Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

I should begin by mentioning that Victoria Schwab (V. E. Schwab) is one of my favourite authors. She is just an amazing author and human and I adore her. 

Tunnel of Bones is the second book in her paranormal middle grade series. The first book is City of Ghosts. You can read my review of that one here. 

The series follows Cassidy Blake and her ghost best friend as they accompany Cassidy's parents who are filming a television show about the world's most haunted cities. This book takes place in Paris, in the catacombs. Cassidy's parents might be chasing ghosts, but it's Cassidy who actually gets to see them and interact with them. 

I'm not the target audience for middle grade novels. That being said, I truly enjoyed this! It was a quick read, but it was fun and enjoyable. You never quite know how things will turn out, and it's always an exciting journey to get there. 

Victoria has a way of writing her characters that gives them such an old soul, more raw quality to them that just sticks with you. Cassidy Blake is no exception. I didn't have any trouble connecting with the main character, even though I am much older. 

There was more back story in this one, in some ways. Perhaps it was building more into the characters and the world in preparation for more novels. Still a fast paced, spooky read. 

I also appreciate the creepy, spooky aspects of this book. Even though it's for a younger audience, it's not too cute and watered down. The paranormal element is still here and still on the scary side. I love that. 

At this point I'm not sure there's a book by this author that I'm not going to love and I can't wait till the next one comes out! 

Recommendation: For the readers who love paranormal novels, creepy reads, ghosts, and great writing.

Into the Dim series by Janet B. Taylor

There are two books in this series and both have been out for a while. Book one is Into the Dim and book two is Sparks of Light. I did see there was mention of a third one on Goodreads (which I so hope is true) but I'm not sure if it's going to happen.

I came across this series by accident at the bookstore. I was looking for another author and the first book Into the Dim caught my eye, and I picked it up. 

The series starts with Hope Watson. She's a teenager who has lost her mother to an earth quake and goes to Scotland for the summer to stay with her mother's family. Turns out that her mother and her mother's family are time travellers and it's going to be up to Hope to go back in time to rescue her mother who isn't dead, just in another time. 

First off, the detail and the time traveling aspects of this series is fascinating! I loved the twists and turns in these books and I couldn't put them down! I was worried and excited about what was going to happen. 

The first book was my favourite of the two, but I still really enjoyed the second book. I really fell for all the characters and I thought the romance aspect of the books to be seen and lovely. 

I had to go back to the bookstore right after I finished the first book to get the second one because I needed to keep the story going. 

This series has villains, family, courage, love, time travel, history, and more all beyond my wildest dreams. This series felt new and interesting to me in ways I haven't seen often. 

What really surprised me was that I hadn't seen any of these books on bookstagram. No mention of them, no one really talking about them. For an awesome series about time travel and history, I would have thought otherwise. 

The second book was great, but I did find myself becoming a little confused in the middle. It looked like the story was going in one direction but then went in a total different direction which I felt was jarring, but I ended up enjoying the outcome. You do have to read the first one before this one though. I don't think it would have been easy to follow the tangent of the story without having read the first one before this one. 

Both of these books kept me glued to the page, and I really wish the third one would become reality. This really was a stellar series. 

Recommendation: Read this if you love time travel, historical fiction, the weak growing strong and kicking butt. 

Slayer by Kiersten White

This book just came out recently and I am so happy its out in the world! I had requested this book on Netgalley and I was quite happy that I was able to read it last year!! I used to watch Buffy on TV as a teen, and since then I've renewed my interest in it.

This book is about The Watchers, the ones who are left, and the last Slayer to exist after Buffy. Basically things are in shambles due to what Buffy did (which since I haven't watched the whole show I have no real frame of reference for) and it follows the lives of Nina and her twin sister Artemis who grew up at the Watchers Academy. There are only a small number of Watchers left, and they are focused on being ready when needed for any future Slayers.

Nina gets quite a shock when she discovers she's the last Slayer. Ever.

