The book opens with a morning meal in a country house. Emerald and Clovis, young adults, are not overly fond of their stepfather, but they are hoping he’ll be able to save their house, which they are in danger of losing due to debt. He is off to attempt to borrow money, and his absence throughout the novel is a key part in the events that unfold. The household consists of their mother, Charlotte, their younger sister Imogen, called “Smudge,” the housekeeper Florence, who shares some sort of mysterious past with their mother, and various assorted servants and groundskeepers.

It’s Emerald’s 20th birthday, and there is to be a small party; invited are a young farmer whose star is rising and who is now richer than the family, and a brother and sister pair who were childhood friends of Clovis and Emerald. Both John (the farmer) and Ernest (the childhood friend) are potential suitors for Emerald’s hand. On the way to meet the visitors at the train station, they meet a railway guard who tells them of a terrible accident and asks them to temporarily house the victims of the train wreck until the Railway (it is always referred to with a capital letter, as befits the august place occupied by British Rail at the time) can make other arrangements for them. Almost immediately, a shifty and shifting mass of people appear in the drive, overwhelming in number and demands, and the evening really takes off.

Apparently all the victims were 3rd-class railway passengers except one, and he claims a place at the family celebration due to his class and a previous acquaintance with Charlotte, back before her first marriage. Charles is an odd character, and your suspicions will grow about his motives and the truth behind him as events continue to unfold. The mass of unexpected guests, the strength of Charles’ personality, and the characters of the family and how they respond to various suggestions all add up to a most unusual evening.

The Uninvited Guests takes an uncompromising look at both the depths and heights of human nature. It is at times heart-breaking, and at times hilarious. It manages to include all the cliches (eccentric characters, crumbling country homes, two men vying for the attention of a girl) but in a fresh, new way. Although I didn’t like all the characters, I loved this book. Highly recommended.

Elizabeth thoroughly enjoys a nice Edwardian ghost story, and sometimes wonders why since she’s not at all interested in the paranormal in real life and hates horror movies. Read more at her blog Planet Nomad.

What about you? Are you still in full swing this Spring? Or is Summer busier than ever for you? Whether you anticipate a big reading month ahead or a sparse one, we invite you to link up and share what’s on your nightstand — either books you’ve recently finished or books that you are hoping to read next. And then don’t forget to visit around to see what others are reading.

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With two creative and artistic kids, I definitely thought that The Scribble Diary: My Brain Right Now by Lisa Currie could help them entertain themselves as they examine their days.

Read my full review (and enter to win one of TWO copies) of The Scribble Diary over at 5 Minutes for Mom today. The winner will be announced in that giveaway column on June 4.

Allison Sekemoto refuses to serve, however. As an unregistered human living in the Fringe just outside the Inner City, she must beg, borrow, or steal just to eat, since only registered humans who report for their monthly bloodletting get food rations from the vampire masters. When food becomes too scarce even for her little band of scavengers, she uses the old underground tunnels to make her way past the Outer Wall to the ruins beyond, looking for stockpiles of food in the abandoned, crumbling suburban houses.

Once Allie finds a basement full of canned goods, she brings her friends out to help collect the stash. Unfortunately, they do not make it back before nightfall and are viciously attacked by the rabids that prowl freely in the dark. All of her friends are dead, and Allie is not far behind them, when she is unexpectedly given a choice between death and survival. A vampire who has seen their struggle offers her the chance to become transformed rather than die from her wounds, and, despite knowing that she will become the thing she has feared all of her life, she chooses survival.

Now Allie must learn how to feed and protect herself as a vampire and, eventually, to make her way on her own. As the story progresses, she falls in with a band of humans that travels at night and sleeps during the day as they search for the legendary city of Eden. Throughout, The Immortal Rules is a gripping read with complex characters and an intense storyline. Kagawa has created a fascinating world where survival is paramount, yet nothing is black and white.

I would highly recommend this for older teens and young adults, due to the graphic violence and mature themes.

If I’d figured out early enough that careers exist where you’re paid to read books (publishing house editor? English professor?) I’m not sure I’d be a novelist today. I love to read. It’s embarrassing when I have to fill out the sort of questionnaires that ask you to list hobbies. My only answer: Reading. “Other interests?” Reading. “Sports?” It starts to make a person feel limited.

To me, reading always felt limitless, the whole world contained in books — I could learn everything from their pages. I was a precocious reader, and also shy. At a pretty young age I set out to learn everything I could about how to behave with others from the masters of the social novel: Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope, Edith Wharton, George Eliot. It didn’t occur to me that a contemporary author or two might provide some pertinent information. Nor did it strike me until much later, my college years, that closing my book and getting out and actually talking to people my own age might be instructive as well. My bookish behavior didn’t raise any red flags in my family. We’re the sort who don’t mind standing in line at the supermarket; it’s just another opportunity to read the book we always have with us. I’d read under the covers late into the night, not fooling anyone at all, I’m guessing, by my claims that I needed the hall light outside my bedroom door left on because I was afraid of the dark.

