Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a middle grade novel with a Gothic or horror feel to it. Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate.There's plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate's maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is; a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity before all of the children vanish one by one. Serafina's hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

Serafina and the Black Cloak is a story with mystery, adventure, and a little magic. Serafina does not know much about anything outside her daily life of hiding in the shadow and hunting the rats that try to call Biltmore their home. She knows nothing about her mother, or why she and her father secretly live in the basement. When she sees the man in the black cloak take a girl she begins searching for answers, not just about what happen to the girl but also about herself. Serafina and Braeden are characters that see themselves as ‘other’ and some of their friendship finds root in that, but they are both interesting characters on their own. I found myself deeply invested in both children’s lives, and interested in their history. I enjoyed the unfolding of Serafina’s history, though not all of it surprised me. I was disappointed that we did not get more about Braeden and some of the side characters did not get a solid resolution as far as I was concerned. I was enthralled with the read, and enjoyed it. The lack of small bits of resolution just left me hoping that Beatty would revisit the Biltmore, since this story concluded but left plenty of room for more adventure.

Serafina and the Black Cloak is an engaging middle grade read with a good balance of mystical and coming of age themes. I think this will be a popular read for many.

Book Review: The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox is the second book in the Southern Ghost Hunter mystery series. I know I have read other books by the author, but I have not read Southern Spirit, the first book in the series. Verity is in the middle of a town festival dealing with being hated by one of the town big wigs for her failed relationship with her son. Meanwhile the ex is hounding her, and she is kinda, quietly, dating his younger brother. Then there is the little problem of stumbling across as dead body while trying to help her sister with her work on the celebration. Her ghostly sidekick Frankie warns her to stay out of it. The very alive, almost boyfriend deputy sheriff, Ellis Wydell, inadvertently places her directly in the middle of it. Undaunted, Verity presses forward, uncovering scandalous secrets, long-forgotten ghosts, and a shocking trail of clues that places her directly in the path of a killer.

The Skeleton in the Closet is a fun and diverting paranormal cozy mystery. there are plenty of complications, ex boyfriends and almost boyfriends that just happen to be siblings not even close to the biggest of the issues Verity has to face. She is trying to free the gangster ghost that she accidentally trapped on her property, trying to solve the mystery of who would want to kill a hardworking woman, why she was killed, and dealing with a variety of ghosts and their conflicts as well. Even though I had not read the first book I felt like I got up to speed pretty quick, and only the details of Verity's break up and why the Sheriff dislikes her so much being the only things that make me feel like I missed something important in the first book. I found the mystery and the characters interesting, and really liked the tone of the story.     

The Skeleton in the Closet is a fast paced and fun weekend read. I flew through the story, looking for clues and just how everything would tie in together at the end. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a ghostly theme this would be a great series to pick up. 

Book Review: Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPuccio, Eric Wight

Everyone Loves Bacon is a picturebook written by Kelly DiPuccio and illustrated by Eric Wight. Every food in the kitchen loves Bacon, and they all are his friends. He is practically sizzling with the popularity and praise he receives. However, after awhile all that fame goes to his head and he forgets about friends and family, instead focusing on how much he is loved. In the end things take a decidedly delicious turn.

Everyone Loves Bacon is a fun book that shows how easy it can be to lose ourselves in praise and attention. Bacon eats up all the attention he gets, and in doing so treats those that have always been by his side badly. This is never a good course of action, and his friends do not take kindly to it. The ending is not really a resolution to that problem, but is a good reminder that when 'everyone' loves you often times at least one of those admirers is out to take a bite of the action.

Everyone Loves Bacon is a a fun story with a delightful surprise ending. It was downright delicious, and now I am hungry for something crispy.

