I am guilty of giving chickens far too little credit! Seems they can be clever, and charming, and abide by their own rules amongst the flock. Read all about this in How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say, by Melissa Caughey. The author spent a lot of time with her chickens (probably still does) and learned what their vocalizations mean ... there was even a special sound they made just for her!

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Here is a a wonderful story of a beautiful and wild country, enduring friendships, and horses! (Really, who could ask for more)? Wild Horses of the Summer Sun: a Memoir of Iceland, by Tory Bilski. The author traveled to Iceland, in the summer, for those long, long days of sunshine for many years, mostly to ride that special breed of horse, the Icelandic. Along the way she made friends who, even though lived far apart, helped each other through the ups and downs of life.

I do enjoy those quirky 'specialized' history books that focus in on one topic and follow it through history, and this one must be one quirkiest: A History of the World Through Body Parts: the Stories Behind the Organs, Appendages, Digits, and the Like Attached to (or Detached From) Famous Bodies, by Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras. Read all about noses and fingers, eyes, skulls, a brain ... and so on ... who they are from and why they made history. An interesting read.

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Santa's Little Yelpers is another in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. Andy, a lawyer, keeps trying to retire, but cases keep popping up, cases that for various reasons, he takes on. This time it looks as if one of his employees at the Tara Foundation has committed murder. Thing is, he's recently been released for serving time for manslaughter, but he's always been sure he was framed. Is it happening again? And why? The investigation leads to all kinds of ... interesting information. These are fun reads, with nice 'doggy' touches.

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Women of the White House: the Illustrated Story of the First Ladies of the United States of America, by Amy Russo is a well done collection of mini-biographies. Not all the first ladies wanted to be there, several let daughters plan and hostess all the proper social events. In one case, for the bachelor president, it was a niece. One did pretty much nothing, others a bit more ... and one did a lot ... Eleanor Roosevelt! (I felt rather sorry for the First Lady who had to follow her). A most interesting read.

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I've decided that Dashing Through the Snowbirds is the book where Meg gives up on sleep. Not only is Christmas just a few days away, but the house is full of visiting Canadians, here to work on a expanding a DNA testing business into the states. It is not going well, the boss is a dreadful man. Meg's Dad is 'up to something' behind a (temporary) fence in the back yard. Bad people keep showing up at the door, what's with that? I do love these Meg Langslow Mystery books by Donna Andrews!

Here's another entry in the Inspector David Graham Mystery series by Alison Golden and Grace Dagnall: The Case of the Uncommon Witness. It is a lovely, quiet day, there is a painting class being held where the students are asked to paint the scene in front of them. A local man staggers into a pub, obviously having been attacked, he will die from his wounds. The investigation takes the Gorey police to the 'privileged' upper crust of society, a group not always easy to investigate! Why would such an ordinary man be murdered? And what's with the (artistic type) painters?

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A few years ago Constant Reader told me about the tradition of giving books for gifts at Christmas, or "jolabokaflod", and this year I learned more about it in The Christmas Book Flood, by Emily Kilgore, with pictures by Kitty Moss. It started during WWII, in Iceland. Pretty much everything was rationed but paper. Publishing houses would print out a lot of books once a year, in October, encouraging folks to buy them for gifts. Which they did, and soon folks were curled up in front of the fire, on Christmas Eve, reading. It continues to this day, and is spreading to other countries. Seems like a fine idea to me! :-)

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It's been a while since I've read one of the Andy Carpenter Mystery books by David Rosenfelt, but Holy Chow seemed more ... intense than those in the past. Andy considers himself to be a retired lawyer, but the right case will change that, and this is one of those. The Tara Foundation has a Chow in need of a new home. The big dogs are harder to adopt out, and this is an older dog as well. Still, the perfect home opened up: an elderly, widowed woman! Things are going well until she is found dead, not too long after an estranged step-son reappears in her life. He is arrested for murder, but Andy is not convinced he did it. Lots, and I do mean lots is going on here, so pay attention when you read!

