I loved this book! Icons of England, edited by Bill Bryson, is a collection of short essays about what makes England England, and not the obvious like the Tower of London, and so forth. It's all about fields and weather, cows, trees, beaches ... and the difference between rabbits and hares. The more I read, the more charmed I became.

Corgi dogs are popular at the moment! Here's the first in another series featuring this breed: Case of the One-Eyed Tiger, by J.M. Poole. (The Corgi Case Files). The death of his wife and an unexpected inheritance sends Zack Anderson to a small town in Oregon. He is most surprised to be arrested for murder on his first day ... who is framing him, and why? He reconnects with a former classmate (voted most likely to end up behind bars), now a vet who houses the local rescue dogs. Zack has never had a dog, does not want a dog, knows better than to make eye contact with a dog ... but, well, we all know how this is going to end! The little dog, named Sherlock, will lead the way to finding clues ... just a great read!

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Escaping Peril, is the eighth in the Wings of Fire books by Tui T. Sutherland. Another exciting installment in this grand adventure, there are curious new developments dealing with talents long thought to be lost, and life changing decisions affecting one dragonet in particular. (Can't say too much here, I promised no spoilers)! I love the themes of friendship and loyalty ... and sadness too, such as feeling like you don't belong ... wonderful character interaction here.

Traitorous Toys is the second in Mildred Abbott's Cozy Corgi Mystery series. Christmas is coming and Fred (short for Winifred) is looking forward to getting her bookstore up and running by the new year. That all comes to a halt when she and her new friend find a body in the toy store. He seemed like such a nice guy, why would anyone want him dead? There's an interesting method of death this time.

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Marigolds and Murder, by London Lovett is also the first of a series, in this case a Port Danby Cozy Mystery. It's one of those set in a small town, in this case a very small town. Lacey is one of those with a super sense of smell and she ends up helping the one local detective solve the murder. Also, there is a crow, who is a pet (by his choice, he's not caged), who may be my favorite character!

Would you ever combine bacon and popcorn? That's the newest twist to gourmet popcorn (there's a recipe) in the second Popcorn Shop Mystery series by Kristi Abbott: Pop Goes the Murder. A persistent ex-husband (and well known chef) has come to town to film a segment of his show. The plot thickens when his assistant is found dead in the tub in the hotel. To further complicate things the wife of the police officer in charge (and sister to the main character) is pregnant. Very pregnant.

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Have you traveled to faraway places where you forgot to not drink the water, or eat fruit washed in said water and experienced Montezuma's Revenge? Just how did he get associated with tummy distress? Find out in How King Montezuma Got His Revenge, by Annalisa Nash Fernandez with illustrations by Pilar Castillo Layos. History and humor combined with actual Aztec artwork made this a fun read. Don't miss the disclaimer at the end with other names for enterotoxigenic bacteria!

I remember A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me, from it was first published and when I saw it recently when I was looking something else up, I had to smile ... and then use it here! It is a collection of nonsense verse with illustrations by Wallace Trip. I seem to remember one about eating your peas with honey .... ! :-)

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One of the series written by Kylie Logan is her League of Literary Ladies mysteries. These are fun as each title is a twist on a familiar book and then there are references to that book in the mystery. Gone With the Twins is no different. (See how many 'nods' to Gone With the Wind you can find)! This time though, there is no lack of suspects ... seems a lot of people had issues with the victim. Narrowing down that list made for a nice cozy read.

Florrie Fox never imagined her move into the converted carriage house of the historic home of Professor John Maxwell would cause so much chaos. She works in a book store, and likes to design coloring books for grownups, after all! Still, it does seem to be a catalyst of some sort and soon a body is discovered, a famous author goes missing, and angry relatives appear. Color Me Murder, by Krista Davis, is a fun start to her new series A Pen & Ink Mystery.

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Here's a book for younger readers ... Women In Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky. The writing is excellent and the mini-bios of each women are very interesting, but I, personally, found the layout distracting. (Pictures, side bits of information, etc.) I am sure it's a sign of my age, however, and that readers that have grown up with graphic novels and so forth will thoroughly enjoy this book!

As much as I am not a cook I picked up Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread & Cheese & Everything In Between, by Heidi Gibson with Nate Pollock, and photographs by Antonis Achilleos anyway. My favorite comfort food is a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of cream of tomato soup. This is that old standby taken to the extreme! There's more than just sandwiches, too, recipes includes soups, stews, mac & cheese, even ideas for breakfast. I'm thinking I will pass the book on to my cooking friends with some strategically placed bookmarks. :-)

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I am putting book seven of Wings of Fire and the new Anna Lee Huber book together here because they both deal with family: parents disappointed with their children, and yet, that is the offspring who goes looking for the missing, lost, or kidnapped family member. Winter Turning, by Tui T. Sutherland continues the story of the dragonets at Jade Mountain Academy. There are some fascinating new characters as well as that pesky new prophecy to deal with. Just a great adventure.

A Brush with Shadows, by Anna Lee Huber, is another in the Lady Darby Mystery series. Sebastian and Kiera have been called home by an ailing grandfather to learn that the heir to the estate has gone missing and it is up to them to find him. There is a reason it's been fifteen years since Sebastian was here, and it's not a happy one. The past may not be what you think it was. Trusted staff may not be so trustworthy. This was a complicated twist of emotions and mystery ... and a compelling read. I loved the description of the moors.

Reading Hermit With Dog