London's Glory by Christopher Fowler

This is a collection of short stories revolving around Bryant and May's cases that have never been disclosed up until now. With the usual touch of genius these two investigators along with the Peculiar Crimes Unit are faced with such cases as the woman with a slit throat in the middle of a pristine snowfall in the park with no evidence to show anyone was ever near her. Or how Bryant can calmly take May on a tourist bus and confidently claim they will be arresting a murderer who is now on the bus with them at the precise time and location, not to mention helping to inform the tour guide of his various mistakes.

This collection is peppered with the author's notes on how he came about with his ideas and gives a behind the scenes glimpse of how much effort and talent is weaved throughout this series. All in all this is a very fitting tribute to London and its varied history and to the lasting tradition of great English mysteries.

Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly

This is the sequel to Connolly's first book Monstrous and takes on the adventures of Greta who was one of the young girls saved by Kymera from the mad king of Belladoma. However Greta has been changed by her experiences and returns to a brother she keeps secret so that they will not be separated and sent to orphanages when it is found out their parents have disappeared. He too has been changed by life and as they steal to get by Greta's friendship with Ren and the King of Bryre helps her in this time of sorrow. So the shock of betrayal is great when the King announces his plan to aid the failing city of Belladoma which is being brought to ruin by the Sonzeeki, the sea monster that lurks beneath its cliffs. Greta's objections to helping the very people who selfishly allowed the sacrifices of her friends causes a rift and when her brother is kidnapped and she asks for their help, they believe her story to be an effort to stop them from aiding the ailing city. Greta is left with no choice but to go after Hans herself. Greta's search will lead her from a witch's house that stalks the forests to the very epicenter of her worst nightmares. Her past is not done with her and if she wishes to reunite her family and friends she will have to face the most frightening creature of all, her fears.

This is a deftly weaved continuation featuring sea monsters, child eating witches, and creatures fantastical and cruel. Forgiveness, understanding, and compassion are the bones of Greta's story as she comes face to face with the people she believes to be so repulsive. In the end this is a story about a young woman forging herself into what her destiny calls for, a hero.

Included in this edition is a novella called Precious which is about Princess Rosabel who we learned was Kymera's first life. As we watch her rebelling against her parent's strict watch to protect her from a wizard she doesn't believe exists anymore, we are given a more intimate view of the acts that lead up to the very moment we began Monstrous. This creates a more solid bedrock for these stories to grow on.

Absolutely recommend these books for 10 and up who are not ready for teen reads but need more to sink their teeth in. Fairy tales for the real world.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

Once upon a time two warring nations battled each other causing countless bloodshed and endless cycles of revenge and retribution. Then one day a great King rose up and brought peace between these two lands, and history over time smoothed the scars of a turbulent past. A brighter future was available to all and the King and his knights heroes. But this fairy tale ending was not what it seemed for beneath it all lay the foundations of the greatest betrayal of all. For even actions taken with the best of intentions can disguise a horrible truth.

As an elderly couple set out to reach their son in a faraway village they begin to suspect that they have forgotten moments of their lives, and they are not the only ones. There is something happening, something set in motion long ago, in another time, events that still influence people today. Superstitions and magic abound in this world and people fear that which they do not understand nor acknowledge and this is a very dangerous combination when the few that know the truth make decisions based on a deadly need to maintain the status quo.

Written with the grace of the greatest Arthurian legends, this is a story about the devastation of loss. How far would you go to save others, what would you be willing to do for their betterment. Would you be willing to  sacrifice peace of mind if you knew it would bring back what has been lost? Sometimes in the fog of forgetfulness is salvation. The grace in this story is the elegant balance of walking the fine line between the harrowing pain of loss and the healing loneliness of the truth.

There is an island they say where the shades who reside there can pass by each other and never know that they are not alone. But for a few who are blessed the veil may lift and a loved one seen even if only for a short time. Ishiguro is the boatman who delivers you to this island and lifts the veil. 

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Reading this book was like holding something that is dazzling and beautiful and potentially dangerous. You feel yourself falling under its sway almost immediately and realize with a start that you are reading one of those books that will permanently ingrain itself upon you. Years from now you will have picked it up several times to relive that feeling and to discover yet again another side of it you may have missed. It's beautifully crafted and although it revolves around a 7 year old girl, there is nothing childish about it.

I could wax poetical and sing its praises on and on but there is no point in doing that when all I have to do is tell you to pick it up and read it. This book is not flawless but you will find that like the best things in life that is not the point. This is a gem of a book filled with soul and humanity at its foulest and most beautiful. I hope to see this book rise and soar just like Anna's swallows.

