I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Decorating a Room of One’s Own: Conversations on Interior Design with Miss Havisham, Jane Eyre, Victor Frankenstein, Elizabeth Bennet, Ishmael, and Other Literary Notables, by Susan Harlan is a clever and witty discussion of rooms from well known literature. There are ‘asides’ and allusions to the book in question so it really helps to have read it, but if you have, you are in for a treat! (Love the comment that many of the mirrors in Count Dracula’s castle seem to be defective)!

The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales From the Wild Side of Wildlife, by Lucy Cooke combines history (accurate and otherwise), a bit of folklore, mythology … and more. It’s a great read about how our views of animals have changed, from what they eat to how they survive and so forth. My favorite chapter is about hippos … I had no idea they are related to whales! And sloths? How can anyone think they are a failure of nature when they’ve been around for eons?

Reading Hermit With Dog