The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline StevermerHarcourt, 2004

I’d been waiting for months for the library to acquire this book. It’s the sequel to Sorcery & Cecelia, an epistolary novel that I absolutely loved. These books are a blend of historical fiction (set in 1817) and fantasy (magic/wizardry in the British tradition), and they’re clever and exciting and oh, wonderful. In this one, the two pairs of newlyweds (Kate and Thomas, Cecelia and James) set off on a honeymoon jaunt for Europe. The world that Wrede and Stevermer have created being what it is, it’s not long before the couples find themselves in the middle of a string of mysteries and adventures. Entries from Kate’s commonplace book alternate with a deposition given by Cecelia (you’ll see, you’ll see) to make a lively narrative.