Venice, Italy. A beautiful, glittering city where nothing is quite what it seems. Here, starving children become thieves; a crumbling theater transforms into a hideout; a masked child becomes a feared leader; and a magical artifact will change lives forever. This is the world of The Thief Lord and his band of orphans who steal from the rich to keep themselves alive. This is the world in which brothers Prosper and Bo find themselves after running away from their uncaring aunt and uncle.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke tells their story. When the brothers escape, they head for Venice, the land of their dead mothers fairy tales. By sheer luck, they encounter a masked boy nicknamed The Thief Lord. He thrills them with tales of his derring-do, leads them to his hideout in an abandoned theater, and promises to take care of them. Prosper and Bo refuse to steal, but they enjoy The Thief Lord's protection nonetheless. Their leader, whose real name is Scipio, is generous and kind, as are the others in his merry band. The brothers feel safe in their new home. Still, Prosper fears his relatives will be looking for Bo, whose cherubic face endears him to everyone. Prosper knows his aunt and uncle plan to send him to boarding school, and he refuses to let that happen. Life on the streets is no way to exist, for either of them, but he has no other choice.

One day, Prosper's worst fears are realized when he spies a strange man following him. Riccio, one of the boys' friends, recognizes the man as a Venetian detective named Victor Getz. The children know they must throw the Signor off their scent, but that proves more difficult than they imagined. Turns out, the detective has some startling information for the children, information that will shake their faith in their much-admired leader. Still, the kids must band together to pull off a heist for a wealthy client. Even if they don't understand why they must steal a large wooden wing, they understand what a successful outcome means - 5 million lira in their pockets. When the children discover just what it is they are stealing, they're drawn into a fairy tale which concerns an enchanted merry-go-round, a haunted island, and a secret so incredible it could change all their lives - forever.

While I love Funke's Inkspell books, I like The Thief Lord even better. It's a lush, magical tale that charms with every sentence. From the unique characters, to the exotic setting, to the exciting twists and turns, it's just a gem of a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I can't even think of any criticisms (I think I can actually hear your jaws dropping!) except that it ended long before I was ready to part with Scipio and his merry band of loveable misfits. What else can I say? The Thief Lord is, hands-down, my favorite read of the year. I adored it.

Grade: A

I don't experience book slumps very often. I always want to read, and I have more than enough books laying around to fuel my obsession hobby. But sometimes, like this week, nothing seems to strike my fancy. I pick up a book, read a few lines, then pick up another one, read a few lines and ... nyeh. Nothing grabs me. After stopping and starting a dozen different books (and changing my "Currently Reading" status abou a million times), I finally settled on Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. It's bleak, but really engrossing. I should finish it today - look for a review tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, since I've been feeling a little "slumpy" and grumpy (since I got a ticket yesterday for making a "wide, improper left turn" - grrrr ... I should have realized the police would be out en force for St. Paddy's), I'm going to do another giveaway. Yes, I'm just that generous. Actually, no I'm not - you have Tolly Moseley, a publicist with Phenix & Phenix to thank. So, here's what's up for grabs:

I have 3 copies of Chicken Soup for the Empty Nesters Soul. You're probably all familiar with the Chicken Soup books by Jack Canfield & Co., which offer poems/stories/inspirational thoughts about every subject under the sun. This one deals with - you guessed it - empty nesters. This volume contains 101 short (1-2 page) vignettes and poems that range from sentimental ("Taking Flight," "Coming Home") to hilarious ("The Whiz Kid," "Help! The Mothers Are Coming"). It makes for quick, light reading that's perfect for anyone who finds themselves facing (or about to face) an empty nest. Even if you're not at this stage, the book would make a great gift. So, what do you have to do to get your hands on a copy? Just answer a simple question: What's the first thing you're going to do (or the first thing you did do) when your children all fly the coop? Use your imaginations - I can't wait to hear the answers! I will draw the names of 3 winners on March 30. The giveaway is open to readers anywhere in the world. Good luck!

(Book Image from Barnes & Noble)

If you, too, mourned the end of Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series, then listen up! She just released the first book - Very Valentine - in a projected trilogy. The novel contains everything we love about Trigiani -memorable characters; settings so vivid they pop right off the page; lots of humor; and plenty of heart. Don't get me wrong - it's not Big Stone Gap, but this series shows a lot of promise. In the absence of Ava Marie Mulligan and her crowd, it'll do. Quite nicely, in fact.

The story begins with a big, noisy Italian wedding where we meet the colorful Angelini/Roncalli Family. Our narrator is 33-year-old Valentine Roncalli, who offers her status in the book's first paragraph - "I'm not the pretty sister. I'm not the smart sister either. I am the funny one" (1). Although she may not realize it, Valentine is more than the comic relief - she's also a talented designer, who may be the only person capable of saving her family's 100-year-old shoe business.

Since 1903, the Angelini Shoe Company has been a Greenwich Village landmark. Founded by Valentine's Italian grandfather, the shop specializes in crafting wedding shoes from the finest materials the Old World has to offer. Thanks to the finicky fashion world and some financial mismanagement, the family business now totters on the brink of bankruptcy. Selling seems to be the only answer. But Valentine the comedian is deadly serious about one thing: She desperately wants to save the Angelini Shoe Company.

Alfred, Valentine's golden boy/financial whiz of a brother, recommends selling the building, the company's only asset. But Valentine can't stand the thought of losing the shop that has sheltered her since childhood. The only other option is making 10 times the profits they do now. Considering the crumbling economy and the finicky fashion world, it's an impossible task. Valentine refuses to give up, even though it angers Alfred. She simply can't sell her dream, can't watch her family's history pass on to some greedy investor. To save the business, she comes up with a plan, a plan that will take her to Tuscany, where the roots of her family tree remain firmly planted. There, she hopes to find her way in both her professional and personal lives. But what will nurturing her passion really mean? Will it require losing the man she loves? Or selling the business she may not be able to salvage? And, always, there's her family in all its loud, fractious glory - will the squabble over Angelini Shoe Company be its ruin, too?

Set amid the glitz and glamour of New York, Very Valentine lacks the hometown feel that makes the Big Stone Gap stories so appealing. It's heartwarming, nonetheless, just in a different sort of way. Like its predecessors, Very Valentine charms because of its characters. They're quirky, colorful and so ordinary that the Roncalli Family could be your own. Details about shoe-making add interest, although I got a little irritated with all the description of what I consider to be Trigiani's Holy Trinity - food, fashion and architecture. I also, at times, tired of Valentine's brash personality. Still and all, Very Valentine's a charming debut to what promises to be another luscious family saga by the talented Adriana Trigiani.

Grade: B