This is a perfect recommendation for anyone who liked The Boy in Striped Pajamas or for a reader who is looking to find a book to grow with. I cannot wait to see what the author does next.

The Madwoman Upstairs: A Novel by Catherine Lowell

Anyone who has read Jane Eyre has somewhere along the line learned of the Bronte sisters. But what do we really know about them outside of what we've been handed down. In this story we are introduced to the last living relative of the Bronte family who has recently lost her father who always insisted that the novels written by the three sisters were literally a guidebook to not only understanding them but to finding the lost treasure of the Brontes. As she attends his alma mater in Oxford she finds herself in the unenviable position of minor celebrity as she is repeatedly touted as the last heir of this great treasure horde which could vary from simple forgotten everyday items used by the Brontes to unknown works. The sad truth however is that there is no legacy and no one will believe her

But as she tries to come to grips with her father's legacy something strange begins to happen; books are being left for her in her room. Not just any books though, Bronte titles from her father's private library which burned down years ago taking him with it. There are clues left for her in her father's comments written on the pages and as she starts to try and come to grips with these mysterious events she realizes that she may potentially be coming unraveled or on the cusp of the greatest literary find of the century. Was her father right in believing there was a legacy left or like the madwoman upstairs, is she losing contact with reality?

Although there is a blend of mystery, humor, love story, history, and thriller in this book what you're really absorbed by is the story of a young woman coming to a head with the still raw grief over her father's death. Having to figure out what her father is trying to communicate with his notes pushes her to the extreme because in doing so, this last chance to speak to him can lead to only one ending, acknowledging he is no longer with her.

If you are ensnared by the thought of what the Bronte treasure is, look no further than this book. The thoughtfulness that shines through and the apparent fascination with the Brontes as regular women gilds every page and makes this a delightful read. I'm sure Emily, Anne, and Charlotte would agree.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Very often in life we are influenced by something we read as a child, something that we remember reading with the fondest of memories, something that feels like it looks right into our souls and finds a kindred spirit there. If Jane Eyre was one of those books for you than make room right next to it for Jane Steele because this book is exactly what is missing from the equation.

This is not another mashup of a classic to titter over however. This is an imaginative biographical confession of a young woman whose life is running along a path that is a twisted version of her favorite characters own. Not a parallel one mind you, for after all where Jane Eyre is the epitome of discretion and valor Jane Steele is the very epicenter of all the morbidly dark essences that make her so very human and prone to blindly jumping in where angels fear to tread. This is a romance of the heart and no matter what you expect in this book you cannot deny that what happens is exactly what your heart desires, even the murders.

Full of mystery and exotic, sometimes brutal historical backdrops this is simultaneously a romance, a gothic satire, and an openly loving tribute to a character that continues to reach out across the ages and influence us even today. Jane Eyre is Jane Steele's mirror image if you covered the cracks in the foundation. But just like the Japanese the reader will find that we very much like the imperfections Jane Steele's character has and can only relish following along on her adventures as she struggles to come to terms with the unfortunate truth that we are all sinners, some of us are just better at it.

Left in the Wind: A Novel of the Lost Colony: The Roanoke Journal of Emme Merrimoth by Ed Gray

I received this an an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This was for me a very frustrating read. I liked the concept of one of the original settlers of Roanoke having written a journal of her journey from England there; it's founding and ultimately, its failure. History has left us with many questions as to what happened to this lost colony and what might have been the reason for it being left to fade into the annals of time. Even to this day with prestigious names such as Raleigh attached to its conception, we are still little better off in being able to truly come to grasp with the ultimate fate of these intrepid souls. So having Gray's own fictional grasp of possible events sounded very promising indeed, giving voice to those we can no longer hear. However, for me personally, this is not the book I wound up reading.

Almost off the bat I felt the frustration of dealing with a character who is so shallowly described as to have, in only a few chapters made

me both internally and verbally roll my eyes at the sheer ridiculousness of her. Now as a reader my natural inclination is to want to find something in the character that I can relate with, to create a bond. The only thing created here was open hostility. Gray's prime character reads like a roll call of the cheesiest, movie part/pigeon holed heroines ever devised. Every single pace of her story made me want to throw the book across the room; underneath the cheap facade one could see the bones of a really good idea and to glimmer the wasted possibilities was just maddening.

I'm not going to list the various instances because then I'd just be relating the story page by page. Needless to say that as this is my opinion and the other reviews I've read all praised Mr. Gray's efforts, if you're looking for something to help you fill out the story of the lost colony of Roanoke and are interested in a fictionalized account than this could be a good read for you. As for me I was left feeling disappointed and confused as to why this is the finished product.