What will you be reading on the last day of 2014?

For a slightly different take (at least for me, that is, not a quilter) on the New Year, try The New Year's Quilt: an Elm Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have enjoyed all the books in this series and am learning more about quilts and the designs of the blocks with each title. This time, Sylvia, a main character, designs a special quilt, as a memoir for times past and a look ahead to the new year.

I like learning about severe weather and a recent read was Extreme Weather: a Guide and Record Book. This is the Climate Change Edition. It is by Christopher C. Burt with cartography by Mark Stroud. Lots of lists and charts and maps here, but also some great photos and information on really bad weather and what causes it.

Have you met Carl? If not, you are in for a treat! (Start with Good Dog, Carl.) The author, Alexandra Day is also the illustrator and her pictures are wonderful. The book I've chosen for this blog is Carl's Snowy Afternoon. Join Carl and Amy as they sneak past the babysitter for a romp outside.

There are poems and stories from faraway lands in Snowy Day, edited by Caroline Feller Bauer and illustrated by Margot Tomes. I found an old favorite about the noise of the city hushed by snow, and a new treat in a story from Japan about hats made for statues. A very nice collection.

A last minute find here: Winter: an Alphabet Acrostic, by Steven Schnur, illustrated by Leslie Evans. Beautiful winter time illustrations (hand colored linoleum cuts) and clever verse that can be read both across and down. I learned on the back cover that each season has a book by this team.

Happy New Year!

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A gathering of picture books this time, mostly.

Sugar White Snow and Evergreens: a Winter Wonderland of Color, by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky, illustrated by Susan Swan. Learn about colors as a family goes to a farm where maple syrup is made. The gentle illustrations each feature one or two colors.

I love a good snow globe, those really expensive ones with the wonderful scenes! I learned just what happens when you shake one in The Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by S.D. Schindler.

I remember when this book came out. It won the Caldecott Award. It was a favorite then, and it still is, whether it's a hardback, paperback, or board book binding. It is The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. Join Peter as he explores the first snowfall of the season.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost, beautifully illustrated by Susan Jeffers. That pretty much says it all, this is a telling of Frost's poem. I've used it as a gift more than once. Adults like it, too. Absolutely wonderful.

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I'll start with The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore today. My copy is illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship (and cost, are you ready, a quarter!), but there are lots and lots of versions available from many different artists. There used to be a dad in the neighborhood that read this to any of us who (of all ages) would listen every year.

I reread Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies every other year or so. I watch the movie every year. The original, not the dreadful remake. I loved learning if Santa sleeps with his whiskers on the inside or outside of the blankets. :-)

A young pilot is on his way home for Christmas eve when everything goes wrong, the compass fails, as do the engines, and then fog surrounds the plane. Lost and alone, he is facing a certain death when a plane of WWII vintage shows up beside him. The author of The Shepherd, Frederick Forsyth, was a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and I've read that aviators like this book. Even for a non-pilot such as myself, this is a proper Christmas miracle read.

I both read, and saw, a wonderful version of The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry in the same year. It was an immediate favorite and I have a small book of just this one O. Henry story that I pull off the shelf every December. A sweet, simple tale of gift giving.

A cozy mystery from my 'favorites' shelf: The Christmas Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini. The discovery of an unfinished quilt spanning several generations of Bergstrom quilters sparks memories of times past (something this author does very well).

And of course, there's the ubiquitous A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Versions of this have been seen in everything from sitcoms, to modern movies, to ads and commercials. There's even a musical called 'Scrooge' that I rather enjoyed many years ago. For me, reading it is still the best way to go. (I know someone that reads it to the chickens every December) :-)

A late entry this ... from the title I was thinking it would make a great addition to an upcoming blog about tea, but it will actually fit better here. The Haunted Tea-Cosy: a Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas is yet another take on Christmas Carol. The twist here is that it is by Edward Gorey! The 'host' is none other than Bahhum Bug. Subtle and witty.

Enjoy the season!

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While not a fan of the traditional song 'Twelve Days of Christmas', I do rather like many of the variations such as 'The Twelve Days After Christmas', 'The Twelve Days of Cowboy Christmas', and the version where each day is in the style of a different composer, but my absolute favorite version is a print version. I laughed until I had tears in my eyes over Jack Kent's Twelve Days of Christmas.

