Mental Maundering

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy
Valkyrie Cain - formerly known as Stephanie Edgely - is continuing her training with the Skeleton Detective, Skulduggery Pleasant.  The book opens with the escape of an infamous criminal, who is intent on bringing the awful Faceless Ones back.  Of course, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are soon on the case, hunting down the escapee and his mates and trying to put an end to his evil plan of raising the Grotesquery, an unkillable monster capable of calling the Faceless Ones.

Chew’s Review
The villains in the second entry in the Skulduggery Pleasant series are considerably less pleasant than in the first book.  And their plan is certainly evil.  Skulduggery, however, handles the whole situation with his usual humor and knack for stepping in just in the knick of time (don’t read this book if you are faint of heart).  The humor of this book really sets it apart from those in the same genre.  I eagerly awaited this second installment in the series, after reading the first one soon after it’s release and I have to say it didn’t disappoint.  I loved this book as much as the first one and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.  This book is better for older readers - upper middle school (at the youngest) and up and I definitely recommend this series for adults.  Seriously.  I am now eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.  Chew’s Rating:  4.75/5…..only because I am not sure there is a perfect book out there.

Death at Glamis Castle by Robin Paige
The deceased Prince Eddy, heir to the throne, has actually been hidden away at Glamis Castle by his family.  Thought to be dead throughout the kingdom, his appearance would bring down the monarchy.  On an eventful night, Prince Eddy disappears and his maid is found with her throat slit - much like the fashion of Jack the Ripper, who was rumored to be none other than Prince Eddy.  Charles Sheridan is called away from his vacation with his wife to look into the matter and find Eddy without alerting the people of Glamis village who have no idea he is living at the castle.

Chew’s Review
While in the mystery section, this is not so much a mystery as a book with mysterious happenings.  The reader knows pretty much all along what is happening and who has done what and reads about how Charles and his wife Kate sort out the clues of the mystery.  It isn’t that it’s a bad book, just not quite what I expected.  Once you get past the fact it isn’t really a mystery, it’s an interesting book set at the historic Glamis Castle in Scotland during the early 1900’s.  The history of the time period is interwoven into this book and provides a setting and reason for the events in the book.  It is my first book by Robin Paige (actually the husband-wife team of Bill Albert and Susan Wittig Albert), so I can’t speak to whether the rest of the series is worth reading or not.  While not quite what I expected, I will likely read another of their novels in the future.  Chew’s rating:  3.5/5.

It’s been a week and a day since I took the big test for my 2nd endorsement on my teaching certification.  Since the necessity of taking the test was forced on me rather than a personal choice (one that I planned to make, just not now), I spent a lot of time reviewing and worrying about the test.  Everyday I would come home from work and study for several hours.  On the weekends, I would study for as long as my brain could take it each day.  It was always on my mind.  Now, except for waiting for the scores (I get them May 23 - I’m fairly confident I passed, but there is always the nagging worry in the back of one’s head), my time is my own.  I’ve spent much of the free time reading - especially since Don was out of town Thursday night - and just quite can’t get used to the fact I have time for me again.  I’m glad the weather has been nice this weekend - my in-laws were up yesterday, but I plan on working in my garden today.  So, now I have time, you will see more blog posts - not that I’m likely to blog daily any time soon, but I will have time to post about the random things that come to mind….and of course, the book reviews.

Spanish Dagger by Susan Wittig Albert
China Bayles must introduce her half-brother born of an affair to her mother.  When they meet, her half-brother, Miles, wants to discuss his death.  Was it really an accident?  Miles doesn’t think so.  He wants to investigate what happened.  Shortly after this dinner, China comes upon a dead body, totally unrelated to the case of her father.  Of course, China once again becomes involved in solving a mystery - this time, without the direct help of Ruby, who is with her mother in Fredricksburg.  As China is learning more and more about the man who died, a 2nd murder occurs.  Are they related?  If so, how?  And is anyone else in danger?

Chew’s Review
It’s always interesting to read about China operating without Ruby’s direct involvement, as she usually stays out of big trouble this way.  Ruby does have an interest in this case, as it is Colin Fowler who is killed first.  Ruby has no idea about his background (which reader’s of the series know) about his former life as a cop, who perhaps went bad.  Of course, there were several moments where it seemed China was going to get herself into trouble.  I do admit, I did not figure out the killer - but I think this is because I spent half the book worrying about the dead man’s dog - I was afraid he would alert people to the killer and get killed himself.  Fortunately, he was unharmed, so you readers that are animal lovers can read this book without that worry.  Since I was reading with this though rather than looking for obvious clues, I can’t speak to how well the mystery itself is laid out.  I find it difficult to rate this book, but I would recommend it for those who enjoy the China Bayles mysteries.  Definitely a series to check out.

Where There’s a Will by Aaron Elkins
Gideon Oliver is in Hawaii on a vacation with his friend John Lau and anticipating the arrival of his wife in a few days. When John and Gideon arrive at the ranch where they are staying, the family is working on a problem. The plane of their lost uncle has just been found and they are considering what they should do about it. As it turns out, there are some bones on board and it is decided that Gideon should go to provide his expertise. Upon examination, the bones tell a different story than that that was given the cops. Now Gideon, John, and John’s old coworker work to solve the mystery of what really happened the night the plane took off.

