Murder, Magic, and What We Wore - Kelly ... This book was a fun romp. I adored how much attention Annis paid to fabrics and fashion through out all of it, even though she's starting from a very small skill-set as an actual dressmaker.

Unlike many books with *surprise* secret spy family members, Annis does not strain my suspension of disbelief. She starts out the book as a fairly sheltered, normal, naive, fashion-obsessed young woman of her time, if a charming one with a kind heart. The sense of the world spinning on and on outside of Annis' sphere is one that I love. Her growth over the book is lovely to follow, and her unexpectedly useful talents are all things that she regards as extremely normal. (If *you* had her Aunt Cassia, you'd know how to do basic ciphers, of course!) She's resourceful, charming, brave, kind, and EARNEST. I *love* an earnest heroine.

Millie could be the heroine of her very own story, and the best part is that this story totally acknoledges that. I love it. Just because Annis is the viewpoint of this story, doesn't mean that Millie is less of her own heroine. Same with Aunt Cassia, Miss Spencer, and others. On a meta level, the way that Jones pulled in characters from other worlds and novels also plays to this theme -- everyone is the hero of their own story, with their own rich inner life etc. It's even lampshade with Miss Smith, commenting that Annis was an entirely inappropriate choice for a spy as she would always be the center of the story, never able to be on the edges like a spy must.

Anyway, back to Millie. I felt like the book did a good job of handling the class and employment balance of power stuff, as well as building the friendship between Millie and Annis. I look forward to seeing Millie develop into a powerhouse of her very own.

There's a fairly tepid romance through line with Mr. Harrison, which was limp in a way that made it a little odd how much the book kept drawing the reader's attention back to it. The much more engaging romance through line was between Miss Spencer and Aunt Cassia -- I was to see *that* one explored more.

This is totally a YA book, but it's not one that seems to think younger readers need to be talked down to. The POV character is a teen and FEELS like a teen, but the problems she deals with -- her friend/employee's continued sexual harassment by a local big deal, her parents' deaths, being broke, etc -- are all Big Deals. IDK, I enjoyed it.

TL;DR -- fun, fluffy romp. Strong rec as a beach or light read. Will be looking forward to the sequel.

I absolutely loved this one, which is told via letters to and from Sophie. It’s funny, and heartfelt, and I found it truly enjoyable and charming.

I have to say, this book is rather adorable. Although a lot of the middle grade novels I read are steeped in magic, Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer would probably fall under magical realism. Sophie's family feels real. They've fallen on hard times, and are trying to adapt to living in a new place. All Sophie wants is something to cling to. Something to call her own. Enter the magic, interestingly enough, in the form of chickens.

 

Sophie gets my love as a narrator. This story is told in a series of letters, which are almost like her diary entries. See, Sophie tends to write to her grandmother and her uncle. Both of whom have passed away. It's as though writing to them helps her feel connected, and figure things out. I loved this part. Seeing her thoughts on paper and feeling her emotions made this a great read. After all, we're most honest when we don't think anyone else will see what we write.

 

The magical aspect of this is what didn't really catch my attention. While it was cute, it felt a little too juvenile for my taste. That's not to say young readers won't love it. In fact, I'm certain they will. It's definitely a breath of fresh air to see a young girl interested in farming and the outdoors. One who understands hard work, and isn't afraid to try. Although it didn't vibe with me, I see Sophie being a great role model for younger readers! She's a sweetheart.

 

So, three stars it is! If you have a young reader with an interest in chickens, this would be a great book to give them. There are little pieces of information about each chicken featured, some fun worksheets on how to care for them, and even a recipe (don't worry, not for chicken) thrown in. Overall, it's a cute package. Enjoy!

I loved the premise of this book. It takes place in Prague twenty years after the Velvet Revolution. This is a place that I would love to one day visit and the setting immediately drew me in.

The characters were great also. Dal is a detective going through marriage struggles and find the murderer of a senator. He has his own struggles that he’s trying to deal with and balance out. Dana is on vacation, and stumbles into a mystery concerning the Infant of Prague. Her cousin wants her to help figure out what happened with a nun in the convent, and what really happened that night. Father Borelli is only trying to help a fellow priest and friend in the events that happened at the church. He also learns a few things about himself.

I enjoyed the mystery. I was left guessing, and trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The way these three characters worked together was great. Each of them formed a type of bond with the other. I especially liked how Borelli and Dana came to be friends through this ordeal. The only thing I didn’t care for was the epilogue and ending. It seemed a little too easy, and clean cut. Other than that, I loved traveling the streets of Prague while Dal, Dana and Borelli figured out what was going on in this city, and how events were connected.

Top of my head. 

 

Favorite are Sandman and Sin City.

Why? Because I like them.

 

Are they good for everyone?

 

Probably. Dark but not spooky. 

 

There are more, but these are my favorite.