Book Review: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: January 2015
Pages: 392
Source: e-book from library
For: Flavia!
Series: Flavia de Luce, Book 7

 
Summary (from goodreads): *Spoilers are inevitable for the first 7 books*

Hard on the heels of the return of her mother’s body from the frozen reaches of the Himalayas, Flavia, for her indiscretions, is banished from her home at Buckshaw and shipped across the ocean to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Toronto, her mother’s alma mater, there to be inducted into a mysterious organization known as the Nide.

No sooner does she arrive, however, than a body comes crashing down out of the chimney and into her room, setting off a series of investigations into mysterious disappearances of girls from the school.

Things I Liked:
More Flavia! It was different, what with being in a completely different setting.  It was kind of fun to see her try to figure things out in her school.  I got rather confused a number of times, since I could never tell which student or teacher to rely on.  At least at home she could depend on certain people to be good, but here everyone was a suspect.  It was a boarding school romp for Flavia and such fun for me to read.

Things I Didn't Like:
The ending left me a bit confused - why did she go there in the first place? I'm trying not to spoil it, though I doubt it would ruin the story, but it seemed like everything was negated by the ending.  I'm hoping for more, just so I can read more Flavia.

Read-alikes:
Start with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
there's a bit of the macabre

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: Speaking from Among the Bones AND The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 400
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Flavia de Luce, Book 5

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: January 2014
Pages: 336
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: Flavia de Luce, Book 6

Summaries (sort of):
Flavia is the budding chemist and sneaky sleuth wrapped into an 11-year-old package.  She's obsessed with solving the crimes that appear in her small town of Bishop's Lacey, and they just keep coming.  In Speaking from Among the Bones, the town is digging up St. Tancred, but they discover a different body instead.  In The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, Harriet (Flavia's mother) is coming home, but even before she's arrived, there are mysterious messages from strangers and Flavia must figure out what may have happened to Harriet.

Things I Liked about Both:
I just really enjoy reading these books (or listening to them on audio, thanks to narrator Jane Entwistle).  Flavia is a lot of fun, eager to please and trying to figure out where she fits in the world and her family.  But I love her unique way of assessing things and figuring out the mysteries.  The books all tended to follow a very regular pattern, until the last one which kind of sent us on a different path.  I'd really like more Flavia books in the future, especially as we might learn more about Harriet in them!

Things I Didn't Like:
Sometimes, I just had to raise my eyebrows at the way things conveniently happened or how Flavia knew something so obscure or random.  Still, I just get some plain, old-fashioned pleasure out of these stories.

Read-alikes:
Start with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Reminds me of The Agency series by Y.S. Lee

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !

maybe one or two
mrg-factor:none

v-factor: none
usually a murder involved though not explicitly described

Overall rating: ****

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Micro Reviews: Finishing Up 2013, Part 2

Part 2 of the last of my 2013 books (see Part 1 here).  Enjoy!


The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margot Lanagan
Disturbing, depressing, horribly sad, but gorgeously written and so believable I wanted to visit Rollrock Island. Sort of.


Transparent by Natalie Whipple
I distinctly remember enjoying this book and the different "powers" people have in it.  But for the life of me, I can't remember much of what actually happened :)

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
This book made me think "what is going on?" a few too many times.  I'm pretty sure I ended up skimming the last half.  Now I don't remember a thing about it.


Hero by Alethea Kontis
Love, love, love Saturday.  She's such a cool heroine.  Also, I love the fairy-tale mash-ups going on in this series.


Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Fascinating story, though I wanted to smack Lulu upside the head a number of times.  The plot was a bit difficult for me to swallow, because it's something I'd NEVER do, but I have to give Forman props for wonderful writing and characters that kept me reading.


Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Despite many angry responses, I found the surprise ending rather believable for Tris. The rest of the story, however, I had some trouble swallowing.  End of the Divergent series.


Blackout by Robison Wells

Another crazy adventure story, complete with x-men powers and cliff-hanger ending. 