There's demons, monsters, all the baddies from this world you could think of. There's betrayal, secrets, and anger. It's one heck of a journey.

I read this all at once and I liked it. There were moments where I was wondering why bits were necessary, but I think perhaps there's a larger story at work here and as the series goes, more will be known.

Slayer was well written. I was glued to the page and had to finish it in one sitting! It's just one of those engrossing reads that pulls you out of your everyday life and throws you into an adventure to the point where you forget your troubles. 

I'm happy to have read gotten the opportunity to read this before it was released. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was quite good!

Since I've only just begun to re-watch all of Buffy, I am looking forward to needing to re-read this novel again once I'm finished, and to follow along with the series!

Recommendation: For the lovers of Buffy and vampire/creature type stories. For the lovers of books about finding out who you are and those who just love one heck of an adventure

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Like a lot of pretty cool books, I didn't know about this one until the second one was coming out. At this point, I've only gotten my hands on this one so far, but I really do intend to read the next one when I can grab it in paperback!

First off, there's pirates. Female ones. There's treachery, lying, betrayal, backstabbing, and all the great swashbuckling goodness that comes with stories about pirates. There are sirens, magic, and not so terrible enemies. It's quite an adventure.

I love a great pirate/mermaid story so I was not at all disappointed in this one at all. I thought it was great.

It was an easy read, but it kept me wanting more. I remember reading it fairly quickly, and loving it.

There are not a lot of books that I often think I'll go back and read again, but I think I might actually do that with this one before I read the second one. The writing style was fantastic and really drew you into what you were reading, and experiencing "life" as Alosa was a lot of fun.

There's romance, there's humor, and
just a whole lot of excitement to be found in this book. Like a lot of YA fantasy type books it's easy to forget the ages of the characters so even though the main character is supposed to be 17, it didn't feel like that.

Basically, if you enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, or other pirate books and movies, you'll enjoy this lighter hearted, but still intense read about pirates and sirens who aren't always what they seem.

Recommendation: For fantasy lovers, for pirate lovers, for those who like to read about sirens and mermaids. This one is for you!

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

This was my first Colleen Hoover. I picked it up on Book Outlet because I've seen her books all over bookstagram and this was the one that interested me the most. I figured it would be a perfect summer read and it hit the spot in that regard.

Overall, I don't really know how to feel about this book. It was a young adult type romance. It's about a girl and a boy who meet on the day she is moving away. They decide to meet up every November 9th for that day only. She can't fall in love till she's 23 and he is willing to wait. I'm making it so much simpler than it is because I really don't want to spoil anything.

I loved the idea though. It went along how I was hoping it would. There was some drama, some hot and heavy bits that I was so there for. It was good. I just don't know if I like how it all ended up.

What started out for me like a sweet book about two young people who are trying to be themselves and live their lives without changing for a serious relationship turned into something else. There's a whole other level the author added in that just kind of threw me and I don't know how I feel about it.

It was an okay book, but it didn't wow me in the same way other people have been saying it's wowed them. I think I would read more of her work, but I think it would have to be something I get from the library.

Honestly, this book was a out of character for me as far as what I read. I'm not a huge fan of romance to begin with and I typically stay away from all contempory young adult books as well because I know I won't love them like I'd love something else.

It was an easy read that I finished in a couple hours while out at a cabin enjoying some relaxation time. This book is totally a summer read, it's easy, it's got romance, and it's nothing too serious.

Recommendation: For the fans of Colleen Hoover of course, for fans of love stories, for triumphing over strife, fans of easy romantic type of reads, this is for you!

Better Off Wed by Laura Durham

I grabbed this one for free a couple months ago as an ebook. I am a huge fan of BookBub and I always look forward to the deals that appear in my inbox. Especially when I'm trying to save money.

Anyway, this was a super cute looking cozy mystery that I snapped up and read fairly quickly.

