Jolabokaflod!

 

 

Ramblings by Jeanne 

 In Iceland, there's a tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve. Everyone then spends the evening reading their new acquisitions.  It's called Jolabokaflod, meaning Christmas Book Flood:  a fine name for a fine tradition.

I sometimes travel at the holidays and I have my own book tradition:  I visit the Gift Shop at the Bristol Public Library where there is a lovely selection of books at rock bottom prices.  I buy three or four books that look interesting but I probably wouldn't read otherwise and I take them with me to read during layovers.  I can then jettison whatever books I finish and lighten my luggage.  (I'm just not into ebooks; even if I were, the charging stations enroute are sometimes less than reliable.) 

This year I really hit the jackpot.  Every book I picked turned out to be memorable and made the time fly by-- no pun intended.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty had piqued my interest awhile back because it was set at Biltmore. The story revolves around a young girl who lives on the grounds with her father, who works for the Vanderbilts.  Serafina sees a disturbing encounter one night and becomes convinced that there is a dangerous man on the premises. The question is, can she prove it? This was a well done juvenile historical fantasy that made excellent use of its setting and introduced the reader to intriguing characters. It's the first in a series as well.

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen was an impulse choice.  I had only read one of Hiaasen's books previously, but was hoping for a return (or at least an update) on some characters from the previous books and I wasn't disappointed.  Hiaasen is known for his ecological themes, and this time the focus is on the pythons who are multiplying rapidly. His humor may not be for everyone, but this time some lines made me laugh out loud.

 As should be obvious from my reviews, I read a lot of mysteries but somehow I never started reading the Kinsey Millhone books. That was remedied when I found  A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. I was hooked from the first chapter and since have gone on to read two more in the series.

It was like a Christmas stocking full of unexpected goodies!

For about $2, I had hours of entertainment.  Yes, that's right:  $2. The BPL Gift Shop is a treasure trove!   And believe it or not, they are now having a sale with prices cut even more:  paperbacks are 10 for $1, hardback books are 50% off. You can't beat that.

So if you're still looking for gifts, do your pocketbook a favor and check out some of the bargains at the Gift Shop.  You may find just the perfect coffee table book for Uncle Joe or a great cookbook for Grandmother. Or you may be like me, and just find stuff for yourself.   At those prices, you can treat everyone!