Jane, owner of Storyton Hall is again holding a themed retreat, this time it’s a Rare Book Conference. In order to keep her resort popular, she is expanding and adding a fancy spa. Excavation comes to a halt when bones are found, including a skull and a box. Which contains an old (very old) book. At first it is thought that all text has faded due to time and damp, but when it is learned that it could be a Very Dangerous Book and that there is a way to view the text, excitement builds (as do the bodies, of course). Murder in the Locked Library in the fourth in the Book Retreat Mystery Series by Ellery Adams.

It was back to the Isle of Man with Aunt Bessie Needs. Bessie is taking a class to learn the Manx language … again … it’s a hard language! Her new friend, Laura, arrives at the class in tears, seems her ex-husband, the one she divorced due to abuse, is moving to the island. She refuses to go to the police, but Bessie thinks they should know. A few days later a woman who looks a lot like Laura is murdered. Was it mistaken identity (it was in a dark alley, after all)? Some nice twists and turns this time intertwined with the struggle to learn Manx! I’ll just say that things might not be as they seem. This is part of the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

Why would someone want to sabotage the Menagerie? Why are the mermen and mermaids going on strike? Things are not as they should be. And when a disturbing map of the Menagerie as an amusement park shows up on the desk of a local politician (one whose mind had been erased of any memory of seeing mythical beasts) things really heat up. Remember Logan’s mom who disappeared in book one? She’s back, too. And a tragic story from the past. The Menagerie: Krakens and Lies, by Tui T. Sutherland and her sister Kari Sutherland is a tween read, but a very exciting one that just might keep you reading through dinner time!

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Tempest in a Teapot, the first Teapot Collector Mystery, by Amanda Cooper came on a recommendation from Crafty Reader. The restaurant business can be hard, especially in New York, so after hers fails, and she has a disastrous blind date (set up by her mother) Sophie heads back to her small home town and the security of grandmother’s tea shop. There is a lot going on, including a wedding shower … of the granddaughter of a rival tea shop owner (honest! Who knew!). All does not go well, of course, and the victim is the mother of the groom. Was it really the red velvet cupcakes?

A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory is the first in The Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew series. It is set in Cambridge, in 1348. Bartholomew is a physician (with radical ideas) and a teacher of medicine. The head master is found dead and it is declared a suicide. (Is it?) There are other deaths, too, some quite mysterious. There are rivalries, between other colleges, as well as the students, and commoners. There’s corruption and lies at all levels …. just who can be trusted? Oh, and let’s not forget the plague …. Canadian Reader has read the complete series and tells me they are all excellent, as was this one!

I correcting an error of omission here … There are actually four books in the Professor Bradshaw mysteries by Bernadette Pajer and somehow, while I read and enjoyed The Edison Effect, I missed listing it! For shame! Set in Seattle in the early 1900’s there is nice historical feel to these books. This time Edison is in town, eager to learn more about a ‘device’ that the Professor hopes will never be found (it was lost in book three). There’s something new, too … colorful holiday lights for the tree!

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Tall Reader brought A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, edited by Maria Popova & Claudia Bedrick, to me some time ago and then after I read it, it took me some time to figure out what I wanted to say. I will say … amazing … thought-provoking … inspiring … It’s no surprise that the editors are readers, and feel that reading shaped their lives, but did it do so for others? That was the spark for this book and they reached out to (taken from the intro) “artists, writers, scientists, and cultural heroes of various stripes” and asked them. The result was this wonderful collection of letters. Each letter has a unique work of art, too. Reading is empowering!

There were women in the film industry (and later tv) much earlier than you might think. They were uncredited, of course! Learn about many of them (and some from present day, too) in Renegade Women in Film & TV, by Elizabeth Weitzman and illustrations by Austen Claire Clements.

It’s no secret that I read a goodly amount about dogs (although I can be rather picky ….) so I was not surprised when (Definitely) the Best Dogs of All Time, by Jadan Carroll and illustrated by Molly Dyson, practically jumped off the shelf and into my hands! :-) This is a nice collection of dogs from mythology, fiction, and real life and why they are among the ‘best dogs’! There’s Buddy, the first seeing eye dog (see post of February 18, 2014 for the full story of this amazing dog); and the She-Wolf of Romulus and Remus; dogs who have been elected mayor; and Oddball … the first of the dogs that protect the penguins on Middle Island.

