Wicked Wonders

Wicked Wonders by Ellen Klage  284 pages.

This collection of stories features singular, smart and sometimes subversive characters. In the introduction to the book by Karen Joy Fowler, Fowler states, "Ellen's young protagonists are both tough and sensitive. Like so many of us, they don't quite fit in. So they're always looking for the chance, unavailable in their home and schools and communities, to be their true selves."  For example, in one of the first stories, the main character is a girl who identifies more with Maleficent instead of Sleeping Beauty. In another one, a girl who starts a game realizes that she'll need more than mere luck to win once she's engaged a faerie.  All of the stories have a bit of adventure to them, sometimes some melancholy and sometimes a bit of humor (especially the last story in the book, "The Scary Ham").

I really enjoyed this book and found the stories to be interesting, thoughtful and memorable.  Definitely adding this one to my Christmas wish list!

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  235 pages.

This is the first novel in the series, and centers around Precious Ramotswe, who has opened the first detective agency in the town of Gaborone.  Whether it's tracking down a husband, uncovering a con man, or finding a missing boy, Precious is up for the task.

I went into this with an assumption that it would be a mystery, focusing more on one particular case.  Instead, it is a series of things that Precious solves, as she figures out how to be a detective.  Relying mostly on her intuition and smarts, she alternates between coming off as very naive one moment, to very wise the next moment.   While I liked her, and I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure if I'll pursue more in the series.  So, an entertaining read, but not enough of a mystery for my mystery taste.

The link in the title takes you to everything in the Library's catalog.   This series of books was made into a series on HBO, which the Library has on DVD.

Updraft

Updraft by Fran Wilde
364 Pages

 "Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage. Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wing test and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City. As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever-if it isn't destroyed outright."

An original fantasy novel, Wilde creates a world where we never really learn the back story of the civilization that is being portrayed.   I did enjoy the book. 

Wytches

Wytches, vol. 1, by Scott Snyder, 144 pages

The Rooks family has just moved to a new, small town- seemingly to get away from some sort of "incident" that occurred in the old place.  And while it seems like the family is settling in and moving on- the daughter has made a friend at school, and dad's new graphic novel is coming along, there are a few... unsettling things that occur.  Oh, like the bald woman with prosthetic legs who breaks into the house to rave about witches and the egg-sized lump developing on the daughter's neck and the trees that eat people. Clearly, this small town life is not as simple as they thought.  As usual, the writing of Scott Snyder is solid and it reminded me of a Stephen King story (in a good way!).  That said, I am not a scary-story sort of reader, so I may pass on finishing out the series.  

The Devil in Her Way

The Devil in Her Way by Bill Loehfelm
276 Pages

"Kicking off her final week of field training, Maureen takes a punch from a panicked suspect bursting out of an apartment. Her training officer laughs it off, and the incident even yields a small victory: the cops recover a stash of pot and guns. But out on the street, on the fringes of the action, Maureen sees something sinister transpire between two neighborhood boys that leaves her shaken, and she knows there’s more to the story than she’s seen. As we follow Maureen’s dangerous hunt for answers, Loehfelm leads us around New Orleans’s most hidden corners and into its darkest outposts."

The middle book of the three books surrounding this character I found it to be the best.  We get to know Maureen a little better and  learn as she tries to fit into her new career.  Overall the series is uneven though and I would hesitate to recommend it to a mystery lover.