The Elusive Elixir (An Accidental Alchemist Mystery) by Gigi Pandian

This was provided to me as an arc from the publisher but the review is my own.

This is the third installment in the Accidental Alchemist Mystery series. However, one could plunge into the series midway if they wanted a taste and still be able to follow the story line as Pandian makes sure to remind readers of what has happened previously to our characters.

In this book we find Zoe has traveled to Paris to find out more about the connection to Notre Dame and its gargoyles and how they relate to Dorian's plight. With time running out Zoe is faced with a possible break when stories of a strange gargoyle reach her ears, could it be that this is a link to freeing Dorian at last? But swift on the heels of her attempt to find out more comes an unexpected result, she's been recognized by someone who last saw her during World War II and as unlikely as it seems they hold her responsible not only for the death of their mother but for her assistant at the time. With the possibility of her identity being discovered by the authorities Zoe flees Paris back home only to find that the past has followed her and in its wake Zoe will be faced with losing her only chance at a normal life or losing her best friend. Questions are being revealed but the answers continue to elude her and Zoe will find that she may be the only answer that there is. The only thing that she can attempt is anathema to all she believes so the only answer that can help her now is how far will she be willing to go for those she loves and how far will they go for her.

This is a well crafted series that is engaging and fresh. Zoe Faust is the kind of character you wish you could sit down with over a cup of tea and an astrology chart. Perfect for anyone who loves mysteries or wouldn't mind dabbling in the realm of the paranormal. Highly recommend.

Paper and Fire (The Great Library, #2) by Rachel Caine

I received this as an arc from the publisher whom I thank. The review is my own.

In this sequel to Ink and Bone Jess is serving in the Library's army but nothing is as he thought it would be. He has discovered something unbelievable, his best friend thought to be dead may be alive, held prisoner by the Library. If there is even a chance Thomas is alive Jess has to grab at it no matter what the fall out is. This time they are all forced to flee Alexandria, wanted fugitives. But in their fight Jess will come across the unsettling fact that no one is what they seem and that the choice presented to him now will cost him every thing he holds dear. They are now on the very front lines of this war.

As we learn more about the characters in this story we begin to comprehend the true depravity that is at the center of a world that is being torn apart. The lives of all hang in the balance and Jess' choices will be the only thing that can save or doom them all. The story line radiates with individual choices and sacrifices, personal greed and destruction on an unimaginable scale. The world is tipping and there is no safety net.

I definitely recommend this series. A great gripping world full of individual struggles that have ramifications for all. Recommend to those who love books that challenge you to place yourself in the situations presented. How well do you know yourself?

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, #1) by Robin Sloan

This book was brilliant and any true reader will be taken in and swept away. After all who hasn't dreamed of a 24 hour bookstore but when you add a mysterious back section, odd and eccentric readers who belong to a secret society, and an owner who is the holder of a secret that could change the world, you have the perfect recipe for a book that is satisfying and an instant favorite.

This story of a search to a puzzle hundreds of years in the making is lovingly crafted with wit and humor and a generous dollop of technological wizardry. But don't despair, the true gem of this story is the relationships between Mr. Penumbra and his newest clerk and the endless fascination that books hold for us. A tribute to all bookstores, book lovers, and clandestine intrigues around the world this is so much more than a mere reviewer could say.

Go get this book, relax in an armchair, and enjoy the experience. But get your own copy, you're not gonna want to let this one go.

The Path by Michael Puett The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Michael Puett, Christine Gross-Loh

This course from award winning Harvard professor Puett became quite popular with students who are using the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophers to take a new look at the way they can face every day challenges and open up new possibilities for themselves and others. This is not a self improvement book or a believe in yourself seminar, this is a look at how modern assumptions have actually limited the opportunities we have set before ourselves. The ideas contained in this book are by no means new but Puett's engagement of them brings them a fresh appeal for a new generation that is encumbered by the search to be themselves and live a good life. What exactly is a good person? How do we achieve the self fulfillment we all desire? 

These ancient scholars were all ready exploring these questions over two thousand years ago and their answers may seem counter intuitive but could be the beginning of a revolutionary look at how history and mankind has slowly crafted the modern world we live in. The Path is the beginning of a journey that requires one thing from the traveler, start by seeing and doing every thing completely differently than you've been taught. There is no Path to follow but every step is a chance to create a new set of possibilities. 

This book clearly makes it obvious why the course is so well received. With the knowledge contained in these writings any one can begin to realize the numerous ways that we curtail our potential by simply believing in the limitations that define our lives. Even little things that you have come to accept as your personality traits could be a hindrance to your search for fulfillment.

If at the end of the book you have done nothing else but come to understand how China helped to establish some of the basic concepts we still use today in our lives, consider yourself well rewarded. This book will help you to blow some of the cobwebs away and wake you up to the myriad ways in which you can expand your abilities and self knowledge.

