Enticed by Candy

I know my last post was filled with noble endeavors to read intellectually stimulating literature and self-help enrichment books and I said farewell for a few weeks, like I was going off to boot camp or something. I did read some gardening books and started my study of 20th century music, but I unfortunately have this really great thing called e-mail. My library will send me a little message letting me know when I have a book from my holds list waiting for me. Deeply entrenched into the genius of Arnold Schoenberg, I checked my e-mail and there was a love note from the library, "Your copy of 'The Candy Shop War' by Brandon Mull is waiting for you at the library. You have a week to pick it up." Sorry, Arnie, but you're simply not more enticing than Brandon. I dropped him like a hot rock and raced to the library.

I could practically walk to my library, it's so close, but I'm paranoid that somehow my held books will disappear before I can retrieve them. I feel compelled to get them well before my week is up, just to make sure. Of course my book was there, untouched. I dove in once I got home and just finished last night. If you've read my adoration of the Fablehaven books, you'll understand why I was so excited to read "The Candy Shop War" by the same author. It did not disappoint. On a side note, I got the first and second Fablehaven books for my husband to read. They sat in my library bag for a few days, collecting dust and my irritation. I kept hinting to him that I had gotten those books for him to read, specifically for him and he should read them because I got them for him. I couldn't stand that they were just sitting there being not read. I was almost at the point where I was going to read a page and then send it telepathically to my husband's brain when he finally picked the first one up and started reading. I chuckled to myself as he ignored everything around him and didn't blink for two hours straight. I chuckled to myself while he stayed up late reading and finished both in a few days. I kept asking him, "What part are you at? What do you think of Seth? How do you like it so far? Huh huh huh?" He would wave me away like a pesky mosquito and I would grin with delight. I love to infect someone with a new book.

Back to "The Candy Shop War." It was awesome. Tons of action, great characters, suspense and fun all wrapped up tidily into one book. A book always gets more points from me if it's all-encompassed, not stretched over many volumes. Brandon Mull's books sometimes start out feeling kid-ish, like you've picked out a book for your tween by mistake, but Candy Shop had me hooked at the very start. It's about a group of fifth-graders would get involved with the owner of a new candy shop in their town. She lets them try out some amazing candy that has superhero-esque effects and the kids soon become willing to do her tasks to get more of the amazing candy. Pretty soon they start to realize they are over their heads and need to find a way to fight against her instead of work for her. I'm not much of a candy eater, but if it made me jump up three stories high, I would be willing to give it a try. Super fun read.

So is Fablehaven, in case that hasn't come across yet. Now I must get back to Schoenberg, Britten, Gershwin and the like. Must. not. check. e-mail.