His Dark Materials

Technically children's lit but every bit as engaging and meaningful as much adult fiction. Wonderful, memorable stories with a grand sweep of anti-church sentiment (the institution more than the belief). Good stuff.

Maybe even 4.5...
It's just that at some (pretty crucial) points it felt like there was no continuity. People (or ghosts) knowing something they had no way to know. The mother's transformation felt a bit abrupt. And I have questions about the prophecy and the tempter. It feels like it was building up for something more significant. Dunno, maybe I just need to read the second trilogy, but definitely not right now.
Other than that, it was a very pleasant read. Now I can watch the show

4.75

I really enjoyed this collection. Some parts in the third book didn't interest me as much but I still enjoyed the characters, the writing and the story. I loved following young characters and watching them grow up and learn how to deal with the things that are thrown their way.