Recently, when I was making an on-line order, I was told that with another 10 dollars, I could get free shipping. Fortunately there were books! Today I Learned: Over 300 Strange-But-True Facts That You Probably Didn't Know, from the Willow Creek Press was a fun read of bits of trivia. Some I knew, but then, I am fond of trivia books! Some I did not, which made this a fun read. You will learn things like, the Empire State Building has its own zip code, bullfrogs do not sleep, Elvis was originally a blond, New Jersey grows two thirds of the world's eggplants .. and so on!

Since the books were on sale when I had to make up that 10 dollar difference in my order, I also got Today I Learned: Over 300 Strange-But-True Facts That You Probably Didn't Know, Volume 2. It also was a lot of fun, with just a few cross overs from volume 1. Baby porcupines are called "porcettes", the first ad to air on tv was in 1941 (for watches), figs aren't vegan because there are dead wasps inside ... and more. If you love bits of trivia, you will enjoy these books. :-)

These books inspired me to check and see if there is a national trivia day. There is! January 4th! That's too long for me to wait to post them, though, so enjoy them early and be prepared for next year!

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It's been a while since I read a book by Louise Penny so I was pleased when Kiwi loaned me All the Devils Are Here. There are the familiar characters we've come to love from Three Pines, this time in Paris (with Penny's wonderful descriptions) and there are bad things are happening! Stephen is seriously injured when hit by an automobile, Armand determines it is no accident, but why was Stephen targeted? Clues send the investigation to the Paris Archives where the old war records are kept. Apartments are ransacked, artwork is slashed ... someone is looking for something, but what? Unexpected, and unpleasant documents surface, proof that Stephen is not the man everyone thought he was, but are they even true? I found this book ... uncomfortable to read, not because of the writing, with Penny that is always wonderful, but because of what is happening! Plan to stay up late.

After the intense read of Louise Penny I opted for something a bit lighter and went with Eton Mess Massacre, the 12th book in the Albert Smith's Culinary Capers series by Steve Higgs. Albert is convinced there really is a gastrothief (his name), but no one else believes him so he is on his own (with Rex) to track him down. When a chef, the one most likely to win the annual Eton Mess competition, is found dead, Albert (who cannot cook, remember) steps into his place. He gets help from an unexpected place (as does Rex) as he tries to prove his claim as to how and why all the deaths and missing people from various small towns are connected. As always, there are recipes at the back.

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I'm not quite sure why this book caught my eye, but it did, and it proved to be a good read! The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare, by John Lisle. In 1942, Lovell was, er, recruited to head up a then new department of the government to help in the war effort in many ways, including bombs, of course (one idea was to attach small ones, with a time delay, to bats. Seriously). Other items were more interesting, at least to this reader: forgery, camouflage, trickery, misdirection ... think James Bond for some of these! Do note, this was also a grim read, this was war time after all and the author's descriptions of some events are vivid and troublesome. I suggest skimming the notes at the back with each chapter, there are many interesting details therein.

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Here's a book (first in a series) with a fun twist: the main character and her cat and dog can understand each other! Leta, recently widowed, has retired to the Cotswolds. Not long after her dog and cat (Dickens and Christie) were able to join her, she comes across a body. The local police are not all that friendly or helpful, so Leta and some of her new friends (and their pets) set out to solve the murder. Bells, Tails & Murder, the first in the Dickens and Christie Mystery series, by Kathy Manos Penn was a most enjoyable read.

Kent Coast Oyster Obliteration is the 11th title in Steve Higgs Albert Smith's Culinary Capers mystery series. In an area where wine is made in England, three growers have gone missing. Albert is sure it is the work of the Gastrothief and heads there to see if he/she can finally be caught. He is also puzzling over just how theft of oysters might happen ... the plot thickens, as the saying goes, because now the criminals know Albert is on the trail, and they know exactly who he and Rex are. The police are starting to take more of an interest, too, more than just Albert's children who have been helping out on an unofficial basis. Things are heating up!

