Well, weather is warming and fingers are busy with a selection of various projects. Reading has slipped just a bit. BUT I have managed to finish the third book in the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children… Library of Souls (by Ransom Riggs). Now I must warn you… this is an impossible book to review without putting forth information regarding the first two books… and you really MUST read them in order!

Dramatic and at times heart rending, Library of Souls is full of action and angst, friendship and betrayal, love and pain. One of the things I love and hate about this book is the confusion that runs through it. There are so many possible allies and enemies. The world is a dark place in book #3 where the entirety of Peculiardom is in upheaval and distress. The Ymbrynes are all abducted, the peculiars dead, taken or destroyed by a need for what is later shown to be essence of other peculiar’s “second soul” which acts much like an addictive drug.

In this dark and dangerous scenario are Emma and Jacob and Addison the peculiar dog. There is something absolutely lovable about Addison… There are so many other characters… and so many amazing pictures to put faces to descriptions. That really is the key to these books, Ransom Riggs has such a touch and eye to combining amazing images to enthralling words. 

Book 1 was an introduction to the world, a hint a the troubles… book 2 threw us into danger and intrigue, book 3 brings us full circle to even more new and unique loops and worlds that defy imagination. Library of Souls is a dark book, but it is a book of hope and possible redemption. It is a book of adventure and battle and decisions made under pressure. 

I have a favourite line in this one… said by Emma Bloom – when asked whether or not she doubted…

Emma shook her head. “Doubt is the pinprick in the life raft.” 

I don’t know why but that resonates with me. I hope that you will hunt down these books at your local bookstore or library, they are well worth it… Go, jump into the world of the peculiar! 

From a light Australian romance to a humourous and super interesting first in a chronicles book about an extremely (try 2,100 years) long lived Druid in modern day USA. This book is full of wonderful characters, action, humour, paranormal, magic, did I mention humour, because I really LOVED that part of this book.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne is the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles and most certainly will NOT be the last one I read in this series. From the main character (and our narrator and view point the whole story through) the Druid Atticus O’Sullivan (at least that is the name he goes by now) to his dog Oberon (who is beyond a hoot and a half) to his werewolf and vampire legal team… oh I could just go on and on… a human widow (Irish and long lived) who made me laugh from the first meeting on… gods that you are not sure if you should love or hate… OH and everyone hates Thor… I mean EVERYONE! (not the same as movie Thor, apparently the different versions/incarnations of the gods etc exist in different places… belief/power/etc determines that)

All for the want of a sword… that is that everyone has a different opinion as to whether or not Atticus should keep hold of the one he has. With old adversaries blending with new and those on his side at times even questionable, Atticus is constantly sharing a bit of his past here, a thought there, a joke always and his love for his pet Oberon… eternal.

I don’t know that I can sing the praises of this story loudly enough. There is lively discussion about various deities… a lovely bit of a history lesson, characters that seem so real you feel like you just need to get to the place and meet them for yourself. Granted, there is some sexuality (goddesses are traditionally quite naked it seems and so many of the pantheons are full of sex and gore), definitely a bit of gore (for really a Celtic Druid with an insanely important sword… duh), but so much humour and such a well told story! I cannot wait to get my hands on the second one! 

And now for a hunt on the kindle to see what I downloaded randomly as a free book. And the winner is… the first book of the Tassamara Book series, A Gift of Ghosts by Sarah Wynde. I am telling you right off the bat, a GREAT book. Romance, the supernatural, engaging characters, a bit of mystery. This book has it all in spades. I honestly sat down with this one, not remembering picking it up and proceeded to set down my crochet project and read the night away! 

Let’s start off with the main character’s name… Akira… love that. The fact that she is a genius physicist with what she calls a “quirk”, the ability to talk to ghosts (not the dead JUST ghosts). After writing up a small paper in a magazine in regards to spirit energy her credibility and her current job are on the way out. Enter Zane, a nondescript office room and a job offer draped in secrecy and the unknown. What does she do but take it and head out to Tassamara:

“In Tassamara, believing in six impossible things before breakfast is taken for granted.”

I will warn you, there is one semi graphic sex scene that is handled with humour, science and romance. And the relationships both romantic and platonic are hilarious and totally grow on you. The potential for further stories is blatantly obvious just with the core characters in this first installment. You cannot help but want to know more about the main family – the Latimers, but the town and the people in it as well. 

I love Akira’s internal dialogue and her logical thought. She has a sense of humour and a fragility that is both entertaining and endearing. And Zane is hilarious as are the ghosts around them. 

This book feels well thought out and researched. The characters have depth and plot drug me right on in. I am definitely going to work to get my hands on further volumes! I dare you to NOT get so invested in the story and the characters that you don’t just read on into the evening!