work well together, moving together toward a climax in Wonderland and in the real world around the same time.

I enjoyed the story and the magic that Maguire weaves into the everyday, and the everyday that Maguire weaves into the magical... and I was particularly impressed with the ending.... something about it (no spoilers!) just... I don't know, it almost made me feel as if the world were unsteady for a few moments.

What I didn't love... all I really didn't love about the book might be the pacing. I say "might be" because I had so much going on in my own life while I was reading this, it is hard to tell if the book or real life was the cause of my relatively slow read. Regardless, I thought it was a pretty, enjoyable read.

I would recommend to fans of Maguire, to fans of Alice in Wonderland, and to fans of magical realism and fantasy. FOUR of five stars.

The Boy Genius Detective Agency by Robert Grey

I had a hard time really deciding what to rate this one... On the one had, it was a really quick read and it was really unique, interesting, silly, and kind of fun. On the other hand, there was such a lack of information presented, that I'm not sure is really necessary?

It's about a boy genius... whose age is never revealed, but based on context clues could be anywhere from .... 12 to 17? He's sort of girl-crazy, but doesn't care at all about his appearance; he's obviously super intelligent, but also kind of arrogant-a** about it; and he seems to be appealing to the opposite gender of various ages... ranging from, I don't know, 8 to 50? And his detective agency cohorts, Lollipop, who I think might be younger and less intelligent, and Bubble Gum, who is I think the same age as Boy Genius (aka Phidias) and perhaps just as smart. And they have started a "kid" detective agency and Boy Genius is concerned about not being taken seriously... when Wham! Boom! Bam! they're suddenly in the middle of some crazy sci-fi, super-villain, time-traveling, time-looping, telepathy whirlwind adventure. And the wham-boom-bam... it's a literal description. The book reads like a comic book, but without the actual pictures.

And it somehow works! Although there's virtually no set up of the overall book or each scene, somehow you have just enough information to mostly glean what is going on and keep turning the pages (quickly) to find out how it all resolves. And you mostly know at the end of it all. Or maybe not. Despite the plethora of unanswered questions (including, notably, how old Boy Genius and Bubble Gum are and... I don't believe we know when it takes place? (though it's definitely in the future)), it's a fun middle-grade book with bad guys, super-hero abilities, intrigue, hot women (perhaps a little too much focus on this?), and a clear ongoing plot-base (i.e., it's the beginning of a series). I think the younger generation will appreciate a book that seems much more catered to their way of thinking (maybe? at least insofar as the ADD plot & pace were concerned), though I am a little hesitant to suggest it to my friend's 12-year-old son because, really, Boy Genius has a serious wandering-eye, and it does not seem to matter how old the girl/woman is.

So. Enjoyable? yes. Quick fun read? yes. Amazing? well, no. But still recommended for something completely different.. and pretty well accomplished. So overall, THREE AND A HALF of five stars .

Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie

I don't know why this one was so hard for me to review. Rushdie has written a lyrical and poetic tale that is supposed to be a spin on 1001 nights. It is about a storm in the approximate-now (a little in the future) that resulted in 1001 nights of "strangenesses," a near-millennium long debate between two philosophers that began in the far past and continued into the time of the strangenesses, and a historical account of the narrators' ancestors, who began with one of the philosophers and continued into the 1001 nights of strangenesses. So right, that doesn't clear it up.

It's about a jinni who falls in love with a philosopher in the past, who allows him to mistreat her and refuse to marry her and give all of her children (with him) his legitimate name, and who passes back into her own world for nearly a thousand years, while their children have children and so on until there are many descendants all over the world and we are in the approximate-now. It is then about a re-awakening of the philosopher and his philosophical nemesis and their continued intellectual debate which turns into a physical war, apparently between the jinn and the humans but, at its heart, between the two philosophies. It then becomes about the war and the strangenesses that are indicative of that time when the jinn sought to take control and the humans, many descendants of the jinni-who-fell-in-love and her philosopher, who fo
ught back. And it is all told as a history, from the perspective of the future (near-1000 years in the future) descendants of the descendants.

Maybe that's why it's been so hard to review... it's much to wrap your head around. It is interesting and it is pretty and it is thought-provoking. It is romantic and harsh and philosophical. It is historical and analytical and distant. It is so many things (in not that many pages!), and it is a dense, thoughtful read. And it is enjoyable, but not fun. It is fulfilling in many ways, but not complete. Its focus is broad - covering millennia - and yet it is almost only about 1 person (the jinni who fell in love with a human). And it is even funny. Rushdie throws in a lot of repetition about the obsession of the jinn (sex) that, in lesser hands would have been infuriating but was, instead, point-making and amusing. I really appreciated a lot about the book. I liked Rushdie's story and imagination and his take on the 1001 nights.

What weren't so great to me were the pace and the fact that it seemed a bit unfocused. I would have liked the book to be a little more intentional about being 1 thing or another. I would have loved Rushdie's take on the fantastical or Rushdie's romance and philosophy or Rushdie's political waxing as a historical tome... but attempting all 3 at once ended up feeling a bit slow and cumbersome. It also felt a bit unfocused... I'm not sure why - it's not simply the time-period or the variety of characters that are covered - I think it was the constant shift in perspective, perhaps without enough of a shift in perspective. Maybe there was too much sameness with all the differences. I'm not sure, but it felt, to me, a little unfocused and a little belabored.

Nevertheless, I am very glad to have read this. I am looking forward to more Rushdie. I would definitely recommend to Rushdie fans. I would also recommend to those interested in a philosophical evaluation of our time with some fantasy thrown in for good measure. But I'm not sure I would recommend to someone looking for a quick fun magic-realism tale - this one takes on a more serious tone and pace.
All in all, THREE AND A HALF of five stars 

The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary

Review based on advanced reader copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I think I enjoyed most about this book is the imagination that went into it. This is something I would like to recommend to my friends' children (only because I don't yet have my own!) because it's smart and thoughtful and ultimately has a good message without feeling preachy.

Saki (middle-grade) is forced to spend several days during her precious summer vacation in the village where her grandmother lives, preparing for the annual Obon ceremony (honoring the dead), rather than with her friends in her big-city Tokyo. She is, as expected, sullen about the retreat, spending the time with her family, and being without good signal on her cell phone. Looking for any way to have some real fun during this antiquated ritual time, Saki agrees to go with several local kids (typical troublemakers) to her family's property and dishonors it in an attempt to prove both her bravery and her coolness. Saki unknowingly invokes a death curse and opens the door to the spiritual world.

In the nights that follow -- the nights of the Night Parade -- Saki is guided by various spirits, meets good and evil spirits, and learns a lot about the village, the importance of the rituals and honor, and herself.

I thought Saki was written beautifully. She is a complex character, accurately depicting that pre-teen/teen angst, apathy, anger, care, and innocence all at once. She is frustrating and endearing and ultimately tries to do the right thing. I like that the path was not easy, that things were not always what they seemed, and that little efforts made big differences, both good and bad.

The book is pretty and soft and gentle, while addressing big and hard and deep issues. It is not fast paced, but it is steady and consistent throughout. And, as I said, ultimately, I think the things that Saki learns throughout her experiences in the book are great things. And I think the book pulls off an impressive feat by merging Japanese legends, universal truths, and difficult physical and emotion lessons with a beautiful, creative, and imaginative background, populated by a unique array of friends and foes.

I would definitely recommend (and give!) to smart middle and high schoolers open to something beautiful and thought provoking, and to anyone looking for the same!
(and a beautiful cover to boot!)
FOUR of five stars.