Two books from Sandra Boynton now. Bob and 6 more Christmas stories is a board book with stories about parties and a star, Christmas morning, and more. My favorite is the title character, Bob, the reindeer. :-) Then, check out who (or, perhaps, what) is celebrating the holiday in Christmas Parade. Are you ready? (Boom biddy boom biddy boom boom boom)!

Based on real people and true events, Christmas After All: the Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, by Kathryn Lasky follows a young girl living in Indianapolis for one month ... November 25 - December 25, 1932 ... and how her family survives, and even celebrates Christmas. There's a nice inclusion of historical events here, and some good photos at the end.

For another trip along memory lane, try Midcentury Christmas: Holiday Fads, Fancies, and Fun from 1945 to 1970, by Sarah Archer. It's fun seeing the hottest toy (Slinky, Easy-Bake Oven), or the newest things in trees (think aluminum). How wrapping paper has changed, and so on. A nice read with my Mitch Miller Christmas CD (once an LP) in the background.

It seems fans have been asking Victoria Thompson to write a Gaslight Mystery involving the secondary characters, and she did just that in Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue. It was thought that Una O'Neill married well ... until she is found sitting on the floor next to her dead husband. With Frank and Sarah Malloy on their honeymoon, the job of finding out what happened and why if up to Maeve, Gino and Mr. and Mrs. Decker. If you've been reading this series, this is a wonderful addition! (And a nice winter cozy, too).

Reading Hermit With Dog