Fiction Review: The Witch Elm

My husband and I are both huge fans of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series. So far, I have read In the Woods, The Likeness, and Faithful Place, and each one was even better than the last! This fall, though, during the #RIPXV Challenge, I decided to take a break from the series and give her highly-acclaimed stand-alone novel, The Witch Elm, a try. As suspected, it was a satisfying mystery, filled with unexpected surprises and plenty of tension and perfect for the season.

Toby thinks he is a very lucky person. He's living a wonderful life, with a PR job he loves, great friends from his old school days, and a loving, kind girlfriend named Melissa. Sure, there's been an issue at work that he could have handled better, but his luck held out, he still has his job, and life is good. He enjoys a night out with his two best friends to celebrate his continued good fortune. That night ends in tragedy, though, when two men break into his apartment, steal a bunch of stuff, and beat him so severely that he is barely alive. He spends months in the hospital and suffers a brain injury and PTSD, in addition to all his other injuries. Then, the bad news piles up, and he finds out that his beloved Uncle Hugo is dying of brain cancer. Toby and Melissa move into the ancestral home, where Hugo lives, to take care of his uncle. This turns out to be good for Toby, too, as he gets stronger and better emotionally in the comforting place, filled with happy childhood memories, and they both enjoy Hugo's company. Their peace and happiness are disrupted, though, when a human skull is found in the back garden. Soon, the police have dug up the entire backyard and are swarming the house and interviewing all the family members, including Toby and the cousins he grew up, Susanna and Leon. The three of them spend long hours not only reminiscing now, but trying to figure out what happened and how. Little by little, Toby's lucky life falls apart, as crises occur and his happy past is torn apart by the investigation. How did that skull end up in the garden?

Tana French is known for her twisty, dark novels, but this one is super twisty and dark! She does a great job, as always, of creating an immersive setting and realistic characters that are fully fleshed out. I felt like I knew Toby and his family and was a part of their story. The plot curves, bends, and doubles back on itself, constantly presenting new surprises for the reader that make this an engrossing book that is hard to put down. I read it while sick, and it was the perfect sick-week book to keep me engaged and forgetting about my own problems. The surprises continue right up until the end and kept me rapt. This intriguing mystery also delves into thoughtful questions of family, loyalty, identity, and luck. It's a compelling and beautifully-written novel ... just don't expect a happy ending!

509 pages, Penguin Books

Penguin Audio 

If you love Tana French's books as much as we do, check out the TV show, Dublin Murders (available on Starz, Hulu, or Amazon) - my review and a trailer at the link - we loved season 1!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you. 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. It sounds like a great audio production! 

 

You can purchase The Witch Elm from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

  

Or you can order The Witch Elm from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Fiction Review: The Sense of Death

Happy Halloween Week! I have devoted the past two months to darker, creepy reading for the #RIPXV Challenge, but last week, I read a book that was absolutely perfect for the season and wonderfully written, too. The Sense of Death by Matty Dalrymple was written by a local author (Philadelphia area) whom I met last year when she did a book signing at our local indie bookstore. I'm so glad I bought a copy of this book, her first in a series of ghosty mysteries, because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ann Kinnear, star of this series, has been able to sense spirits ever since she was a little girl. She doesn't claim to be a psychic and can't communicate with spirits, but she can sense colors, shapes, sounds, and sometimes emotions. Ever since she helped police find a local missing girl when she was a teen, her brother has acted as her manager, booking her jobs where someone needs her talents. Sometimes she helps law enforcement, sometimes she comes to the homes of people who want to know if their loved ones are still around or if the ghost in their house is malevolent, and sometimes she helps potential buyers scout whether a house is haunted. That's the case with her latest client, who actually wants to buy a haunted house but one with a spirit with benevolent tendencies. When Ann arrives at their latest selection, a fancy townhouse in the wealthy Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia, she refuses to even enter the house because she can sense such anger and hostility from a spirit just from the open doorway. Word of the spirit encounter gets back to Detective Joe Booth, who is investigating the disappearance of the young wife and mother in that very house. He suspects the husband of foul play but has no evidence yet. He doesn't believe in spirits or ghosts, but he brings Ann into the case just to see what happens. As the web of crime, angry spirits, and dangerous criminals tightens, Ann may not even be safe in her remote haven of a home in the Adirondacks.

