Murder on Christmas Eve, edited by Cecily Gayford, is a another collection of short stories just perfect for this time of year. I love the cat, who caught the murderer (but for a very cat like reason, nothing really mysterious here), and a burglar, who, inspired by Poe, does his thieving in plain site. Be leery of popular products on store shelves. And don't drink any strange tea! (These are not spoilers, honest)!

I have long enjoyed Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series, and this stand alone book, Christmas Bells, did not disappoint. Switching between when Longfellow wrote a poem called Christmas Bells (the 1860's) to a present day choir singing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day there are compelling stories and characters from both eras. The present day story might be a bit more interesting because we know what happened in the past ... but that is just a 'maybe' on my part. ;-)

For a nice holiday mystery read The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, by David Rosenfelt. It's part of his Andy Carpenter Mystery series, so expect some court room scenes. A friend has been arrested for murder and Andy is sure she is innocent. Then a gun if found, in her basement that is linked to a murder some years earlier. There are dogs, of course, and some good twists. Hint: remember what happens right at the very beginning. ;-)

This is the last post for 2017, Happy New Year everyone!

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Who dances in the snow? Not the bear, or squirrel, or rabbit ... Winter Dance was inspired when the author Marion Dane Bauer witnessed just who does dance in the snow! Pictures by Richard Jones. Delightful!

I loved this book! Find out why Winter is the Warmest Season, by Lauren Stringer. She did the story and the pictures, and created a wonderful, delightful book! If I had youngsters needing gifts, they'd be getting it for Christmas.

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Looking for an old fashioned mystery? Set in a mansion, in the snow, with old secrets, and bodies that vanish? If so, here's just what you want: A Christmas Case: a Posie Parker Novella, by L.B. Hathaway. On Christmas Eve each of the guests at Rebburn Abbey are asked to share a personal mystery, solved ore not, with the others. (This really can't be good, can it?!) Of course, the guests are not all what they seem. There's a hidden passage and a new body in an old crypt, too. Perfect for this time of year!

We Wish You a Murderous Christmas is another in the A Year Round Christmas Mystery series by Vicki Delany. Although the small town of Rudolph, NY celebrates Christmas all year long, the excitement builds as December 25th approaches. This year is not so merry, however. The son of the local inn keeper has returned with big (and not popular) ideas for "improving" the town. (Was it wrong to give a little cheer when his body was found)? (Not a spoiler, his death is mentioned on the back cover). ;-) Overall, not a bad winter read. (Note to dog lovers: yes, I do think the dog had to spend too much time in a crate).

Laurien Berenson writes a nice mystery series about Melanie Travis and her Poodles, the most recent being Wagging Through the Snow. Melanie's brother has bought a run down tree farm at a recent auction (without telling his business partner). His plan is to get it up and running by Christmas ... about a week away. When checking out the property, a body is discovered. Secrets from long ago surface as the investigation progresses. A fairly quick read, good for these busy days! (Series title is A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery).

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Twelve authors and twelve illustrators combined their skills to create twelve stories about the twelve Doctors in Doctor Who: Twelve Doctors of Christmas. It'd be fun to say I read this in the twelfth month, but I actually read it in the ninth. Still, I am posting it in the twelfth month ... I sometimes read holiday books early so I have them ready to go when the actual season comes. ;-) What does the Doctor do on Christmas? Where (and when) is he? A delightful collection, one for each Doctor.

Out door lighting at this time of year has gone from the simple to the extreme. There are over the top displays that include one house to an entire neighborhood. In fact, when a house is sold in one of these neighborhoods, it's often part of the sale that the new owner will continue with the display. Merry Christmas America! Megawatt Displays Across the U.S.A., by Bruce Littlefield is a rather nice 'tour' of many of these homes, what their display is like, how they got started and so forth. It came out in 2007 so be thinking as you read (and look at the pictures) there are some now even more ... megawatt than these!

I read this clear back in May but decided to wait and include it here, for obvious reasons. ;-) God Rest Ye Grumpy Scroogymen: New Traditions for Comfort and Joy at Christmas, by Laura Jensen Walker and Michael K. Walker is a nice collection of ideas for making the holidays less stressful, whether you are on your own, or part of a large family. You should find yourself laughing as the authors share stories of their holidays ... good and bad.

Here's a book from the old series Christmas Around the World put out by World Book: Christmas in Canada. While dated (published in 1994) I am hoping that many of these traditions continue to today, especially the Christmas Lights Across Canada ceremony! Here, on the first Thursday in December the lights on the government buildings across Canada are all turned on at the same time! (A quick search tells me that yes, this amazing tradition will happen this year on December 7th). A nice read that includes a great variety of traditions, crafts, recipes, and carols.

