The past few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, and audiobooks are coming in quite handy for long car trips.
I’ve been listening to a YA series by German author Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell. The first book is called Ruby Red, and the second is Sapphire Blue. In these books, a young girl named Gwyneth Shepherd discovers that she has inherited her family’s genetic ability to travel. Which is great, except that everyone in her family assumed that her cousin Charlotte would be inheriting this gene instead.
Gwyn has lived a typical teenage life while Charlotte has learned (from a secret group of time traveling “guardians”) how to live in multiple time periods: etiquette, dancing, music, wearing a corset, multiple languages. Gwyn now has to time travel with little idea of these survival skills and even less idea of whom to trust.
The third book in the series will be called Emerald Green and will be available in October 2013.
When I was in high school I was a mystery novel junkie. I read every Agatha Christie novel I could get my hands on, especially the ones featuring Hercule Poirot. I loved creepy, scary stories. I’ve been out of the mystery genre for a while, so I’m trying to make my way back. But I’m picky.
I read the first two Bess Crawford novels, a series (not YA) by a mother and son writing team named Charles Todd. These novels are set in World War I, and Bess is a nursing sister for the military. In both of the first two books, she becomes entangled (and further entangles herself) in a murder mystery surrounding patients she has nursed on the battlefield. These books are highly character driven, and much of the action requires social connections and talks over tea in order for Bess to make any headway in her investigations. Sometimes there may be just a few too many coincidences for my taste, but I did enjoy the characters. I will probably read the rest of the books.
So what are your reading plans for the week? I’m looking for good mystery novel suggestions, so let me know if you have any!
(“It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It’s a great way to keep track of what you’re reading and see what others are reading each week.)
Teach It Slant 