It's about a wedding planner named Annabelle Archer who finds herself involved in murder. During a wedding she had planned, she finds the bride's terrible mother dead on the floor under suspicious circumstances and her friend and sometimes business partner is the one who ends up under  investigation!

There's humour, romance, intrigue, and of course good old fashion mystery in this one. It's totally a cozy mystery, so it's easy to read but involving at the same time.

I really liked this one. It was a little different than some of the other cozy mysteries that I find myself reading. A lot of the cozies I read revolve around someone and their family with a love triangle and a little shop on the small town street. Since this one only had one romantic interest and didn't involve family of the main character, it was different.

I liked this one, and I think that if I came across more of these at the library or as a super cheap ebook I would pick it up. Like most cozies, I tend to read through them quite fast and it makes more sense for my bank account if I don't collect them as real books on my shelf.

Recommendation: For the lovers of cozy mysteries with a bit of humour. This one is for you.

The Jackaby Series by William Ritter

This series was a total cover buy from Book Outlet a while back. I feel like I knew about this series but forgot about it along the way. The covers though, are just so cool.

The series is the Jackaby series, but it's told from the point of view of his new protege Abigail Rook. Abigail Rook is a girl just looking for adventure in 1892. She travels around the world and crosses paths with a man who goes by R. F. Jackaby, completely by accident shortly after she arrives. She's looking for work to fund her new life and he's got a job on offer.


Jackaby is a private detective that solves cases that involve the supernatural. Jackaby is like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Newt Scamander. There's ghosts, trolls, fairies, shape shifters, and everything else you can imagine. He's as awkward and strange as Sherlock, if Sherlock could see all manners of the supernatural.
This series follows a pattern of events that all coalesce into the fourth novel with the need to stop the mastermind that's been behind what's been going on in the town of New Fiddleham. They cross down into the underworld to help a very dear friend who happens to be a ghost, attend a dig and stop a dragon. All good and wonderful things. Of course,  the culmination is the usual save the world type of mission, but who doesn't love that.

There's a whole big cast of interesting creatures and people who show up and help Jackaby and Abigail stop the danger from getting out of control that appear throughout the series. There's a little bit of romance, a little bit of dealing with a broken heart, and the whole third floor of their building looks like a local park complete with a water feature and a resident duck.

I enjoyed this series. It was easy to read, interesting and kept me coming back for more. It's a young adult series, but it didn't feel like I was reading a young adult book, which I always love.

I gave the first three books 4 stars, but I only gave the last one 3. It was the ending. It was a good ending but everything got flipped on it's side and then it just ends. Like it was a good ending, but there's so much more room for more now and it kills me that the series ends here. Well, as far as I know it's done. If it somehow turns out not to be done I will be overjoyed. The author just put a whole bunch of really cool things in motion in the last like 10 pages of the series and then it's just over. I want more! Still good though!

Recommendation: For fans of Sherlock and Fantastic Beasts. If you like supernatural things and mysteries, you'll love these!

June Wrap Up!

This month felt like it was a big reading month, but it was actually pretty average for me. Most of these books were read in one day or in two days which possibly made me feel like I read more than I did.

I was on a bit of a thriller and easy read hunt this past month and I made it through 4 books.

My Husband's Wife ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a thriller I came across about a year ago but just picked up recently. It's a slow burning one, but one that kept me stuck to the page. I read this in two days.

Behind Closed Doors ⭐⭐⭐
Definitely an interesting thriller. You know right from the start a lot of the main details so it's not much of a twist to the ending, but it's still a page turner

Big Little Lies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this one. Read it in one day, then went and binged the whole first season of the show that night. Not my usual read, but I liked it. And yes, the book was better!

November 9 ⭐⭐⭐
This was part of my need to read new things and break out of my reading habits. I've never read a Colleen Hoover before this, and although I was glued to the page, it was an okay easy read, I read it in one sitting. Didn't wow me like I was hoping.

Full and detailed reviews will be up soon (hopefully!) if you'd like to know more!

