Currently reading
Jack of Kinrowan: Jack the Giant-Killer and Drink Down the Moon
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
The Sweet Scent of Blood
Shadow's Edge
Darkwood
The Poison Eaters and Other Stories
This Side of the Grave
Zoo City
13 year old Natalie Minks lives in the little town of Arcane, set at a crossroads, and the scene of many strange occurrences. Her mother is the undisputed source for all of the legends and stories about Arcane, from the crafty Jack, to the tale of how Old Tom Guyot beat the Devil in a guitar contest. Her father is the town bicycle mechanic, and Natalie is at home with all things mechanical.Then a mysterious traveling medicine show comes to town, Natalie's mother is always tired but no one will tell her what is wrong, and she's starting to see strange things everywhere she goes. She also can't get the hang of her newest bike (a scandalous problem for the daughter of the bike mechanic). With the help of her friends and some of the strange denizens of Arcane, Natalie must get to the root of the problem before it's too late.A very smart story. I loved every second.Deals with the Devil, the power of stories and storytellers, and sheer determination run through this middle school read. I'd recommend it for girls and boys, kids and adults who like reading kid's books. It brought to mind some of my favorite books I read as a child, like Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.