Winter Garden

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

The Whitson family is held together by Evan, the warm, loving father of Meredith and Nina.  When he unexpectedly dies, the girls promise to take care of their reserved Russian mother, Anya, despite the fact that they have never been close.  Meredith is dealing with running the family business while her marriage is crumbling; Nina escapes through her career as a photojournalist. Listening to Anya's fairy tales, they realize the stories are really about their mother's survival in Stalinist Leningrad.  The girls then try to uncover the truth about Anya's tragic past.

This began as a seriously depressing book... thank heavens it turned into more of a mystery than a what-else-can-possibly-go-wrong tear jerker, or I don't think I could have finished.  Not everything is neatly wrapped up at the end, but that's reality.  I liked that everything didn't magically resolve itself.  **** 4 Frozen Stars

Jinx

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Reading Level: 4.7

AR Points: 9

Jean is a klutzy Iowa girl sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Manhattan.  Why?  A boy who refuses to end their relationship.  Unfortunately for him, Jean supposedly cast a spell on him to fall in love with her... but is she really a witch?  Her cousin, Tory, seems to think so.  But Tory wants to be the magical one in the family, and becomes obsessed with ruining Jean's life.

Although I'm a little tired of teenage magic, I still enjoyed this book. BUT... Jean was so naive it was annoying.  Time and again, she would get sucked into Tory's lies, and seemed incapable of defending herself or even arguing logically.  Ugh.  But, I still have no self-esteem as an adult, so I guess it's realistic to have someone behave like a doormat.  Maybe she was too much like me, and I'm angry with myself for still being so insecure (how psychological). **** 4 Silly Stars

Assassination Vacation

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

Reading Level: 8.6

AR Points: 13

Sarah Vowell has written a witty, informative travel guide reflecting every museum, plaque, and historic site related to presidential assassinations.  She also describes the political & historical backgrounds that led up to each death, plus revealing what happens after to the assassins & their accomplices.

The author is creepily, yet delightfully, obsessed with the circumstances surrounding presidential assassinations.  She drags friends, her sister, and even her young nephew on her pilgrimages of historical death.  Again, what does is say about me that I LOVED this book?  I guess it shows that I'm a history nut, as well as a morbid person, which is absolutely true.  I would love to have this woman as my friend, traveling the East & Midwest in search of any plaque commemorating Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and their respective assassins. ***** 5 Funereal Stars

The Keys to the Kingdom Series

Mister Monday   Reading Level: 5.9  AR Points: 12
Grim Tuesday  6.0 / 10
Drowned Wednesday  5.9 / 13
Sir Thursday  6.5 / 12
Lady Friday   6.0 / 10
Superior Saturday   6.1 / 9
Lord Sunday  6.4 / 11

Arthur is a shy, asthmatic boy who discovers that he must travel to a fantastical world in order to save it, and ultimately his own world, from destruction.  Each book tells of his adventures in capturing seven parts of the Will, of which he is the heir. 

This is a fun, sometimes dark fantasy with good characters.  If you like fantasy, you will like this series.  ***** 5 Fantastic Stars

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Reading Level: 8
AR Points: 18

Most of Austen's original text has been preserved, while this "expanded edition" serves to explain some key elements in the plot. For example, why are there soldiers stationed in nearby Hertfordshire?  Obviously to protect the countryside from roaming bands of zombies! 

While some Austen-lovers think this book should never have been written, I adored it!  Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite book, so I know the lines by heart. I loved how the story line linked together.  ***** 5 Bloody Romantic Stars

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Reading Level: 6.9
AR Points: 15

After Abe's mother dies of "Milk-Sickness", he learns that she was really the victim of vampires, due to his father's negligence.  Vowing to kill all the vampires in America, he fights for the rest of his life against this elusive enemy.  Mixing history with horror, this book "explains" not only Lincoln's decisions, but also the reasons behind the Civil War.

My husband, disturbingly enough, LOVED this book, which is funny since he won't watch a scary movie.  I love history and horror, so I knew it would be entertaining for me.  It contains "photographic evidence" of the vampire plague, which is fun, and also "excerpts" from Lincoln's diary for authenticity.  ***** 5 Fanged Stars

The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Reading Level: 6.4

AR Points: 6

Translated from Portuguese, this is the story of a shepherd boy, Santiago, who dreams of seeing the world.  He travels from Spain, to Morocco, and finally to Egypt, after dreaming of a treasure buried by the Pyramids.  He literally abandons his old life, meeting spiritual messengers on his journey, including an alchemist who helps him discover the "Soul of the World".

This fable is written in a style that is vague yet appealing. I found myself confused at times, then realized that the point of the book is to make you interpret the story.  Am I adventurous enough to go off and seek my dream?  Or am I satisfied with my decisions, and don't want to know what my "Personal Legend" could be?  Unfortunately, I'm pretty gutless, so if I'm unhappy, it's nobody's fault by my own. ***** 5 Esoteric Stars