Book Review: The Perfect Bargain by Jessa McAdams

The Perfect Bargain is a contemporary highland romance by Jessa McAdams. As if being newly single isn't brutal enough, Sloane Chatfield's friends are constantly setting her up. When Sloane insists she's waiting for a certain sexy fictional Highlander to come along, her friends surprise her with a trip to Scotland to find her a new boyfriend. If she can find a Highland hunk to "break her heart" before her friends arrive she might be able to have some peace. Galen Buchanan is struggling to keep the family pub afloat. He is running out of money, and now there's an opinionated American lass parked at his best table, driving him mad. When Sloane asks Galen to be her pretend Highland boyfriend, and offers him enough money to save the pub. It's only for a few days, he figures. What's the worst that could happen?

The Perfect Bargain is a fun romance that take a woman that is more than a little disappointed in her former fiancee, and looking to run from her problems, and her interfering friends for awhile. She has a plan, but when it goes astray her back up plan includes the hunky bar owner with some serious financial issues. Nothing could go wrong, right? I liked that Galen and Sloane bantered back and forth, I love a couple that is comfortable enough with themselves and each other that they can bicker. I also liked that while Sloane is wealthy, she works hard and does not look down on those that do not have things as good as she does, in fact her work is all about charities and helping others. Galen might love the bar, but his reason for running it is more about family and doing what he thinks is right rather than the bar itself. The inclusion of the tiny village, Galen's family, and Sloane's group adds some fun characters and interesting conflicts that occasionally had me cringing or looking away in sympathy for the characters. I think the characters really made the book.

The Perfect Bargain is a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed the characters and their interaction. It was a great weekend read, one that I pretty much inhaled in a day.

Book Review: The Shadows Fianna Trilogy by Megan Chance

The Shadows is the first book in the Fianna Trilogy by Megan Chance. Grace Knox is about to turn seventeen, and the world of Victorian New York society should be opening to her, instead, Grace’s world is closing in. The family business is gone, her brother is drinking and gambling,  her widowed mother cannot cope, her grandmother is slipping into madness, and now Grace is having disturbing dreams of ancient battles. Grace’s only hope is to marry Patrick Devlin and let his fortune save them all. Then Grace meets Diarmid, an Irish stableboy. Being with him means losing everything. But the secrets and mystery surrounding him are too compelling to ignore. Soon Grace is drawn into his world of legend and heroes, magic and prophecy.

The Shadows is the solid start to an intriguing series. I liked the premise and the combination of historical feel and Irish mythology. Grace is a reliable and reasonably pragmatic girl, though she does occasionally get a little romantic minded. She wants happiness and to save her family from destitution, and it seems that Patrick is the best choice to reach both goals. I like that Grace questions motives and feelings rather than just taking everything said at face value. The story becomes more interesting and complicated with the addition of Diarmid and the tasks everyone has ahead of them. There was a lot of build up for the problems and battles ahead, but some resolution and revelations when the book ended as well.

The Shadows captured my imagination and made me interested in reading more Irish mythology and continuing the series. It was a solid foundation for what could turn out to be a great new series.

Megan Chance is the award winning author of several adult novels, including Bone River. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at www.meganchance.com.

Great Books Set in Connecticut; Novels and Non-Fiction in the Nutmeg State

It is always fun to read a book and recognize the landmarks and locations discussed on the pages. Even if the exact locations are not ones I pass by everyday, or even actually exist, often the feel of the state is still strongly felt. This might not be the case for larger states, but we Connecticut residents can often recognize the inspiration of our state in writing. Here are some books that make me smile because of the familiar settings in Connecticut.

In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Repairing the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time by A. E. Hotchner and Paul Newman is a perfect non-management book. The late Paul Newman is a hometown hero for most Connecticut residents. He used his fame and wealth to do as much good as he could. This book gives readers a glimpse into his compassion and style as well the partnership that built Newman's Own, an all natural food company. The book is a fun, playful read that informs and inspires.