Here's a good, traditional, old-fashioned cozy! Murder for Christmas, a Mordecai Tremaine Mystery, by Francis Duncan. Benedict Grame holds an annual Christmas gathering at his place. Some guests have been invited for years, others are new. This is Mordecai's first time and he feels there is ... tension in the air. Why? Is there a connection with the guests? Now, Benedict Grame likes to dress as Father Christmas and sneak downstairs and hang gifts for everyone on the tree on Christmas Eve. When the body is found, and it is dressed as Father Christmas, everyone assumes it's Grame ... until the body is turned over. Why was this person dressed the way he was? Just a nice, winter read.

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One of the fun things about friends with grandkids is I get to see picture books! Here's a nice one to read at bedtime: Winter Lullaby, by Dianne White and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki. A mother bear and Small Bear are headed for their winter nap (Small Bear is not too sure about this). On their way they pass many other animals who, we learn, are also headed for sleep. Learn about them, and how and where they sleep. Read softly, enjoy the pictures ... you might just nod off, too.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book: Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian, by Scott Douglas ... I didn't really like it, although I did like some of the things the author said (and I did finish it) ... so, I will include it and you can decide if you want to give it a try! I liked his observations about news events, and how and why we remember some of them, but not others. I liked his idea that a library is about the people it serves, not just books. On the other hand, it sort of seemed like he was whining about his co-workers and the patrons. Now, it could have been a sort of 'dark' (?) comedy and I missed it! And, as a self-published book, it could have used some more careful editing, there were broken sentences in the layout that could/should have been avoided (at least to my thinking).

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This is a beautiful book, one that needs to be read out loud whether you have kids or not: Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night, by Megan Litwin and illustrated by Nneka Myers. Wonderful pictures, wonderful rhyme, read it over several times. :-)

The Tangled Treasure Trail, one of the Lord Edginton Investigates mysteries, by Benedict Brown was a great read! It's full of late night treasure hunts (and drinking and dancing) by the 'younger generation' (at this time called Bright Young People). (some things really don't change, be sure to read the notes in the back!) Much to his grandson's surprise, the elderly retired detective, Lord Edginton, has been invited to participate, and, as the bodies start to appear, well, he really has to investigate. Follow the clues and see if you can figure things out. (I didn't)!

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Parks have changed over the years, it seems. And, they don't necessarily show up in an obvious location! To learn more about this, try parks of the 21st Century reinvented landscapes, reclaimed territories by Victoria Newhouse with Alex Pisha. (I have no idea why it's all in lower case, but it is, so that's how I typed it)! You'll find detailed descriptions and photos from parks created along old railways, airports ... in swampy areas, and dry areas, along highways and more. An interesting read, but an index would have been nice.

If you enjoy the British mysteries on TV, and/or reading them then you should enjoy Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson & Jay Cooper. Lots of good advice here. A quick, fun read!

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Premeditated Myrtle might be a tween read, but it was excellent! If you like a good mystery you should enjoy it! Set in the 1890's, in London just as CSI type skills are being developed and used. Myrtle is 12 years old, writes and reads Latin, French, and Greek and is a fan of both her father's collection of Law books and her (late) mother's collection of medical books. A governess had been hired, one who has been told to encourage Myrtle's interests (which will cause of few problems since children, especially girls, should "behave"). When the (rather cranky) old woman who lives next door dies it is declared accidental (in the bathtub). Myrtle does not believe this because her neighbor would never bathe at night and without her maid! Just an excellent read! It is the first in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery books by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

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Sherlock and Watson are at it again, this time solving the mystery of the artifacts (and later bodies) found in a hollowed out space underneath a house being demolished. They are from the Civil War era, in the Oregon territory. (Yes, there were troops stationed this far west!) Complications arise when the human remains are stolen, but not the artifacts, which could be worth money. Why would someone want them? Case of the Rusty Sword is the 16th Corgi Case File mystery by J.M. Poole. It was pretty much a one day read!

Hell Bay, one of the Barker & Llewelyn novels by Will Thomas is a classic 'who dun it'. A dinner, in a large manor house, set on a remote island (just the house and a lighthouse), with only one dock ... are you getting the picture? :-) Once the guests have arrived there is no way off until a flag is flown, alerting someone on the main land. Barker and Llewelyn are hired as protection, but they prove to be of little good as one by one the bodies start to pile up. Death is by gun, knife and arrow ... and this person also knows the secret way into the house (yes, there are secret passages, too). Why? Let's just say it involves family and leave it at that. Thanks go to County Reader for the recommendation for this author.