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

A wonderful and satisfying ending to one of my favorite fantasy series (and heroines) ever. Can we get more Elisa please?

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Completely insane virtual reality plot with a surprising twist I never saw coming. Some parts a little too unbelievable with some writing that grated my nerves, but intriguing enough that I want more. 

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

An interesting look at what happened to Willem over the course of a year. Made me dislike him slightly less :)

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce up to more antics at home, always with mad crime-solving skills up her sleeve. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Intense, interesting, and extremely well-written story about a serious lack of heroes in a world of superpowers. While I guessed some twists, others caught me by surprise. 

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Wonderful story of friendship and romance, with a heroine who sticks to her guns and seizes what she wants in a time when women didn't get to do that much.

Whew! I'm so relieved to be done with 2013 books!

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Mini Reviews 10: A Handful of Audiobooks

It's time for another set of "mini" reviews (I use the term mini loosely, as I tend to still go on and on).  A handful of audibooks = hours of sanity time for me during my endless commute!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication date: February 2011
Length: 5 hrs 58 min
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 2

When Penelope Lumley and her charges, along with the Ashtons, make their way to London for a visit, she is eager to visit with her former headmistress.  But she gets so much more, meeting strange gypsies, a very nice young man, pirates, and a strange hidden art gallery.  Further secrets are revealed about the children and even Lord Ashton himself!

My Thoughts:
I really like this series, but think I'd like it less if I wasn't listening to the audio versions.  I was drawn into and involved in everything that went on during the book, but afterward wondered what exactly the point was.  They come to London, fiddle around, and then go back home with pretty much no plot moving forward, except perhaps some things that Penelope "learns"  Mostly, this one entertains me with its quirky characters and bizarre happenings.  And Katherine Kellgren's delightful narrations and voices which she does, as always, quite perfectly.
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The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication date: February 2012
Length: 6 hrs 50 min
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 3

When Lord Ashton's mother shows up for a visit with the brassy Admiral Faucet in tow, they bring uproar to the Ashton house.  The admiral is determined to marry Lord Ashton's mother, in order to further is dream of bringing ostrich racing to England.  When his prize ostrich runs away, though, the children and their plucky governess are enlisted to head into the forest and track the bird down.  Much more seems to be at stake, though, than one lost bird.

My thoughts: 
And this book continues to reinforce my love for Katherine Kellgren's narrations and her ability to portray any kind of voice and inflection and do accents perfectly.  I really enjoy the stories in this series, though they seem to meander a bit before getting to their point, but again I'm hooked on these books because of the narration.  I did enjoy getting more revelations and surprises about the children and the Ashtons at the end of the book, though I'm still a bit in the dark.  I will continue to listen eagerly to each addition to this series, however.
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Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication date: November 2006 (HC)
Length: 6 hrs 31 min
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: YA Audiobook Challenge

 

When Keturah is lost in the forest and on the brink of dying, she sees Lord Death and pleads with him to spare her life.  He agrees, if she can find her one true love in the next day.  Keturah returns to her home, desperate to discover who among all the village boys is her love.  But she also has bigger worries about her family and the people she may leave behind if she can't find him in time. 

My thoughts: 
I remember reading and loving this story ages ago.  I listened to the audio for fun and loved it just as much.  Alyssa Bresnahan does a really good voice for Keturah; I was impressed at her tone and how it seemed just right for the story.  I love Keturah and how she is both grounded and completely crazy about how she tries to find her true love.  She's very determined and I enjoyed listening to her figure out just who it was she loved.  It remains a beautifully written, compelling, and interesting love story.  
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Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Publication date: October 2012
Pages: 9 hrs 14 min
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: YA Audiobook Challenge

 Glenn grew up right next to the Rift, with no idea what was on the other side.  But, when Glenn's father is arrested for his scientific work, he sends her and her friend Kevin to the Magesterium with no idea of what to expect.  In this strange new place, they meet creatures and monsters they never dreamed existed and face terrible choices about the people and places they love.