Arrogant Devil by R.S. Grey

I have been following this lovely lady for a long time on Instagram and I figured it was about time I read one of her books!

She writes romance and romantic comedies which are my least read genres, but I felt in need of a change. After all, a story I've been playing with myself has a little bit of romance in it. How can I write it if I don't read it!?

Well I took the plunge and I gobbled this up pretty fast, reading it all in a day or two I believe. It's an easy read but that is in no way a bad thing!

I really enjoyed this. I had no idea what to expect (because of my lack of romance novel experience) but I was thrilled with what I found. I was glued to the page and taken along for quite the ride.

The characters are so defined on so many levels that you really don't know what they are going to do next. The story was interesting and compelling without being one I've read before. She took a typical girl and a typical boy, then flipped it on it's head, dug through the misconceptions, and gave you love.

If you had asked me what I felt about romances prior to reading this book I would have told you that it really wasn't my thing. I would have told you that I find them interesting but repetitive. That the same tropes are used over and over to the point where eventually I felt like I'm just reading the same book over and over.

Boy, was I wrong! This was not one of "those romances"

I will be reading more of her books for sure. Romance doesn't have to repeat itself, and it can certainly contain comedy! After all, no two loves are the same!

Recommendation: Even if you aren't into romance (or you think you aren't) give this a try. You will probably be pleasantly surprised just like I was!

The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard

I have always been a fan of James Patterson. His books are interesting, fast paced, and easy to read.

I have also always been a fan of all things Egyptian.

This book came across my radar totally by accident. I was perusing the shelves at one of the many libraries in my new town and I wandered down the aisle of non fiction books and this popped out at me.

I was so not aware this was a thing before I found it, but it was totally something I wanted to read!

This book is a mix of truth with the story telling mastery of James Patterson.

It takes real known facts around the life of Howard Carter and what little is known about the boy king to come up with a plausible reason for the death of King Tut.

I didn't know that much about King Tut before this, I was aware of him, of course, but I didn't know a lot about the details of those around him and how his life could have possibly gone. I thought this was really, really interesting.

There was enough story magic along with the facts that it worked out to be quite a page turner.

It was a quick read for me, took me about two hours, but I was thoroughly entertained the whole time!

Recommendation: For fans of James Patterson, and fans of Egyptian history. This was a great read.

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen

This is the second Sarah Scribbles book. I've got the first, and you can find my review of that one here.

I LOVED this so much. Just as much as the first book! Honestly her comics are golden and amazing and relatable to so many people. I know I see myself in them and it really makes you feel understood just a little bit more.

Like the first one, this book will brighten your day without fail. I like keeping them close by to pick up and flip open randomly when I am feeling down or just worn out. They bring a smile to my face.

This one was a little more closely related to anxiety and such, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed it all.

This one has the famous comic strip in it about the woman who walks into a bookstore and throws money up in the air like a rockstar in it. I'm sure you know the one.

I really hope she keeps releasing her work in collections like this for a long time to come because I love them so darn much. I noticed on Amazon that she's put out a planner too with her stuff and I am so excited to get my hands on that too! I am a big fan!

Recommendation: Read this. It'll take you all of a hour tops, if that. The joy and the feels that you will get from it will last you a whole hell of a lot longer!

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Half the time when I write these reviews I feel like I'm simply rewriting the blurb on the back of the book in my own words without really telling you much about the book but I hate spoilers and I actively try to avoid writing them. Bear with me while I try to tell you everything without telling you everything.

This is the first book in The Agency series. Set it 1850's London, it's about a girl named Mary who's life is saved from the gallows by these women who run a school for girls that helps them get ahead in life with education and manners, all the things girls need. Turns out the school is a cover for a secret group of women who call themselves The Agency. They are a group of all female private investigators who work behind the scenes going where only women can go, gathering information and helping elite organizations with their expertise.