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While The Big Bang Theory: the Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, by Jessica Radloff wasn't exactly what I expected, it was still a good read. The author spent a lot of time interviewing people ... cast members, crew members, directors, writers, and then was able to organize them into an interesting and easy to read history of a show that few expected to be as successful as it was! You'll be surprised over some of the actors considered for various parts (I know, that's hard in retrospect since the casting was done so well, but try and imagine those actors in these roles). Learn the 'secret' meaning behind the revolving atoms that separate scenes, and about the unaired pilot ... with Katie, rather then Penny. And why there is a staircase and a broken elevator (and lots more)! Fun!

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Here's a good selection of mini-biographies of women we've never heard of ... or mostly so! Thankfully some of them are already getting proper recognition and biographies of them have been published. The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II, by Major General Mari K. Eder was an inspiring (and sometimes chilling) read of women who were spies, who were part of the French Resistance, flew planes, escaped from concentration camps, or helped build code breaking machines. Many were told to never, ever, speak of what they'd done ... and they didn't ... much of this information is just now coming to light some fifty years after the fact (when it could be opened to the public).

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I am lucky to have a friend who shared the third Thursday Murder Club book with me ... it made for a very short wait time for me, to get the next entry in this popular series by Richard Osman! The Bullet That Missed has the murder club working on an old, cold case ... their favorite kind. Alas, it turns more serious when a new foe shows up with an ultimatum for Elizabeth ... kill someone or be killed herself. Why? And will she do so? There are interesting locations this time: a jail cell with an espresso machine, and a swimming pool that looks like it's floating in the air. Lots of fun twists to this one.

What happens when nightmares come true? Things were going well between Fenella and Daniel when he gets an email telling him a woman he met in a class 'across' is coming for a visit. This is the cause of the nightmares. Well, that woman arrives, with several friends in tow, and expects to spend a lot of time with Daniel. All is not what it seems with this little group from an even smaller island than the Isle of Man. Neighbors and Nightmares takes sort of a dark turn for this series, but it's a good read nevertheless. It is part of the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy series by Diana Xarissa.

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 Greetings to those of you who read my blog!  This morning I was asked increase the security on my google account, which required a phone number.  This is NOT going to happen, so, if I can't get around that, this may be my last posting.  I understand why this is important for those who do a lot on their google account, but I don't, it's just my blog about books.  Anyway, if this is it, it's been fun, if not, see you next time!

Round Up the Usual Peacocks is Donna Andrews thirty-first Meg Langslow Mystery ... and there's a least one more available! Wedding planning is underway ... a big wedding, a huge wedding ... planners are the two mothers (think about that for a minute) ... peacocks are to be part of the reception, but the resident ones are molting so Meg is sent off to pick up more from a farm not too far away. There is a 'sidewalk painter' come to make the walkways more beautiful. And food. So much food. Meg's nephew and friend have started a podcast about cold case murders, which seems to have upset someone as one of the two hosts is involved in a hit and run, which scared him (to say the least). Let's see ... there's a missing singer, a cheating cover up (local college) ... and those pesky peacocks! Lad, the border collie teaches the Pomeranian dogs to herd, llamas leap to the defense of a favorite human (literally ... they jump a fence to do so) ... just a fun read! And one I finished during a recent power outage ... thank goodness for the itty bitty book light!

Did you know that the Isle of Man has wild wallabys? They were the inspiration for this book when author, Diana Xarissa, was looking for something to go with "... and murder." Fenella has volunteered to do a 'watch' one morning to help with collecting data on them. Turns out to be a nasty, cold morning and the only thing that she spots is a body. It's Darrell, the head of the society aimed at protecting the wallabys and the land they live on. Or was he? What was the motive behind his death? Marsupials and Murder was another fun read in the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy series.

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Aunt Bessie and 'the gang' are back at it, working on another cold case, this one from the U.S. that occurred 11 years ago ... a man, dressed in a Santa suit was stabbed while sitting in his sleigh. Is there enough evidence to figure it out? In addition, she's been asked to help find a missing person (present day). The Goodman File is the sixth in the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

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October saw the return of visits from Canadian Reader!! It's been since December 2019 so you can just imagine how many books we had to share! A stack of the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy mysteries by Diana Xarissa is now on my shelf. :-) I jumped back into the series with Letters and Lawsuits. Fenella, who inherited her Aunt Mona's estate (huge) has been informed that there is a daughter fathered by Mona's significant other. Mona (the ghost) tells Fenella this is not possible ... but is it? Lots of details from the past surface this time ... but a word of warning ... it was a one day read.

