Company of Liars by Karen Maitland

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland was another giveaway at ALA in Anaheim in 2008. It grabbed me immediately because I love historical fiction and I find the black plague to be a time that is ripe for some modern translation. Honestly it also made me feel knowledgeable because I took a couple of history classes in college where I had to read scholarly works on the time period (nice reminder of why I am not in a History PhD program). The band of semi-merry travelers grows and shrinks, with a member meeting nearly every demographic of Medieval England!

My favorite character got killed off too soon, but the suspense of discovering the secrets of each of the remaining traveler's was addicting.

I'm not a fan of ghost stories, and I found the ending unnecessarily creepy after drowning in a bit of cheesiness, but it's still recommended because of the interesting characters and the grace of bringing the reader into the 14th Century of plague and pestilence.

Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

Jars of Glass was a give away at ALA in Anaheim in 2008, the School Library Journal recommends it for readers in Grades 8 and up. It is one of those books published for young adults which deals with disturbing topics that end up haunting me, a not so young reader. The plot may seem trite - teenage sisters live with their father and adopted brother above the family mortuary business, but the relationship between the sisters and their new brother is beautiful and the descriptions of art and color are mind twisting. More importantly the teenage angst seems realistically depicted without the dramatic rebellion too often seen in YA books.

I read Jars of Glass in a weekend, drawn to the story of Shana, Chloe and Micah and hoping for their survival. I came to really enjoy the swapping of the narrative point of view (although I did have my preferred narrator). It's a super quick read, and other than the occasional disturbing images and the unnecessary plot line about Starbucks and the new friend - a recommended book.