Still in the throes of the finals. Someday these will be over. And the day after that day, I will only read. And take the dog for a walk. Then I'll read some more. That sounds like a good day. 
 Right now, though, I'm going to finally publish a review that I've been excited about. The review for Alan Bradley's new book The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. I felt honoured (and thrilled) to receive an ARC of this one, and simply gobbled up all of the Flavia good-ness. 
 This is the... fifth? No, sixth book in the Flavia de Luce series! If you've read the first five, you may remember that there was a crazy cliff-hanger ending for the fifth book. If you haven't read it, now you know there will be a cliff-hanger. 
 ... It's almost impossible to review this without giving away spoilers. So I'll just try to skirt around the main plot of the book, and just tell you all that it is another exciting mystery that's difficult to put down. 
 Now, Bradley's mysteries aren't really the sort you can figure out along the way. He doesn't drop choice hints for you and encourage you as an amateur detective, but rather tells a story that happens to have some murder and intrigue in it. If you can get past your disappointment about not being able to figure out the clever schemes at play, you'll probably enjoy this book, because it has a lot going for it. 
 Things this book has going for it: 
 -Flavia. Come on. Gotta love Flavia. An eleven-year old chemist and murder-mystery solver, she's both tenacious, a bit young, and more than a little adventurous. Her very real problems range from the emotions of a pre-teen girl, to the danger of one's house being whipped away, and the solving of vicious murders committed around the neighborhood. Some readers may have a hard time liking Flavia or relating to her, but in my opinion, she is simply delightful. Her wit, cleverness, morbidness, strength, and vulnerability won me over in the first book and my appreciation of this character has only grown through the series. 
 -The de Luce family. As irritating as those older sisters can be, you gotta love 'em. Well, Daphy, at least. Feely's a beasty, but has her moments. The whole family (and indeed, Dodger, for he's family for them) are great characters. Strongly portrayed, distinct, and enjoyable. The characters in these books are tops. 
 -A murder. Books with murders are fun. Unless they're really scary, in which case, nope. But usually they're fun. 
 -The setting. Bishop's Lacey has become a familiar place for me. I can picture both it, and its inhabitants quite clearly in my head. The town is described remarkably well, and if I had to write a list about the top ten fictional towns I'd like to visit this would be it. 
 Those are all good things. So I recommend you should read this book. 
 Maybe I should tell you a few other details first. Just so you can't say I only told you the good stuff. 
 Things this book might not have going for it: 
 -Rather unbelievable. This book crosses the lines of reality a bit too often, even for me. I can usually brush it off, but I think the book would be a bit stronger if it had been toned down a bit- the characters and plot can be a bit overdone. 
 -The writing can be stilted, and parts can even be a bit dull. Not many parts, mind you, but the dry humour of the writing can sometimes lose the humour part. At times the flow was a bit uneven. 
 Other than that, I adored this book.