Wandering Reader sent this book up recently: Sled Dog Trails, by Mary Shields after checking to be sure it wasn't one I'd already read. Much to my surprise (I have a shelf dedicated to this subject) I hadn't! Mary Shields was the first woman to complete the Iditarod. Originally from Wisconsin it took just one visit for Mary to fall in love with Alaska and move north. She met her husband running dogs and together they would do this for many years often working in the summer so they could be out on the trail in the winter. Joyful is the best description for this book, it was a wonderful read.

Mom was an English teacher. And Latin. And many other subjects as well. She would have loved this book: The Language-Lover's Lexipedia: an A-Z of Linguistic Curiosities, by Joshua Blackburn. I did as well, it was a delightful read! Just a smattering of what you will find. Many languages have a version of 'average Joe'. Check on puns, and words where the meaning has changed, sometimes drastically. Don't miss eggcorns! And remember supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins? It was actually first printed in 1931! Check out just how many ways there are to pronounce "ough" ... and so much more. Perfect for reading during ads. ;-)

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I decided to post these books together because they are both set in Maine, and both authors used "chowdah". :-) Ms Mia and Murder on Moose Isle is by Jennifer Branch. It's part of her series featuring Mia, a wealthy widower who travels the world staying at the fancy resorts and hotels her family owns. She is an amateur sleuth and prides herself on figuring out mysteries. Ever since the factory making quality linens was moved over seas the small town of Moose Isle has been struggling to survive. Lauren Tisserande, part of that family that NEVER thought the factory should have moved is fighting to bring it back. She will have to power to do so in one more day, when she turns 30. Those who have been profiting from this move are not happy about this! Lots of twists and turns here, not to mention really smarmy types! Another fun read in this series.

Mixing Up Murder is the first in the Little Dog Diner by Emmie Lyn. It starts at a funeral. For Dani's husband ... soon to be ex as she has filed for divorce. She and her best friend are passing by the coffin when the corpse opens his eyes and winks at her. He has planned a fake funeral in the hopes of getting her back (yes, it is a strange thing to do). Then it seems as Dani has something to do with this idea, too ... and then said hubby really does turn up dead, in the diner. With nothing to do while it is closed, she and Lilly jump in to help solve the crime. The only witness is a dog! This was a curious read. And I couldn't help saying, out loud a couple of times, Put the Dog ON A LEASH!

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There was a basket on the steps of Newgate Prison. Giles thought it might hold something for one of the prisoners. It didn't. It was a head. Belonging to the prison's hangman. That did not narrow down the list of suspects as much as you might think. You'll learn a lot about the 'art' or maybe the business of hanging in Murder of a Hangman, by Irina Shapiro. (Number 13 in her Redmond and Haze Mystery series). A hanging could be quick and easy or slow and painful and the one with the most control over that, and why, was the hangman. Could it be an angry family member for one of those slow deaths? Or someone wanting to move up the ladder, as the saying goes?There is a hierarchy in the profession, after all. Another intense read by this author.

I picked this title because I'd had a 'day of mulch'. That is, an email conversation with Canadian Reader about work in the backyard requiring mulch. Then the final puzzle in Wheel of Fortune (which I got and the contestant didn't) of 'mulching your garden'. So how could I pass up on Mayhem in Mulch, a new to me author and series? Betty has recently moved to Bluejay Ridge, starting a new life for herself. She loves her new house (with a garden that needs lots of work) and her new neighbors. All is going well until she comes across a body in the local garden center. By her own admission she is a nosy sort of person so when the sheriff seems focused on her, and other clues leading nowhere, she jumps in to find the real murderer. This is the first Betty Benino Mystery by Janet Fix.

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Do you understand cricket? I sure don't (okay, no surprise, I know very little about most sports). ;-) It is a much loved sport in England though,and especially, it seems, in the 1920's. And that's where the murder takes place in Death at the Jolly Cricketer, book 7 of the Veronica Vale Investigates mysteries by Kitty Kildare. It's at the pub, after the match, and the body is found at the bottom of the stairs into the cellar. Sir Gerald was a prominent member of society, who would do him in? In addition to working out all the twists and turns of the mystery (scandal, grudges, betrayals) Veronica is worried about her friend, Ruby, who is missing. This has been a fun series.

