The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, 274 pages

"January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she'd never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He'd come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique, spur-of-the-moment way: as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the Germans.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society's charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters she learns about their island, their taste in books, and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by her stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever." -Jacket

READ THIS BOOK.

Read this book and if you don't absolutely love it, then you are absolutely insane.

This book is written as letters sent back and forth between its characters, Juliet being the main one. Every single character is so delightfully wonderful. Their letters make me wish we would all stop texting and start writing again. I found myself wishing they were real people and that I could meet them. I would be perfectly content (like Juliet) to spend the rest of my life in a place like Guernsey, with people like Amelia, Dawsey, Eben, Isola, Sidney and even high and mighty Adelaide Addison. And we can all learn a thing or two from Elizabeth.

I'm going to read this one again. One of my favorite lines was on page 32: "...so far my only thought is that reading keeps you from going gaga."

I couldn't agree more.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull, 588 pages

"After many centuries of plotting, the Sphinx - leader of the Society of the Evening Star - is after the final artifacts needed to open the great demon prison, Zzyxx. If the legendary prison is opened, a tide of evil is certain to usurp control of the world.

In an effort to intercept the final artifacts, Kendra, Seth and the Knights of the Dawn race to strange and exotic preserves across the globe. The stakes have never been higher. The risks have never been more deadly." -Book Jacket

I really couldn't have asked for more from this fifth and final book in the Fablehaven series. It was jam-packed with adventure from start to finish. There were unexpected twists and turns, fabulous new characters, great bad buys, budding romance, and epic battles. I loved the final battle - the mental images were awesome. Newel and Doren stole the show for me when they negotiation a flat-screen TV and then fight to save Frito Lay and Hostess. Their comic relief was perfectly timed.

I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Graulas and Seth when Seth goes back to keep his promise. For me, it was a perfect example of the devil, a lesson that a snake will always be a snake. From that experience I think Seth finally learned that every choice has a consequence - some hard to live with - and while we can't go back and change what we've done we can learn from it and try to make amends. I'd already had a soft spot for Seth but I really loved him after that.

Fablehaven is definitely one of my all-time favorite fantasy series.