MAY

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place (Flavia de Luce #9) by Alan Bradley

I did this as an audio book. It was sooooo slow. This was typical Flavia as she spouts chemical equations and odd pieces of knowledge. She hooks a dead body as they float down a river and are pulled into a murder mystery. so slow.

No Pretty Pictures: a Child of War by Anita Lobel

True memoir of Lobel's WWII experiences. This is so sad. Not too bad for kids to read. Just so very sad in considering the human condition. Excellent.

1st to Die (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson

Not my cup of tea. The murder mystery is OK. There were a few surprising twists, but not whoa. The crimes were really sociopathic and just a little much for me. I may not read any more. Adult.

Out of the Wild Night by Blue Balliett

Very odd. Conflict on Nantucket involving rehabbing old homes and the ghosts who inhabit them. The main characters include the ghost of the town crier, a group of children on the island, and various adults. Who is speaking and their state of aliveness remains confusing.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

I actually sighed with relief when this finished (audio book). It was sooooo slow. The first half was so slow in developing the story that I almost quit. The second part in the Hinterland at least got more complicated and had fresh ideas about fairy tales, but still dragged. Not a purchase for me. YA for violence and really monstrous monsters. Also unnecessary use of the f word.

Wax by Gina Damico

Nice combination of horror and humor. In Paraffin, Vermont, the Grosholtz Candle Factory rules. But things start to get weird when a wax boy appears in Poppy's car trunk. Dud (short for Dudley) is a fresh creation who is intelligent but uninformed. (source of much of the humor) Things get creepier as time progresses. YA for violence. Minimal language and romance. Very good.

Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard

This has a certain "dumbed down" feel. It's a "young readers" edition. As far as dog stories go, it's OK although I wasn't fond of the dog voice. This wasn't bad, just not great. 3rd+

Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter (audio book)

Seems like this will be a stand alone. Lots of action and appropriate romance. Maddy was friends with the "first son" right up to the point where his mother was almost kidnapped. Then her injured Secret Service dad moves them to the wilds of Alaska. Great voice for an exceptionally strong female lead. The boy is a bit soft. Quite a few twists to the plot and lots of cold wet treks. Very very good. YA for actually scary scenes.