Looking Forward ~ Looking Back This Week In Books

Who would guess that horror would be the theme of the week. But like bookends on either side of Rick Riordan's most excellent "Red Pyramid" my reads were creepy tales. The "Prince of Mist" takes place at the verge of World War II on a beach where an old evil lies in wait. "The Boneshaker" takes place even further back in history, at the beginning of the 20th Century. And in it's case, the evil comes seeking the small town of Arcane.

Outgoing:

Red Pyramid: I must admit that I was worried that this new series wouldn't stand up to the wonder that is The Percy Jackson series. BUT it did. And if anything, Red Pyramid proves Rick Riordan is one of the best kidlit authors out there today. This book is smart and funny and I think it's great that there is so much to learn. The story is told from the perspective of siblings, and it's got it's roots in Egyptian mythology. Yes, there's a similarity to the Greek god motif of The Olympians, but if anything, RP is even funnier -- and certainly more cheeky.

Prince of Mist is a Gothic-styled horror novel. There's no graphic violence but instead a creeping evil. And Zafon, of Angel Game fame, does a fabulous job of building tension in this 200 page novel. The story takes place in a seaside community where the Carver family has moved.On the eve of WWII, they settle into a house where, unbeknownst to them, a tragic tale previously unwound. It's a story of love, friendship, and the horrible power of a promise. Teens and Young Adults.

Currently Reading Finished late last night:

Don't confuse Kate Milford's Boneshaker with that of scifi author Cherie Priest's. They are two different animals. Milford's The Boneshaker is a creepy tale set in the sleepy little town of Arcane, Missouri, in 1913. It starts with an introduction to thirteen year-old Natalie, a girl whose more interested in machines than wearing dresses and conforming to stereotypes. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrives, a series of strange events unfold that leaves Natalie scrambling for answers and a way to save her family and small town from the forces that threaten to tear it apart. Milford writes well and the end of the book found me whipping through the pages, frantic to find out what happened.

Incoming:

Lost Cyclist: When I saw this one described on Amazon's Vine program list, I had to grab it. The description reads: "In the late 1880s, Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh, a renowned high-wheel racer and long-distance tourist, dreamed of cycling around the world. He finally got his chance by recasting himself as a champion of the downsized “safety-bicycle” with inflatable tires, the forerunner of the modern road bike that was about to become wildly popular. In the spring of 1892 he quit his accounting job and gamely set out west to cover twenty thousand miles over three continents as a correspondent for Outing magazine. Two years later, after having survived countless near disasters and unimaginable hardships, he approached Europe for the final leg...." and he never made it. What can I say. I want to know what happened to him in Turkey.

Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat It's true. I haven't read this widely proclaimed book and it's about time. I mean, how can you not like an upbeat tail about cats and books and libraries.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs