Nightmares! the Sleepwalker Tonic; American Blonde

"Nightmares! the Sleepwalker Tonic" by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller is the sequel to the first "Nightmares" book by them, which I read and enjoyed. I liked this one, too. I was wondering how they'd write a sequel, since the first one seemed pretty final. Charlie Laird and his friends are worried about the nearby town of Orville Falls--they've recently gotten a new store that sells a Tranquility Tonic guaranteed to stop nightmares, but it looks like one of the side effects is being turned into a mindless zombie. As a result the residents aren't dreaming at all, and the nightmare and dream worlds are both suffering because of it. It's up to Charlie, his brother Jake, and their stepmom Charlotte to figure out how the tonic is being smuggled out of the nightmare world and stop it from taking over their town of Cypress Creek. It was cute, and apparently there's a third in the works.

After "All the Bright Places" I was eager to read some more Jennifer Niven. This is an adult title, apparently she's written a few starring Velva Jean, the main character. I haven't read the others, but it didn't detract from this one any, she did a good job giving enough of Velva Jean's backstory so I didn't feel too lost. World War II has just ended, and Velva Jean, a hero who flew for the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots), has been offered a chance to come to Hollywood and take a screen test. She signs with MGM and her name is changed to Kit Rogers, her hair is dyed, her backstory is changed, and she quickly finds out how things work in Tinseltown. When her good friend Barbara Fanning dies under mysterious circumstances during a house party, the studio rushes in to make it look like an accident, but Velva Jean is determined to get to the bottom of things. She begins investigating, trying to fight her way through the web of lies the studio has woven around Barbara and her life, until she finally uncovers the truth. It was good, not "All the Bright Places" good, but still pretty decent. I'll have to read more of Velva Jean's books, my library doesn't own any of the others.