3-24-11 The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green - Fiction

4 - I forgot that I read this one already but it has been a year so I guess I can excuse myself. I needed to brush up on where the story was anyway so I can read the new Nightside novel. John Taylor hooks up with Ms. Fate to shepard an elf across the Nightside, works with Larry Oblivion to find his brother Tommy Oblivion, and battles it out with Walker in this Nightside tale. So much is going on in this volume and of course it's all intertwined in a way only the Nightside novels can be. Still love the dark wit and creative literary and historical references that Green puts into these books. Now I can read the new one!

3-17-11 Halt's Peril by John Flanagan - Fiction

5 - I can't believe that Flanagan can keep coming up with such great stories for this series but I'm glad he does! This is the ninth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series and it follows Halt, Will, and Horace as they track a small band of fraudulent religious zealots. The three of them together are always a good read as their characters banter so comfortably and work well with each other's strengths and weaknesses. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series because these are characters you grow to love.

3-15-11 Ferran by Colman Andrews - Non-Fiction

5 - This is a very informative biography of Ferran Adria and how he and El Bulli came to be the culinary powerhouses they are today. If you don't recognize the name perhaps you'll recognise what Adria is best known for: his culinary foams. Yes, he's the guy who makes food into foams but this book shows there is so much more to him than just that one culinary creation. Plus the history of the restaurant itself is fascinating. If you enjoy food, as I do, you should check out this book about one of the culinary visionaries of our time.

3-4-11 Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - Fiction

4 - This almost is a 5. Clare is known for her Mortal Instruments series and this series (The Infernal Devices) is a prequel to Mortal Instruments. I love her combination of Victorian London and the supernatural. She has adjusted London's geography and timeline slightly for the book but it still has a great feel of the age. Tessa is an American who is coming to London after the death of her aunt to live with her brother, her only living relative. She soon discovers that the world isn't quite as she sees it and that she is more than human or possibly not human at all. With her new found gift, or curse, she is taken in by The Institute which is run by Shadowhunters, those who protect humans from the dangers of the supernatural world. This book has great character development, hinting at pasts that may or may not be revealed as the series continues. Full of action and great literary references, Clockwork Angel is a great start to a series I am eager to continue.