Mississippi Jack - L.A. Meyer

Fans of the Bloody Jack series will love this new one, just like you've loved all the other ones, although I have to say I personally am ready for a few things to change. Let me know what you think they might be if you read this one.

In this story Jacky Faber, is back as a ship's captain, albeit a smaller ship and one she got sort of underhandedly like another time I can think of, but this time instead of frolicking on the roiling seas, she's floating down the Mississippi River.

(As an aside - how many of you remember the great feeling of accomplishment you got when you learned to spell "Mississippi"?)

As usual, Jacky has all kinds of wild times on the water. There's excitement and danger and dastardly deeds along with hilarity and kindness and a few stolen kisses. Plus, as with every pirate novel, there's a little swearing, so if your parents would rather you not read books with any swearing in them, this is not the choice for you.

Arrrrrgh, mateys.

In the Belly of the Bloodhound - L.A. Meyer

I took a break from YA lit and read a few adult novels, but I really have been waiting for this 4th book in the Jacky Faber series, so I moved it to the top of my list, and it was quite a fun read, "being a particularly peculiar adventure in the life of Jacky Faber." And I for one am glad it is clearly not to be the last, based on the final line of the novel! Jacky Faber is a girl who has made a life as a sailor with all kinds of wild pirate adventures in her past, but who returns in this novel to Boston to the Lawson Peabody School for Girls intent on behaving herself and settling down (and since the British government wants her head, this is probably a wise choice). Difficult as it is for her adventuring soul, Jacky manages to actually follow her plan of behaving herself while in Boston, and the crazy predicament in which she and the other girls find themselves is, for once, no fault of her own. You see, the girls of Lawson Peabody are all kidnapped and thrown into the hold of the ship the Bloodhound, where they are bound for North Africa to be sold as slaves or worse!

It's quite a dramatic situation, and Jacky, being the only one who's really had any even remotely similar experience takes charge. She gets the girls organized and creates a dramatic plan for their escape which requires a lot of steps to be completed before it can become a reality. There is quite a lot of drama and suspense created during the course of the voyage, and all does not go smoothly, for what would be the fun in reading that? There is quite a lot of humor weaved into the story as well, so you can also relax at some times. There are lots of references to the previous stories, enough to fill you in if you haven't read them, but I think you will wonder about the details and want to read the others if you haven't already. A fun, fun series.

These books being about a young woman who's spent her fair share of time amongst pirates and sailors, does have some bad language in it, so you should make sure that's ok with your parents before you choose to read it.

We don't have this book in the WOMS library right now because it's so new, but you can get it at the Multnomah County Public Library.