Mary jumps at the chance to work with them and her first mission puts her in the home of a business man acting as a companion to his daughter. She is out there on her own, told only to pay attention and gather information if she can about his business practices. Things take a turn for the dangerous and Mary is in deeper than she thought.

This book has deception, intrigue, a little bit of romance, and a lot of action to keep you on your toes. Nothing is quite what it seems and with trouble lurking around every corner, as well as a deadline looming, Mary does whatever she can to find the truth.

This book was a simple read, didn't take me very long to finish. I bought it with a good discount because I had seen the cover a couple times, and I was intrigued. I really liked the idea of the all female investigative agency set in this time period and this book didn't disappoint. I do think I'll read more in this series if I can get my hands on them at the library.

Recommendation: For those who enjoy young adult mystery type Victorian intrigues. It's an easy, but interesting read.

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Last year I found the book Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell at the library and I snapped it up because it had such a cute cover, and well, it was a mystery. Quite often that's all I need to know. Needless to say I loved it! (you can read what I thought about it by clicking on the title). The reason I'm telling you this is because that book was the first in a new series. I did some digging and it turns out that Bailey Cattrell was one of the names that the author of this book publishes under. There was a whole series she had written that I wanted to get my hands on.

You would be right in thinking this book is one of those cheesy titled, sweet, cosy mysteries with a single girl protagonist who finds herself solving a mystery when she probably has no business doing it, while getting stuck in a love triangle with two different and totally hot guys who both make it their life's work to save her butt at every turn even though they've only known her a week. 

And you know what? I loved it. It's silly and predictable, but honestly, it's a wonderful break from reality. It's just a book to pick up when you are looking for an easy read that sweeps you up, carries you off to a safe place, gives you a bit of romance and intrigue and keeps your mind occupied for a couple of hours. 

The bonus to this series is it involves magic. In this book, Katie Lightfoot moves to Savannah to open a bakery with her aunt and uncle. Shortly after arriving, she starts noticing strange things going on with her aunt. Turns out her aunt is actually a witch, and so is Katie! When a murder happens right outside the door of the shop, Katie's uncle becomes the prime suspect. With the help of her aunt and their witchy abilities, they must work together to find the real killer. 

For all its simplicity and cheese, I loved it. I will totally pick up more of this series and I am totally looking forward to the next one in the previous series too. This are just easy, fun reads. Like chocolate for the mind! 

Recommendation: If you're all about a good cheesy, cozy mystery that involves a little magic, than snap this one up. It'll be that distraction you've been looking for. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

I grabbed this during a sale thing at Chapters because I haven't read as much of Neil Gaiman's work as I would like.

This is a fairly small, fairly short book. I read about half of it at the hair salon while I was waiting for my fiancée to get a hair cut. 

I think I might have read it too fast though because I got the sense there were like 10 different layers to this book that just floated by above my head. 

It was such an interesting story that I was rushing through it rather quickly and I think that might not have helped. I definitely need to re-read this!

I really enjoy being told a story by Neil Gaiman, and I am grabbing up his other works (as I always do, when I can get a deal) and adding them to my library. After all, I adored both the book and the movie version of Stardust (my review on that one is here).

I didn't know what to expect from this book. The synopsis on the back tells you very little. It's about a man who returns back to where he grew up for a funeral. He begins to reminisce about a girl he knew when he was 7 and the pond behind her house that she used to call an ocean. I don't want to give anything away, so I urge you to grab up this book and read it for yourself. Simply keep an open mind. That way you can be swept along for the journey and just float away into another world. I 

Recommendation: Neil Gaiman's work is a thing of beauty. Read it. 

Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

I was in a bit of a hurry the other day while searching for goodies at Chapters. They had a whole deal going on that you needed to buy so many books and get some percentage off or something (like I need a reason to buy books) and I had a gift card, so I grabbed this book. 