Will you be going to a large family gathering? Is there ever a pause in the conversation? Or a need for an activity due to the weather? Then be sure to have a copy of Quizmas: Christmas Trivia Family Fun by Gordon Pape (with Deborah Kerbel) at hand. Designed for all ages, the chapters have questions on movies, books, carols, food, and so forth, for Tots to Teens as well as the grown-ups. Don't skip the introduction, it's wonderful.

While A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic, by Caseen Gaines, was not quite what I was expecting, it proved to be an interesting read anyway. There are a few 'behind the scenes' entries, here, but there are also chapters about buying the house that was used for the exterior shots, and then having it redone completely on the inside to match the movie set. Visiting the school (it's in Canada) the day of the demolition and saving that chalk board from the classroom. Tracking down many of the outfits that were worn (also in Canada). The house is open for tours year 'round, along with the museum and gift shop. If you like the film, I think you'll enjoy this book.

There really is a book store called 'The Mysterious Bookstore', and it really is run by Otto Penzler (mentioned in an earlier blog). For years he asked for short stories from authors he knew. There were a few requirements: they had to be a mystery set at Christmas time, and had to take place in the book store. They were then bound and used as gifts for his regular customers. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop: 'Tis the Season to Be Deadly is a collection of those stories. Oh, and see if you agree with the lists of the 10 Best Christmas Mystery Stories, Christmas Moves, and Christmas Mystery Novels of all Time at the end of the book. :-)

A few more Christmas mysteries: Christmas Carol Murder, by Leslie Meier. Twelve Clues of Christmas, by Rhys Bowen. The Clue Is In the Pudding, by Kate Kingsbury (this is part of a wonderful series)!

I hope there is some reading time for all of you during the holiday festivities. :-)

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Riding in a sleigh, with the runners shushing, the sleigh bells, well, jingling, the horses snorting always seemed like it would be thrilling. Actually, it was most likely cold and uncomfortable! This book would fit well with the Working Horses book from an earlier blog, but I decided to include it here, with other winter type books. Sleighs: the Gentle Transportation, by Carlo Italiano has beautifully drawn pictures of a great variety of sleighs that carried or delivered everything from food, to barbers, to nuns. There was one that carried a man who would go door to door sharpening knives. Coal, mail, and milk were delivered by sleigh, there was even a snow removal sleigh!

In times gone by the shortest day of the year was celebrated in a great variety of ways by all cultures. Some of the modern traditions of Christmas and Hanukkah come from these rituals. The Winter Solstice, by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis explores some of these celebrations, and also gives the scientific explanation for the changing length of days.

Amongst my Christmas books, the ones I reread each year, are two children's books. North County Christmas, by Shelley Gill and illustrated by Shannon Cartwright is the story of tired reindeer and a team of dogs. Without saying too much, this is a magical book. ;-) Wolf Christmas, by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Jill Pinkwater is told by one of the wolf pups as he and his litter mates romp and play under a winter sky on what turns out to be a special night.

Are there favorite books you enjoy every year?

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Ever wonder how some of the most familiar songs of Christmas were written? Or when? What inspired a song? And who wrote it? Ace Collins answers just such questions in his easy to read book The Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas.

For the more traditional carols, try Best Loved Christmas Carols: the Stories Behind Twenty-five Yuletide Favorites, by Ron Clancy. There's a detailed history and beautiful illustrations for each.

And, for a look at a personal favorite of mine there's White Christmas: the Story of An American Song, by Jody Rosen. Irving Berlin originally saw this as a 'throw away' song, but look what happened!

Finally today, so our canine friends are not overlooked ... Holiday Hounds: Traditional Songs for Festive Dogs, by Laurie Loughlin and illustrated by Mary Ross. Twenty songs are given a new twist, go ahead, try singing some of them, it's great fun. ;-)

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I have several mystery series that I read as each new title comes out. Some have one or more holiday mysteries out. Many have been (or will be) listed in other December blogs but this was a recent read: The Nightingale Before Christmas, by Donna Andrews. A house full of decorators, each responsible for one room, is preparing an old, vacant house (with a bit of a history) for a fund raiser for the local historical society. Meg has been designated as the coordinator of decorators, no easy task. She copes with the timeline, flaring tempers, missing packages, incorrect paint colors, not to mention things such as lost keys to the house, parking concerns, and tickets for the event. On the home front there are the twin boys and all their winter activities, her mother, and mother-in-law. Oh, and don't forget the murder. As with the other Donna Andrews mysteries, this is a fun read.