I loved this novel! Suspense and mystery with a side of the supernatural? Sign me up! But it was also very well-written, with well-developed characters and an intricately plotted mystery yielding taut tension. In addition, the settings of the book in the Philadelphia area and the Adirondacks (both familiar places to me) were an integral part of the story that made it a very immersive narrative. This is not a "whodunit," since the reader knows from the beginning who the bad guy is, but the suspense lies in following the detective's efforts to figure it out before the villain can come after Ann. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and can't wait to read more of the series--anytime of year!

217 pages, William Kingsfield Publishers

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here (it's from a passage where Ann and another "spirit sensor" describe what they observe) and/or download it from Audible at the link.

 

You can purchase The Sense of Death from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here: 

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order The Sense of Death from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

It's Monday 10/26! What Are You Reading?

I'm happy to report that my severe relapse of my chronic illness seems to have ended, and I am slowly regaining some energy and stamina. I began to feel slightly better by mid-week last week, and though I am still far from my normal baseline, I have been able to sit up and get out a bit and begin to rejoin life. I am feeling, though, like I missed October, which is my favorite month. Luckily, the weather's been nice, so I have spent a lot of time out on our deck. Today is dark, overcast, and rainy here, and it's supposed to stay this way for the entire week!

Out of the house enjoying the fall colors!

 

We are busy here helping our older son get ready to move out later this week! He has the same immune disorder I have, plus some nasty tick infections, and he has really struggled mightily with his health since graduating from college two years ago. But he recently got hired for a part-time job that he thinks he can manage and will be moving out-of-state. He and his girlfriend will be renting a basement apartment from her parents. He's been chronically ill since age 10, so this is a huge and important step forward for him (with some safety nets built in, thankfully). We are all excited and nervous, and I will be focused this week on helping him pack, set up some financial stuff, gets all his medications in order, etc. Big-time excitement here!

As always, we enjoy our books in good times and bad. Here's what we've all been reading this week:

I finished reading another book for the fall RIP XV Challenge, The Sense of Death by Matty Dalrymple. The author is from our local area, and I met her (and bought the book) last year when she did a book signing at our local indie bookstore. This book, the start of a series, is a mystery with a ghosty twist, so it feels perfect for the season! Ann Kinnear (star of the series) has been able to sense spirits since she was a little girl. She's not a psychic and can't talk to the departed, but she can sense sounds, colors, smells, and sometimes emotions that indicate a spirit is hanging around. Detective Joe Booth is working on a missing persons case in Philadelphia, about a young woman who disappeared and left her husband and daughter behind. By chance, Ann visits the woman's home to check it out for a prospective buyer and has a strong reaction to whatever spirit is there. Though he doesn't necessarily believe in such things, Joe contacts Ann, and begins to work with her to help solve this case. The reader knows "whodunit" from the beginning, but the suspenseful mystery revolves around Joe trying to figure it out, with help from the spirit world. I loved this novel! It's very well-written, an intriguing and unique premise, and set locally, which is always fun to read about. I can't wait to read more of this series and from this author.