I had seen this series before at the bookstore and it had always piqued my interest. It's about a girl whose cousins with the Royal family in England. It's set back in the 1930's and it involves murder, intrigue, spying, and a woman doing things for herself. In this particular story, Lady Georgiana Rannoch is tasked with being a companion to a Princess from Greece who is to wed the King's son George. Prince George has always been a bit of a play boy so keeping the Princess unaware of his past is a big task. When one of the prince's former flings is found murdered, Lady Georgiana searches for the killer while helping out the highest powers that be from having things turn into a scandal. 

This one is the 9th in the series, and I didn't know too much more about it till I grabbed this one. This was the kind of book that catches your eye and you read the back a couple times before taking the plunge one day and reading it. 

Honestly, I confused this one with another series I was planning on reading but it turned out totally okay as I enjoyed this book! The other series had a female protagonist and dealt with spying too but that's okay. I'll get to that one eventually. 

This book felt a little slow going at the beginning. For a cozy mystery, this one was little bit more complicated that I had thought it would have been. It did get into a groove around the half way mark, so I'm happy I kept with it. 

 There were lots of hints at past exploits without giving too much away which I liked because that gives me a reason to go back and read more. I wouldn't say that this is a series that I need to collect and put on my shelves but I do think that if I come across more of them at the library then I would definitely read them.  

Recommendation: For the lover of a good mystery, especially one about England back in the day. Detailed and interesting. Give it a go!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, but I tend to want to read a book badly around the time I hear it's being made into a movie, because 9 times out of 10 I intend the see the movie. I also prefer to read a book before seeing it's movie because I feel like I should appreciate the original work of art before seeing the movie version. This can prove to be quite annoying for my fiancée because that means I miss seeing movies he would like to watch too in theatres as, in true bookworm fashion, I tend to be reading 3 books at once and sometimes cannot get to finishing the book in time.

I had heard mixed reviews about this book and I wasn't going to read this at first, but the movie trailer looked really cool so I had to see what the fuss was about. 

I liked this book. I thought the characters were really interesting, I thought that the story kept my attention, and although I might have gone a different route in some places, it was pretty great. The world that the author created is one I haven't really seen before and I really do want to know more. 

I haven't gotten a hold of any of the other books yet, and I think it's because I wasn't super jazzed about the ending of this one. Something about it just made me need to step back and pause before I read any more. Probably going to snap them up after watching the movie. That's usually how it goes. 

I haven't seen the movie yet although I really do intend to see it at some point. This book wasn't at all what I was expecting but it's good that it wasn't. It was a fun and different read. 

Recommendation: I'm not sure why people didn't like it but I'd suggest you not listen to them and read it for yourself. It's not what I expected but I liked it and you might just like it too! 

Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood

Yes, I know. Another Miss Fisher mystery! I'm sorry but they are just so much fun that I can't help but post about them and honestly, I read quite a few at a time (thank you library!) and if I didn't write about them then I wouldn't have very many reviews!

Now this one was pretty cool. It deals with the theater and everything that comes with it. Actors with egos, on stage deaths, the drama and passion of it all. It might be the usual plot line of a mystery involving the stage but it didn't feel that way which is always a plus.

If you've read any of these books yourself, then you'll find a man showing up time and time again as one of her main lovers. I thought this character was quite interesting, and even more interesting is how they meet which is covered in this lovely book. 

I've often wondered why he's never mentioned in the show but I guess because perhaps there isn't time? Or because giving her other lovers is more fun? She does still have more than one in the books (in this book too I believe!). Then there's the tension with the detective that the show provides that I wouldn't change for a minute! 

As always, this was a great read. If you've been following along with me into my foray into this series you'll know that some of them I just find "good" and other ones I find "great" I think this one tips more to the side of great!

Recommendation: For the lover's of murder, mayhem, a woman being herself and being great at it, this is a book for you!

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

You may have heard of this movie (like I did) and had no idea it was a book, or maybe you knew and were keeping it a secret. I don't know. But I do know that I've read the book, watched the movie, and I have some thoughts.