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Tired of growing sunflowers and petunias, Wilma was ready for something new. What will be next? The title is the clue: Christmas Farm, by May Lyn Ran and illustrated by Barry Root! The pictures are wonderful and you'll learn a bit about growing Christmas trees, too.

It's the night before Christmas, but Ollie is not dreaming of sugar plums. Instead, she hears bells, which wake her up. Where are they coming from? Follow along on a most magical adventure that could only happen on the most magical of nights in The Little Reindeer, by Nicola Killen.

This is a picture book which, I have been told, will be especially enjoyed by boys! Santa's Underwear, by Marty Rhodes Figley and illustrated by Marty Kelley. It's Christmas Eve and Santa is dressing for his big night when he discovers that his red flannel long johns are missing. The pair for February (with hearts) and March (shamrocks) just aren't right, and the summer undies offer no protection from the cold of winter. What is he to do?

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Marcus Sedgwick loves snow. He moved to be where there is a lot of it, and has written a reflective little book titled Snow. There are six chapters because a snowflake has six sides. He discusses the various origins of the word (from many languages), as well as of art and science of snow. There's a section about climate change too, suggesting that there could be a time when there is no more snow. An interesting read.

Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries, edited by Martin Edwards, is a collection of old British Mysteries. The writers, many popular in their day, were not familiar to me (with the exception of Margery Allingham) but the stories were great! There are ghosts, and bodies that vanish (with no footprints in the snow), locked rooms, and one with an ending I was not expecting at all. Not a cozy! ;-)

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How early do you start thinking about decorating your house for Christmas? Try February! That's when the First Ladies have to start on ideas for The White House! Christmas with the First Ladies: The White House Decorating Tradition from Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama, by Coleen Christian Burke tells how (and why) each woman came up with a theme, who made the decorations, how what was going on around the country affected the decorations and so on. It's a huge task!

It took me a while to get around to reading The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey even though I had enthusiastic recommendations from Skiing Grandmother and County Reader almost a year ago. Set in Alaska, in the 1920's, it's a retelling of an old Russian fairy tale. The writing is quite good, and the twist on the old tale interesting, but I don't think I liked it quite as much as those who suggested it! Read it in front of the fire, or under a warm blanket, the descriptions of the weather are chilling. :-)

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Here's a fun version of one of my favorite cold weather songs: Walking in a Winter Wonderland, based on the song by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith, as sung by Peggy Lee, and illustrated by Tim Hopgood. Loved the pictures and the 'flip' ... there's no Parson Brown!

Follow a little girl as she tries to learn who left the footprints outside her bedroom window in Tracks in the Snow, by Wong Herbert Yee. Look for animals and birds as you read. Sweet!

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Mornings are changing in the coming weeks so I may post these the evening before my 'usual' day. :-)

I found Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting, by Jim Murphy, to be an interesting read. While designated a juvenile read, it was full of detail and featured some rather grim photos. It seemed to be a war where little progress was made, so trenches were dug ... 475 miles long, from the North Sea to the Swiss Border. Sometimes they were no more than 50 yards apart. They were hot in summer, cold in winter, and when the rains came, extremely muddy. The troops were far from supplies and replacements, dead bodies attracted rats, they were infested with lice and fleas, they were bored. The commanders (25 miles away) kept ordering raids, which only resulted in more death. Where the trenches were closer, soldiers exchanged conversation, and, sometimes, tins of food. This worried the commanders. And then came a bigger bother: Christmas. Good information presented well, I wish I had it for some of my history classes! Other books on this subject may be found in the post for December 17, 2016.

Fields of Battle: Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl, and the Boys Who Went to War, by Brian Curtis is a borderline "you read what?" book. It started out with a lot of information about football that, to be honest, just was not of interest to me ... but then things changed and it was a great read! College football was the most important thing going, until it wasn't. December 7, 1941 changed everything. There was some debate as to whether the Rose Bowl should even be played, but the decision was made that it would be good for morale, that life should go on, and so forth. The game was moved away from the west coast, however, and was played in Durham rather than Pasadena. Oregon State College beat Duke (something of a surprise) and then the players and many of the coaches headed off to war. (At least 70 players and coaches from the 1942 Rose Bowl served in the military). Some served together, others met up during various battles, once, two of the coaches (from opposing teams) came face to face with each other in a foxhole in Bastogne. You learn what happens to the men after the war, too. A very personal accounting here, as you get to know these men and sometimes, their families. Hard to put down.

