The Bad Book Affair (Mobile Library Mystery, #4) by Ian Sansom

Israel Armstrong once again is taking us along for a twisty, hilarious ride as he shambles his way through a somewhat depressive yet completely relatable period of mourning for his broken relationship. With feelings of failure, road to nowhere dumps and I could have been a contender vibes, Israel is hardly the detective that most of us would think of as the hero of a book, yet his feet of clay are what make these stories so endearing. Along with the many other characters that people his stories, Sansom manages to create books that bare the bones of humanity yet forgive us enough to let us see the humor in our very downfall.

In this particular case, Israel is at the very epicenter of what one might call a literary faux pas. A young girl is missing and the last time anyone saw her was when Israel handed her a book from the Unshelved, books that are technically not supposed to be on loan from the mobile library at all. But it's hardly his fault is it, after all it was just some Goth. But when it turns out the girl is actually the daughter of a local politician, Israel becomes the prime suspect ..... again. It seems that life has a place for Israel after all. 

Full of the ups and downs of life, written with wry humor, and fleshed out with mysteries that ask your little grey cells to wiggle, these books are a sure fire hit for any reader. Grab one, prepare to chuckle and ask yourself why you aren't driving a book mobile in the vast wilderness of Northern Ireland.

The Lost Property Office (Section 13, #1) by James R. Hannibal

Jack Buckle's brain works in a different way than the average person's. His senses are heightened, more aware. Sounds bring images and smells and tastes. Needless to say Jack is good at finding things but the additional information can be overwhelming at times. Especially now that he along with his younger sister and mother have arrived in London in search of their father who vanished mysteriously. As his mother tries to find out more, Jack tries to keep his sister occupied, until the day she vanishes. Being lost in London on her trail exposes Jack not only to all the cacophony of a large city filled with so many people but to one individual in particular who has been waiting for Jack to appear. The Clockmaker knows about Jack's special talent and has set in motion a scheme of revenge that will reveal a secret society that holds in its history the very beginnings of Jack's family line and the truth about the Great Fire of London. Jack is at the cusp of an inheritance that will bring him into direct conflict with the very people who need him the most and with time running out for his father Jack will have to decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice to save one and all.

This is an exciting adventure travelling through London's great history with touches of magic and an almost steam punk flair. The Lost Property Office is a great new look at the detective genre as well. All in all, I would definitely recommend this for your young readers as it promises to be a series that will grip the imagination.

Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania del Rio, Will Staehle (Illustrations)

The publisher was kind enough to send me an ARC but the review is my own.

This is the sequel to the first Warren the 13th and is well worth the wait. As we learned in the first book, the Hotel is capable of walking and Warren has enhanced the hotel to provide his visitors with panoramic views as the Hotel travels around the land. Everything is going well until Warren and his friends become the focus of the Queen of Witches who sees the Hotel as the perfect way to spread her control and power. With the Hotel under her control no one could stop her so she spreads the word that she will reward who ever can bring it to her.

With witches attacking, mimics invading the Hotel, and Warren becoming separated from his friends while trying to catch up to the Hotel, who can say what will happen. Only adventure is guaranteed as our friends try to stop the evil and in the meantime survive the Malwoods where even the trees hide secrets. Along the way we'll meet the last free member of an enslaved race, a man who loves his snakes, and riddles that will have Warren doing his best to keep going and save the day.

Another great addition to your child's adventure bookshelf. These books are excellent stories and the illustrations are just as enticing. Full of humor, kindness, and wit, they are a great gift for your favorite young reader. The first book in the series is available now, the sequel will be available this upcoming March from Quirk Books. A definite recommend.

Ithaca: A Novel of Homer's Odyssey by Patrick Dillon

This was kindly sent to me by the publisher but the review is my own.

Homer's Odyssey is one of the all time classics that has been handed down to us from time immemorial. We know that Odysseus was a great king who fought in the Trojan War and proved himself one of the greatest Greek heroes. He spent 16 years trying to reach his beloved wife Penelope. His adventures during that time have inspired countless retellings through the ages entrancing us with his mighty deeds. 

Patrick Dillon's Ithaca is not just another tribute to this great story. His book is a look at the bones behind the myth. It is about the humanity that is left to deal with the aftereffects of war and it's destructive force that history remembers through a golden lens.

In his story you will meet Penelope who watched her husband leave to never return; who has listened to his virtues praised time and again as she raises a son who has never known his father. A man she knows to have feet of clay; waiting to find closure of a kind, waiting day by day as the jackals gather closer to determine her very existence.

