Subjects for my non-fiction reads have been .... curious .... recently and today is no exception. I'll start with an unusual travel guide from Lonely Planet: Toilets of the World: 100 Strange & Spectacular Thrones, Commodes, Loos, & Latrines. Some are functional (re-purposed brass instruments), some are not (on the bottom of the ocean, a row of them). Some are remote (in a desert, or the arctic) some are on busy streets (big cities) or with an interesting design or feature. Spend some time with the photos.

Not sure why undertakers caught my interest but there will be a few books on that subject! Kenneth McKenzie and Todd Harra are the co-authors of two, the first being Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid. It is a collection of funeral stories that are sad, funny, outrageous, unexpected and more. Usually, but not always, there are 'hint's that a service might not be all that quiet so off duty police, in plain clothes are hired to be at the service just in case things go bad. There could be someone from a shelter who specifically plans on attending these services mainly to get a decent meal. A runaway horse drawn hearse. All true and respectfully told here.

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I have several friends who love to garden which is why, I'm sure, The Gardener's Plot, by Deborah J. Benoit caught my eye. :-) Maggie is happy to be back in the Berkshires, where she spent much time as a child. Since she loves gardening she has signed up to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden on a currently vacant lot, but one that once held a business that burned to the ground. There is one very pushy realtor determined to get that lot, and others ... he is the one found dead, in that very vacant lot. On opening day. And Violet is missing, too. Lots of secrets start to surface as Maggie works out what happened. Lots of hints about gardening, too, which even as a non garden type I found interesting. This is the debut novel by Ms. Benoit. She did a great job.

This is the second of a cozy series by Tunio Sahil: Christmas Returns to Marigold Falls (part of the Cozy Mysteries with Humor for Senior Women). Christmas Eve, and the annual parade are coming, and Santa has gone missing. This is most unlike him, so there must be a reason ... there is, one some forty years in the making. Follow along with the Thursday Morning Detective Society as they find him, and solve the mystery. Not a bad little story, but self published, and (remember, my mother was an English teacher) could have used a bit of proof reading.

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It didn't take long for me to pluck the third Unlikely Murder Club book of my shelf. Agatha is looking forward to building the props for the local theater's summer plays. It's just the sort of 'behind the scenes' job she likes. Until the murder, of course. One of her tools was used, but she's not a suspect, instead, she's asked to help find the murderer. As with so many mysteries, it's tied to 'something' in the past, in this case a pirate! There are rumors of a buried treasure and when clues are found relating to that, the search begins in earnest. An Unlikely Drama, by Gina X. Grant was another fun read in this series.

Murder, Mystery, and the Inheritance, by A.P. Wells, is the first in a new series and author for me. Hazel has given up everything to move to the house her uncle left her ... it's clear across the country, after all. However when she arrives she discovers the property is now a crime scene, she is a suspect, and there's a clause in the will that could keep her from inheriting everything. It's a recent clause, added since she's read the will ... she now has 30 days to solve her uncle's murder or everything goes to the local Historical Society. It proves to be a most interesting challenge.

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Despite my mom's best efforts I never caught the travel bug, I am a happy house hermit. I do enjoy hearing/reading of travels, though, and here's the book that caught my eye recently: There's No Toilet Paper ... on the Road Less Traveled: the Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure, collected and edited by Doug Lansky. There are some familiar names here, such as Dave Berry and Bill Bryson, and many I did not recognize, but all were good at humor! From a nudist beach, to eating strange things (think potato bugs), to goat races to much, much more it was a delightful read.

Given the previous title, it didn't take much for me to decide to then read How to Replace an Empty Roll of Toilet Paper: an Instruction Manual, by Nathaniel Erickson. What a hoot! Written in a 'serious' style it tells exactly how to replace this important item on several different types of holders. It also teaches how to put the fancy little triangle you might see on a roll of the stuff in a nice hotel. :-) Charming, silly, and fun.