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IF I were to travel this would be the sort of guide book I'd take along: Bored in the USA: a Field Guide to Best-ish Stuff in America. There are no authors to credit, and I did note a few errors, but overall I quite enjoyed this ... enough so that I sat with my tablet at hand to look up some of the places mentioned! (Warning, at the moment there is just one review, a poor one, on amazon. Personally it sounded as if that person wanted a more traditional guide book ... just my take, though). It's full of oddities and fun facts such as the future birthplace of Captain Kirk, a matchstick museum (amazing), the diving lady neon sign, the one state that has more hogs than people ... one state really is flatter than a pancake (there was a study) ... a signpost in Maine includes Norway, Naples, Peru and others which are all cities in that state! Nebraska, land locked, has a navy. (In1931 the lieutenant governor wanted to gift friends with meaningless government titles). There is the neon sign graveyard, the toilet paper hero of Hoover dam, and a grave yard for ice cream flavors. One state has an official question. There are also more traditional entries for parks and museums. Made me chuckle! ;-)

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Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally takes place in the time when women were property, and according to law, could be beaten (as long as the rod was a certain size), committed to asylums and so on. They could not vote, own property, and any money they had was controlled first by their fathers, then went to their husbands when they married. Lady Petra is lucky in that her mother left her money to her daughter (her father is fine with this), and, as long as she stays on their land, she can (gasp) ride astride, in her brothers clothing! She has also declared publicly that she has determined never to marry. Her uncle is not so ... understanding ... and sets out to 'do something about it'. Some of Petra's friends have gone missing, even said to have died, but Petra discovers otherwise. Then there is the 'doctor' who can diagnose and treat female hysterics, melancholia, and so on, usually in his asylum. (Perfect for an inconvenient wife). Warning: things take a grim turn at one point, and I'll admit to doing some skimming, but this was overall a good mystery and I learned a lot about an era I only knew in passing.

Tall Reader recently enjoyed a visit from the grandkids, who came with books to share! Some of those, a trilogy, are now on my stack of books to read! The first was Thunder Cave, by Roland Smith. Jacob is living with his mother and step father, not the best arrangement, but he's still in touch with his father who is tracking elephants in Kenya. When his mother is killed when she is out jogging he learns his step father wants to send him to family in Nebraska. Instead, Jacob cashes out his life savings, and heads for Kenya (long story short here, he knows how to do this safely). He ends up becoming dehydrated, which is how me meets Supeet, a Masai, who helps him, and they become friends. Lots of adventure, great characters, some history on the area and the Masai, all in all a great read! Written for ages 10 and up, adults should enjoy it, too. Tall Reader and I did.

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I am starting this post with a rant. I have read two books now that claim to be cozies, they say so right on the cover, and yet, both started with a graphic, violent scene. Not they were not good mysteries, they were, both of them, but ... to my mind, and according to the definitions I found, they are NOT cozies! Cozy mysteries are considered gentle books, set in a small town. There is no graphic violence, no profanity, no explicit sex, and the crime usually takes place somewhere else. When I tried to find a definition of 'cozy thriller' (a term I heard a few months back now) the hits were the same as above, with one site adding that a cozy thriller was a contradiction in terms! (I agree).

My reading friends and I are aware that a cozy mystery is a hot item at the moment so publishers, authors, marketers are trying to cash in on that, but maybe there needs to be a new term? A small town mystery, perhaps?

The second book I've read that has done this is Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, by Rebecca Thorne. This is so not a cozy in the traditional format! There is violence, foul language, sex ... however, it is an excellent read and one of my favorite books of the year! I love the characters, and the writing, and the setting ... the two main characters, Reyna and Kianthe each leave jobs that, well, without spoiling anything, they shouldn't and head for a small, remote town to open up a book and tea shop. How that happens makes for a grand adventure that should keep you reading far into the night. This is a fantasy mystery, too, there are dragons, and a griffon, and magic ... :-) This is the first in the Tomes & Tea series and I will be looking for the second.

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Here's a nice little cozy with some fun elements (buried treasure, painted rocks): Something Fishy This Way Comes, by Gabby Allan. It's part of her Whit and Whiskers Mystery series. There's a glass bottomed boat, too! Set in a small town, with a golf course, the main means of transportation is a golf cart. Whitney is setting up for one of the buried treasure hunts (comes with a map) (often hides things like engagement rings) when a body is discovered. Two local birdwatchers are nearby, arguing over a bird. There are tire tracks on the body. It is determined to be a suicide, but .... there is a long standing feud between families who have lived on the island for generations,(many in law enforcement who might 'influence' things), and the victim didn't golf, so why was he even on the course at all?

Seems I find it hard to resist the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy books when they are on my TBR shelf ... Umbrellas and Undertakers just jumped into my hands! This time it's the death bed conversation from an undertaker who says he overheard a confession (years ago) to murder that jump starts a cold case. Fenella and Daniel are trying a new restaurant (if it can even be called that yet), it is an odd place, then there is a fire in the kitchen ... so much for a quiet lunch. And there is the confession, where does that lead? There is a wife, and an ex-wife, children (adult age), lovers ... money ... author Diana Xarissa has written another hard to put down cozy! :-)

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