She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb

This is one of the first of the Ballad novels that I read by Mrs. McCrumb and it still my favorite.  All stories to not have happy endings and sometimes things fall apart, but that is the way of life.

An escaped convict, a graduate student searching for answers to this dissertation on Katie Wilder, a lady that sees more than most, a new deputy, relationships, new, broken, and found again, the threads are all interwoven and connected well.

I really love the excerpts from the Tennessee Methodist Hymnal which fit each chapter so very well.

The best part of any Ballad novel is they stand alone but in many some of the same characters appear so it is like meeting old friends.

Disney At Dawn -Kingdom Keepers II - by Ridley Pearson

To be a Disney Interactive Host, DHI, seemed a simple enough endeavor but as we learned in the first novel the Magic Kingdom is never simple.

During a parade in the Magic Kingdom Amanda's sister Jess disappears.  There are also wild monkeys running around and things are leading to the Animal Kingdom.  Finn is contacted by Wayne, the imaginer that helped the DHIs previously, who tells them they must fight the Overtakers in Animal Kingdom.

Good character development, fast paced, and enjoyable.  Another good read for the upper elementary reader, or anyone going to Disney Parks.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The third in a series of a tale concerning Archangels, Fallen Angels and Nephilim. 

In this latest installment Nora Grey awakes in a cemetery with no memory of the last five months and holding a black feather.  As she searches to get her life back together she runs into a man named Jev that seems familiar, her mother is dating Hank Miller which she knows is wrong, and her best friend Vee seems to have no memory of anything that puzzles Nora.

The first two books, Hush, Hush and Crescendo were entertaining.  Character development, action, and left you wanting more.  This novel seems to be more of a "we sold a bunch of the other ones so will just throw out another one" deal.  Characters were flat, situations contrived, and the lying by Nora to everyone around her got very old.

It ends as if there will be a forth book in the series but I will pass.

Kingdom Keepers Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson

Using Daylight Hologram Imaging five middle school students are virtual Disney host.  When things get strange is when their dreams start seeming real, then they discover they are real, they are able to be in the park after they fall asleep.

As everyone knows Disney is full of magic and all magic has two sides. The DHIs have been created to help solve a mystery and to fight off evil. 

A really fun story, fast paced without being pushed, and quick chapters to encourage a reluctant reader.

It will also make you want to go to Disney.  I went when I was very young and was not impressed but this may make me give it another chance.

The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters

The Emerson family is back in Egypt once again and as always there is a mystery, a murder, and a lot of hot, dusty, digging.

As always the Egyptology aspect is well represented as always although there is not a major find in that department.  Ramses and Nefret are finally getting to do their own thing, at least for a bit, and Peabody take full credit for that arrangement. 

Sethos appears about mid-way through, always an entertaining character and David arrives from England before the end. 

A very fun read which will actually have you laughing out loud so beware if you read in public.

Sackett by Louis L'Amour

Tell Sackett tends to get in the middle of things without meaning to do so but always comes out if not sound at least alive.  The challenges of settling a new country, weather, people, conditions, al seem to all come together at once.

As always L'Amour tells a good story but the writing is often disjointed and choppy.  Read it as a whole and do not reflect on the writing to much and you will enjoy it.

Air Apparent by Piers Anthony

Wira and Hugo are ready to summon the stork but Hugo never comes back from the wine cellar where he went to get a bottle to celebrate.  In his place is what appears to be a dead body.  A mystery!

This would be easy to solve except Magician Humphrey's Book of Answers is scrambled.  A quest is in order!

Filled with the usual puns the story drags at times then picks up and drags again.  I am not a fan of all the worlds of Ida and they play a major part.

The Adult Conspiracy plays a major role but in this I find it has a bit of a molester feel which was very off putting.  Innocent is not always innocent and this is something that creeps into Anthony's writing in other books also.   If not for this it would be a typical enjoyable Xanth novel.