All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

 In 1807 a child is found floating in a basket on the canals of Venice. There is a note attached to the child that names him Sebastian. He is raised by a group of revolutionaries who teach him skills from several guilds. Almost 100 years later, Daniel Goodman is living in San Francisco trying to pay back a debt from earlier bad decisions.  He gets the opportunity to go to Venice to look for the original source for one of his favorite books that his mother sent to him while he was in prison.  In Venice Daniel meats an amazing young woman named Vittoria who is a bookseller.  Together they try to unravel the mystery of Sebastian's story and as they do, they discover that Daniel's life is tied up with it in ways he couldn't have imagined. 

This is lovely story of intergenerational family and the importance of discovering who you really are.  It is written in a very literary style with a lot of ornamental language and enriched description of Venice both in the 1800's and in the early 1900's. Having never traveled to or studied Venice much, I don't know how accurate the descriptions are, but I am guessing the author did her homework.  Her language certainly paints a picture and a mood the permeates the whole book. The characters and setting, both political and physical, are carefully drawn. All the main characters show good development and there are some interesting plot twists.  I think if I had read the story instead of listening to it I would have enjoyed it more.  The reader, Jonathan Ross, reads precisely but lacks the chocolatey smooth delivery one would hope for in a literary novel.  I kept being distracted by it.  I kept thinking, "no, that isn't how that should have been read," and then imaging a good reading in my mind. That being said, the book is good and has a strong message about faith, restitution, and self discovery. Thumbs up for the book, but for the reader, not so much. (2022, 400 p)

A Spelling Mistake by Nancy Warren

In this third installment of the Vampire Book Club, Quinn has agreed to host the launch of newly undead author, Bartholomew Branson's last book. On the day of the launch, a woman claiming to be Branson's wife shows up and tries to steal the spotlight. Then she ends up dead.  Was it Branson, who had been estranged from his wife for 10 years, a rival publisher, agent or someone else.  Quinn and her vampire friends jump into action to try to discover the truth and save the town's reputation. 

This is just like the others in the series.  Its formulaic and the plot isn't very sophisticated. The writing and characterizations are fine. I think the Vampire Knitting Club series by the same author is better, but I always have to put those on hold.  I guess the reasons these are available is because they are solidly B quality.  Still, when I finish one book and the ones I want are still on hold, what is a girl to do? (232 p. 2020)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

 Emily Wilde is a young Cambridge professor who, at the early age of 26, is one of the world's foremost experts on the Faerie Folk.  She has traveled to the far northern town of Hrafnsvik to study the previously elusive ice faerie folk.  The town people are leery of her because she is an outsider, and she lacks social skills, so she has a rough time getting any cooperation from them, until her academic frenemy, Wendell Brambleby shows up.  His dazzling appearance and charm smooth the ruffled locals, but she is infuriated when he offers to co-author a paper with her, knowing that she will do all the work and he will get all the credit. As they begin to work together to solve some local faerie abduction mysteries, Emily begins to wonder if there is more to Wendell than meets the eye. That suspicion becomes a hope, when she finds herself in a predicament from which only his special special skills, and the help of new village friends, can save her.

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I am glad they did.  It is a delight. Emily's personality is super quirky, and the chemistry between her and Brambleby is a lot of fun.  Fawcett has an expansive imagination and her world building is wonderful. She has obviously spent a lot of time studying the faery folklore of the British Isles and she calls on many traditional faerie folk tropes in the book. Since I have been adjacent to the academic world my whole adult life, (my husband is a professor), the banter about getting papers published, and presenting at conferences was just an added bit of fun for me. I am sure I will be recommending this book to my fantasy loving friends and am eager to read the next in the series. (352 p. 2023)

The Hangman's Revolution by Eoin Colfer

 In this second installment of the W.A.R.P series, the reader finds Chevie Savano living in an altered present-day London. She is a cadet in the youth army of the Boxites, a totalitarian regime that has come to control almost all of Europe.  She keeps having intrusive memories about her previous life as a FBI agent, and they have gotten her in trouble.  When she once again gets sucked back into Victorian England, she joins up with her old friend, Riley, to try to stop Colonel Clayton Box before he begins the revolution that destroyed her previous past. 

