Gift for one of the nieces. Delightful story of mysterious creatures, awesome aunts, and kids that just need the right kind of attention. Really enjoyed it--hope she does too!

Another gift for a niece. I adore some of Maguire's stuff and find other stuff a bit flat. This is somewhat in the middle. It's a terrifying, stormy night and to pass the time, Gabe shares a story about a rogue tooth fairy. I loved the set-up of the world, but the ending left me wanting just a bit more. Very clever, but not quite what I was hoping for.

No idea when I first read this book, but I remember adoring it and being very satisfied with the 2003 movie adaptation. So, when this was picked for book club, I was thrilled! As I reread it, I found myself totally wrapped up in the language. And I still loved it.

And then I got to book club, where I found myself just about the only person that really liked it. I'm not sure if this is a book that should enter your life at a certain time to really capture your heart. But I still like it, and I think some of the detractors liked it a bit more after we talked about it.

Pretty sure I first put this on my list because Theodosia is the child of museum curators, and much of the action centers around a turn-of-the-century museum. Theodosia is a delightful character. For the first third of the book, I wasn't quite sure where things were going but then the discovery of a secret society working to protect the world from ancient curses made things pick up considerably.

That being said, some of the stuff about Egypt and ancient curses made me vaguely uncomfortable. It was right on the line of being racist, and I could never quite get over that nagging sense that this wasn't quite the best choice for an author.

I think I should give up my search for a "Maisie Dobbs-like" mystery series. This got added because it certainly looked like my kind of book--British, post-WWI, strong woman. And yet. The writing annoyed me, the characters annoyed me, and the mystery never really gelled. Not a series for me to continue with.