Next, I read another dark novel (the up side of sick days - lots  of reading time!), August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones. I met Stephen last year at Booktopia Vermont and read his second novel, Lives Laid Away, which I loved. This series about ex-Detroit detective August Snow, features action-packed thrillers with plenty of mystery and suspense and a good sense of humor. This first award-winning book introduces August, whose father was African-American (and also in the Detroit Police Department) and mother was Mexican-American. August sued the DPD and the mayor in order to uncover many layers of corruption in the city, which made him a hero to some and persona non gratis with others (and got him kicked off the force). Now, he's back home after a year away, wealthy but with plenty of enemies. He's living in his parents' old house in Mexicantown and trying to rebuild his life. When a high-profile woman who ran a bank dies suddenly, August gets pulled into the case, against his better judgement. August is a likable and complex character, and I love the other characters and the setting of these books. They are a bit on the violent side for my tastes normally, but they are so well-written that I just get immersed in the mystery and go along for the ride. My husband loves this series, too. The third August Snow novel is due out in spring 2021 - we'll definitely be reading it!

Last night, I just started The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, a spooky book perfect for RIP XV Challenge that I have been saving for this last week of October! I have only read short stories by Jackson (like The Lottery, of course) before, so I have been excited to dive into her most famous novel. I've only just started it, but the set-up is that a PhD searches for a haunted house (and finds Hill House), then invites several people who have histories of experiencing the paranormal to stay there with him for the summer. He wants to finally validate his paranormal research, which is normally ridiculed. It's already beautifully written, intriguing, and engrossing, and I can't wait to see what happens next! I love reading for the season, and this is the perfect choice for Halloween week!

On audio, I've been listening to a new release, Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam. I first heard about this book when Jenna Bush Hager chose it for her Today Show book club pick for October, so when I saw it offered for review from the publisher, I decided to join the fun. This novel has already garnered lots of recognition, including being nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. It has an unusual premise; I've never read anything like it so far. A family with two teens has rented a secluded vacation home on Long Island for the week and is enjoying some relaxing time together. One night, an older couple show up at the door. They explain that they're the owners of the house and that a sudden blackout has shut down New York City. Frightened and wanting to get out of their 14th floor apartment, they drove out to their second home and want to stay. An uneasy bond forms between the family and the couple, who are complete strangers to each other but are sharing the house. Further clues indicate some sort of massive disaster, but neither the characters nor the readers know exactly what is happening. It's an interesting character study, focused on what's happening in the house while some mysterious tragedy is occurring out in the wider world. I'm enjoying it so far and have no idea what will happen next!

My husband, Ken, is reading one of the birthday gifts I gave him this month, The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld, the sequel to her hit thriller, The Child Finder. Ken and I both loved that first novel, about an investigator named Naomi who has a special talent for finding missing persons, especially children. This skill derives from a childhood loss that has haunted her for her whole life. In this second novel, Naomi turns her attention to her own personal tragedy and goes in search of a sister she can barely remember on the streets of Portland, OR, where scores of homeless children search for food, shelter, and love. The first book was superbly written, suspenseful, and compelling, so we have both been looking forward to reading the sequel. He said it was good, though not quite as good as that outstanding first novel in the series.

Ken has now turned to another birthday book I gave him (by amazing coincidence, I want to read all of these, too!): The River by Peter Heller. Peter was another Booktopia author from a few years back, and I enjoyed his unique thriller, Celine, featuring a kick-ass older woman heroine based on his mother! Ken didn't have a chance to read that one, but when The River was released last year to much acclaim, I thought it sounded right up his alley. It's about two men, old friends from college, who embark on a quiet wilderness trip together, canoeing in northern Canada. Their planned relaxing vacation takes a dark turn, though, when local wildfires come close to them. One night, they hear a man and woman arguing on a nearby fog-shrouded riverbank. In the morning, they see the man paddling away alone. What happened to the woman? Between the approaching fires and this mystery, this wilderness survival story sounds like it is full of suspense. He says it's great so far!

Our son, 26, is still reading the epic fantasy series, Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind and loving it! He is still reading book 3, Blood of the Fold, which he picked up (along with book 2) at his favorite local used bookstore with a birthday gift card. He tore through the first two books in the series. It sounds like the series is filled with murder, swords, treachery, and a unique magical world--yup, that ticks all his boxes! He has been powering through each long book, so they must be really compelling. He loves this kind of stuff. He says his reading slowed down this week because he rediscovered Skyrim and has been playing a lot of video games!