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If I had known how this was going to end I might have waited to closer to the time when I'll have the next book! Fenella has decided to invite all her new friends to a 'real American Thanksgiving dinner'. One with turkey and all the proper trimmings. Not exactly where sure where she stands in her relationship with Inspector Wilson, she is pleased when asked to help on a cold case. (And is he opening it again, just to have an excuse to talk to her?) Invitations and Investigations, part of Diana Xarissa's Isle of Man Ghostly series goes along just as nicely as all the previous installments, until an unexpected and unwelcome announcement near the end. The next book is due out sometime this year!

A recommendation from Seattle Reader proved to be a violent departure from my usual cozy reads. Literally! It starts with a gun battle! The Alloy of Law, by Brandon Sanderson, is set in a world (and series) he has created called Mistborn. I think this started as a stand alone but I see now there are others set it this same time (which is different that the others). I will describe this as fantasy/western/mystery, I think, as there were elements of each. After the battle, the main character returns home from the badlands to take up family responsibilities as his uncle, the only relative he has, passed away. Life is dull, there's even an arranged marriage (kind of a hoot, actually) until trains start arriving with empty cars. The boxcars are loaded, locked, and secured, but the cargo vanishes somewhere along the line. What is missing, and why, and how makes for an interesting read. Just about every one on this world has some sort of talent with metal, some have a talent with two. There is a sidekick who is NOT a thief ... he leaves something 'in trade' .... of course, that may be a loaf of bread in exchange for your silver! Great characters, but a lot of fighting.

It's been a while since I read a Bibliophile Mystery by Kate Carlisle, so was happy to meet up with the characters again in The Book Stops Here. Brooklyn has been asked to appraise books for the visiting show 'This Old Attic'. The first book is a real treasure, a beautifully bound version of The Secret Garden. This leads to an attack, several, actually, and the person who found the book at a garage sale ends up dead. Add to this that the host of the show fears he is being stalked. And just what is the connection to Mae West?

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Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: an Introvert's Story, by Debbie Tung will go on my shelf next to other books I have about being an introvert. As with Book Love (April 29, 2019 post) and reading, she is spot on with what it was like growing up and being considered strange, odd, anti-social, or unfriendly. Noisy situations can be overwhelming (never did understand that popular song Downtown)! Like the author, I'm no longer apologetic, either! :-)

I waffled on using, or even reading I'll Be There For You: the One About Friends, by Kelsey Miller as I didn't watch the show when it first aired, or any of the repeats until recently, and now only sometimes, and even then, just bits and pieces. Still, I learned enough at some point to make me curious. It was a pretty good read, and I'm sure, for a fan of the show, an excellent read! We learn how the writers met, how the actors were selected (no big names, hopefully no 'name' at all, to start with), and where some of the story lines came from. The 'six' did something new and original ... when one actor's character took off, and his agent was pushing for a raise, he went to the other five and suggested they band together. If one gets a raise, they all get a raise, they will make the same salary. It worked! I also liked that they never wanted to be nominated as the lead in a comedy, only as supporting actors, after all, they were an ensemble group.

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While a recent book about the Queen did not include enough on the royal horses and dogs (in spite of the title), All The Queen's Corgis: the Story of Elizabeth II and Her Most Faithful Companions, by Penny Junor, does! From her first dog, to the most recent (as of 2018) here's the story of the dogs the Queen loves. Did you know that the Queen loves being outside, in the field, and at one point even hoped to marry a farmer? She likes all breeds of dogs, with hounds and hunting dogs being near the top of her list. And the Corgi dogs, of course!

To be honest here, I haven't yet finished Prophets and Moguls, Rangers and Rogues, Bison and Bears: 100 Years of the National Park Service, by Heather Hansen. It's a thick, dense, but well researched history of our national parks. It does read a bit like a text book, but don't let that put you off, do what I'm doing and read other books in-between chapters! Filled with history, anecdotes, pictures and bits of trivia, this is a wonderful book!

