Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Stephanie's uncle has just passed away and has left her almost everything. Unfortunately, others out there want what Stephanie's uncle has left her!! Luckily for her she gets a new protector and mentor. Unluckily for her he is a fire throwing, magic wielding skeleton, and he is one of the good guys. Stephanie is amazed by this new world she has been drawn into with magic and secrets. Skulduggery and Stephanie set out to figure out her uncle's death and protect the item left the her that the bad guys are after.  This is a delightful book.  I really enjoyed the characters! 

What I read over the 3 day weekend and snow day.....

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan- Another triumph by Mr. Riordan.  This is the second in the series about the demigods of Norse mythology gods.  Thor has lost his hammer and Magnus and his friends face death, again, to find it.  I love Rick Riordan's different mythology series.  Even though it is fiction, you still learn a lot about the Norse gods and the action is always great.

 Stork by Wendy Delsol: Speaking of Norse gods, some of them are referenced in this fantastic new book and I knew who they were because of reading Magnus Chase.  This is a fantastic story about Katla.  Her and her mom have moved back to MN from LA and she finds she is part of an ancient society, The Storks, who assign infant souls to their earthy "vessels," (moms). She also finds out some secrets of her family and neighbors.  This book also keeps the action going.  As soon as Katla makes one discovery about her life, another one is right around the corner.  What is great about this book is that it is a trilogy and I already have the other two books at the library. 

What I read over Winter break...

The Six by Mark Alpert-great sci-fi book.  6 kids are all dying of various diseases so they are used in a military experiment where their minds are put into robot like bodies. The military has ordered this in order to fight an artificial intelligence that THEY created that is now taking over and threatening to destroy all of humankind.  Very exciting story AND there is a book two that we have in the library.

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead. This is a good story about friendship.  The majority of the book is about Bridget (Bridge) and her best friends Em and Tab as they make their way through 7th grade. Their "no fighting" rule gets tested this year as they start to be interested in different things.  Some of the story is told through Sherm's eyes...a boy who befriends Bridge, and part through an unnamed high school freshman.  By the end of this book, all 5 stories come together in a satisfying end.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. Serafina has always had to stay hidden in the basement of The Biltmore Estate where her father works. But now something sinister is happening to the children that are staying at the Estate as guests and Serafina is determined to find them.  This was a can't put down mystery. Serafina has always wondered about her mother and why she doesn't seem to be like other people and along with looking for the missing children, she is looking for answers about herself.  This also has a book two that I bought for the library, so you have that to look forward to also.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Git Varadarajan  I REALLY liked this book. Joe has always lived in his small town and Ravi is brand new from India.  They couldn't be more different, but could they still be friends? This is a book about not judging people by first impressions and seeing what they are really about before you pass judgement.  I found this an easy to read, delightful story.  

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Fans of "Because of Winn-Dixie" will really love Kate DiCamillo's new book.  Raymie Nightingale is a beautifully told story about 3 girls that meet under unusual circumstances in 1975.  All three are taking baton lessons, but the lessons are going horribly. What grows from these lessons is the friendship between the 3. Raymie is a wonderful character. She is "plucky." She is convinced that winning the Little Miss Central Florida Tire beauty contest will make her famous and bring her father back (after he abandoned her and her mother to run off with the dental hygienist). This story is funny and touching and just delightful.

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

What a well written, moving story about being who you want to be.  Grayson knows "he" is really meant to be a "she." He lives with his Aunt and Uncle and does not feel it would be acceptable to live as "she" really wants to.  But then, a new girl comes to town and Grayson begins to take steps to live the life she was meant to live.  This books is amazing. Even if you have never met someone who is transgender, you will love Grayson. You will understand, cheer for and feel for this character.  I would love if everyone would read this book and maybe it would lead to more understanding for each other and the difficulties that each may be going through.

Seers by Kristine Bowe

This is a very unique book. Leesie has no memories of her life before she became a "Seer." Seers are people who can see into another's memories.  Leesie is a special kind of Seer, she not only can see memories, she can extract (remove) memories to help people. She has a handler and now she has a new mission. She is never given much information about her missions and she is starting to question this. This was a really fast read, and I believe it will  be a series because it left me wanting more.

Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

I wanted to read this again because it is coming out as a Netflix series soon.  I bought book 1 on Overdrive as an ebook, but there is also books 1-3 out as an ebook collection. It was as delightful as the first time I had read it.  This 13 book series is all about the Baudelaire children. After a house fire kills their parents, they have to go live with their evil uncle, Count Olaf.  He is really just after their fortune and he really is awful. I suggest reading this series (none of them are really long)  before watching the Netflix series...I ALWAYS suggest reading the books first.