 

 

Last week's blog posts (you can see I was starting to feel better last week - back to blog visits this week!):

Fiction Review: The Dry by Jane Harper - a twisty thriller set in an Australian drought

My Summary of Books Read in September - a great reading month for me!

Fiction Review: Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor - a slow-burn, quite mystery housed in a character study of a town

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

Fiction Review: Sycamore

One of my audiobooks for the #RIPXV Challenge this season was Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor, a novel I'd been wanting to read/listen to for a while. It doesn't fall neatly into any typical fiction category. There is a mystery at the heart of it, but the novel is mainly focused on the impact of that mystery on the residents of a small town.

Sixteen-year-old Jess wasn't thrilled when she and her mother, Maud, moved from Phoenix to the small college town of Sycamore in northern Arizona in 1991. She got into the habit of slipping out of the house late at night and walking or running around the small community, amazed by the dark and the quiet so far from the city. Later that year, Jess disappeared on one of those late-night forays and was never found. About twenty years later, Laura is another newcomer to Sycamore in the habit of walking every day, despite the desert heat. One day, while walking along a dry lake bed outside of town, Laura discovers what appear to be human remains. While the police investigate and the town waits for lab results to identify the bones, everyone assumes that it must be Jess, who disappeared without a trace on that long-ago night. Chapters alternate from one town resident to another in both the present and the past, gradually revealing unexpected connections and filling in the events prior to Jess' disappearance. For instance, Maud is Laura's postal carrier and still mourns her daughter's loss. Other perspectives include Jess' best friend, her employer, and others in town whose connection to Jess is slowly exposed, like a web of nearly invisible thread. Secrets, lies, romance, and betrayals come to light with each character's story, finally leading to the answer of what happened to Jess.

One reviewer compared Sycamore to Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth's Strout's novel of interconnected short stories all taking place in a small town. It does have that feel to it, only with a mystery and a growing sense of tension and dread at the center of it. It's not a fast-paced thriller but a slow burn, as the reader gradually gets to know the people of the town and how they were each affected by Jess' life and her death. A complex web of secrets and relationships underlies this seemingly peaceful little town, and the author only slowly reveals those connections. With multiple narrators, the audiobook was riveting (if perhaps a bit confusing at the beginning as each new character was introduced). I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this compelling, unique character study of a community hiding its secrets and how one person affects the lives of so many others.

352 pages, Harper Perennial

Harper Audio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here  (Laura's first chapter) and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase Sycamore from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

Or you can order Sycamore from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Books Read in September

View of the Elk River from our camper

 I got a bit behind on book reviews but am catching up now! Here's what I finished in September:

• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (UK) - classic adult fiction
• A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena (Saudi Arabia) - teen/YA fiction on audio
  

• The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson (UK) - nonfiction/true crime
• Feed by M.T. Anderson - teen/YA fiction on audio

• The Dry by Jane Harper (Australia) - adult fiction
• The Door by Andy Marino - middle-grade fiction

I finished six books in September, with a nice variety. Five books were novels and one was nonfiction. I read two teen/YA novels, one middle-grade novel, and the rest were for adults. Two of my books were on audio, and the rest were in print. Once I finished David Copperfield and A Girl Like That, leftovers from August and the Big Book Summer Challenge, all the rest of my choices fit the RIP XV Challenge for darker fall reading, though still with a great variety of mystery, thriller, true crime, fantasy, and sci fi. I enjoyed all of my books last month, but I have to pick David Copperfield for my favorite: it's just such an all-around outstanding book, filled with drama and wit. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

Progress in 2020 Reading Challenges:
You can see all of the reading challenges I am participating in and full lists of the books read for each at the challenges link. I have some fun ones going this year!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020 - I read three books from my own shelves last month.

2020 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - September was When Text Just Isn't Enough, and The Feather Thief fit, with fascinating photos included in the book.

