How to Get Away with Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

 Junior Mystery. I love reading mysteries mostly because the detective characters are so fascinating!  This book is the second in the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series, the first one was checked out so I started with the second and it didn't seem to matter that I missed number one. Myrtle Hardcastle is a 12 year old girl living in England at the turn of the century. She has a love of science and well, murder. The problem is not a lot of people take her insights seriously. That doesn't stop her from calling out the murderer when she sees the clues!  I listened to this book and it was delightful!

Recommend? Yes.

Picture Perfect Frame by Lynn Cahoon

 Mystery. This is yet another installment of my sit back, get cozy, feel good mystery series. Tourist Trap mysteries are quick easy reads, but the characters have become my friends and I enjoy getting absorbed in the fictional California coastal town of of South Cove. Jill and her boyfriend and police chief Greg have a knack for discovering the truth behind baffling crimes and things always get solved in the end with minimal gruesome details. 

Recommend? Yes, if you like cozy mysteries. 

A Stranger to Command by Sherwood Smith

 Fantasy Fiction. This book is a prequel to Crown Duel which I read a month or so ago. It follows the the character, Vidanric, in Crown Duel when he was a teen and illustrates the history behind the wars among the different countries. It's pretty technical in it's descriptions of training and preparing young men and women for possible military conflicts, but I kept reading because I liked the main character and liked to see how his character developed. I think the author is very good at character development, but her books do not always move quickly and require patience as you read. I'm glad I finished it, but would not recommend reading it before reading Crown Duel. 

Recommend: only after reading and loving Crown Duel.

Dragonwatch Series by Brandon Mull

 Junior Fantasy Fiction. Master of the Phantom Isle, book 3. Another reread for me as I was preparing to read book number four which recently was published. This book was my least favorite of the series so far. It reminded me of book five in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and episode five of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back. Bad things happen. People are sad. Will it get better? Seth and Kendra's attempts to make the world right and rid it of the threat of a Dragon War seem thwarted at every turn. But keep reading, book number is worth the wait!

Recommend: Of course. 

Champion of the Titan Games, book 4. It has been awhile since I was really excited to get all the mundane things done during my time so I could get back to a really good story. Number four is definitely worth the wait!  There were so many plot twists and lessons learned along the way. I finished this book with a lot of insights into my own life and discussed some of my findings with my daughter who had already read the book. Now comes the hard part, waiting for the final book in the series to be published!

Recommend: Yes!

Wrath of the Dragon King by Brandon Mull

 Junior Fantasy Fiction. Book 2 in the Dragonwatch series. These are pretty fast reads, but not short on adventure. This continues Seth and Kendra's adventures at Wyrmroost-a dragon sanctuary. Seth and Kendra find themselves the caretakers of this sanctuary right when the Dragon King has declared war. They must fight to prevent the dragons destroying the human world. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull

 Junior Fantasy Fiction. Our family has enjoyed Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series as well as the second series called Dragonwatch. The fourth book of this five book series recently came out which I bought. I decided to reread the first books in this series since I can't remember many of the details, a hazard of having to wait to read the next book in the series until it's written. 

This first book in the Dragonwatch series, called Dragonwatch, starts with the same characters from Fablehaven, siblings Kendra and Seth. They need to help protect the Dragon sanctuaries that are in danger of falling which would allow the dragons to roam the earth and wreak havoc on mortals. It has a lot of adventure and there is danger involved for the two children. I really like seeing the growth that Kendra and Seth make as they progress through these books. Their situations and reactions can create good discussions about right and wrong and learning from our own mistakes. 

Recommend: Yes

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

 Teen Fantasy Fiction. This book is actually two books in one. They were originally published separately as Crown Duel and Court Duel. I started reading the first part -- Crown Duel. It was a slow read for me and I put it down and picked it back up several times before I gave it back to my friend who lent it to me. She told me to give it one more try and to get past page 37 or so and then things would start to move along faster. Because I trust my friend I agreed and she was not wrong. I ended up reading it fairly quickly after said page 37. 

The plot covers the attempted overthrow of the government by smaller kingdoms and involves a bit of magic on the way. I really became invested in the two main characters and their reactions to the events. After I finished the first part I did something I shame others for doing. I turned to the last 3 chapters in the second part - Court Duel - and read the ending!  (Which ended magnificently by the way.) I'm an impatient reader and I really wanted to know how things ended. I thought that I would leave it at that, but felt drawn to read the entire second part as well. This edition of the book also includes a small short chapter after the book ends that highlights an event in the future. I ended up adoring this book and I'm so glad I kept reading!

Recommend: Yes.