Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune

 

This book is total awesomeness!  It made me laugh out loud in parts and brought tears to my eyes in other parts.  After workaholic Wallace dies, a fact that he has a difficult time coming to terms with, a reaper named Mei takes him to a tea shop owned by a man named Hugo, whose job as a ferryman is to escort the dead on to whatever lies beyond.  Wallace doesn't want to go, and as he spends time with Hugo, Mei, and some other dead folks, he learns a great deal. Klune is  one of my favorite authors.  I have loved all of his books and this one is absolutely fantastic!   

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

This book is an excellent conclusion to the Practical Magic series.  Kylie and Antonia Owens were raised without knowledge of their family's magic - or it's curse.  When Kylie's love is threatened and she learns about and sets out to break the family curse, the magic begins anew.  I thoroughly enjoyed all the twists and turns in this magical journey and I highly recommend this book.

Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore

 

I totally loved this book as much as I have loved the author's previous books.  Sydney, a teenager who has been on the run his whole life with his mother, has finally been caught and now he is on a mission into outer space to find his father, who is an alien from another planet.  There is mystery and intrigue in this fun to read science fiction novel! 

The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink

 

There were many things that I liked about this fun middle grade horror story.  I like that 13 year old Esther, the only Jewish student in her school, loves Halloween because her grandmother also loved Halloween.  I enjoyed the scary things that happened on that Halloween with a full moon, and I liked the dentist. 

The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling by Cara Thurlbourn

 

Freddie is a homeless teenager whose family has rejected him.  He feels hopeless and unworthy.  Violet had been happy and popular until she had to leave her friends and go to a new school and is bullied.  Due to circumstances that you can read about, Freddie winds up living in Violet's attic, although she and her family are not aware that he is there.  When they do meet, they slowly become friends and help each other with their problems.  The story is heartwarming and it takes on the issues of bullying and homelessness.

The Quest For The Golden Arrow (Time Stoppers #2) by Carrie Jones

 

When Annie Nobody, who now knows that she is a Time Stopper, awakens, she feels like something is wrong.  Soon, she and her friends - Eva the dwarf, Bloom the last elf, and Jamie, who might be a troll discover that Miss Cordelia, the magical Time Stopper, who is now Annie's guardian, after a long string of foster families, is missing.  Together, Annie and her friends have to save Miss Cordelia from the evil demon Raiff.  Action and adventure abound in this second book in this fun, middle grade series.

The Agony of Bun O'Keefe by Heather Smith

Fourteen year old Bun O'Keefe grew up isolated, neglected and abused, living with her mother, who was a hoarder.  When her mother told her to leave, she did, and was taken in by a group of young outcasts who helped her learn how to live in the real world.  The story is tragic and funny and touching and the characters are lovely and horrible and I highly recommend this book.