FINISHED:
Cole, Henry. (2016). Brambleheart. New York: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.

[.]

STARTED:
Park, Linda Sue. (2016). Wing & Claw: Forest of Wonders. New York: HarperCollins.

[A Single Shard is one of my favorite Newbery Medal winners.]

*

FINISHED:
Kibuishi, Kazu. (2016). Firelight [Amulet: Book 7]. New York: Graphix/Scholastic.

[An OUTSTANDING installment of a fantastic series.  SO glad that it's popular with the kids in the library - it's quality stuff that deserves to be read.]

STARTED:
Cole, Henry. (2016). Brambleheart. New York: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Tyler, Anne. (2015). A Spool of Blue Thread. New York: Knofp/Random House.

[An Anne Tyler novel is always a refreshing change.  So many books these days are solely driven (at least, hopefully) by plot, with little character development. An Anne Tyler book is generally the exact opposite:  pure character study.  Sure, things "happen", but that's never really the focus.  Rather, they are about people - great "slice-of-life" novels that spend most of their time getting into the minds/habits/eccentricities of everyday folk.  I'd venture to say that it's almost a guarantee that you'll come across a character, or family situation, in one of her novels that reminds you of someone that you actually know, or of something that has actually happened to you or someone you know.  This one, like many of her tomes, deals with family - how families come to be, how they grow and change, how the develop vivid memories, and how they say hello and goodbye.  One NYT basically called it Anne-Tyler-by-numbers, but another was more favorable.  I'll side with the latter when it comes to an Anne Tyler novel, anytime.]

STARTED:
Kibuishi, Kazu. (2016). Firelight [Amulet: Book 7]. New York: Graphix/Scholastic.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Eagar, Lindsay. (2016). Hour of the Bees. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

[(SPOILER!)  Not bad...  Tuck Everlasting is just one of the most ABSOLUTE classics in my eyes, so anything approaching this territory is under heavy scrutiny.  To me, it's just such a fantastic question to hit kids with:  if you could live forever, would you?  It's the kind of dilemma that can bring up so many fascinating discussions.  This one mines some of the same territory, but comes at it from a much more direct (ok, I haven't read Tuck Everlasting in awhile... so I'm kind of guessing here) message of "live in the now, not for the future".  Since this one takes place in modern day, there are questions surrounding how no one - especially those at the nursing home who surely would've given Grandpa a thorough medical check-up before admitting him - can tell that there are folks in this town that seem to be living a lot longer than usual.  Quibbles aside, this really could end up being one of the better novels of the year.]

STARTED:
Tyler, Anne. (2015). A Spool of Blue Thread. New York: Knofp/Random House.

[I love me some Anne Tyler, and normally I read new ones immediately upon their release.  BUT, last year was my Newbery year so anything beyond what was eligible for consideration of the award had to wait.]

*

FINISHED:
Martel, Yann. (2016). The High Mountains of Portugal. New York: Spiegel & Grau/Penguin Random House.

[.]

STARTED:
Eagar, Lindsay. (2016). Hour of the Bees. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Sepahban, Lois. (2016). Paper Wishes. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

[.]

STARTED:
Martel, Yann. (2016). The High Mountains of Portugal. New York: Spiegel & Grau/Penguin Random House.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Kelly, Erin Entrada. (2016).  The Land of Forgotten Girls. New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

[.]

STARTED:
Sepahban, Lois. (2016). Paper Wishes. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Gulik, Robert Hans van. (1965).  The Monkey and the Tiger (Judge Dee Mysteries). Chicago: University of Chicago Press/Macmillan.

[.]

STARTED:
Kelly, Erin Entrada. (2016).  The Land of Forgotten Girls. New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

[Reviewing for ACL.  I think I'm allowed to say at this point that Blackbird Fly was a favorite of mine last year.]

*

FINISHED:
Aston, Martin. (2013). Facing the Other Way: the Story of 4AD.  London: The Friday Project/HarperCollins UK.

[Over 600 pages of year-by-year stories about the history of the greatest record label - and I loved every minute of it.  I'm calling this "4AD February" and making it a point to listen to as much 4AD music as possible (I've got over 240 4AD albums in iTunes).]

STARTED:
Gulik, Robert Hans van. (1965).  The monkey and the tiger (Judge Dee Mysteries). Chicago: University of Chicago Press/Macmillan.

[Patron recommended.]

*

FINISHED:
Cushman, Karen. (2015). Grayling's Song. New York: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[After fire consumes their home, Grayling’s mother discovers that her grimoire has been stolen, and when the wise woman becomes magically rooted to the ground it becomes necessary for Grayling to go look for help.  Reluctant to set out on her quest because she feels she hasn’t the courage or the know-how, Grayling is eventually joined by a shape-shifting mouse (who can now do so after getting into Grayling’s herbs and potions), and a rag-tag assortment of (mostly female) purveyors of magic whom Grayling summons by singing a gathering song.  Cushman’s first foray into fantasy is set in a medieval time, with lyrical descriptions that paint a vivid picture of Grayling’s magical world.  The journey IS the story here, with Grayling finding her voice and becoming a reluctant hero along the way.  Though slightly plodding at times, which may be a symptom of there not being much of a sense of how much time is passing in the story, there’s plenty of well-placed comic relief to bring levity.  This strong story of female empowerment should have wide appeal, especially for those who like historical tales with some magical elements.   Review based on ARC.]

STARTED:
Aston, Martin. (2013). Facing the Other Way: the Story of 4AD.  London: The Friday Project/HarperCollins UK.

[.]

*