EAR CANDY - "Seraphina"

I finished listening to "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman. 

Hartman - in her debut novel - has created a world where humans and dragons have created an uneasy peace treaty.  Very few humans actually like dragons - the find them to be monsters.  And for the dragons - well, they can take human form.  Usually the humans know that they are dragons - but not always.  The dragons could also wipe the humans out if they chose to do so - but they are very logical, mathematical creatures that feel they can learn something from the humans.  They also still fly and breathe fire - but only when they are in their dragon form.  

The story revolves around Seraphina Dombegh.  Who just happens to be part dragon and part human. The story opens with her being born - and her mother dying.  But Seraphina does not look like a dragon.  In fact, she looks like any other 16 year old girl.  It's what goes on in her head - and her extraordinary musical talent - that set her apart from others.  Her father is at a loss what to do with her so much of her growing up years are spent with her maternal Uncle Orma.  Who is indeed a dragon - but maintains human form as a music instructor.  Because of her musical abilities, Seraphina is chosen to be music mistress at the royal palace and teach harpsichord to Princess Glisselda.  Lots of court intrigue, romance, murder, etc.  

There has to be a sequel - we have to find out who the other grotesques are.  And what happens to Princess Glisselda.  And where Orma is.  And Kiggs!  What happens with Lucian Kiggs!?!  See - you know you want to read it, now.  Or listen to it.  It's long-ish.  The books is 400+ pages which puts the audio book at around 15 CDs, I think?  

And now I am listening to "The Sandcastle Girls" by Chris Bohjalian.  It's about monsters of a different sort - those that decide they want to wipe out an entire race of people.  In this case, it is the Turks who have decided to wipe out the Armenians.  The year is 1915 - which most people remember for WW1 but the Armenians remember as Holocaust.  This is based on a true story -- the Turks killed over 1 million Armenians.  The story is told from a 1915 perspective and also from modern day.  Thus the audiobook has two very distinct narrators.  I might be finished with it by next Friday!  Happy listening!