This book is exactly what it says it is The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries: the Most Complete Collection of Yuletide Whodunits Ever Assembled. It is edited by Otto Penzler, the stories are divided by type: traditional, funny, pulpy, scary, and so on. This is a book I can read just a few stories each year, and then, when I'm done, start all over again. :-)

Other mysteries: Ten Lords a Leaping, by E.C. Bennison. Christmas Cookie Killer, by L.J. Washburn.

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From the Victorian Era to present day Crime Scene Investigation books and shows it seems, murder sells.

The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime, by Judith Flanders. There were not many murders in Victorian England so when they happened, they were major events. In an effort to get more readers, the newspapers often took, well, liberties with the details. There was no formal crime scene investigation, witnesses could be bought, and any defense often rested on who you were (as in the middle and upper classes). There's a good chance a lot of innocent people were executed. (The really gruesome cases showed up in stage productions, as names of yachts or race horses, or as a figure at wax museum such as Madame Tussands). This was the beginnings of what became the mystery novel. The author did a lot of research on this book and while it sometimes reads a bit like a text book, overall it was very interesting. A lot more of Dickens was based on actual crimes than I knew.

Memories of visiting the wax museum sent me looking more information and this is what I found: Madame Tussaud: a Life in Wax, by Kate Berridge. Before computers (and all their many variations), tv, radio, or even personal copies of the daily newspaper there were wax figures ... of royalty and murderers, of holiday feasts, hangings, and torture. They were very popular and Madame Tussaud was one of the best. Not only was she good with creating her wax replicas, she was good at creating her own life story. The author did a good job at figuring out was true and what wasn't. Please note: in this time period there were hangings and executions and so on and they are described in great detail. It was a bit much for me so I skimmed some of the chapters.

Mr. CSI: How a Vegas Dreamer Made a Killing in Hollywood, One Body at a Time, by Anthony E. Zuiker. In this autobiography, the author explains how an indifferent father, a great mother, and then a great step-father influenced his life and writing. How various events in his life and schooling became ideas for shows, and how the three Crime Scene Investigation shows came to be. And, finally, how he reconciled with his biological father. Initially it was to be one of those 'self-help' books, but then he realized that if someone needs a self help book, he or she needs to write their own book. I rather liked that idea.

And, a few more Christmas mysteries: The Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange, by Isis Crawford. A Wee Christmas Homicide, by Kaitlyn Dunnett.

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A return to the U.S. History trail for this post ....

Signing Their Lives Away: the Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence, by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese. Short biographies on each of the men who signed, early life, what they did, what happened to them afterwards, why they signed and when .... one died in a duel, one was poisoned ... remember, at the time, taking this step was huge! Some wanted to wait until the colonies at least had an army, etc. some didn't want to be ruled by England, but didn't want a new government taking over, either (wanted to be on their own). Very interesting.

It's worth a cup of tea or two to page through Making WAVES: Navy Women of World War II, by Evan Bachner, who gathered together a wonderful collection of photographs from the National Archives. It follows women in training, off duty, and, the ones I found most compelling, at work ... in coderooms, building planes, or taking a reading on an anemometer (basically a box on top of tall pole), and using aerial cameras. All the photos are in black and white and attention was paid to light and shadows, composition, all those elements that make for an artistic result.

Watching The Roosevelts on PBS, made me think of a long ago recommendation from Terry: Mornings on Horseback: the Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt, by David McCullough. Covering just 17 years in the life of TR, starting at age 10 when he was small, frail and asthmatic to his mornings on horseback (his father was a fan of exercise, the outdoors, and so on), to his cowboy years out west and his return as a young man strong and healthy. (Sort of, but that's for another book).

There's a new (well, fairly new) trend at museums, places such as Williamsburg, etc. called HOHR ... a Hands On History Room. Tourists and students don't just wander through static displays, or watch someone doing something 'the old fashioned way', they actually interact and participate. Depending on the season, it is possible to pick some cotton, and then use a cotton gin to remove the seeds. At Williamsburg, tourists are encouraged to ask staff in costume questions (it has to be about the time period) and they will answer in character. Understandably, this takes a lot of work. Tim Grove explains it in A Grizzly in the Mail and Other Adventures in American History. A delightful 'insider's look' at what goes on behind the scenes to create a wonderful way to learn about history.

And, since it is now December, I thought I'd include a few mystery titles for the next few posts. These are all from authors with a mystery series or two that include at least one of a seasonal nature. I've read them all at some point, they are cozy mysteries. From Ann Ripley, The Christmas Garden Affair. From Joanne Fluke, The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery.

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