February reads

 Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier, #2 and #3 in the Precious Stone Trilogy. 

Read with Kindle

This is a re-read for me

Both published in 2010

Young Adult fiction, time travel, series

Recommend: Yes

Once I started the re-reading of this trilogy I had to complete it. The second time around I found some holes in the plot line, but to be fair time travel books normally have plot holes and they weren't too much to deter me from heartily enjoying the story despite having to look past some inconsitancies. 

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Bought paper copy from Amazon, read on the beach 

Published in 2014 

Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure 

Recommend: Yes 

I brought this on a cruise my husband and I went on and read it in it's entirety either on the boat or on the beach. This is the first in the Paper Magician Series and follows Ceony, a girl who has just graduated at the top of her class at the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined. She isn't too excited that she has been apprenticed to a paper magician, Magician Emery Thayne, having much preferred to go into metal magic. As she resigns herself to her new future she uncovers a dangerous plot that threaten the magician she is working with and she bravely sets out to undermine the plot. 

To Ride the Wind by Melanie Cellier

Listened to on the Libby App

Released in 2024

Fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Recommend: Maybe

I adore fairy tale retellings and one of my favorite fairy tales is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I've read many retellings that were superb, Ice by Sarah Beth Durst, East by Edith Pattou, and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George for example. This one was set up well and I was enjoying the unexpected twists as I read. Toward the end it started getting tedious with the story being drawn out with too many internal musings by the two main characters and too little acting on those musings. As I neared the end of the audio book I was excited to finally have some action when all of a sudden it ended just as the action was to begin and I realized there are two books to this series!  What a dissapointment! I did not like it well enough to wade through the second book to it's conclusion. 

I've read other of this author's fairy tale retellings and they are not bad, I was just ready for this one to end. 

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmbert

Listened to on Audible App

Released in 2014

Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure

Recommend: Yes

This second book in the Paper Magician Series did not disappoint. Ceony's character is further fleshed out and her determination to save those she loves leads her into life threatening situations. Her developiong relationship with Magician Thayne developes slowly but surely. The danger is heightened in this book and all does not end happily ever after. There are 4 books in this series and I have already started to listen to book 3, The Master Magician.

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmbert

Listened to on Audible App

Released in 2015

Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure

Recommend: Yes

Every bit as good as the previous two installments and it has a very sweet satisfying ending. There happens to be a fourth book, The Plastic Magician. I read some reviews because it seemed the story had come to an end and I was curious what it would be about. It introduces some new characters and Ceony and Emery have a small cameo appearance. I have really liked the character development of these two and was disappointed that more of them would not be fleshed out in the fourth book. I don't think I will spend time with that one. I would still heartily recommend the first three. 

January Reads

Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

Audiobook read by Gabra Zackman

Listened to on the Libby App

Released 2009

Children's fiction, letter writing, Afghanistan, school stories

Recommend: Yes, for sure

Abby is a 6th grader and not the best student. She is looking at repeating 6th grade unless she can complete an extra credit project. Her project entails writing a student in Afghanistan and learning about what school is like there and what his family and culture is like and creating a bulletin board and report about what she learns. She is hesitant at first, but motivated and it turns out to be a wonderful experience learning about Sadeed and his family. 

I always enjoy reading Clements' books. My favorite is Frindle which I read aloud to my kids when I was homeschooling. His books are easily engaging and inspiring and exciting!  Highly recommend all he writes. 

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Bought at a used bookstore in Gladstone

This is a re-read for me

Published in 1985

1986 Newbery Honor book

Children's fiction, historical fiction, family

Recommend: Yes!

Anna and Caleb lost their mother years ago and together they, with their father, live in the midwest in the late nineteenth century. Sarah comes from Maine answering an advertisement from their father for a wife and mother. The children are excited and apprenhensive. They want her to love her new home and desperately want her to stay with them. 

This is a sweet short story that always warms my heart. The author wrote several more stories about Sarah and her new family: Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance. There are also movies based on the books. 

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

Audiobook read by Emilia Fox

Listened to on the Libby App

Released in 2024

Mystery, murder, antiques

Recommend: Yes

Freya finds herself living alone after a divorce and her only daughter leaves for college. Her long ago past surfaces as she learns of the death of someone who used to be her mentor in the antique business, but with whom she has had a falling out. She is pulled back into the business of finding lost antiques and antiquites by her Aunt Carole. The two of them are a formidable pair as they go about finding lost treasures and the murder of their friend. 

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was similar in setup to Agatha Christy mysteries. The narrator was wonderful and try as I might, I did not guess the ending! This author has more mysteries planned for the future. 

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Read with Kindle

This is a re-read for me

Published 2009

Young Adult fiction, time travel

Recommend: Yes

Gwyneth is born into a family that has a time travel gene. Everyone thinks it's her cousin who has the gene, but then Gwyneth suddenly vanishes one day and shows up hundreds of years in the past. Her journey to the past only lasts a matter of minutes, but if she doesn't let her family know so they can get her to the chronometer which helps control her time travel she will continue to vanish at random intervals.  Not everyone is happy that she is the time traveler and she faces enemies as she is swept into a world full of secrets where she cannot tell who to trust and who to fear. 

I read this series, The Ruby Red Trilogy, when they first came out. Kerstin Gier is German and I had to patiently wait for all of them to be translated into English. Time travel books have lots of issues for me, but this one was entertaining. Gwyneth is a spitfire and I really enjoyed reading about her adventures. The next two book sin the series are Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green.