Board books are such fun! Good Night Alaska, by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper, with illustrations by Cooper Kelly came with an unexpected surprise ... about two pages in, and upside down, were two pages from another 'Good Night' book! (I'm thinking Texas). Still, I got the 'flavor' of Alaska with the polar bears and dog teams and northern lights and so on. :-)

For something closer to home there was Good Night Seattle, by Jay Steere with illustrations by Joe Veno. All the expected landmarks are here, from the Space Needle to the house boats on Lake Union to the Museum of Flight and more. A simple, fun book!

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This is my most favorite read in some time! It only took me the span of two days to read because I started so late in the day! The Keeper of Lost Things, by Ruth Hogan is a gem of a book. We learn a bit about the lost things, where they were found, how they were lost, etc. Some 'lost' people are found again, too. And there is a wonderful connection between the beginning and the end. Simply grand!

The second book in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mysteries is Playing With Fire, by J.J. Cook. Bones have been found behind a false wall in the fire hall, which sparks an investigation, which leads, of course, to trouble! Temporary fire chief Stella Griffin deals with old legends, politicians, and secrets some want to remain hidden. Again, a nice cozy of a mystery. Warning: this book ended with even more of a cliff hanger than the first book!

Jumping right into the third book, In Hot Water, was the thing to do (although I did have to feed the dog first)! A fire (and a death) at the local 'planned community' provide a reason for getting a fire boat. There is a conflict over who should provide, it though, The death is suspicious so the state investigators are called in. Evidence disappears. And one citizen (who feels threatened by the ghost) is determined to destroy the house he haunts (the one Stella is living in). So much going on! The author, J.J. Cook, has a talent for ending chapters in such a way as you want to read on.

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Does it seem that the world is a rude place these days? What happened to manners? From Kiwi comes this 'teen approved' book about just that subject! How Rude! The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out (revised and updated edition) by Alex J. Packer. There is so much here! (almost 500 pages). Good manners are explained for every imaginable circumstance, along with a bit of history as to why we do something, as well as manners from other cultures. There's even a chapter for the parents of the teen reader, and, finally, a chapter on being polite to yourself. Lots of good information and humor!

According to Flo Wadlow, author of Over a Hot Stove: a Kitchen Maid's Story, shows such as Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey "got it wrong". Now, I've never watched either show, so I cannot speak to that, but this is a delightful memoir about what it was like to work in the big houses in England in the1930's. If any of you have watched these shows, give this book a try and see what is different. :-)

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A 'long night moon' is a night with a full moon. There are many names for these moons and some of them are featured in a wonderful picture book by that very title: long night moon, by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Mark Siegel. As much as the artist loved the text, he was unsure just what he'd use (he tried water colors, etc.). He started walking out at night which inspired him to use charcoal! Check out this wonderful book! (My favorite name for a full moon was not included. It is "moon of the shedding ponies" for May from the Lakota Sioux). :-)

A recommendation from Canadian Reader now: Tidy, by Emily Gravett. It seems that Pete, the badger, likes things tidy. Really tidy. He takes on the job of cleaning up the forest. Does he go too far? Great pictures!

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Murder in the Bowery, by Victoria Thompson is the newest in the Gaslight Mystery series. As always, full of period events (explained in the afterword) and details, these are always a great read. This time, however, do be advised that the crime is a result of disturbing events. A few nice twists and delightful character development. This is a favorite series of mine, it has been consistently good.

Al Richardson is contemplating his upcoming retirement to the small town that he loves, in the house he and his wife have fixed up over the years. He is content. Until his wife decides to buy the empty Victorian (a fixer upper in the extreme), there is a huge controversy over the painting of the local water tower, and his least favorite co-worker moves to town. The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade, by Virginia Smith was a fun, quick read of a cozy.

Tall Reader came to visit the other day, bringing still warm cookies from the oven, and a stack of books! In that stack was the first in a new-to-us mystery series, A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery titled That Old Flame of Mine, by J.J. Cook. Stella Griffin is helping the small town of Sweet Pepper get their volunteer fire crew up and running as she recovers from a shoulder injury. While there she is met with several things that shake up her life, the least of which is a ghost. An opinionated ghost. Nice story, good twists, and an ending that makes me happy the second book is also in the stack from Tall Reader! :-)

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Here's a fun book of trivia and (maybe) little known facts. There are several in the series, but this time the subject is music: The Greatest Music Stories Never Told: 100 Tales From Music History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy, by Rick Beyer. A favorite song of the south, for example, was actually with by a Northerner! Something then new saved a breakfast cereal (it was singing commercials). "Do, re, mi" is older than you think!

Is Arthur Fiedler the reason we hear the 1812 Overture (or at least part of it) around the 4th of July? Could be! And just how did a local (Tacoma) orchestra provide the cannon sounds for an indoor concert on a low budget? Who Knew?: Answers to Questions about Classical Music You Never Thought to Ask, by Robert A. Cutietta has the answers and more. This was just a great read! Lots of fun, great variety to the questions, easy to read writing style, this would be of interest those who know a lot about classical music as well as those who know very little. :-)

I have found that books about books are almost always fun, and The Secret Library: a Book-Lovers' Journey Through Curiosities of History, by Oliver Tearle is no exception. He ties common themes between books down through the ages with surprising insights on the 'first' ... vampire book, cook book, and so forth. I was reading this about the same time as America's First Daughter (August 12, 2017, post) and had learned that Jefferson started each morning with plunging his feet into ice water so was intrigued by an observation that if you keep your feet warm you can avoid headaches. Jefferson suffered from terrible headaches!

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While this area was not quite as hot as that depicted in Come On, Rain!, by Karen Hesse and pictures by Jon J. Muth, I certainly agreed with the title! After a record breaking number of dry days here in the PNW, I was ready for a cloudy, drippy day! So were the characters in the book. Loved the dance they did!

Blue Sky White Stars, by Sarvinder Naberhaus and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is an amazing combination of words that describe both our country and flag. What a wonderful imagination at work here! This is a picture book to read slowly. And more than once.

This is one of those amazing seasonal books I have been enjoying recently. This time it is about the sounds of each time of year. Look for specific things for each season, too (there are clues at the end). As with many of the books for the kiddies, Listen, Listen, written by Phillis Gershator and illustrated by Alison Jay, is best when read out loud.

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