Great gothic mystery. Just spooky enough to be fun and with characters far from perfect.

This little book (fewer than 200 pages) describes how society has fallen away from the common good in the last few decades and suggests ways to recover. I don‘t know if our society can recover, or if things have gone too far, but if everyone would read this book and think about what it says there might be hope. Well worth the time to read.

A biography of Joseph Lister, who pioneered antiseptic surgery. “Lister‘s methods transformed surgery from a butchering art to a modern science, one where newly tried and tested methodologies trumped hackneyed practices. They opened up new frontiers in medicine —-allowing us to delve further into the living body—-and in the process they saved hundreds of thousands of lives.”

“History is a collaborative discipline - a vast edifice of constantly changing knowledge - and it‘s constructed by countless squadrons of tireless scholars who beaver away in their own fields and then unselfishly share their findings with the rest of us. It‘s only thanks to their superhuman curiosity, diligence and talent that I was even remotely capable of scribbling this book. We‘ll, that, and a massive quantity of chocolate biscuits.”

The first of Thomas Cahill‘s The Hinge of History series about critical points in western civilization. Not a true linear history, more a series of vignettes, about St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland and how the monasteries copied and preserved books during the fall of the Roman Empire and then returned the knowledge to Europe afterwards. Some interesting thoughts on the randomness of history and the rise and fall of civilization.

A child‘s murder and the damage secrets can cause in families. Whose story gets to be told? And who gets to tell it? Thought provoking read. Would be a good book club choice.

Really enjoyed this one. The author is a writer from England who moves with her husband to Denmark. She tells the story of their year while looking for all the reasons why the Danes are the happiest people in the world. Along the way she learns some lessons that any of us can apply to our lives.

Interesting look inside Secret Service coverage of the president and how it (and the world) has changed since the 50s. Mr Hill has also written books about the Kennedy Assassination and his time protecting Jackie Kennedy.

Quick, enjoyable, read about the history of The White House, told using the stories of some presidents and how they used and changed the building. Covers from the construction of the building under George Washington (although not completed until after he left office) through Obama. A number of black and white photos help tell the story. “May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof” John Adams. I‘d give it 4 stars.

Just starting The Dancing Goddesses by Elizabeth Wayland Barber. I loved her previous books, Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years and The Mummies of Urumchi. This one is about folklore and the origins of dance in Europe. Perfect for a breezy day on the porch.

What makes a home? And how has the concept changed over the last few centuries? Very readable exploration of these ideas. Ultimately, there's no place like home.

"Wild and tame, home bound and footloose, these cats increasingly preside over nature and culture, the concrete jungles and the real ones beyond. They have seized control of cities, continents, even cyberspace. In many ways, they rule us." Being owned by four of the little furry souls, I can relate. This just arrived and I'm just staring it. Good read for a rainy night.

"This is the untold story of Lincoln's assassination: the story of what the backstage workers and onstage actors witnessed when President Abraham Lincoln was shot.
The theatre in which John Wilkes Booth committed the most infamous crime in American history was crammed, as usual, with actors, stagehands, doorkeepers, promoters, musicians, costumers,callboys--the whole multifarious crew required to put on a play on the nineteenth-century stage."

Following Agatha Christie on her journey from England to Iraq. Eames' book was written shortly after 9/11 and is a combination of Agatha's story with modern history. Great for fans of Agatha Christie and Murder on the Orient Express. "In the modern world there are few journeys which are far more complex and difficult than they were seventy-five years ago, but to travel from London to Baghdad by train is one of them."

Just in time for Rio2016. History of the modern Olympic Games that's very readable. Wonderful complement to what's going on in Rio.