Back to the Classics 2020 - I finished David Copperfield, which fit perfectly into the 19th century classic category.

PopSugar Reading Challenge - this is a unique one! Most of my categories are filled now, so I added just one last month:

Book involving social media - A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

2020 Nonfiction Reader's Challenge - I added The Feather Thief, in the true crime category, so I now have 8 nonfiction books read this year.

2020 Diversity Reading Challenge - Just one of my books was diverse last month, but it covered ethnicities and religions I knew little about: A Girl Like That.

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge - I added Saudi Arabia and Australia (my second time there this year) and lots more UK!

2020 Literary Escapes Challenge - No new states in September.

2020 Big Book Summer Challenge - I added two more Big Books in September, for a grand total of ten this year.

RIP XV -  I kicked off this annual challenge with 4 dark books.

And finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along. In September, I filled 17 spaces on my bingo card:

Spaces Filled:

David Copperfield - not in a series, shelf love, man on cover

A Girl Like That - audiobook, new-to-you author, set in a foreign country

The Feather Thief - library book, book club read, read a physical book

Feed - travel by ship, YA, purple on cover

The Dry - series, investigator

The Door - free book, magic

Free Space

What was your favorite book read in September?

Fiction Review: The Dry

I've been listening to rave reviews from readers all over the world ever since Australian author Jane Harper published her debut novel, The Dry, in 2018. My husband and I finally had a chance to read it, and we both enjoyed this taut thriller with a distinct sense of place.

As the novel opens, Federal Agent Aaron Falk is filing into the church of his youth, after a 20 year absence, to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke. The news, as gruesome and sensational as it was, had reached Aaron even in Melbourne: supposedly Luke had shot his wife and son before killing himself. Though Aaron is not in town in a professional capacity, Luke's parents pull him aside after the service and ask him to look into the case. They say there is no way that Luke would have done this and that he was having financial problems that could have perhaps provided some sort of motive for someone else to do it. Reluctantly, Aaron agrees to stay for a few days; his specialty is forensic accounting, so maybe he can at least let Luke's parents' know what the numbers tell him. Sergeant Greg Raco, the newest member of the small local police force, is outmanned for something this big and welcomes Aaron's help, but he and Luke's parents are among the few in town who are happy to see him. Aaron left as a teenager with his father, after some sort of tragic event that left a good friend of his dead. In fact, Aaron didn't just come to the funeral only out of a sense of loyalty but because he'd received an anonymous note saying, "Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral." As Aaron works to help Raco solve the recent case, shadows from his past (and some very unfriendly people) keep popping up and getting in the way. What happened twenty years ago? And is it connected in some way to what happened last week on Luke's farm?

This is one of those super twisty mysteries where you keep thinking you have it figured out and you know who the bad guy(s) are, but ... you don't! The setting in a small Australian farming community during a severe drought is a huge part of the story. With the financial pressures of failing farms and the general sense of tension brought by the never-ending dry spell, there are plenty of potential suspects who could have been pushed to the edge of madness. My husband and I both enjoyed the fast-paced and complex story with two intertwining, mysterious deaths set twenty years apart. We were both riveted by the sharp writing and unique plot that make this thriller a compelling read. Now, we are both eager to read Jane Harper's next novel, Force of Nature, which I just bought for my husband's birthday!

326 pages, Flatiron Books

Macmillan Audio

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase The Dry from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

Or you can order The Dry from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

 

It's Monday 10/19! What Are You Reading?

I had another long week of being stuck on the couch. My relapse of my immune disorder is continuing--almost two weeks now. I still don't know what triggered it; the most likely explanation is being exposed to some sort of virus even though I didn't "catch" anything. Luckily, the rest of my family--including my son who has the same immune disorder--are well and healthy. This is the most severe and longest-lasting relapse I've had in probably over a decade, so it is getting discouraging. There's really nothing to do but rest as much as possible (even slight exertion will make me worse due to my disease). So, I have not seen anyone but my husband and son in two weeks and just this morning left the house for the first time. I had an appointment with my massage therapist and didn't want to miss it since all this time lying down is messing up my neck and back. I'm glad I went, but now I am back in my spot on the couch.

