Erin Morgenstern: The Night Circus

I may have given this a 5 because I listened to this book, and Jim Dale (who read the Harry Potter books) did the reading, but really, I fell in love with the characters. The time period, the magic, the cyclical nature of the entire text--going forward, moving backwards, going further forward. Holy crap it must have taken some work! While I loved the heroine, the other characters are what make this text memorable. Bailey, Sukiko, Poppet and Widget, the clockmaker, even Isabell....Is it better to have little to no expectations for this book? That might have helped me. Did it help not having the written words in front of me? I don't know. At times (and at one point I did go into Barnes and Noble and look at a copy to see the structure and appearance of, and where I was in the book!) I was frustrated not being able to see the dates and then look back as to where I just came from, but then I listened closer, and I know that I experienced the words I heard more thoroughly than had I read them. I really loved loved loved this. Loved the world, loved the characters, and I EVEN loved the ending!!

Megan Crewe: The Way We Fall

Maybe TOO much for a young YA reader. Maybe ok for upper levels, but the subject matter and the manner in which the world is completely shattered for the heroine is really a downer. And I like downer books! Plus, there is going to be a book 2? The end really sucked and I am not sure an entire second book will be worthwhile.