I seem to have caught up with the wonderful mysteries by Karen Baugh Menuhin with The Birdcage Murders. I hope there are more in the works! Lennox and Swift have been called in to help with a strange murder ... at a dinner at an exclusive club, one where women are only allowed at certain times, in certain rooms, and with a club member. This is one of those times. There is a (tragic) connection with the man who dies and each of them, a series of strange invitations, and diamonds from a birdcage (some fake). The method of death was one I've not read of before, and I've read a lot of mysteries!

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My favorite color is, and has always been, blue, so when I came across the book Blue: the Science and Secrets of Nature's Rarest Color, by Kai Kupferschmidt I just had to read it! Over all a good read, although it got a bit 'sciency' for me (chemical analysis and so forth), but there were chapters on animals, and plants, and language, too. I found that chapter to be the most interesting as it seems words for blue came late to several languages ... it was hard to describe.

What was the first big, really big event you remember watching on TV? For those of us my age it was usually the the assassination of JFK but for Constant Reader (younger by many years) it was that hockey game at the Olympics, in Lake Placid, NY, in 1980. That of course, led to a book! Constant Reader is my go to person for things of a sports nature so when there is a book recommendation I always give it a try! In this case it was The Making of a Miracle: the Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal-Winning US Olympic Hockey Team, by Mike Eruzione (with Neal E. Boudette). Part auto-biography, part memoir, it's a nicely written story of the road to the Olympics, the 'miracle' game, and what happened after.

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"When in doubt, wash!" I'm not sure how an email from Constant Reader made me think of that phrase from a book I'd read a long time ago, but it did, which resulted in a search for said book, which was actually located and re-read! Jennie (also published as The Abandoned) by Paul Gallico is about a young boy, a neglected (but not abused) young boy who is hit by a lorry when running across a street. When he comes to, he discovers he is a cat! Now, he knows nothing about being a cat but fortunately he is found and rescued by the street wise cat, Jennie who will become his tutor. That advice, given above, is the most important thing he can learn, and the chapter on just how a cat can wash all of his/her body was hysterical! The author knew cats (at one time he had 27) and carefully observed their behavior, resulting in explanations of proper manners, how to manage encounters with dogs, fights and so on. Such a fun read!

Four people are working at one of the desks in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library (look it up, it's beautiful). A scream shatters the silence and bonds them together as they decide to figure out just what happened. (Was one of them the murderer??) The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill was hard to put down, with lots of ... interesting twists and turns.

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An email from Seattle Reader included a recommendation ... a strong recommendation for Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons, by Quenby Olson. Mildred Percy, the unmarried sister, is living with her properly married sister and family. A trunk arrives for her one day (fortunately when she's home alone, otherwise that sister may have just, um, appropriated it for herself) telling Mildred she has an inheritance from a great uncle. There doesn't seem to be much ... old papers and journals ... and an odd rock ... which is actually an egg, from which hatches a dragon! Raising this dragon is, shall we say, a learning experience!  A delightful read and extremely hard to put down!

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Rose is in her eighties, so a little forgetfulness now and then might be expected, but lately things are getting worse. And then there's the body in her freezer. Evidence points to her, but her friends in the Toot Hansell Women's Institute (not to mention the dragons) do not believe it for one minute ... and (no surprise) do their own investigating. Coming Up Roses, by Kim M. Watt, is another fun read in her Beaufort Scales mystery series.

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The small library, in a lighthouse, along North Carolina's Outer Banks is in the running to receive a collection (with funding to maintain) of rare historic documents pertaining to the area. The donor, Jay Ruddle, is working in the rare book room while a pre-Halloween party is going on. Later he is found dead. There are the usual suspects, of course, his grand-daughter, and the current curator ... but then his former daughter-in-law (and a new hubby) show up. Grievances from the past surface. Detective Watson certainly has his work cut out for him ... which means (of course) that the librarians will just have to help out, yes? Looks like I jumped in to the middle of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, by Eva Gates with The Spook in the Stacks, but I was able to follow the characters and their relationships with each other just fine, the author did a nice job there.