Here's another subject about which I know very little ... coffee! A brother and sister have moved back to their small home town and have opened a fun little shop were folks can get an amazing array of coffees and pet shelter dogs in need of adoption. No Filter is book one in the Barks & Beans Cafe Mystery series by Heather Day Gilbert. The local golf instructor has been murdered and Macy (the sister) had taken on his dog ... a Great Dane. She finds a mysterious message sewn to the underside of his collar. She hides it in a 'safe place' in her old family home ... good thing since some one breaks in, looking for it, and takes the dog. She copies the message off for her own keeping and gives the original to the local police. She does her own investigating, too, of course! Not a bad start.

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Seems I just can't stop myself from reading another Liturgical Mystery by Mark Schweizer and The Lyric Wore Lycra is one of the last. :-( Hayden loves his job(s) as police chief and organist in the small town in which he lives. Lent starts soon, a somber, reflective time so the music for the church services must reflect that. And, a class will be added to the roster: Paunches Pilates. There is, of course, a murder, and a group determined to force a meeting concerning a transgender bathroom in the church (there's just the one ....). All in all another great read in this series.

As mentioned earlier, book 11 in this series, (Redmond and Haze Mystery) ended with such a cliff hanger that I went on to read this book next. To say too much would be a spoiler, at least in my mind, so, there's been a death and a kidnapping and that's all I'll say! It's a struggle to try and figure out why this woman was killed, but things start to make more sense as Redmond and Haze learn more of her past. And the man she was about to marry (also found dead). There is one delightful scene with the chambermaid, the one who found the dead man and the manager of the hotel has sequestered in a nice room so she can talk to the police ... remember, this is an era of 'knowing your place' ... when that is about to happen she asks the manager for tea and a nice breakfast! Normally 'help' might get a bowl of porridge, but a nice breakfast? Hardly! Made me chuckle. :-) Murder Among the Dead is the 12th in this series by Irina Shapiro.

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Murder at the Highland Games is the fourth in the Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald. It starts out as such a fun day: dancing, bagpipes, competitions of all kinds, which, much to the annoyance of the locals, are being won by (shudder) Canadians! Yes, they do have ties to the area, but really, to come in and win everything? Then one of them dies, and there's no doubt it was murder. As Ally works on figuring things out she learns just how many locals had motive. Not to mention the wife. And her uncle. A complex case for sure, and a great read. :-)

A young woman has been found dead, in a boat, wrapped in a shawl that makes her look like a mermaid. Who is she? And why the staging? When Redmond and Haze dig into her past there are all kinds of unexpected findings, including a connection with the London underworld. And a mermaid tattoo. On more than one person. Murder of a Mermaid is the 11th in the Redmond and Haze Mystery series by Irina Shapiro, and it ended with such a dramatic cliff hangar that I read the next book immediately!

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The description on the back of Remainders of the Day: a Bookshop Diary, by Shaun Bythell calls it "a hilariously grumpy year behind the counter ..." which is absolutely true! Also witty and charming and a most enjoyable read, just like his earlier books. You will read about the books he'll buy for his shop (the largest used bookshop in Scotland) and those he won't (and why). You'll get to know his customers from the regulars to the tourists, those who buy, those who will argue over any price ... it's more engaging than I am making it sound, trust me!

A recent viewing of the movie The Sound of Music inspired a search for a book on Oscar Hammerstein II (there is already one on my shelf about Richard Rodgers). I found this: Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical, by Laurie Winer. It wasn't quite what I was looking for, that is, what inspired his wonderful lyrics, but still a most interesting read. Maybe more of a social history book? There are what influenced the books/stories picked for musicals of that era, what was happening around the world, issues in the news and so on. Turns out, Rodgers and Hammerstein were quite progressive for their time. :-) There are the failures, here, too, and some of the not so positive aspects of their characters. I felt it was well balanced, though. A somewhat dense and detailed read. :-)

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