My thoughts: 
I really struggled with this book.  I thought it was very imaginative and really liked how interesting the idea was - that there was this place just on the other side of a border that held magic and power and you were different when you got there.  It reminded me of Narnia and those fun worlds within worlds stories.  However, the whole story seemed very disjointed, episodic, and completely pointless.  It honestly seemed like Kevin and Glenn were simply wandering aimlessly through the Magesterium with no real purpose and no idea what they were doing there.  The writing was fell flat for me - I did not like the style at all.  I think the audiobook kind of added to my dislike. Julia Whalen, the narrator, seemed to have a voice only suited to a teen girl, which works most of the time with Glenn.  But, when she would do voices for the boys or men, it sounded like a person doing a bad imitation of their dad or brother.  I just stopped caring most of the way through and I'm still not sure why I stuck with it to the end.  I have no clue what the magic is about and why the two worlds are magically separated by a "border."  Just a meh book for me.   
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A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication date: February 2011 (HC)
Pages: 10 hrs 47 min
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Flavia de Luce mysteries, Book 3

When an old gypsy woman, who told Flavia's fortune, ends up being savagely beaten, Flavia is on the case.  But there is much more to this mystery than she first thought, when another body turns up.  Flavia must follow the clues to their logical conclusion, even if it means getting in dangerous situations.

My thoughts: 
Pretty much, I read these books for Flavia.  She's fun and unique and not what you expect from an 11 year old.  I love her obsession with chemistry and her desire to figure things out.  She's fascinating and funny and clever and strange.  Plus, the other quirky characters in the books are quite interesting as well.  I just generally have fun listening to or reading the stories.  I loved the narrator, Jayne Entwistle, as she was able to capture a fairly young voice for Flavia and then kind of imitated the way Flavia would think of the adults voices in her head.  It was fun.  I did finally figure out the mystery in advance, which is kind of a miracle for me as I usually don't.  That probably means it's not that complicated, but I still managed to enjoy it.  Mystery-lovers will not get a thrill from the mystery, but as I noted, I'm in it for Flavia.

Any thoughts on these books?  Suggestions for more great audiobooks?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: March 2010
ISBN: 9780385343459
Source: Library

 

Flavia de Luce is at it again.  This time, when a famous puppeteer and his assistant end up in Bishop's Lacey, she befriends the odd pair.  Rupert is a short but charismatic fellow with a limp and Nialla is his beaten down assistant.  When a tragedy strikes, Flavia is compelled to find out who could have wanted the person dead and how that death relates to one five years ago.  What she finds leads her to some strange and complex discoveries that might put her in danger.

Things I Liked:
I still simply adore Flavia.  Her spunky and still quite innocent take on things is so refreshing that I plowed right through this book.  I especially love the ongoing battle she has with her older sisters - her plotting and planning are so entertaining.  The many odd and ridiculous characters Bradley creates just bring the book to life - a menagerie of strange people seem to populate Bishop's Lacey - but they make for lively and interesting characters.  The story is also quite intriguing with lots of clues, but I still had absolutely no idea what the ending would be or who dunnit (which could be from my inexperience with mysteries).  So entertaining and fun.  Favorite parts:

It was after all Cynthia, with her rodent features, who had once caught me teetering tiptoe on the altar of St. Tancred's, using one of Father's straight razors to scrape a sample of blue zafre from a medieval stained-glass window...I was simply dying to analyze the stuff in my laboratory to determine how successful its makers had been in the essential step of freeing it of iron.  Cynthia had seized me, upended me, and spanked me on the spot, making what I thought to be an unfair use of a nearby copy of Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard Edition). p 31

Eleven-year-olds are supposed to be unreliable.  We're past the age of being poppets: the age where people bend over and poke us in the tum with their fingers and make idiotic noises that sound like "boof-boof" - just the thought of which is enough to make me bring up my Bovril.  And yet we're still not at the age where anyone ever mistakes us for a grown-up.  The fact is, we're invisible - except when we choose not to be. p 112

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever," the poet Keats had once written - or so Daffy had told me.  There couldn't be a shred of doubt that Keats had written the line while contemplating a Kipp's apparatus: a device used to extract the gas resulting from a chemical reaction. p 173

Things I Didn't Like:
I was more bothered by Flavia's occasional chemistry explanations this time around.  Sometimes they would be so technical and boring that I'd skip them (and I usually like a bit of science in my stories).  Still, they are never too long and easily skimmed or skipped if desired.  It didn't much detract from my overall enjoyment of the story and of Flavia.

