Across the Library

Title: The Wizards of Once Author: Cressida Cowell My Rating: 4 stars A wizard boy without magic.  A warrior girl with a secret magical object.  The two meet and fight off witches, thought to have been extinct. Will they save the day and manage to stay out of trouble? Xar and Wish are a pretty cute team up, though Xar can be a little annoying and selfish.  He does have a little bit of character growth by the end, but not much.  Wish is the true star of the team.  She is much more likeable.  The story is told by an unnamed narrator, though he/she tells you it is a character in the book.  My guess is the bird on the cover or the sprite named Squeezjoos,  but I'm still not certain. Overall, this middle grade novel is a fun magical adventure romp and the illustrations add to the exciting tale.

Title: Bone Music Author: Christopher Rice My Rating: 4 stars When she was just a baby, Trina's mother was murdered and she was kidnapped by serial killers who then raised her as their own.  When she was seven, she was rescued, but her dad exploited her story for fame and profit.  As an adult she changed her name and tried for a fresh start, but then someone she trusted gave her an experimental drug that gave her powers.  What would she do with this newfound strength? I really like Christopher Rice's writing style.  I have since I read his first book Density of Souls.  I really enjoyed that first book, and his second, Snow Garden.  So I have continued to read his books, and enjoy his style, but after those first two, there always seems to be something weird about the books.  I enjoy the style, but maybe not always the story.  With this one, it's a good story, and I did give it 4 stars, but I felt that the way the term "bone music" is used and the sensatio

Title: This is Our Story Author: Ashley Elston My Rating: 4 Stars Five boys go hunting in the woods.  Only four come out.  An intern working with the assistant district attorney begins to think it may not have been an accident like the boys are leading everyone to believe.  This is a well-told mystery, full of secrets and plot twists.  I really enjoyed the writing style, and the build up.  There was however one thing that annoyed me.  The author used a variation or exact phrasing of "framed her face with his hands" over and over, enough that it was very noticeable.  I was also a little underwhelmed by the reveal of who shot Grant, but the book was so well done otherwise, that I am still giving it 4 stars. The author is actually local to my area, but I did not know much about her going in.  I had not read her work before this, but I would like to read more. 

Title:  Honor Among Thieves Authors: Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre My Rating: 3.5-4 stars Zara is used to living in the outskirts of town, fending for herself, thieving when she has to, to take care of herself.  Then she is chosen as an Honor for the Leviathan program -- the Leviathans are a race of sentient ships that have partnered with humans to explore the expanse of space to learn about other planets.  They have helped humans survive, and have asked humans to help them with this project.  At first Zara is hesitant, but she quickly, though reluctantly, finds herself trusting Nadim, her ship, and Beatriz, her new tour partner. Together they form a cohesive team, ready to face the challenges that come. I really liked this book, but I was a little unsure about the relationship between Nadim and Zara.  I don't want to go into details because I don't want to spoil anything.  I was just a little unsure about the intimacy between a large ship and a human girl.  I do like