Review – The Book of Life

 Title: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3)

 Author: Deborah Harkness

 Publish Date/Age Group/Genre: 2014 – Adult Fiction – Paranormal

 Rating: 3/5

The Story: Matthew and Diana return to the present to find their world in turmoil. A sudden loss, the reappearance of a figure from the past, and the news that Matthew’s son Benjamin is on a killing spree launch the couple into action to find the Book of Life and restore it.

The Opening Line: Ghosts didn’t have much substance.

What I Loved: I always like to see how an author weaves multiple complex story lines together to create a thrilling conclusion. I would say that Harkness did a pretty good job here. I didn’t see the ending wrapping up the way it did, but it was a good one. And there were some good messages here also, messages of tolerance and togetherness and hope.

What I Didn’t Love: My feelings throughout the majority of the book were that the story was just too complex. It almost felt like too much unnecessary drama, like not a single character could get even the smallest break. Just as I understood one piece of the puzzle, something else came along to demand my attention and create action. By the end of the book, I was ready to take a nice, long, peaceful vacation. Plus, some of the things that happened reminded me a bit of the plot of the last Twilight book.

Final Thoughts: If you are looking for a complex story with lots of art and history and a complex story, this series is definitely for you. If you like witches and vampires and the supernatural, this series is also for you. I’m glad I took the time to read these books, although I most likely won’t be reading them again.

Review – The Whispering Skull

 Title: The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co. #2)

 Author: Jonathan Stroud

 Publish Date/Age Group/Genre: 2014 – KidLit – Horror/Paranormal

 Rating: 4.5/5

The Story: Lucy, George, and Lockwood are at it again, this time using their Ghostbuster-like skills to tackle the case of an unexpected grave containing a malicious ghost and a mysterious mirror. The three are agents, extraordinary kids who have Talents that allow them to see and hear Visitors (ghosts). In a world where adults are helpless against Visitors and rely on minors for protection, Lucy and friends command high respect. And if they can solve this case and stop a stream of murders and madness, they can earn even more glory.

The Opening Line: “Don’t look now,” Lockwood said. “There’s two of them.”

What I Loved: Ghost stories are my favorite, and this series stands above the rest. Surprisingly dark for a series aimed at juvenile readers, Stroud (author of the Bartimaeus trilogy) doesn’t hold back. Plenty of humor and fun are thrown into the mix as well. I love how Stroud has created a whole new type of universe, where adults don’t hold the power, where agencies of kids go out each night to tackle cases relating to hauntings, where there is so much detail given that I felt the universe could plausibly exist.

What I Didn’t Love: I pretty much loved everything about it.

Final Thoughts: I’m so upset that I now have to wait for book 3! I love this series, with its graveyards, ghosts, danger, and humor. This is probably one of my favorite KidLit series ever! If you like ghost stories with plenty of darkness and plenty of humor, this one is for you!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Journey that allows bloggers to post a sort of wrap-up of the past week while also looking to the week ahead. Without further ado…

Last Week: I went on vacation! We did a Southern sampler kind of vacation, hopping from Tybee Island to Savannah to Charleston, sampling the sights and tastes of each location. Among my highlights – I went to the beach for the first time EVER, ate at Paula Deen’s restaurant, and climbed to the top of a lighthouse! It was a fun time to get away with my aunt and grandma and a time I’ll never forget!

I don’t understand how some people go on vacation and read. For us, each day was jam-packed, and by the time we got back to the hotel each night, I was too exhausted to do anything but watch HGTV and fall asleep. And even after I got back on Wednesday, it was hard to get back in the groove of things. So I only read two books last week.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) – Maggie Stiefvater

The Penguin Book of Witches – edited by Katherine Howe

Currently Reading: The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co. #2) – Jonathan Stroud

Looking Ahead: More spooky reading, plus a book about video gaming! I’m really excited about the stuff I have coming up!

In Real Life – Lawrence Tabak

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) – Deborah Harkness

Shadows of the Silver Screen (Twelve Minutes to Midnight #2) – Christopher Edge

Danse Macabre – Stephen King

Here in Lexington, the weather has finally caught up! It’s been cool, rainy, and blustery – my favorite type of weather! It finally feels like fall. Dark, wet evenings, a briskness to the air, and just a sense of possibility. My reading has definitely been reflecting the season. How about yours?