Murder, Mysteries and Mermaids, Part 2

Another new horror/murder mystery series that I've recently read is the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. The first book in the series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, introduces Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a 17 year-old young lady who, despite her wealth and privilege, longs to learn more about the field of scientific study. The field of forensic medicine is not proper at all for a young lady, but Audrey Rose is intrigued by the gruesome work of dissection. In particular, she wants to work for her uncle in his laboratory. She becomes drawn into his work more fully as a serial killer is on loose on the streets in London. She is determined to help discover the murder's identity through the research and dissection of the deceased done in her uncle's lab.

This series is horrifying and intriguing as Audrey partners with her uncle's lab assistant Thomas Cresswell through the perilous streets of London in Stalking Jack the Ripper, through the Romanian castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler in Hunting Prince Dracula, and aboard a ship bound for America with a vicious killer in Escaping from Houdini.

Murder, Mysteries and Mermaids, Part 1

I made a move this year from Hot Springs Junior Academy to Bryant High School, and I’m taking advantage of having some driving time by listening to audiobooks. I definitely think this is a learned skill, as I used to have difficulty focusing on listening and not having my mind wander. However, I have learned to thoroughly enjoy listening to books. I borrow audiobooks on from Garland County Library’s Overdrive, and I also subscribe to Audible.

I thought I’d share some of my recent reads (and listens) that I have loved so far this school year. I discovered the mystery series How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather, and you NEED to read these books! Your students will love them!

The first book, How to Hang a Witch, is about a girl, Samantha Mather, who is a descendant of Cotton Mather. She is living with her stepmother, and her father is desperately ill in ICU. They have recently moved to Salem from New York because of his illness and the cost of his care, to stay in the house of her late grandmother. Samantha soon discovers that the house is peculiar, and the students at school even more so. The descendants of the Salem Witch trials attend the local high school and are NOT fans of Samantha, to say the least. Samantha soon discovers that she and the descendants are under a curse, and they must find a way to destroy the curse before it destroys them. Check out the book trailer and an author video in which Adriana Mather explains her connection to Salem and what led to her writing this book series.

The next book in the series is just as enthralling and picks up where this story leaves off. In Haunting the Deep, Samantha wants nothing more than to forget what happened last fall. But when the students vote to make Titanic the theme of the dance and the teachers ban together to create lessons revolving around it, Samantha begins to be visited by ghosts of the sunken ship and struggles to understand how it connects to her and her family’s past. There's a great book trailer for this one too!

The author is writing a new novel, Killing November, not included in this series, due out in March of 2018.

TCEA 2018

Roar by Cora Carmack

I’ve read many books in recent years with themes of magic and kingdoms, princesses and power.  However, something about Roar by Cora Carmack is unique and memorable.  I love the character of Aurora.  At first, she seems docile and easily manipulated, but quickly shows courage and strength.  Aurora is princess of Pavan, and her mother is queen, and they have descended from a long line of Stormlings who are able to control the tumultuous storms that besiege the land through their magic.  

However, Aurora hasn’t inherited this magical ability, and she and her mother have gone to great lengths to keep this hidden from the populous.  Storm season is approaching, and to secure their kingdom, Aurora must marry a powerful prince to help protect them from the storms.  She is soon betrothed to Prince Cassius from Locke, but she quickly suspects that Cassius is not who he seems to be.  

She discovers that a black market exists to sell magic to the ungifted, and that storm hunters who may not have been born with magic have become gifted. Maybe this would solve her problems by providing her with an alternate way of obtaining magic to protect her throne and people.  Aurora must gather her courage and determination to change the path of her life.  

I love the transformation Aurora makes through this novel.  At first, she is easily influenced and confused by her feelings, then as she gains confidence in who she is and what she is capable of, she becomes who she was meant to be.  

New library books!

Our first order of new fiction titles for the library has been cataloged, processed, and is now ready for checkout. I never get tired of the excitement and fun of new books in the library, and this year is no different! My to-be-read pile has grown significantly. I can't wait to read some of these new titles. I thought I would share some of the titles on my TBR list with you.

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the first on my list. I loved The Fixer and can't wait to read this second title in this series.
Tess Kendrick's sister is a fixer of problems, making them disappear for powerful people in Washington.  Because of her sister's reputation, all the students at Tess's elite private school turn to Tess for help. In The Long Game, Tess is asked by one of the students to help her get elected as class president.  In the meantime, her sister is working a case that involves terrorism and a struggle for power in Washington, a dangerous mix!
The Bronze Key - Book 3 of the Magisterium by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
I have enjoyed this fantasy series.  The targeted audience for the books are middle school students, so these titles are shorter reads than some fantasy novels.  The Magisterium is a school to train students who are gifted in magic how to control it.  The students, along with the mages, use magic to bring order to our world.  But in The Bronze Key, chaos is spreading and it's up to Call, Tamara and Aaron to try to stop the evil. 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill 
This is a new title that caught my attention. The description sounds intriguing!  Every year, a baby is left as a sacrifice to the witch of the forest.  But the witch Xan is actually kind, and takes the babies to a new family on the other side of the forest, feeding it starlight as they go.  When one of the babies is accidentally feed moonlight, Xan decides to keep the child because she will be filled with magic and names her Luna. When she turns 13, Luna's magic begins to manifest.  Then a young man decides to free the village by finding and killing the witch. I'm really looking forward to this fairytale read!

There are many many more books on my TBR list, but I'll wait and share more on another day.  Happy reading!

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch is the kind of epic fantasy that I have come to love, with adventure, excitement, sea ships, sword battles and crafty skilled hand-to-hand combat with strong female characters. The biggest drawback after reading it is having to wait for the next book in the series!  There many layers to this story.  At first, it was a little difficult to follow. The different types of witchery and the background history of empires of the Witchlands can be difficult to comprehend as there wasn’t much explanation provided. Hold on and be prepared to grasp as you go!

However, I love the characters and soon was caught up in their adventure.  Safi is a rare truthwitch and keeps her ability to discern truth from lies hidden because it is highly desired, especially by those in power who would seek to use her ability for their gain. Iseult, her friend, is a threadwitch and can see the life threads of emotion around people.  The two are threadsisters, and their strong friendship and bond is the only constant in their lives.  Hunted by the bloodwitch, Aeduan, that can “smell” their blood scent, they are on the run for their lives.  The twenty year truce that has kept war away is about to expire, and without it, the three empires of the Witchlands seem headed to war.  Prince Merik of Nubrevna is determined to secure trade agreements for his country, which has still not recovered from the last war, and bargains to bring Safi to safety in order to open trade with her uncle and country.  But the challenge of keeping Safi safe is not for the faint of heart. Trouble seems to find her easily.  

I would highly recommend Truthwitch for those students who enjoy fantasy. It was a refreshing and very satisfying read! If only I could get my hands on the next one in the series!

Between Shades of Gray

Here's a Thinglink I created when I read Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys back last year.  I love using Thinglink! I think it could be a great tool for students to create an interactive book report, similar to the example below.  See what you think!