When I read the first in this series, I wasn't sure I would read the second because I didn't like the narrative style.  In this book, it didn't bother me as much, either because I was used to it, or maybe the writing was better. Like the first in the series, this is a fast-paced action adventure with a pretty high violence and body count. The action is like comic book violence, without any real pathos or degree of detail. Still, it is high enough that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 14. Colfer mixes in a fair amount of humor and silliness, and the characterization and setting are both well executed and fun. Colfer deals with the standard questions about cause and effect in time travel, and the ending is something of a cliff hanger with some basic plot questions unresolved.  The real question is, did I like #2 well enough that I plan to read #3?  I probably will, but I need to rest for a while. The cavalier violence does bother me, so I have to clear my soul for a while before I will consider returning for the next book. (385 p. 2015)

Three Tasks for a Dragon by Eoin Colfer

 When his father dies, Prince Lir is driven from the kingdom when his grasping half-brother sends him on a quest to rescue a peasant girl who has been stolen by a dragon. When he arrives at the dragon lair he finds a broken down and pitiful creature who can no longer fly or breath fire.  As part of his quest Lir must do three tasks for the dragon in order to gain the girl's freedom. As Lir uses his wits to perform each task, he gains the loyalty of the dragon and the affection of the maiden, but his success is short lived. His evil step-brother has more in store for all three of them.

This is a short fairytale novella from the well-known author of the Artemis Fowl series. It honestly sounds like a bedtime story that he made up for his kids and then set down in writing.  It is charming tale of brawns vs brains, and kindness conquering over brutality. It is appropriate for both boys and girls and is full of both action and wit. The reader has a delightful accent and this would be a great choice of something to listen to on a family road-trip. The print version is highly illustrated by rockstar illustrator, J. P Lynch. I am thinking of buying a copy for my grandkids! (115 p. 2023)

More than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer

 Evangeline was born with one blue and one brown eye.  She is orphaned as a child and nobody is willing to take her in because of her "defect." She meets two orphaned boys, and they form a kind of found family. Fast forward seven years, and the three are living together on a farm, but life isn't easy. Zach and Seth, Evangeline's "brothers" work hard to provide for themselves and are very protective of Evie. Then a stranger purchases the lot next door.  He is about their age doesn't seemed bothered by Evie's eyes.  As he starts to insinuate himself into their lives, Evie is thrilled to have a new friend, but her brothers are worried that he has a hidden agenda that will only break her heart. 

I was traveling this week and checked this out to read on the airplane. I think I have said it before, but Witemeyer is a great choice as a travel book because her books don't take a lot of emotional depth or intellectual concentration. Evangeline is a delightful character, and all three male lead characters have likeable personalities. The book as a whole is like the flavored pretzels served on the flight--tasty, but not terribly filling. (I won't have gotten past the first chapter if I had taken The World According to Physics on the plane.) (352 p. 2018)

Accused by Clair Poulson

 Private Investigator, Rudy Quigley, often works as a contracted help for a lawyer, Jimmy Jones, doing the footwork needed for the lawyer to build his cases. He usually takes the jobs Jimmy offers because Rudy has a sweet spot of Jimmy's secretary, Natalie. When a brash and unsophisticated woman comes to Jimmy's office wanting him to help her avoid a murder conviction, Rudy is not very excited to help with the case.  She seems like the perfect suspect.  As the investigation progresses, though, he discovers that Daisy Kane is not who she seems. Things get more complicated when  his case and an FBI search collide and the bad guys target Natalie as a way to intimidate Rudy. It will take a lot of old-fashion detective work and more than a little courage to save innocent people, especially the girl he is suspecting he loves.

It has been a while since I read a Clair Poulson novel. They, like the other genres I read regularly, are predictable and are written on a solid "B" (or even B-) level.  Poulson's novels are almost all set in my home state, so it if fun to have places and landmarks mentioned that are familiar. Poulson also understands that working a real investigation takes a lot of time and sometimes tedious foot work, and he includes that in his novels. His characters are pretty flat, and the dialog is stilted, but it is what it is. I know what I am getting from the first sentence on page one and that is what I want. (232 p. 2023)