10 Things I Loved About Tuesdays at the Castle and Wednesdays in the Tower

I picked up the first book on a whim and savored it. I loved it so much, but I thought it was a stand-alone novel. So when the second book arrived at the book store I shrieked and danced in the kid's department. Seriously. Without further ado... 10 things I loved about Tuesdays in the Castle and Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George!

1. The Castle is a character. I LOVE when authors make the setting so integral to the plot, but George puts a complete spin on this by making the Castle basically a living entity that creates and changes rooms and spaces both according to need and according to its own temper. I also love the way that it often knows things the other characters don't.
2. Celie. She has spunk, she's smart, she's quirky, she's caring, and she just wants to find where she belongs in her family. She's a princess, but she's a girl first who is growing up and trying to find and understand her own talents and feelings.
3. The family dynamic. It felt real. They loved each other, which was really nice, but they also had their differences and sometimes argued or didn't get along. But they are always there for each other when it comes down to it.
4. Pogue. No spoilers, but I found his character quite interesting and entertaining, particularly in the second book.
5. Prince Lulath. I really can't say more without giving things away, but I loved his character.
6. Intrigue! Plots! Assassinations! Okay, it looks weird to be excited about these, but I liked the very real threat they found themselves in (in both books, but particularly the first one).
7. The mysterious behavior of the Castle in the second book. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger (dare I say curiouser and curiouser :)
8. Cartography! Celie draws up the map of the Castle, changing, adding, adjusting as the Castle changes. When this is taken away from her, it is literally painful to her and I really liked the way that her talent in this developed through the two books and how she stands up for herself and for her skills.
9. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER for the first book. I really love Bran in the second book. I loved the way he trusted and helped Celie and believed in her enough to keep the secret and support her.
10. CLIFFHANGER. So the first book ended with a nice wrap-up. Not so with the second. I am on tenterhooks waiting for the next one!