It's a story about a family who's father passes away and they have to spend a week locked into the family home together. It's told from the point of view of one of the sons and it details the hilarity and troubles of life. I won't say anymore, but it's a dark and funny movie that I enjoyed.

I saw the movie first and I liked it. It made me laugh. Helps that I really enjoy most of the actors in the movie too. My only wish was to change the ending, I wanted more. I always want more.

The book was good too but it was different in a lot of places from the movie. Surprisingly, I prefer the movie to the book. The book had some graphic descriptions of things in it that weren't in the movie, and I'm kinda glad about that (although it was still funny) In the odd place or two the book was better than the movie, but overall movie is better than the book.

In the back of the book, there was an excerpt of another book by the same author and I noticed there was a lot of similarities between the main characters. The author seems to like writing these men who are useless creatures who are not worthy of redemption, but at the same time pardoning all their faults and letting them off the hook. In the book version This Is Where I Leave You, the main character is quite a bit more pathetic than he is in the movie, and honestly, I am so much happier with the movie.

Recommendation: This was a pretty cool movie. I really liked it. The book, well it's okay. I would watch the movie first though if you're thinking about reading the book.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

This book caught my eye on Instagram and I adored the cover. I know this is technically a kids book, but some of the best so often are.

I really liked the idea behind the story. It's about a young girl who's baby brother gets kidnapped by crows and taken into the impassable wilderness outside of town and she must go in to find her brother with the help of a friend from school. 

Yes, like others, I thought of Labyrinth too (girl rescuing her baby brother from a magical creature anyone?) but it also reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia, both I really enjoyed. 

There are cool talking creatures, interesting characters, and a whole new world to explore in this book. Turns out its the first of a trilogy and I'm excited to read the other two. 

I kind of thought that this book could have been about teenagers and it still would have worked without any issues. There was also a lot more war and battles than I typically see in these kinds of books for children, but I didn't mind it. Only other odd thing was the family dynamic. It seemed a little weird to me, but I guess it had to be because then the story wouldn't have worked itself out in the same way and I can get behind that. I won't say more because I don't want to give any spoilers.

It was good. The pictures were really cool, the story was an easy read, and I liked it. I have already bought the next two and I'm going to read and review those too.

I read some reviews on Goodreads that complained about the beginning and its references to a hipster Portland and such, but the rest of the story is so much more then that. Don't let that kind of silliness distract you from a great story since that stuff is not what the book is really about.

Recommendation: If you enjoyed Narnia and the Labyrinth, give this a try. It's pretty darn good. 

Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell

This is the first in a new series called the Enchanted Garden Mysteries by author Bailey Cattrell. It was published at the beginning of this year.

I found through a little bit of investigation that this author has published another series called the Magical Bakery Mysteries under the name Bailey Cates, the Home Crafting Mysteries series under the name Cricket McRae, and a book called Shotgun Moon under the name K. C. McRae.

This book is about a woman who runs a custom perfume and scent store with a lovely garden outside. She can help people with scent and her talents seem almost supernatural. Her employee turns up dead and it's up to her to solve the mystery once she becomes a suspect.

Right off the bat this book looks like one of those easy, pun filled, mysteries that take like no time at all to read, but that you'll enjoy in passing
. Honestly, I think it was much more then that. Yes, the cover is full of terrible puns, but the story wasn't and although it was a light read, it was still deeper and more interesting then some other books of this nature.

The story has such a magical feel to it and I loved it. There was a lot of bits about plants, perfumes, and the teachings relating to scents and symbolism that I really enjoyed. I think that the background story line could really go somewhere in these books.

I can't wait for more books in this series. I wanted more from this author so that's how I figured out about her other series under other pen names and I've already ordered the first in the Magical Bakery Mysteries!

Recommendation: Read this if you like reading mysteries or books with a magical slant about plants and aromatherapy. I think you'll be happily surprised.