I had a really busy week and didn’t manage to write a single post. So, I will do an off schedule progress update post, because I have been reading some interesting books lately. Without further ado….

Synopsis:

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements–books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

Thoughts so far:

So far this book is solidly….okay. I spent the first 20-30% of the audiobook being utterly confused. There’s a lot of characters. There’s a lot of things happening. And there’s not a whole lot of explanation to keep the reader in the loop of what’s going on. The ideas are interesting enough to keep me invested. I believe I may have figured out all of the different threads at this point. I hope. I am excited to get on the downslope of the book and see if things continue to make sense.

Synopsis:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da’s death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.

Thoughts so far:

This is such an interesting premise. I have a lot of questions though. Questions that I hope will have answers. But so far it is intriguing and I really like Mac. Unfortunately I looked at this book and it appears to be part of a series. This was published in 2013, the 2nd book was published in 2014…and nothing since. Sigh. So if I really love it, then I might end up frustrated by no further story. But I am too far into this to turn back now. A word of caution to anyone who might want to start this book though.