The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

A new series...at least for me. This is a definitive young adult series. It covers the current life and times of Nicholas Flamel, the famed alchemyst and sorcerer. Flamel appeared first in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or Philosopher's Stone depending on the nation of publication. The stone was secreted away in Hogwart's School of Wizardry and Witchcraft for safe keeping. Flamel is also known as the creator of the Elixir of Life, providing immortality to those that drink it.

Turns out that potion needs to be brewed every month or a person will start to age a year a day. Nicholas and his wife Perenelle have set death aside for over 700 years. Now they live and work in San Francisco, owning a used book store. Josh Newman happens to be an average, modern day 15 year old working for the Flamels, or as he knows them, the Flemings. His twin sister, Sophie, is working in the coffee shop just across the road. That all changes when Dr. John Dee shows up with his Golems in tow.

Thus begins a fight for life and for freedoms. Josh and Sophie, of course, fulfill a destiny that twins will save or destroy the world. Scott weaves a story fully built on the ancient mythology, explaining the ancients along the way. This is a great little story and three more books are currently available to carry along the threads. This book is a good beginner book for those who want to keep to the familiar (Harry Potter) and yet start expanding their reading tastes into more fantasy genre. It's easy to follow, much easier than HP. It's also a great way to introduce the mythology of Greek and Roman legends.

Yes, I finally finished the Twilight series

It was brutal, but I did it. I finished all 4 books of the Twilight series. Like I said with the first book, it's a cute romance and does carry along, but there are just not enough cliff hangers to keep me going. Meyers keeps her vamps toned down to the point of almost uninteresting. Her vamp fights hold a great deal of potential, but they never grow to maturity. You are told what could or would happen, but you never really see that devastation. Everything has a way of working itself out in the end.

The final showdown between the Volturi & the other covens is anticlimatic, even with Bella feeling her full potential in power. I would be very interested to read a book from the point of view of Rosalie and Emmett or Jasper and Alice or even another from Jacob with Renesme (what's in a name??!). It was a little bit a of let down.

I do like that fact that we got to here so many "how did it happen to you?" vamp stories. It really lent more to the characters. I would have liked to see that a little sooner so the reader could understand the characters' motivation a bit more. Perhaps we should check out Garrett and Jasper, seeing as they both came up during major American wars. Alice needs a little more finding of her background too.

Overall, a nice little story, but so much more could have been said and written. There is a great potential for plot lines that I believe could stretch Meyer's abilities even more.

Vacation

I'm on vacation for the next week. I'll have a lot of books to tell you about when I get back!

Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen

YUCK! How would you like to "take" a cure for disease that meant you could not eat anything other than tomato water, aspargus water, oj, and daily enemas for nearly 2 months??! Claire & Dora Williamson did just that with horrible results. Certainly not the "cure" they were looking for when they started.

I just finished Starvation Heights. It's historical non-fiction about "Dr." Linda Burfield Hazzard's starvation diet and the death of a British heiress. It's set in Ollala, WA. Claire was just in her 30's when she died. Her sister Dora was rescued in time from the same fate and eventually, with the help of a family nanny, set in motion events that would cause the doctor to be convicted of manslaughter.

Written in 1997, it has not been greatly promoted in the Twin Cities. I would suggest to anyone interested in either the Pacific Northwest, Washington State, early 20th Century crime or weird medical fads to check this one out!