Relaxing on our deck with my book

 

We've had some great weather, and I am really missing being able to take walks. Lying in a lounge chair out on our back deck really lifts my spirits: blue sky, fall colors, and sunny but slightly cool air all feels great!

View from our deck

 

And I've had lots of extra time to read! As always, books bring comfort, entertainment, and escape. Here's what we have all been reading this past week:

I finished reading The Witch Elm by Tana French, which was just what the doctor ordered for some sick day October escape! While my husband and I are both big fans of her Dublin Murder Squad series, this is a stand-alone novel, though still set in and around Dublin. It was named a Top Ten or Notable book by both the New York Times and NPR when it was released in 2018 and features French's outstanding writing, character development, and twisty plotting. Toby lives a charmed life. He's a confident, charismatic guy who works in PR, loves his job, has a nice apartment, and is in love with his wonderful girlfriend, Melissa. Toby's life begins to fall apart, though, when two burglars break into his home and beat him severely, leaving him for dead. Then, with lingering symptoms from his brain injury and other injuries months later, Toby gets the news that his beloved uncle, Hugo, is dying of brain cancer. Toby and Melissa move in to help Hugo--and that turns out to be good for Toby, too--when another tragedy hits. An unidentified skull is found in Hugo's back garden, where Toby and his cousins played as kids, as did his father and his brothers before them. The family home is upended as the police swarm in to investigate. As with all of French's novels, this one is twisty and immersive and compelling ... and very dark. No happy endings here!

Now, I am reading another dark and creepy book for the RIP XV Challenge, The Sense of Death by Matty Dalrymple. The author is from our local area, and I met her (and bought the book) last year when she did a book signing at our local indie bookstore. This book, the start of a series, is a mystery with a ghosty twist, so it feels perfect for the season! Ann Kinnear (star of the series) has been able to sense spirits since she was a little girl. She's not a psychic and can't talk to the departed, but she can sense sounds, colors, smells, and sometimes emotions that indicate a spirit is hanging around. Detective Joe Booth is working on a missing persons case in Philadelphia, about a young woman who disappeared and left her husband and daughter behind. By chance, Ann visits the woman's home to check it out for a prospective buyer and has a strong reaction to whatever spirit is there. Though he doesn't necessarily believe in such things, Joe contacts Ann, and begins to work with her to help solve this case. The reader knows "whodunit" from the beginning, but the suspenseful mystery revolves around Joe trying to figure it out, with help from the spirit world. I am loving this novel so far: it's very well-written, an intriguing and unique premise, and set locally, which is always fun to read about!

On audio, I just finished another dark and creepy choice, All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban, a YA thriller. This one has a unique premise. Six students from the local high school all get letters saying they have won scholarships and inviting them to an awards dinner. When they show up at the designated time and place, though, no one else is there, and they get locked into a basement room alone. On the table is a bomb counting down, a syringe filled with liquid, and a note saying they have to choose one person to die (by injection) in the next hour, or they will all die from the bomb. They begin arguing over their options, while alternate chapters look back over the past year of their lives to fill in information about each of them. Besides the suspense, the story also delves into serious issues like bullying, drug use, and suicide. The teens are all very different--a star athlete, the valedictorian, an all-around over-achiever, a talented musician, a stoner, and a loner--but they all have secrets.  It's kind of like The Breakfast Club crossed with a high-stakes thriller! There are lots of surprises here to discover, including the ending.

