In the Hall With a Knife by Diana Peterfreund (Clue Mystery book 1)

“The game is on. No one is safe.”

“When a storm strikes at Blackbrook Academy, an elite prep school nestled in the woods of Maine, a motley crew of students—including Beth “Peacock” Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry—are left stranded on campus with their headmaster. Hours later, his body is found in the conservatory and it’s very clear his death was no accident. With this group of students who are all hiding something, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a motive for murder. Fans of the CLUE board game and cult classic film will delight in Diana Peterfreund’s modern reimagining of the brand, its characters, and the dark, magnificent old mansion with secrets hidden within its walls.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I was intrigued to start this new series based on the Clue board game. I played the game as a child but I don’t really remember much of the movie. I really liked the premise of the book but I had trouble keeping my mind on the story with the continued switching viewpoints between all of the characters. I thought that I had the murderer pegged but that story thread turned out to be the cliffhanger setting up the second book.

Visit Diana Peterfreund’s website.

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

“Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents' house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That's when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she's started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever... or is it?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I picked up this book because it takes place ever Sophia's Christmas break from school and was wrong. Nothing completely original about a lot but I loved the family aspect of this story. My favorite “date” had to be the one that took place at the drive-in movie theater. No spoilers and what happens here. Read it to find out for yourself.

Visit Ashley Elston’s website.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first two books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first two books.

“He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book and the ending of the trilogy was absolutely perfect!! I really don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I am going to keep this short. Breathtaking and heart pounding with the action never slowing down. And that was an incredible epilogue. I hate to leave these characters behind.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

“She read a thousand happy endings before she finds her own.”

“From the moment she first learned to read, literary genius Darcy Wells has spent most of her time living in the worlds of her books. There, she can avoid the crushing reality of her mother’s hoarding and pretend her life is simply ordinary. But when a new property manager becomes more active in the upkeep of their apartment complex, the only home Darcy has ever known outside of her books suddenly hangs in the balance.

While Darcy is struggling to survive beneath the weight of her mother’s compulsive shopping, Asher Fleet, a former teen pilot with an unexpectedly shattered future, walks into the bookstore where she works…and straight into her heart. For the first time in her life, Darcy can’t seem to find the right words. Fairy tales are one thing, but real love makes her want to hide inside her carefully constructed ink-and-paper bomb shelter.

Still, after spending her whole life keeping people out, something about Asher makes Darcy want to open up. But securing her own happily-ever-after will mean she’ll need to stop hiding and start living her own truth—even if it’s messy.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book sounded interesting when I first saw it and I am glad I picked it up to read. It was an incredibly fast read that I could not put down. Darcy Jane Wells has an unseen attitude for all things literary. Abandoned by her father before birth and a mother pills with life as a Forester, Percy Spencer Tom in the pages of a book instead of being around life. When Asher Fleet, a recent grad Darcy's High School Who is dealing with the effects of a car accident begins spending his break time at the bookstore where she works, Darcy must find the courage to step out from behind a book and begin living her own life.

Filled with a ton of literary references, appropriate quotes, and a mysterious copy of Peter Pan that plays an integral role in the story, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

Visit Laura Taylor Namey’s website.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

“Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends.

Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .

What if their last shift was an adventure?” - taken from Goodreads.com

A super cute and funny read about to seasonal best friends who decide to go on an adventure of a lifetime on their last night of working together before heading off to college. The illustrations were great.

Visit Rainbow Rowell’s website.
Visit Faith Erin Hicks’ website.

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer (Letters to the Lost book 1)

“Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This story did pull at my heartstrings and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see when Juliet and Declan would discover who the other was. Tormented by their grief, these two form an unlikely relationship, anomalously at first. As feelings between the pair grow between their letters and interactions, I was ready for these two to move past their grief. I adored Declan’s friend Rev and I cannot wait to read his story in More Than We Can Tell. I definitely need to read more from this author. 

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.