Books
The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Rating: 3 stars
I really wanted to love this, but it seemed a little thin & flat. I kept hoping for more details that would make the world seem more real. Even the “plot twist” didn’t grab me. It’s definitely no Where the Mountain Meets the Moon or The Chronicles of Prydain.
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourne
book 1 in the “Lady Julia Grey Mystery” series
Rating: 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a smart female character, delightful use of language with no dumbed-down vocabulary, and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.
I probably should have read this before picking up later books in the series, but it wasn’t available. There were some parts of the storyline that were spoiled because I’d read the later books, but it was good to finally catch up on the backstory.
The Mansion in the Mist by John Bellairs
Rating: 2 stars
Creepy. Disjointed. Strangely-paced.
This turned into a hate-read about 1/4 of the way into the book. I finished it, hoping things would improve, but they didn’t. As a kid, I loved John Bellairs books, but I clearly hadn’t read this series.