A recent visit from the grands left Tall Reader with this tween read: The Last Human, by Lee Bacon. As robots got smarter they reasoned that humans were destroying the earth ... so they were eliminated. Or so it was thought. It's a world with no war, no pollution ... every one has a job, and a purpose. Things are running smoothly until a 12 year old girl appears on the scene. That changes everything! A fun story about friendship (a new concept for robots) and perspective ... is everything the (robot) president said true? This won't take long to read!

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With just one exception, every president has had a dog. (Not all of them adapted to White House living). Learn about those, and a bit about each administration, in All-American Dogs: a History of Presidential Pets from Every Era, by Andrew Hager. As the subtitle indicates, you'll read about the others, too. (Cats, birds, rabbits, and more)!

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The Last Stop, by Sonia Parin, is part of her Dear Abby Cozy Mystery series. This time Abby's mom has come for a visit ... virtually ... (imagine a back seat driver, one not used to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, on your phone, turned so she can see out the car). Abby would love for her to come for a real visit, but mom is convinced the little town in Australia is not safe. Abby is trying to prove otherwise, so it doesn't help that there is a murder! Tourists usually pass through the small town of Eden, but this time their bus broke down so they are stuck. It's a group where they all know each other, which leads to conflict. Abby's mom makes friends with some of them as well as the townsfolk, might she be able to help catch the murderer? This is a fun series.

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It's been a while since I read one of The Chronicles of St. Mary's books, by Jodi Taylor, so it was nice to get back there with A Second Chance. There's a lot of action here, and a new and interesting twist to the Trojan horse! Personally I think I prefer reading about history, rather than being at an actual event ... it's exhausting! The historians might be 'somewhere' just to observe, but that does not mean you cannot be shot or trampled. If you've ever wondered about those odd cheese rolling events your questions will be answered! Excitement builds when Max is kidnapped and returned to a time she's visited before ... the Cretaceous Period! Hard to put down!

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I'm listing both fiction and non-fiction books today as both authors are from Australia.

Here is another mystery by June Wright: Reservation for Murder: Mother Paul Investigates. The author, from Australia, was a fan of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Arthur Upfield. In fact, she got to meet Upfield, and asked how he came up with the idea of the main character in his books (the half-caste Bonaparte). He told her to create someone unusual ... so she did ... her main character is a nun! Set in a boarding house for young, working women and run by nuns you'd think life would be relatively quiet, yes? Someone is sending nasty letters to the residents, a body is found at the gates ... a stranger ... what would be his interest in the residence? There is an odd man with a concertina and a boat, and an agent from the U.S. shows up to help with the investigation. All in all, a most satisfying read. :-) (Her other book listed in this blog was Murder in the Telephone Exchange).

Life changed back in 2020 ... suddenly and abruptly! In those stay at home days of the pandemic life might have felt ... stagnant, perhaps gloomy ... there was lots to worry about ... kids, aging parents, work, bills ... but one morning Sophie Blackall had the idea to make a list, which became her book Thinks to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys For Today and Every Day. A gentle read, with soft illustrations, it is a list of hope and for better times to come. Read it, enjoy it, make your own list. :-)

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For a brief history of the ancient Greeks and Romans, try Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants, by Garrett Ryan. Lots of bits about what they wore (and why) what they ate, how much money they made, what medical services were available, fighting battles using elephants and much more. A fun read, one of those books you can read during the ads on your tv program. :-) Don't miss the footnotes!

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A retired detective superintendent is taking a holiday ... a culinary tour of the British Isles. At his very first stop a thumb is found on top of a pork pie. So many possibilities here ... rival bakeries, drug smugglers ... and where is the rest of the body? His dog (an ex-police dog fired for having a bad attitude) could have resolved things a lot more quickly than the humans, after all, the answers are right there in front of his nose! Part of Pork Pie Pandemonium, by Steve Higgs is told from the perspective of the dog. Great fun! This is Albert Smith's Culinary Capers Recipe 1.