The Sleeping Father by Matthew Sharpe is full of acidic humor and tragedy. Sharpe tells the story of a family trying to deal with betrayal and the father's stroke, which was pharmacologically induced. There is fear induced humor and satire in this character driven novel which keeps the sadness and humor of the story perfectly balanced. The story is set in a fictional town in Connecticut.

Summer Light by Luanne Rice illustrates the bonds of family you might expect to be shattered and the joy of finding the person you are meant to be with forever. The story is complete with struggles, tragedy and triumph not just a love story that follow the expected path. Set in a Connecticut shoreline town the book makes a great summer or beach read and captures the atmosphere of New London County perfectly.

The Barbarians Are Coming was the first novel by David Wong Louie. We see the details of family dynamics for a Chinese-American family in Connecticut, particularly the son's struggle to be American and ignore most of his heritage. Instead, he buries himself in his chosen career, denying what connections that could be made through cooking. This is a deeply affecting novel about fathers and sons, and the struggle to be true to yourself and your family or culture.

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy is an unexpected treasure. A story of two women that connect over the phone at just the right moment in their turmoil filled lives leads to the unique opportunity to trade homes for the summer, one in Connecticut and on in Dublin. We see the reality of life, relationships and hope. This is an original and well-crafted tale that entertains and moves the reader.

We'll Meet Again by Mary Higgins Clark is a murder mystery as well as a drama about best friends. One is convicted of murdering her husband and the other is a true crime reporter. A Connecticut socialite is the main character. She is released on parole and spends her free time trying to solve her husband's murder while readjusting to life.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb is not a light read, not fun or fluffy like most of my favorite and most recommended reads. It is a multi-generational story that is heartbreaking. It is full of family secrets and mental illness and the struggles that come from them. Locations from upstate Connecticut are as much a character of the book as any of the family members.

Explore these fantastic reads and get a little feel for the state of Connecticut, or if you are a fellow resident enjoy the feel of home. Nothing is better than reading a great book, except one that makes you feel at home in its settings.

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is the 5th book in the Kitty Hawk series by Iain Reading. I absolutely love this series, but highly recommend reading it in order. that is more important with this installment than any of the previous books.  The other books could all pass as stand alones, but knowledge of the previous adventures really makes this one.

In this volume our teenage seaplane pilot and amateur detective Kitty Hawk continues her epic flight around the world. After meeting up with an old friend in the eternal city of Rome, Kitty Hawk unexpectedly stumbles (almost literally) into a bizarre mystery involving creepy disembodied voices, secret hidden rooms, unbreakable mathematical codes, ominous chain-smoking strangers and an array of plundered artworks by such famous masters as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. With the help of friends both old and new, Kitty Hawk follows a trail of cryptic clues that leads her on a breathless tour across a quintessentially European landscape, from ancient Roman Italy to the darkest corners of Germany, Austria, and beyond. As with the previous books in the series, this new installment is filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is fast paced and intriguing mystery. Kitty and Charlie (who we first met in book 1) meet up in Rome and find themselves deeply embroiled in a new mystery. Missing masterpieces are noticed on the walls of a new friend's home. Soon a mysterious radio message, thieves, car and scooter chases, and a grand tour of several European cities keep the characters and the readers on the edge of their seats. I love that readers get to learn bits of history and obscure knowledge as we follow along with Kitty on her adventures. I also liked that this installment had a little less of Kitty talking to herself, and more of her thinking about some of the darker moments of our global history. I also like that readers that get really involved can easily google along and follow up with the resources and information included at the end of the book.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is another fantastic installment to Kitty's adventures. if you enjoy mysteries, particularly those that teach real history along the way, this is a must read series. Middle grade readers through adult readers can fully enjoy this series and sleuth along with Kitty. I am both eager to see how Kitty's trip will end, and sad to know that it will.

There are currently 5 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold, Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost, Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue, Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic, and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces. 