My husband, Ken, finished another good RIP XV choice, From a Buick 8 by Stephen King. I had no idea that King wrote another horror novel about a car besides Christine, which was super creepy when I read it in the 80's as a teen! This one was published in 2002 and is about a State Police troop in rural Pennsylvania who discover an unusual old Buick Roadmaster back in 1979. Knowing that the car is dangerous, the troopers hide the car in a shed and attempt to discover its secrets over the years. In 2001, a state trooper is killed, and his teenage son, Ned, begins coming by the barracks to help out with small jobs around the place, to feel closer to his dad. The troopers understand this and welcome him, but once Ned discovers the Buick out in the shed, old secrets begin to stir. It sounds like classic Stephen King creepiness and perfect reading for the season!

Now, Ken is reading one of the birthday gifts I gave him this month, The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld, the sequel to her hit thriller, The Child Finder. Ken and I both loved that first novel, about an investigator named Naomi who has a special talent for finding missing persons, especially children. This skill derives from a childhood loss that has haunted her for her whole life. In this second novel, Naomi turns her attention to her own personal tragedy and goes in search of a sister she can barely remember on the streets of Portland, OR, where scores of homeless children search for food, shelter, and love. The first book was superbly written, suspenseful, and compelling, so we have both been looking forward to reading the sequel!

Our son, 26, is still reading the epic fantasy series, Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind and loving it! He is still reading book 3, Blood of the Fold, both of which he picked up at his favorite local used bookstore with a birthday gift card.  he tore through the first two books in the series. It sounds like the series is filled with murder, swords, treachery, and a unique magical world--yup, that ticks all his boxes! He has been powering through each long book, so they must be really compelling. He loves this kind of stuff.

 

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: The Vast of Night - a classic sci fi movie set in the 1950's in the style of The Twilight Zone

Middle-Grade Review: The Door by Andy Marino - a girl searches for her mother in an imaginative fantasy world 

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?  

Middle-Grade Review: The Door

In the mood for a light, easy read at the start of my #RIPXV Challenge months, I grabbed a middle-grade novel from my shelf of kids' books waiting to be read (this one from 2014!), The Door by Andy Marino. This very original fantasy novel took me on an imaginative trip to another world and kept me riveted.

Twelve-year-old Hannah lives in an isolated lighthouse on the North Atlantic coast with her mother. She's grown up in a very sheltered, unusual way, with her mother homeschooling her and no visitors allowed at the lighthouse. In fact, her mom seems kind of paranoid. One day, though, they finally get two visitors: an old friend of her dad's from out of town and his nephew, Kyle, who is a bit older than Hannah. They enjoy a nice dinner and fun evening with their visitors. Hannah's mom finally relents and allows Hannah to go to the public school for middle school, and Hannah is surprised--and delighted--to see Kyle there on her first day. Although she's been very excited to go to "real" school, Hannah's been a bit worried about how her classmates will react to some of her weird habits and tics, like her made-up language, the voices in her head, and her inability to walk up or down stairs normally. Kyle's presence, though, smooths things over. All in all, it's a pretty good first day ... until Hannah returns home to the lighthouse and finds that a tragedy has occurred. Although she is terrified and not entirely sure what to do, she knows she must take a chance and go through the mysterious door in the wall of the lighthouse (that appears to lead nowhere) in order to save her mother. What she finds there, though, is beyond her wildest dreams. As she searches for her mother, she finally learns, bit by bit, what her unusual life has meant.

What I've described takes place in the first 40 pages, and the rest of the book is what happens after Hannah goes through the door. To tell you any of it, though, would be to ruin the many surprises in store for Hannah and the reader in this unusual story. Suffice it to say that the author has an incredible imagination and has created a world like no other I've ever read about in fiction. It's a fantastical place filled with things both delightful and frightening, and it'swholly original. Along the way, Hannah meets both new friends and scary enemies, and there are lots of unexpected twists and turns. It looks like this book didn't attract much attention when it was released in 2014, which is a shame, as it is a hidden gem. I really enjoyed escaping into this unique, magical world and going along on Hannah's adventures with her.

297 pages, Scholastic

Scholastic Audio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase The Door from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

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