The Cat Who Went Up the Creek by Lilian Jackson Braun, 226 pages

 Pickax's favorite columnist, James Qwilleran, is enjoying a brief holiday in the nearby town of Black Creek - but his two Siamese, who prefer the spaciousness of their home, beg to differ. The blissful tranquility is soon interrupted by the discovery of a body floating down the creek. And a possible motive for his murder is suggested when several gold nuggets are found in his possession. Might he have been illegally prospecting for gold? If so, it seems he wasn't the only one in search of an easy fortune. And his competitor is far more determined to strike it rich..

B & V Friends Jumbo Comics #277, 226 pages

 “What, Me ‘Warrior’?” Betty and Veronica are competing to be on an episode of US Athletic Warriors—and you may be very surprised to find out who makes the cut!

The Core of an Onion: Peeling the Rarest Common Food- Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes by Mark Kurlansky, 226 pages

 From the New York Times- bestselling author of Cod and Salt , a delectable look at the cultural, historical, and gastronomical layers of one of the world's most beloved culinary staples - featuring original illustrations and recipes from around the world.

As Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions.”

Historically, she's been right-and not just in the kitchen. Flourishing in just about every climate and culture around the world, onions have provided the essential basis not only for sautés, stews, and sauces, but for medicines, metaphors, and folklore. Now they're Kurlansky's most flavorful infatuation yet as he sets out to explore how and why the crop reigns from Italy to India and everywhere in between.

Featuring historical images and his own pen-and-ink drawings, Kurlansky begins with the science and history of the only sulfuric acid–spewing plant, then digs through its twenty varieties and the cultures built around them. Entering the kitchen, Kurlansky celebrates the raw, roasted, creamed, marinated, and pickled. Including a recipe section featuring more than one hundred dishes from around the world, The Core of an Onion shares the secrets to celebrated Parisian chef Alain Senderens's onion soup eaten to cure late-night drunkenness; Hemingway's raw onion and peanut butter sandwich; and the Gibson, a debonair gin martini garnished with a pickled onion.

Just as the scent of sautéed onions will lure anyone to the kitchen, The Core of an Onion is sure to draw readers into their savory stories at first taste.

How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America: A History of the Iconic Ad Council Campaigns by Wendy Melillo, 226 pages

 How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America: A History of Iconic Ad Council Campaigns details how public service advertising campaigns became part of our national conversation and changed us as a society. The Ad Council began during World War II as a propaganda arm of President Roosevelt's administration to preserve its business interests. Happily for the ad industry, it was a double play: the government got top-notch work; the industry got an insider relationship that proved useful when warding off regulation. From Rosie the Riveter to Smokey Bear to McGruff the Crime Dog, How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America explores the issues and campaigns that have been paramount to the nation's collective memory and looks at challenges facing public service campaigns in the current media environment.

Archie Jumbo Comics #318, 226 pages

 

World of Archie Jumbo Comics #108, 226 pages

 

Archie Jumbo Comics #317, 226 pages

 

World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #109, 226 pages

 

B & V Friends Double Digest #229, 226 pages

 Cheryl Blossom is running for class president unopposed. Not willing to stand by and watch Cheryl come into power, Veronica rolls up her sleeves and throws her hat in the ring. Which of Riverdale's most popular students will be elected the next class president when it comes down to one vote? The answer lies at the conclusion of 'Madam President!' 

Betty and Veronica Double Digest #117, 226 pages

 

Betty and Veronica Double Digest #107, 226 pages

 

Betty and Veronica Double Digest #105, 226 pages

 

B & V Friends Double Digest #248, 226 pages

The time has come for Ethel to have her moment in the spotlight -- when she performs at a comedy club! Betty, Veronica and all of their friends have done all they could to support their friend Ethel -- but will they still be laughing when they find out the target of her jokes? Find out in "Make 'Em Laugh," this hilarious BRAND NEW lead story to this comics digest!

Winter in Thrush Green by Miss Read, 226 pages

In the follow-up to Thrush Green, the arrival of a stranger in the village stirs ripples of speculation and interest

Betty and Veronica Double Digest No. 198, 226 pages

Another fun collection.

Thrush Green by Miss Read, 226 pages

Miss Read's charming chronicles of small-town life have achieved an almost legendary popularity worldwide by offering a welcome return to a gentler time and "wit, humor, and wisdom in equal measure" (Cleveland Plain Dealer). This volume introduces Thrush Green, the neighboring village to Fairacre: its blackthorn bushes, thatch-roofed cottages, enchanting landscape, and jumble sales. Readers will delight in a new cast of characters and also welcome familiar faces as they become immersed in the village's turn of events on one pivotal day -- May Day. Before the day is over, life and love and perhaps eternity will touch the immemorial peace of the village.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, 226 pages

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, 226 pages

Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.
"Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer."

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.
A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works, is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they're perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite has written a deliciously deadly debut that's as fun as it is frightening.

This was a really enjoyable read. The format was intriguing, the shape and layout of the book was interesting, including the page number fonts, and the whole experience was great. I definitely recommend this book.

The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn, 226 pages

I have become quite a fan of this mystery series. Set in 1920s England, featuring Daisy Dalrymple and a cast of interesting characters. Very well done.

Almost Interesting by David Spade, 226 pages

I'm a sucker for biographies of actors I like, and David Spade falls into that category. It was interesting to see behind the curtain so to speak. The book wasn't nearly as snarky as I thought it would be but was still a good read.