And, this theme gave me the perfect place for this book! Why are My Nuts in the Toilet Water and Other Questions Older Men Need Answered by Allen F. Mahon. I've done a lot of reading an the aging process in women and decided I should see how 'the other half' does it! ;-) There are similar issues ... things that sag, drop, or fall. Hair in unexpected and unwanted places. Foods that cause, um, reactions they never did in the past. Sounds that emerge when sitting. Standing. Just moving ...! Memory issues and so on. All nicely printed in large type so it's easy for old eyes to read! Hysterical!

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This book has a familiar (sort of) author ... well, co-author. The Vaudeville Murders, the first Libby Seale Mystery is by Miriam & Joseph Zellnik, a brother and sister team of writers. Joseph wrote a recent entry to this post about the off Broadway opening of The Sound of Music. This one too, involves music in a way, and, it's set here, in the Pacific Northwest! (Oregon in the 1890's)! New to the area is Libby Seale who works as a seamstress at Crowther's Portland Variety ... at least until the murder. There's lots of interesting history here ... not all of it nice ... the other person interested in the murder (then another) is newspaperman, Peter Eberle. Together they will form a team. Sort of anyway, to solve the murders. A great start.

Death By the Book is the second in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series, by Lucy Connelly. There's a literary festival going on, one that is very busy with lots of events. The main attraction, though, is James Brandt, who, face it, is not very nice. He's the one found dead from what looks like a falling bookcase, but folks are not convinced this is what actually happens. Then Mercy's dog sniffs out another body (in an odd location) who is Mr. Brandt's agent. Is there a connection? As the investigation goes on lots old secrets start to emerge involving the mayor, a chef and a botanist. What happened in the past?

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An interesting combination of the funny and the serious today.

Aging is not for the timid, that's true, but it also helps to be able to laugh at it, too, and you will do so when you read Old But Gold: Laugh-Out-Loud Life Lessons on Aging Gracefully, by Ian Montenegro. We may find technology frustrating at times, but we can also say what we want, and dress the way we want (for comfort, not fashion). It's wise to locate the restrooms whenever we go out, but there are many senior discounts these days. A most enjoyable read! :-)

I finally got around to reading The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Expert Advice for Extreme Situations, by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. It's been around for a while now, and I've thumbed through it before but it just seem fitting, with what is going on these days, to actually read it. There is advice for everything from breaking down a door (indside and outside doors are much different) to delivering a baby. Jumping from a moving car to a hostage situation ... all the things that can happen boggle the mind! Most common first step seemed to be 'remain calm'.

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Agatha is working out the last of her prison term in the small town of Unlikely, New York. She is trying to keep a low profile (while thinking of how to escape, mostly for old times sake). She is much surprised then, when she comes home one day to find "Big Phyllis" in her kitchen (who really did escape) ... claiming she did not kill 'those men' and wants help in clearing her name. You don't say no to Big Phyllis! More bodies are discovered and Agatha begins to wonder if Phyllis might be the next victim. Along with Special Agent Kopp (retired) and his hacker granddaughter (and the dog, Chance) they set out to solve this quirky mystery. An Unlikely Escape is the second in the Unlikely Murder Club series by Gina X. Grant. It was a fun read, and the third is on my shelf!

This is a new series and author for me: Murder in G Major, the first in the Gethsemane Brown Mystery series by Alexia Gordon. I picked it because of the connection to music. :-) Gethsmane did not get the job she was expecting to get (wait until you find out why!) so has taken on the position of conductor of a rowdy bunch of boys, one she is expected to turn into an award winning orchestra in just a few months. The job (in Ireland) comes with a house. And a ghost. Gethsemane can see and talk to him. He was the composer of some of her favorite music before his death ... he says he was murdered and want her to prove it. That could prove dangerous. And don't forget about the orchestra! That's a challenge, too! I like that music (classical) plays in her head often giving a clue as to the situation to come. Not a bad start! :-)

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