Read-alikes:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: X
a bit implied

v-factor: ->->
there is, after all, a murder

Overall rating: *****

What do you think of adult books with child protagonists? Why do you think writers use them for adult books and not just write a kids book?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley
Publisher: Bantam
Publication date: April 2009
ISBN: 9780385343497
Source: Library

 

Flavia de Luce is in a perpetual rivalry with her two older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne.  Fortunately, she has a passion for chemistry which makes revenge something delightfully sweet any time she wants to cook up a little poison.  But, when a body finds its way into her family's garden, mysteriously dead and unfortunately implicating her father, Flavia must use all her skills, not just chemistry-related, to solve the crime and protect her father. 

Today's BBAW topic is Unexpected Treasure, and I have to tell you, this is perfect.  My review today is proof that bloggers have influence (even bloggers that are not Angie).  I have never been a big fan of newly released adult titles, especially not mystery titles (let's be honest, most of what I review is young adult and non-mystery).  I always feel like I have to wait and wait until I've heard enough good about them before I'll pick them up.  But, even then, I don't remember any other adult mysteries I've read.  I'm not sure if I just avoided them altogether because I had so many other favorites, or because of some unconscious decision.  Either way, this book was not on my radar.  Until it kept showing up all over the place, with people adoring and praising it to the skies.  I do not even remember which review finally pushed me over the edge, but I am oh so glad I finally caved.

Things I Liked:
Flavia is an absolute gem!  I couldn't help but love her to pieces, even when I couldn't understand her chemistry delights (I'm from a whole family of chemists, but I never even took a class).  Bradley has created such a real character, this precocious (totally overused, but really can't think of another word for it) eleven-year-old with a sense of humor you wouldn't believe.  I wanted to keep reading more about her and with her.  I wanted to follow her around everwhere and find out what she'd do or say next.  I especially wanted more of her sisterly escapades - even with four older sisters, I never had much skill in the revenge department.  And the story itself was a delight to read!  Well written with an unforgettable character.  Here are just a few of my favorite parts:

Their two yellow brick annexes, postulantly Victorian, folded back like the pinioned wings of a bone yard angel which to my eyes, gave the tall windows and shutters of Buckshaw's Georgian front the prim and surprised look of an old maid whose bun is too tight. p 7

It occured to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
No...eight days a week. p 59

It's a fact of life that a girl can tell in a flash if another girl likes her.  Feely says that there is a broken telephone connection between men and women and we can never know which of us rang off.  With a boy you never know whether he's smitten or gagging, but with a girl you can tell in teh first three seconds.  Between girls there is a silent and unending flow of invisible signals... p85

It was downhill all the way, and I made good speed.  When I backpedaled, the Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub on Gladys's rear wheel gave off a noise like a den of enraged venom-dripping rattlesnakes.  I pretended they were right there behind me striking at my heels.  It was glorious!  I hadn't felt in such fine form since the day I first produced, by successive extraction and evaporation, a synthetic curare from the bog arum in the Vicar's lily pond. p156

Things I Didn't Like:
Not much to not like.  The mystery aspect was a bit simplistic, I thought.  Some parts of it were fairly easy to figure out, though others completely took me by surprise.  Definitely worth reading.

Read-alikes:
Apparently, there's already another Flavia de Luce mystery, with a third in the wings - get started already! 
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (though they are both more Victorian...)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few, not a lot

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
some fairly scary stuff, also a bit of violence

Overall rating: *****

What is your Unexpected Treasure?

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