MMGM Review: The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow

For Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (that's what the MMGM stands for, in case you're not familiar), I thought I would revisit The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson, because it's a favorite middle-grade book of mine. In a few weeks, the sequel is out, Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library--so lots to be excited about.

From the cover:

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.
    As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.
   Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.

My thoughts:

No one likes to move, and Fairday Morrow is no exception when her parents drag the family to Ashpot, Connecticut to renovate an old house. But this old house proves to be the best place for budding detective Fairday and her DMS (which stands for Detective Mystery Squad, of course), as she delves into the mysteries of Begonia House with its padlocked room and mysterious history…

I loved the characters, the setting—this book is the perfect classic spooky house mystery, but with a fresh new take. I felt like a kid again reading this mystery, and I have no doubt that it’ll be a big hit with kids everywhere. The mystery is strong, the family is fun and delightful; The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow is destined to be classic kids mystery.

Recommended, especially with spooky October in mind.

For more MMGM middle-grade book reviews, check out the marvelous Shannon Messenger's blog...!

March Madness

And my March Madness has nothing to do with basketball, just the crazy business that 2016 has brought.

So far, we had to dig our way out of a blizzard, had some family emergencies (now mostly resolved), and the whole house had a bonafide, nasty, more than two-week long flu. Get your flu shot, people, and don't be like me.

In any case, this year (and the end of last year, since I have some catching up to do...) did bring me some pretty cool books, so I thought I'd share.

First, I highly recommend The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson. It's such a cool, fun, classic MG mystery, my kids have already snatched it up and passed it to their friends. And I hear there's a sequel in the works... Go read this one, buy it for one of the kiddos in your life (or just for you :-)

In YA, I have to shout-out to great Alabama friend Carrie Dalby Cox, whose YA novel Fortitude came out recently. I've just started reading it, and it's really good...

One of the coolest parts about being an author is all the books I discover just by making friends. I also try to read beyond my friend book list (it's big!), and I try to keep up with what's written for adults too, so I don't completely stay out of touch...

In the for grown-ups department, I recently read The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood. The cover was so-so, made me think it was a cozy, or maybe not...? But the book is one of the best crime novels I've read in a long time. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

In the writing department, I'm working on crime novel for adults, as well as brainstorming something new for the younger crowd. 2016 will be the year I curl up in a corner and write, which is very nice. I kind of feel like my cat Chloe in this picture; she's hiding in a paper bag, which is sort of the same thing. We're both observing the world from a safe spot.

How about you? What has been happening in 2016 so far for you?