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Finally! Another book by Lynn Florkiewicz! Lord James Harrington and the New Year's Eve Mystery has Lord Harrington and his wife looking forward to the New Year's Eve ball of 1959. The start of a new decade should be most exciting! To add to the fun, a 'Wild West Show' is touring the UK and includes a collection of American Indian artifacts. There is extreme interest shown in this collection ... but why? They are of no value, the buyer knew this, the seller knew this, they are recently made items merely to show what the originals looked like. To try and determine if there's been, say, a swap, the collection is appraised ... twice ... and even X-rayed ... they are of NO value. So, why such intense interest? This has been a fun series!

A recommendation from Canadian Reader took me to Murder is Bad Manners, by Robin Stevens. It is the first in her Wells & Wong Mystery series. It takes place in a boarding school for girls in 1934. Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells have set up their very own detective agency ... but need a mystery to solve. Then (of course) a body is found ... and vanishes .... it was one of the teachers (who many thing was promoted when she shouldn't have been). Can they find the body, and figure out the murderer? This is a tween read, so it didn't take very long, but it was a good read. :-)

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I picked up The Littlest Library, by Poppy Alexander, because of the title, and the cover! Jess Metcalfe's life as been turned upside down and she's looking for a fresh start. Almost on impulse, she buys a small cottage in the countryside. On her property there is one of those red phone booths you once saw all over the UK. She turns it into a small library! Surprisingly, this causes a bit of controversy! I think this is considered on of those 'beach reads' (?) ... it's not a mystery, and it's light and happy (mostly). While not my usual style of reading, it was a fun read with some wonderful reflections on the power of books and reading.

Is the re-release of an old, much loved, children's story the cause for a death? And a missing person? Does that story contain clues of long ago death (thought to be an accident, but perhaps not)? And what about that box, found when the roof of the author of this book is being re-thatched? A Treacherous Tale, by Elizabeth Penney, is the second in her Cambridge Bookshop series. There's a 'story within a story' here, too, as we get to read that much loved tale from the past. Most enjoyable.

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Here's a book about something that took place on 9/11/2001 that I don't think I ever heard about ... all the boats that helped get folks off Manhattan Island when the roads, tunnels and bridges were closed. Fair warning here, I read Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift, by Jessica Dulong, in one day. Even before the Coast Guard arrived there were folks with boats transporting people across New York Harbor. Tugs, ferries, dinner boats, private boats, even small dinghies showed up to help get everyone off the island. It's an amazing story. There were 'land lubbers', too, helping get strollers, wheel chairs and the very young or very old get on and off. Businesses showed up to give out water, towels, sandwiches .... the author does a marvelous job at weaving the personal stories she collected with the real time events.

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Dotty Sayers has a decision to make. A military widow now, she can move to the new base (units have been consolidated) and live in military housing, or stay where she is (but finding her own place to live) and continue at her new job ... which she likes. It's not as easy as it sounds. When a body is found at a military parade things get even more complicated. And who are the strangers who have been seen around town, and making friends with the residents? Is there a connection to a missing military award? Fake Death is the first in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series by Victoria Tait.

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Do you remember the TV show Longstreet, with the blind detective? Well, Odor of Violets, by Baynard Kendrick was the inspiration for that character. First published in 1940, it is a bit dated, but that's explained nicely in the introduction by Otto Penzler. There are two dogs, German Shepherds, who look a lot alike, both trained for different things. They are never seen together. It was most interesting to read how Captain McClain using all his other senses, solves crime. Consider the title, too, it plays into the story, and gives a most interesting twist to the end!

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If you like trivia, like to read, and are (ahem) of a certain age, then you should enjoy Annable's Treasury of Literary Teasers, by H.D. Annable. There are chapters on authors, characters, first and last lines and more. It was fun, and I read it by myself!It'd be even more fun with company!

I am enjoying the new version of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS more than I expected I would, what with the original series being so good! The companion book: The World of All Creatures Great & Small: Welcome to Skeldale House, by James Steen, and with a foreword by James Wight was a pleasure to read. I loved learning that this time, the country side was to be treated almost as if it was a character, too! (It really is, the scenery is beautiful). And also, how they expanded the roles of Helen and Mrs. Hall. You'll read about the animals, too, and what it's like to work with them. Warning: it's hard to put down, so get your chores done first!

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