The Case of the Missing Marquess kicks off a (new to me) favorite series starring the much younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. (I blitzed through all six volumes of the Enola Holmes series in record time.) Beastly Bones is the second of the Jackaby novels, with another fantastical case. And Rowan Hood is the first in the 5-book series about the daughter of Robin Hood.
Greenglass House is a modern mystery with a historical twist set in a hilltop inn. (The stained glass windows made me very happy.) OCDaniel introduces us to a boy who struggles with compulsions he doesn’t understand. And Warbow continues the Saga of Roland Innes. (Robin Hood & Friar Tuck, anyone?)
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If spooky is your style, the Lockwood & Co. mysteries are going to keep you on the edge of your seat. Ghosts who can kill with a touch? (Eep.) The Graveyard Book was another of my online book club’s selections, about a boy raised by ghosts. And I’m still very much enjoying the Ranger’s Apprentice series. (This one especially, since my hometown is Scandia.)
Jackaby involves an investigator who can see things others cannot, as told from the point of view of his new assistant, Ms. Rook. The Clockwork Three also has a historical setting (with a steampunk ambiance). And Eddie is a beautifully illustrated story about a young Edgar Allen Poe, who must solve a case to prove his innocence.
Longbow is the first in the (highly enjoyable) historical series, The Saga of Roland Innes, which has ties to Robin Hood lore. The Icebound Land is another in the (excellent) Ranger’s Apprentice series. And I read Fablehaven last fall because it was the “Book of the Month” selection for one of my GoodReads groups. It’s the first in a five-book series.
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Six of Crows is a gritty YA with a heist underway. The Ranger’s Apprentice series is a fast-favorite I’ll be continuing to read through this year. And Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is … different. (Screen plays do not read like a book.)
The Secret of Zoom has math and music, orphans and boom! The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is a quirky and quaint quest. And The Zoo at the Edge of the World involves a stuttering boy, a Great White Hunter, and a jaguar’s magic.
Under the Egg is an art mystery (with a side of art history!) The Quest to the Uncharted Lands is a sci-fantasy adventure from Jaleigh Johnson’s World of Solace books. (Stowaways must save the ship!) And The Peculiar is a dark fantasy with steampunk elements. (Fairies are kinda scary!)
I hit my GoodReads reading goal for 2017 with loads of middlegrade titles … like these! What have you been reading lately?
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May of 2017 was when I jumped in and really learned the ropes at GoodReads, a wonderful site for book lovers. I put down a 50-book goal for the 2017 Reading Challenge. I began writing reviews for every book I finished. I organized my shelves. I joined an online book club and read their Book of the Month. I took part in an A-Z Challenge. I entered giveaways. I even created a bunch of lists on Listopia. And by the end of the year, logging into GoodReads became an enjoyable part of my daily routine.
So here we are in January 2018, and I have the Whole Year ahead! I’ve set a new goal for the site’s 2018 Reading Challenge, and I’ve signed up for a handful of other reading challenges in the groups.
GoodReads 2018 Reading Challenge
my goal is 150 Books
Great Middle Grade Reads A-Z Challenge
my goal is to get through the alphabet twice
All About YA Master of Reading Challenge
my goal is to read 20 books in the steampunk genre
How about you? What are your reading goals for the new year?
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C. J. Milbrandt 