Telemachus who without a father there to guide him has not learned how to deal with the strange men who invade his house as guests and abuse the generosity shown them. Unable to protect himself or his mother from their plotting and machinations. The only stories he knows of his father praise him as a wise king but others say he was a manipulator of words. A man who promised his Ithaca so much and took away so much more, leaving families devastated without the support of their sons, brothers, and husbands. Who instead of returning in glory has left the island to suffer in misery, unsure of the future.

Of great men whose names sit beside Odysseus as well known kings and heroes themselves, now grown older and left to a future where the horrors they witnessed and engaged in have left them hollow and alone. As bards sing their feats of heroism they face a life that has lost its vibrancy , each remembering a man who lead them into battle but was also a friend, flawed as he was.

And Odysseus, not the golden hero of legend but an unknown man broken in spirit and body who still weaves a spell with words, unable, scarred, to speak plainly. His return home is not the joyous occasion he had envisioned but a bleak return to a people who do not gather to claim his accolades but accuse him of bringing the anger of the gods on them. His home invaded, his possessions plundered and a son who in his travels to find his father now finds he does not how to receive him.

Along with the numerous others we meet along this story, these characters each pulse with the conflicting emotions that we as living observers will only be to able to empathize with. A powerful nod to the original, Dillon has painted with the vibrancy of authenticity a new look at a tale that has riveted us for so long with his poignancy and refusal to look away from the grit of history and the ability to gild the beauty not with gold but poetry. 

Fantastic read for those historically inclined or devotees of Homer. A definite recommend.

The Nethergrim (The Nethergrim, #1) by Matthew Jobin

Once a great evil, the Nethergrim, filled the land with creatures of darkness that served it and decimated the countryside of all it surveyed. A great knight and powerful wizard were able at last after great loss to defeat the evil and save their people. And so was laid to rest the legend of the Nethergrim. Until now. Edmund's brother has vanished into the night with no trace and he is not the only child missing. Creatures are said to have been seen lurking in the darkness closer and closer to the villages and animals are being found eaten. As fears start to escalate a secret is revealed and a man who has lived with it preying on his mind sets out on a journey to set to right wrongs and defeat the encroaching evil once and for all. While Edmund's fledgling powers in spell crafting may be the only advantage they have over an enemy that is cunning and has much to lose. 

This is a well crafted story that is full of fantasy, adventure, betrayals, and decisions made that will reflect the courage and cowardice of each character. I would recommend this for any reader but this would be a good series to introduce to boys especially. 

Eric (Discworld, #9; Rincewind #4) by Terry Pratchett

Invoked by a pubescent demonologist named Eric to satisfy his requests of eternal life, Master of the Universe, and the hottest babe ever by his side, Rincewind can't seem to prove that he is not, indeed, a demon. After all, he did appear when called. With no other choice but to try and fulfill Eric's demands until he can find a way of escape Rincewind leaps into another adventure of misfortune. Although Eric is ecstatic to finally be getting what he wants Rincewind knows that when things are going according to plan is when you should be the most worried; especially when one doesn't know who's plans are being accorded to.

With DEATH's attention aroused and weird happenings occurring more than usual in Ankh-Morpork it would seem that an incompetent wizard and a novice demonologist may be just the tip of the iceberg. For in the demon city of Pandemonium a devious overthrow of the King is being played out by the traditionalists who want to get rid of the new corporate look and return to the good old days when both demons and damned could enjoy a good torture and not have to endure the latest trend of punishment by boredom and Rincewind is their first step in their master plan.

As par the course, this is an excellent read full of wit and hilarity and I can guarantee that you will find yourself laughing as you read what has to be one of Pratchett's best titles in the series.

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep, Joanne Ryder

In San Francisco there lives a dragon by the name of Miss Drake. She has cared for a family for a very long time and has watched generations come and go. When her favorite pet human passes away she becomes depressed and locks herself away to grieve. When Winnie the granddaughter of her human pet shows up with her mother to take over the house, Miss Drake is scandalized to find that Winnie thinks she owns HER! The ridiculous notion is only the beginning, Winnie tells her that her grandmother specifically asked her to take care of Miss Drake so she would not be alone. Will Miss Drake be able to train her new pet and learn to love again or will Winnie prove to be the very cause of the magic world's downfall?

It will be no surprise that Yep has delivered a thoughtful story about the ways that grief can manifest itself and how love can be a powerful reminder that though we have lost someone special they never are truly lost to us after all. Would recommend this for young readers who like fantasy and may not be ready for something heavier like Harry Potter just yet.