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I've always loved snow globes so was pleased to find Celebrating Snow Globes, by Nina Chertoff and Susan Kahn. To be honest, I did forget how tacky some of them were! Just a fun book, with great pictures. There were (and are) snow globes of people (movie stars to presidents), landmarks, sports, pretty much anything you can think of. My favorite was the bare tree with autumn leaves as the 'snow'. I once gave a snow globe to some friends of mine ... it was a 'California' snow globe (but any warm state would work). It was filled with water and featured several lumps of coal, a pipe, and a top hat floating around. It was hysterical! :-)

And look! A mystery series featuring snow globes! Snow Way Out, by Christine Husom, is the first in her Snow Globe Shop mysteries. Cami has recently returned to her small home town and is working in a little store called Curio Finds that features snow globes. One evening she finds one she does not recognize that has a scene of a man sitting on a bench in the park. On her way home she comes across that very scene, only the man on the bench is dead. The next morning the unfamiliar snow globe is gone. It will happen again. Not a bad start to this new series! And, for you crafty types, there are instructions on making your own snow globes.

Frosty, the Dead Man, by Christine Husom, actually the third in the Snow Globe Shop mysteries, but I found it before I did the second book. I had no problem reading them out of order. It's nearing Christmas now, and to prepare for the upcoming surge of shoppers, more snow globes have been ordered, this time from a company not used before. The first shipment contains just four snow globes, three with more traditional themes, one with an odd theme of a hunter and three bears. Curiously this one sells first, several other customers come in and ask about it, and then the buyer ends up dead. Another shipment arrives, also with just four snow globes, but this time with one missing ... one with a bear theme. Was it stolen by a store employee? Why? (I actually figured out part of the answer this time)! As with the first book, there are instructions for making snow globes, but this time the 'snow' is more kid friendly.

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You all knew this one would be coming, yes? Winter Walk, by Virginia Brimhall Snow. :-) See what the grandmother and her grandkids find as they wander through the woods in the snow. As with her other books, there are activities and fun trivia, too. Just a wonderful series.

Talk another walk in the snow with When the Snow Falls, by Linda Booth Sweeney and illustrated by Jana Christy. A great story (be sure to read it out loud) and wonderful pictures about an outing with Grandpa, Grandma, and the dog.

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Treasures from Kiwi topped the week recently: two that were enjoyed over and over again by all family members. Not only do they tie together nicely, but there is a nice connection to other books from my posts, too!

Brian Jacques, The Redwall Cookbook, illustrated by Christopher Denise is full of recipes that sound really good! Divided into seasons, the instructions all indicate whether a young reader can make them on their on own or need adult supervision. Lots of butter! (And lots of veg, too). There are Redwall tales for each season, too.

A read that goes well with that was The Great Redwall Feast, by Brian Jacques and illustrated by Christopher Denise. A special meal is being planned for the abbot, but he awakes from his nap, how do you keep the surprise a surprise? Part adventure, part surprise, and a puzzle, too! Delightful! (And I've not even read the other Redwall books)!

At first I wasn't sure if I should use Bookshelves and Cabinets from Sunset because while I loved the pictures and got some good ideas, to be honest I really didn't read all the instructions on how to make them. Then, when I was reading Bookshelf, by Alex Johnson I realized these two books made for a wonderful contrast! The shelving units in the Sunset book are beautiful and functional (and I'm told the instructions are good, too). The designs in the other book seem to me to be just that ... designs. They are unique, and creative, and fun to look at, but I cannot imagine them actually holding books. Both were interesting, take a look!

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I have read and enjoyed many books about the post office. Here's another in the Postmistress Mystery series by Jean Flowers. This time Cassie Miller, who works in her small home town in the Berkshires, is dealing with Valentine's Day and the chaos it causes. (It's second only to Christmas in the volume of cards that are sent). There is a dance coming soon, and Cassie has been asked to give a talk about the history of the post office at the local college. Oh, and of course, there is a body. Addressed to Kill is one of those nice cozy mysteries perfect for a stormy autumn day. There is some fun Post Office trivia too. There is one, and only one, branch of the P.O. that does not fly the U.S. Flag. Why?

Need an activity for a rainy day? How about making shadow puppets? It's low tech, certainly, although a few props are allowed for some of the more detailed figures. Me and My Shadows: Shadow Puppet Fun for Kids of All Ages, by Elizabeth Adams and revised by Bud Banis shows dozens of these figures with detailed instructions on how to create them. Long fingers would help! (And yes, I did end up humming a certain song all day long)! ;-)

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