Chew’s Review
This is a typical family mystery of a rich family involved in the disappearance of a family member. Once the bones have been sorted out (pretty early in the book), the rest of the book is spent trying to determine just what happened and who knows what. There is a lot of talking to relatives, talking to the police officer at the station, talking to each other, as they attempt to sort this mystery out - however, don’t take me to mean that the talking gets boring. These mysteries sometimes lack the action of other mysteries, but they are still a good puzzle and interesting. Chew’s Rating: 3.75/5.

And it’s about time!
The goldfinches are gold again..there is a mockingbird nest in our front conifer…robins are building a nest in our deciduous tree…I can’t keep the feeder full of cat hair, as the birds are using it for their nests…and I took the praxis II biology today…and I think I did well. Let’s hope I did well, or I’ll be teaching 6th grade next year and I don’t want to do that. Now, after a month and a half of studying, which seems to have paid off, I have my life back. Now I can focus on those things I want to do in the spring - one of which is get my garden in gear. Don and I cleared a space for a front garden in front of our house (we moved some shrubberies and got rid of a few others to make room)…now I need to get a move on so it’s ready for flowers come early May.  It’s nice to have my life back - especially during my favorite season when I can get out and enjoy the flowers and the weather and all those things that come with spring…

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
Leven Thumps is a lonely teenager unwanted by his step-aunt and uncle. Winter is tired of her life with her horrible mother Janet. Little do they know, they are part of a plan to save the land of Foo. Both set off in an escape from their miserable lives and encounter each other along the way. They also meet up with Clover, the syncophant, and Geth, the heir to the throne of Foo. Together, the four set off on a journey that will lead them to the gateway of Foo, where they must defeat the evil Sabine who would ruin Foo and destroy the world for his own gain.

Chew’s Review
I would recommend this book - especially to middle schoolers - as it has adventure, a bit of mystery, and a lot of funny moments. The story is a bit slow at first, as Leven and Winter seem to be getting nowhere, but it picks up quickly as they fight monsters made of dirt, find Geth, and set out on a wild journey. Definitely a very readable book. I will be checking out the next in the series. Chew’s Rating: 3.5/5.

The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari
Yorsh, a young elf born lately, meets up with two weary travelers - a woman moving about the forlorn country and a hunter. Together, the three of them, along with the woman’s dog, travel towards Dialgar. During their time, Yorsh saves the lives of the woman and hunter, while reading a strange prophecy…one that he realizes is about him. To save the land from the rain and despair, they must find the last dragon. The three travel to where the dragon can be found… In part 2 of the book, Yorsh and the dragon must work together to save the world from an evil ruler, as they continue to fulfill the prophecy.

Chew’s Review
The first part of this book is particularly delightful, as Yorsh interacts with the woman and the hunter. There were many amusing moments and a lot of action….and I felt it was over too soon. The second part of the book lacks the amusing moments, as there are many sad changes in the land. Yorsh and the dragon must work to set things right - and a lot of interesting things happen, but the reader is left longing for the light-hearted fun of the first part of the book. Overall, I still recommend the book - definitely an interesting read, I just wish the two parts of the book were more coherent with each other. Chew’s Rating: 4/5.

What Am I to Do with a Kitten Who LOVES to Walk on Doors?
Voodoo has always loved being up as high as possible - when he was younger, he would meow at the ceiling asking it why he couldn’t be that high up.  Last night, as I was using the bathroom, Voodoo came up with a new trick (his new tricks entertain all those at school) - jumping from the back of the toilet to the top of the shower doors.  He has been up there before, but now he must be up there ALL THE TIME.  During my shower this morning, he jumped up - I am glad I looked up in time before he jumped on my head (he appeared to be almost ready to jump).  Then he unrolled the toilet paper - normally he doesn’t do this.  THEN, as I was leaning down during brushing my teeth, he ran as fast as possible, jumped on my back and up to the top of the bathroom door.  Minutes ago, I heard him leap from the kitchen counter to the top of the basement door (I got him down).  What am I to do with him?  He is OBSESSED.  No doubt he will spend much time jumping to the tops of doors for the next few weeks until the novelty wears off.  Life with the kitten is certainly never boring, and he is the most creative feline I’ve ever met, but sometimes he drives me crazy.

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
Prince George has had the animal magic all his life.  He has had to keep it hidden, as those with animal magic are burned in his kingdom.  With his father on his deathbed, George is suddenly asked to marry the Princess of the next kingdom over, Sarrey.  The two kingdoms had previously had a long war and the marriage is meant to prevent future flare-ups.  George travels to Sarrey to meet his future bride, Princess Beatrice.  As he hides his animal magic, Beatrice has her own secrets.  Can the two of them move beyond their walls to find love?

Chew’s Review
I am so glad that I felt the need to buy this book during my last trip to the bookstore.  I picked it up, put it back down, and picked it up again feeling drawn to it.  While it may seem like a simple story on the surface, George must deal with issues of prejudice and his own worth, even as he tries to win Beatrice’s heart.  Beatrice, on the other hand, has her own secrets that, if known, would destroy the possibility of marriage and perhaps the hope for peace.  The key to unlocking her secret lies in George accepting his own animal magic.  This book is excellent - even though you will find it in the teen or YA section, it is an excellent read and I highly recommend it (so much so, I recommended it to our school librarian).  Chew’s Rating:  a rare 5/5.