Just finished the Circle of Magic quartet (4 book series, but the books are small ) by Tamora Pierce. It's about four children from very different backgrounds (young high born & orphaned white noble, orphaned & outcast black trader, young daughter of merchants thrown out & unwanted by her parents, and a young orphaned street rat/thief) who end up living in a small cottage at a mage temple & school together. They and their teacher/mentors become each other's family, as they learn to use the unusual magics they were born with. Intended for Young Adults, but still quite good, even for grown ups.

As someone who works in hospitals, the last of the four books, dealing with a plague, was particularly interesting. Some of the other problems the children and their teachers face are earthquakes, pirate raids, and huge forest fires.

I got the books at Barnes & Noble in the form of two hardcovers, with the first two books in one, and books three and four together in the other. The first one is called Books One and Two: Water and Fire and the second is called Books Three and Four: Air and Earth. I always love finding things in omnibus editions 

We're quietly getting ready for Bill's school trip to Europe next week -- and also for his senior picture session which will be this Thursday. He has to go through his clothes for both, so it works. Today he went and got his haircut. He was going to go on Thursday, but I pointed out that if the stylist did a poor job, that would give us a bit more time to try to do something with his hair.  We have a few more things to do, like get him a travel alarm clock (which we can use in the camper after his trip is over), and a couple of American/European electrical adaptors so he can take his electric razor with him.

And we are all looking forward to going to a Tigers game on Friday night.  And dinner somewhere in Greektown in downtown Detroit! YUMMY!!!