The mother and son team writing under the pseudonym Charles Todd have launched their 11th mystery in the Bess Crawford series, about a young English nurse during and after WWI. This latest offering has Bess tracking the son of the Head of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. [The Corps was established in 1902 when Queen Alexandra was named to preside over it.] Lieutenant Lawrence Minton was posted in Paris during the peace talks when he disappears from the meetings. Bess finds him in rough shape, addicted to opium, and attempts to improve his health. But when a murder attempt is made on both her life and his, she needs to step up her efforts. A good read…
Month: December 2019
Favorite graphic novels of 2019
Two columnists from the NY Times Book Review have written a column this week on their favorite graphic novels of this year. Two of the titles reviewed are for young readers: Guts and White Bird. Guts is an autobiographical memoir about dealing with anxiety, written by Raina Telgemeier and is a wildly popular read for children. The other, White Bird is penned by R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder, and is her first graphic novel. It concerns a Jewish girl in France in hiding during the Holocaust. Check them out for a good read…
NY Times Middle Grade Best Sellers
Two of the top ten books on the best sellers list for the middle grade audience this week are cookbooks. Are kids actually cooking for their families or just making a mess in the kitchen? Either way, it is nice to see younger people taking an interest.
2019 Goodreads Challenge!
Does anyone else participate in the Goodreads reading challenge every year? You guys do use Goodreads to keep track of what you read….right? Anyway, every year I set a reading goal and I just (and just in time…YIKES) completed my goal of reading 75 books this year!
Some fun stats:
I read 21,146 pages!
The shortest book I read was 23 pages (Charlotte and Charles by Ann Tompert)
The most popular book that I read was Where The Crawdads Sing
Did you complete the challenge? What were your stats?
Mummenschanz
Beginning back in the 1970’s, Mummenschanz is back performing for audiences of all ages. They will be local at SUNY Purchase in February 2020. They are running a 2-for-1 holiday special, too! Combining movementand puppets, the silent show dazzles and delights.
“MUMMENSCHANZ has been dazzling audiences worldwide for more than 45 years. The latest creation from the “Musicians of Silence,” you & me is a surreal and enchanting experience, with large scale masks, acrobatics, sculptural puppetry, and visual antics – but no music or sound aside from the awe, joy, and laughter of the audience.”
Palisades Free Library Blog 