Those big, baggy 19th century novels provided example after example of nice girls I’d want to know or be like, and how they behaved, and also showed me what sort of men were worthy of their love. It was always pretty clear who was a good choices for a mate, if you knew what signs to look for. And after reading enough I learned to spot them easily. Men who were vain, dismissive toward women, who thought about themselves too much, gambled money they didn’t have or were rude to their servants were clearly to be avoided. (Not bad guidelines for the 21st century, come to think of it.) When it came to the female characters, modesty was an important quality, but so was intelligence and inner strength. I loved that so many of Trollope’s heroines were opinionated and even stubborn. Jane Austen was pretty clear on what sort of feminine behavior was to be avoided. You wanted to be clever, funny and spirited like Lizzy Bennet, but not over-the-top flirtatious and giddy like Lydia.

Later, though, I learned something even more important from Austen. Reading a selection of her letters as an adult, I came across one she wrote the morning after a dance. She described herself as flirting too much, dancing and racing around in a way that sounded more Lydia or Kitty than Lizzy. This was a revelation to me, that the perceptive, sharp-eyed, sparkling-witted writer didn’t necessarily live up to the standards set by her own heroines all the time. Instead of making me think less of Austen, it made her all the more as a writer. I think it was at that moment that I realized that writing fiction really and truly was an act of empathy as much as imagination, and that the key to creating an alive, interesting world on the page was understanding your own worst impulses as well as your best. And I’ll admit, it’s usually when I’m writing those scenes and characters that tap into the parts of me I’m least proud of that writing becomes as much fun as, well, reading.

Deborah Michel, a seasoned magazine editor and freelance writer, has worked for many publications, including Premiere, Self, Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. She was the West Coast editor of Spy and served as a contributing editor at Buzz. Michel grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Dartmouth, and holds an MFA from Bennington. She lives with her family in northern California. Visit her online at www.deborahmichel.net.

The Dark Tower has long been referred to as King’s magnum opus. A series of 7 novels, the books follow Roland of Gilead, a gunslinger from a parallel world, and his ka-tet (a group of people bound together by fate or destiny) – Susannah and Eddie Dean and a boy named Jake Chambers, all from New York in our world, and a billy bumbler (a creature from Roland’s world) named Oy, as they seek the Dark Tower.

Now if you’ve read this far, chances are you’re saying, well, I never read any of those novels, so why would I care about this one? The Wind Through the Keyhole takes place in Roland’s world, but is stand-alone from the other books. While those that have read the series will understand more of what happens in the beginning, as King himself puts it, you do not need to have read the books to enjoy this one.

As the novel begins, Roland and his band are on their journey when they are warned of an oncoming storm called a Starkblast. Preceded by unusual heat, the storm consists of extreme cold that causes trees to explode and kills anyone in its path. When the travelers find shelter and settle in to wait out the storm, Roland entertains them with the story of the Skin-man, a shape-shifter that he and a close friend were sent to destroy as teenagers. But within the story of the Skin-man is another tale, the title story and the bulk of the novel, about a boy named Tim who seeks revenge for his father’s death.

The Wind Through the Keyhole has all of the elements of a Dark Tower story but is definitely accessible to those not familiar with the saga. It is, however, typical King, with language, sexual innuendo and even a monster or two. But King is also a master storyteller, and if you like a good story and can look past these aspects, then this novel will interest you.

Notes on the audiobook: The Wind Through the Keyhole is read by the author, and unfortunately Stephen King doesn’t have a good reputation as a narrator. And while his performance may not be as well polished as one done by a professional, I think he did a better job than I had expected. I also enjoyed hearing some names pronounced that I wasn’t quite sure of, and of course no one knows a book’s material better than the author.

Did I say I enjoy realistic fiction? Well, actually I like to suspend disbelief as well (which is one reason I enjoy children’s middle grade fiction so much), and this book definitely requires a bit of that. You see, Sandy is actually given a chance by “the old man” for a second chance at life. Instead of being a self-absorbed, not-very-nice trust fund kid, he’s charged with the task of helping Emily out. And the way he does that is within Einstein’s dog body.

If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy the way that Emily and Einstein communicate. He also manages to come across as “more than just a dog” to others who he comes across. It’s actually interesting, because he remembers being Sandy, and he remembers what a jerk he was, but doesn’t seem to put himself fully into the jerk category.

