This is the week for series. Mostly. I read book two in the Todd Hunter Moon series, Sandrider, by Angie Sage. I admire how Sage creates interesting worlds for characters to explore and exist. She also brings in elements from her Septimus Heap series in unforced, believable ways. Todd Hunter Moon is feeling the pull to move beyond her childhood friends' orbits and into new directions. It divides her loyalties. It is a good tension to explore in the middle-grade book that Sage is writing, and it drives the emotional plot of the book. There is just one book to go. I have no idea how it will all end, but I'm eager to know.
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The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 7 and 8, by Beth Brower, are wonderful books. I love Emma. She gets herself into and out of ridiculous scraps with the help of her cadre of friends, an eclectic group to be sure. Secrets continue to be revealed. Friendships deepen. Nosey, interfering aunts thwarted. Brower is planning to cover four years of Emma's life in 20-25 books! I look forward to reading about Emma for years to come, and I'm sad that I have caught up on what's been published so far, but glad to have my reading plans for the next several years. I love a plan.
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I appreciate a fun Japanese cat book. Messenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno, translated by M. Jean, is in that vein. Cats are messengers between the afterlife and the living world. There are several rules that govern these interactions--not a surprise--which adds good tension and suspense. The recently deceased cat, Fuuta, needs to fulfill a set number of message deliveries so he can visit his own family. I liked the book, but it wouldn't be my favorite of the genre.
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