Book Review Recorder and Randsell vol.1 by Meme Higashiya

Recorder and Randsell vol.1 is a graphic novel by Meme Higashiya. Miyagawa Atsumi and her younger brother Atsushi seem like your typical siblings. Atsumi is a high school sophomore dealing with exams, Atsushi is a 5th grader who only wants to run off and play with his friends. School's hard enough as it is, but things are a little harder for these two. Atsumi is so small that she still mistaken for a little kid, while Atsushi is so tall people assume he's a full-grown man. 

Recorder and Randsell is a fun graphic novel that I was able to enjoy. I liked that the siblings were so different from each other, they obviously cared about each other and wanted to fit in to the world around them. Their desire to fit into the world is universal, and I liked that this was shown in both serious and humorous ways as the siblings navigate life. I found the entire work to be charming and entertaining, although I was occasionally confused. I often read a page a couple times to figure out the right reading order, and did not always feel confident in my opinion.  a few pages had me reading right to left, and then trying left to right (the traditional manga format) and was not always satisfied with one or the other consistently.

Recorder and Randsell is a entertaining and charming read. Despite my mild frustration, I still enjoyed the feel, style, and mood of the graphic novel and am interested n exploring it further. 

Book Review: Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, Meg Hunt

Interstellar Cinderella is a picturebook written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Meg Hunt. This steampunk take on Cinderella features a strong young girl that is a mechanic ace. With a little help from her fairy godrobot, Cinderella is going to the ball. When the prince's ship has mechanical trouble, someone will have to zoom to the rescue!

Interstellar Cinderella is a wonderful picturebook. I love that this Cinderella is smart, capable, and strong. Instead of loosing a shoe, this heroine loses her wrench, which the Prince offers to potential brides as a test. to marry him they need to fix something for him to prove that they are the mechanic of his dreams. I really loved, seriously loved, her response to his proposal and the intelligent and independent main character of the story. In fact, after cataloging this book I shared it with every fellow library staff member that would listen and it was quickly checked out for an upcoming storytime.

Interstellar Cinderella is a must read. I cannot overstate my love for this picturebook. Even if you do not have any kids in the house, take a moment and enjoy this wonderful new take on Cinderella.

Book Review: The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold

The Imaginary is a middle grade novel by A.F. Harrold, with illustrations by Emily Gravett. Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup’s imaginary friend. Nobody else can see Rudger, at least until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda’s door. Mr. Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumor has it that he even eats them. And now he’s found Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting catches him, and before Amanda forgets him and he fades away to nothing. But how can an unreal boy stand alone in the real world?

The Imaginary is a story that took me a little while to get into, but I think that was because I started it just as i was coming out of a reading slump. Once I really got going in the story I was hook. Rudger is an imaginary friend, and we get to see the majority of the story through his eyes. His friend and creator Amanda is a headstrong and highly creative girl that often fails to think of the bigger picture before she acts. Together they can do just about anything, until Mr. Bunting and his imaginary friend ruin everything. Rudger is lost and along, aided by a cat and other imaginaries as he tries to find his way back to Amanda and protect other imaginary friends from Mr. bunting. the story is heartfelt, exciting, and had me caring about all the characters (even the imaginary ones). The illustrations add a special something to the story, but I am a fan for Gravett's work regardless.

The Imaginary is an enchanting and heart warming read that will speak to readers of all ages. young readers can find themselves in Amanda and the interactions of friends, both real and imaginary. Adults will remember their own childhood, and those of the children in our lives. Everyone can find something of themselves here, and enjoy the combination of dark humor, silly fun, and heartfelt moments that just might have you in tears. A great read, and one I wish I had gotten to sooner.

A.F. Harrold is an English author and poet who writes and performs for adults and children. He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas, and one beard. He lives in Reading, England with a stand-up comedian and two cats.

Emily Gravett is the author and illustrator of numerous children’s books, including Wolves, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration; and Orange Pear Apple Bear, a Quills Award finalist and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Emily lives in Brighton, England, with her partner, their daughter, and the family dog.