Emily and Einstein would make a great summer beach read. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t require a whole lot of concentration, which is good, because at the time I was reading it, I had a lot of family stuff going on, and I needed a nice diversion that didn’t require too much brain power. This one delivered with a little romance, a bookish setting (in a publishing house), in the greatest city in the country (New York), some family drama (mothers, sisters). It’s not going to change the world, but it entertained me for the week that I was reading it, and if that doesn’t make for a great book, I don’t know what does.

Grace and her new husband Henry are on their honeymoon, crossing the Atlantic on the Empress Alexandra, when a series of explosions causes the ship to sink. In the confusion that occurs during the evacuation, Grace ends up on a lifeboat, without Henry. The lifeboat that is supposed to hold 40 people has been downsized to save money, but the survivors are fortunate to have Mr. Hardie, one of the ship’s crew members, on board. Mr. Hardie’s determined to save their lives, but as the days pass, his motives become unclear. Two other survivors, Mrs. Grant and Hannah West, question Mr. Hardie’s food rationing, his decision to keep the boat near the wreckage instead of attempting to sail toward land, whether he’s hiding something on the boat, and other behavior they claim is suspicious.

Grace is somewhat of an unreliable narrator, her recollections of the events on the lifeboat are distorted by her hunger and fatigue. She is portrayed as naive and indecisive, easily swayed to the opinions of others, but one wonders how much of her story is tailored to her audience – her attorneys plan to enter her diary of the 21 days at sea into evidence. Grace is also mourning the loss of her new husband – a man she lured away from another woman – and unsure of her future, having never even met her new in-laws. She is a survivor in many different ways, doing whatever it takes to get what she feels she deserves.

The Lifeboat is a page-turner, moving from the events of the boat to Grace’s past, back to the present as she awaits her trial. Not all questions are answered, and it’s a book that will leave the reader wondering about their own fortitude and how they would react in such dire circumstances.

In the first book, Beside Still Waters (reviewed by Lauren here at 5MFB), Marianna’s family moves from Indiana to Montana, where they encounter a community in which the Amish mix more freely with the Englisch (non-Amish). This book sets the stage for what she is learning in her relationship with God and introduces the two very different men she is attracted to. The second book, Along Wooded Paths, reveals more about both of the men who are interested in Marianna, as well as showing the whole family move towards healing from past hurts.

As Beyond Hope’s Valley opens, we see Marianna growing even more confident in her newfound closeness with God. But her faith is tested when she moves back to Indiana to pursue a future with her chosen love. She must deal with how the recent changes in her spiritual life will be received by the community she used to be such an integral part of, as well as see how the relationship with her intended will weather their differences. In the meantime, her Englisch suitor is figuring out what, and whom, he really wants in his life and what he is willing to do to realize his dreams.

While Beyond Hope’s Valley is my favorite of the three books, I would recommend reading them all to get the full scope and impact of the story. This series is a great read for anyone who enjoys Amish fiction, especially with the fascinating juxtaposition of the Indiana and Montana settings.

The discussion of opening oneself up to a personal relationship with God is also handled in a respectful but honest way, as well. And on a personal note, Marianna’s reflections in this book on the need for surrender to the Lord, regardless of the traditions of the community, spoke to me directly in the midst of my own situation at the moment. There is such a difficult balance at times between going along with the popular opinion of other believers and following the voice of the Lord.

We have one copy to share with one of our readers. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win (US/Canada only). We’ll announce the winner in our giveaway column on May 30th.

• The winners of Baroness are #15 Merry and #22 Chris.
• The winner of Nate Rocks the Boat is #3 Staci A.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Pinder tells the story in rhymes, ending each section with a repeating line that is universally appealing to young children:

“When all the animals played hide-and-seek,
I’d cover my eyes, but the monkeys would peek.
They’d laugh and they’d point. They’d swing and they’d run.
I’d hide with a hippo and have so much fun.
The walls would tremble. The closets would quake.
Oh, what a terrible mess we would make!”

The rhythm of the story, along with the silly progression of events, makes this a fun read aloud at home or in the classroom. Many people will recognize the name of the illustrator, Marc Brown, though the style of these illustrations differ greatly from his usual Arthur work. The collage style even incorporates real photos of familiar items, like a teddy bear, a toy truck, and a container of Tinker Toys.

When you pull out If All The Animals Came Inside be prepared for a noisy read aloud experience, for the rumbling, thumping, and roaring will likely be picked up by your young audience. It’s definitely a wild ride, just as the young boy concludes!

Picture books bring joy to Dawn’s world at home and in her classroom. This is just one love shared on her blog, my thoughts exactly.