Aleph by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a favorite author of mine. I have read many of his books and have always found them entertaining if not something I would add to my personal library. So why have I given this talented writer only two stars you ask? Well, I thought about how to explain my train of thought with a little analogy. 

If you've ever been introduced to someone at a party who's conversation left you reeling from trying to make heads or tails out of it, then you can begin to picture this novel. The conversation/story pulls you in because you are genuinely interested. But when you try to follow this logically you find yourself getting lost in the attempt. You want to understand but you just can't get a firm grip on what is actually being said/told. The deeper you delve the more you realize you have absolutely no idea whats happening. Every time you find a foot hold you slip again into the unknown.

Now, if you've ever read any of Coelho's works you know that he has a transcendental touch to his stories that evoke the peace and harmony that each of us is searching for. However in this book I couldn't quite click with it since the lyrical sense that he imbues in his books does not come across smoothly but is deterred numerous times by the reader's inability to keep reading without scoffing or just plain gawking at the scenes unveiling before their eyes. Frankly I kept reading because I wanted him to magically pull me through this story into an appreciation of the talent it took to write it. But this time the magic fell flat.

Yet, to repeat myself, this is still one of my favorite authors and I do think that if you are a reader who likes to find themselves in their books this is one you should pick up because it will make you search harder than any self help book out there. Just so you can say, Hey! I get it. If or when that happens just drop me a note. I could always use a little soul growing myself.

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 #1 (of 6) by David Petersen

This is the first in this well developed graphic novel series that introduces us to the Mouse Guard, warriors that enable mice across the land to travel in safety through the treacheries of terrain and enemies. They have served this purpose so that all mice may live freely. But not all who are protected believe that the Mouse Guard is what it should be. There lies in their mist a traitor who sees a new future very different from the current one.

As we meet Saxon, Kenzie, and Lieam for the first time we journey with them on a routine errand to search for a missing merchant who never arrived at his destination. The answers they will find though will uncover something of a much larger impact to the safety of all. There is a storm brewing leveled at the very heart of the Mouse Guard, Lockhaven. Within its own walls and legends lie the seeds of treachery and it will take the cunning and friendship of the Mouse Guard along with a stranger who is myth incarnate to put down this rebellion before it is too late.

Filled with the very energy of hardships and accomplishments of these tiny creatures, this novel is an adventure story that can be indulged in without qualms. The illustrations have the grittiness that helps to imagine the harshness each mouse faces on a daily basis trying to eke out happiness where they can. When the story line and illustrations are combined as well as they are in this series you get characters that will resound within your heart. 

A definite recommend if you're trying to get a non reader interested to read.

Ink (Paper Gods, #1) by Amanda Sun

This is the first book in the Paper Gods Trilogy.

After the loss of her mother Katie Greene finds herself halfway across the world in Shizuoka Japan to live with her aunt while her grandparents in Canada try to see if she will be able to come live with them. Katie struggles with the new language, new cultural ways, and most of all her sadness. Her aunt and her are trying to form a relationship but it is hard to do when what ties them together is the memory of Katie's mom.

Into this roiling mess come new friends who help Katie become more proficient at Japanese and help alleviate her sorrow. But then there is Tomohiro. The first time she meets him he catches her inadvertently eaves dropping as he cruelly dumps his current girlfriend. Not only is Katie in the wrong place at the wrong time but she catches a glimpse of a secret that Tomo is being very careful to guard. His ink sketches move and whats more they're trying to get to Katie.

With her growing attraction to Tomo Katie is confronted with an undeniable fact, there are people and powers that are very interested in him and their growing attachment. Is there any truth to the Japanese legends of people descended directly from a goddess or is she slowly losing her mind with grief. Could it be that like Tomo she too is linked to the sketches somehow. Either way being close to him is causing his capabilities to spiral out of control and it's only a matter of time before something goes terribly wrong.

There is an upcoming battle brewing and Katie and Tomo are at the very epicenter of the struggle between the two sides. As their love grows it becomes clearer to Katie that in order to survive and save Tomo from himself she has to do the one thing that has all ready caused her so much pain, she must let go of someone else she loves. With a breaking heart she readies to leave Japan and the life she has come to cherish to make her way to Canada. But will half a world away be enough to stop destiny or is this just the beginning.

A first hand knowledge of Japan from the author has been blended into a great fantasy filled with action and excitement done in a lovely lyrical style. The sketches that run through the book give the reader a real feel for the poetry of Japanese style art and as you read along you are given an interactive art exhibit which really enhances your connection to the story. All in all this is a definite recommend to anyone interested in Japan and its culture, art, or just a lovingly written love story. A definite recommend.