Harper Connelly was struck by lightning and develops a gift: she can find the dead and see how they died. She travels with her ‘brother’ Tolliver and earns a living from helping people find their dead. This book revolves around a small town and a number of missing teenage boys. An interesting and quick read, it is the 3rd book in the Harper Connelly series (by author of Sookie Stackhouse novels).

This is the third from Blue Balliett, which I didn’t know existed until I went to Hyde Park in Chicago and saw the house that was featured in Wright 3. There in the Frank Lloyd Wright house I saw both this book and pentominoes. I was very excited to get both. It was also really cool being in a place featured in a book. So even though I didn’t really like the Wright 3 as much, I was willing to give this author another go.

She didn’t disappoint. This book is much better than Wright 3. This time there isn’t so much whining and stupid fights. Tommy and Petra are flown to England to help rescue their friend Calder, who goes missing the same night that a sculpture by the artist named Calder. This time instead of the kids being on their own, they get grownup support and trust. Finally.

I love how art and mystery are combined in these books. Now I want to learn more about the mobiles and sculptures of Calder, not to mention I have been working with my own set of pentominoes.

The sequel to Chasing Vermeer that I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to read. So, I went to the library got the audio book (the print version being out) and listened to it yesterday. This one was a little annoying. A new character, Tommy, was so busy feeling sorry for himself and mad at his friend Calder for making another friend, it was tedious. That took too long to be resolved so the plot could progress.

This installment of the problem solving, coincidence seeking and otherwise art saving kids involves the saving of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Hyde Park. Reading these has defiantly made me want to take a trip to Hyde Park when I’m in Chicago in a week.

Another thing that bothered me, here are these kids who first save a painting by Vermeer and then a house by Frank Lloyd Wright, yet no one seems to mention that these kids do this in less than a year. It is as though the painting was forgotten. That didn’t make much sense to me. But I still want to play with a set of pentominoes.

I don’t like mysteries. Although if more were like this one I would love them. This was the most intelligent, funny, cute and random book I have read in ages. The idea of experimental schools, coincidences being crucial and of course pentominoes are well done. The puzzles, codes and other creative thinking by the characters is so much fun. Not to mention the use of art. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Wright 3, which I am getting out of the library today.

Oh and it was illustrated by the same guy as The Series of Unfortunate Events.

A Swedish journalist and an enigmatic computer hacker investigate the mysterious disappearance of the niece of powerful corporate mogul. The story starts slowly, but builds to a startling conclusion. This is the perfect thriller for the beach.

I waited and waited for this to come out and i jsut realized that i didn’t post about it (probably because i couldn’t remember my username and password)

So the latest for GGK (Guy Gavriel Kay). It’s a real departer for him. This novel is actually set in modern day. And somehow he manages to link together alot of my favorite things, archaeology, photography, storytelling, magic.

A photographer and crew including his son are summering in the south of France (the poor things) when Ned (the boy) stumbles into a 2500 year old love triangle that dates to when the Celts lived in France and the Greeks were just beginning to explore it.

So much is purposfully left unsaid that i dont’ feel right giving more away, but the prose is poetic and thoughtful and very refreshing.

Being that i am now in a masters program for childhood education i have been reading a lot more children’s books. I can’t say i’ve been disappointed, quite the contrary. It should be abvious to many of you why i took to this title. For those of you who don’t know, Shakespeare is one of my most favorite writers, and anything that can possibly get young people to read the bard is worth a look.

It uses historical facts, speeches, poetry and pictures to piece together who is the real Shakespeare. All while conquering the sixth grade. Set as a mystery looking for a famous diamond that belonged to none other than Anne Boleyn. For those historians among you will note that Shakespeare and Anne were not contempraries, hence the mystery. The book makes such wonderful use of primary sources, even sneaking in Emily Dickinson, who is also not contemprary to the main historical figures nor is she even English.

This is an “easy read” mystery abut Cate Nightingale, who owns a small bed and breakfast in a small town that is thrown into upheaval when a suspicious stranger leaves something at her bed and breakfast, and mercenaries come into town and take over the small town. While unrealistic ( a band a mercenaries cuts off the towns only way out and all of their communication lines) it was well written and fast paced. I just wish it had a stronger plot.

An acient artifact is stolen from a long forgotten crypt beneath Temple Mount. The corpse that the Catholic Church has stolen had been crucified. This story revolves around the mystery of who these “sacred” bones belong to, with many religious communities attempting to take control. Interesting read with a rather obvious plot. But a good religious mystery along the lines of the DaVinci Code.

This book is part of a two story series (so far) about Cotton Malone. He was a former operative who bought a rare bookshop in the hopes of settling down. Instead, his son is taken hostage and the book begins to look at the world of secret organizations while he works to fight the 72 hour timeline he was given to find the lost Alexandria Library. Well written with fast dialogue and surprising plot twists, I hope that there will be more books to follow.

This was an excellent mystery. Four teenagers go into the woods one night-two are found dead, and two disappear. Years later, one of the missing teenagers is found dead. This story revolves around Paul, the brother of one of the missing. He is a lawyer who begins to look into why the events of that night are being covered up by family and his community. While I was able to easily figure out the why’s and the plot itself, the writing style kept me hooked through the entire story-I finished it in a night!