Speaking from Among the Bones

My favorite little sleuth is back! Flavia de Luce is up to her old tricks in the fifth book of this series—stumbling upon yet another murder! It’s springtime and the sleepy little town of Bishop’s Lacey is preparing to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of its patron saint, Saint Tancred. However, the celebration is nearly derailed when the church’s beloved organist is found murdered.

As usual, the charming, quirky Flavia must use her powers of deduction to help Inspector Hewitt (much to his chagrin) solve the crime. The story is filled with a sprinkling of Flavia’s love of poisons, a continued disdain for her two older sisters and a (very!) surprise ending.

Alan Bradley has created a wonderfully original series that is a joy to read. It’s too bad that he’s only planned six books in the series because there’s a lot of potential for this precocious 12-year-old. So, even if “detective/crime” books aren’t really your thing, I think these books might surprise you. Start with the first in the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and I think you’ll be hooked!

Dancing for Degas

When I read a review of this book, I was intrigued at the possible similarities to one of my favorite novels, Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. As a fan of historical fiction, my interest was piqued by the book’s premise: Alexandrie, a young French farm girl, lands a coveted spot as a ballerina with the celebrated Paris Opera ballet, a role that will allow her to create a beautiful new life for herself and provide financial support for her family.

Once in the City of Lights, Alexandrie works hard to impress the ballet master and unwittingly becomes a muse for French artist Edgar Degas, a frequent patron of the ballet. Performing in the Paris Opera comes with a price, however, and the “extracurricular” life these girls must lead is often an unseemly one.

This story, filled with love, art and dreams, sounds promising, right? Unfortunately, author Kathryn Wagner hasn't created one likable character. From Alexandrie’s selfish mother to the vapid dancers to the narcissistic male suitors lining up in the Green Room after each performance, there’s not one redeeming character in the entire novel. Yawn.

That said, avoid this book and pick up a copy of the aforementioned Girl with a Pearl Earring instead.