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It's war time, and a young man has died. Not a surprise, really, except that he had what was considered a 'safe' job working for the government painting buildings with a fire retardant paint. In To Die But Once, part of the Masie Dobbs books, by Jacqueline Winspear, Masie goes looking for answers. Lots of surprises here (as in family connections, cover ups, etc). and a good discussion of the 'other' casualties of wars, those not associated with combat. Well written, with a great 'period' feel.

Lettice Keighley-Armstrong is not pleased with the new vicar ... who is young. And female. Still, she agrees to attend a party at the church, where she becomes a bit tipsy, brags about the contents in her safe, and the next day she is found dead. Once again DI Falconer and DS Carmichael are on the case, this time assisted once again by the enthusiastic Constable Roberts. As they interview the residents of the small town of Shepford St Bernard, the meet up with several who could have had motive. Does the position the body was found offer up a clue? Is there a story behind what was actually in the safe? Grave Stones, by Andrea Frazer, is another wonderful cozy from the Falconer Files Mystery series that Canadian Reader left with me.

Murder at the Mortuary almost sounds redundant, doesn't it? It's the fifth in the Ginger Gold Mystery series by Lee Strauss. What is happening is that unregistered (that is, bodies without the proper paperwork, or any paperwork at all) are turning up at the mortuary where Haley Higgins is working. She recognizes the first body, which sets Ginger Gold on the hunt for what is happening. There's the hint of the Italian mob in this one, shady dock workers,and an exotic race horse (who might provide a clue). You might feel a bit bad for poor Lady Ambrosia (she of good Victorian stock), too ... Ginger has announced she is offering shelter for an unwed mother!

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It took a few months but I have some picture books to post, hooray!

The Presidents of the Unite States have had pets since George Washington. You can read about them in Presidential Pets: the Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House, by Julie Moberg and illustrated by Jeff Albrecht Studios. It's a fun collection of the animals each president had, a brief biography, and highlights of their term in office, both the good and the bad.

Some years ago I saw an amazing show about a school in Tennessee and how they taught their students about the Holocaust. How do you explain the enormity of what happened? They decided to collect paperclips as they were small and they might have a chance of collection millions of them. It turned into a project involving not only the school, but the town, people from all over the country, and then some journalists from Germany, that culminated in a Memorial in Whitwell, Tennessee. I finally found both a dvd and a book. I've not watched the dvd again as yet, but have read the book. Six Million Paper Clips: the Making of a Children's Holocaust Memorial, by Peter W. Schroeder & Dagmar Schroeder-Hildebrand is the book. It's a children's book which means lots of pictures along with the story of how this all got started, and the amazing final result.

My March 15, 2016 post included the book Sgt. Reckless, America's War Horse. It was an excellent read, as I remember, but it was a 'grown up' book so I was pleased to find a children's book on the same subject. Sergeant Reckless: the True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero, by Patricia McCormick and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, has all the important stuff along with wonderful pictures. War time, Korea. The ammunition for the big, new cannon was heavy, and the cannon was up a hill! Lt. Eric Pederson thought he'd look for a mule to carry the shells, but all he found was a small, rather scrawny, mare. He decided to take a chance and Reckless, as she was named, not only hauled ammunition up the hill, but the wounded back down the hill. Just an amazing story.

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In Miniature: How Small Things Illuminate the World, by Simon Garfield is a enjoyable romp through the world of the small. Some are scale models of the original that while smaller, are still rather large (think the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas), others are impossibly small (a recreation of the Last Supper in the eye of a needle). In between are ships, and amazingly intricate houses (many without dolls) that include working lights and running water. Miniature books feature as well, as they get smaller and smaller and yet are still readable. And don't forget about a circus of fleas, that's here, too. Also mentioned were the 'nutshell studies of death' from the book about Frances Gleesner Lee who created the small murder scenes. (see blog entry of June 24, 2014). And, of course, trains! An interesting read.

Jan Burak Schwert and her husband (and eventually, son) are skilled and experienced travelers ... only not in the traditional way. No tours or big city destinations for them, they like the back roads, the smaller inns or B&B's, and wandering the streets of small towns. Along the way they've had fun and made lots of friends. I thoroughly enjoyed Geezers' Guide to the Galaxy: a Lifetime of Travel Encounters and hope there are lots of other folks who travel this way, too.

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