Zombie Need Love Too by Mark Tatulli, 128 pages

My only regret with these Lio collections is that there aren't more of them. The cartoons are sick, twisted, funny, and sweet all at once, like my family.

A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story by Brnda Ashford, 304 pages

The true story of who has been termed Britain's longest-serving nanny, Brenda Ashford. She was trained at the Norland College, an institute for British nannies, and has cared for more than 100 children. She started before World War II and has seen significant changes in society, women's rights and childcare throughout her long career. A little bit Mary Poppins and a little bit Super Nanny, this was an interesting and entertaining read.

Behind the Burly Q: The Story of Burlesque in America by Leslie Zemeckis, 360 pages

This was an extremely fascinating read covering Burlesque from it's early start in the 1880s up to it's dying breath in the 1960s. A lot of famous comedians got their start doing burlesque shows, including Abbot and Costello and Red Buttons, with Alan Alda even growing up offstage watching his dad be a straight man to comedians. This indepth look includes a multitude of interviews with former dancers, strippers, comedians, singers (one type was even called a tit singer), and club owners. Burlesque was considered an act or art form, until flashing become the norm and it started a downhill slide. Shows were a cheap entertainment, especially during the Depression where a man could get hours of variety entertainment for very little money. I hadn't realized that circuses of the time featured burlesque shows as well. I have a new appreciation for a truly American art that has started to feature a comeback, but will never enjoy a heyday like it did in the early 1900s.

Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead, 310 pages

As a fan of anything English, historical, and with a non-fiction bent, I was all set to love this book that followed the career of Harry Gordon Selfridge, the man who really brought the department store to England. Unfortunately, this wasn't a bad read, it just wasn't a great read. While it was interesting to see how Selfridge made shopping at his store an entertainment experience, and changed how Londoners shopped, this book just didn't grab me. I will say it could be the fact that I was sick at the time, so please pick this book up with an open mind.

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, 110 pages

I've been re-reading some of the amazing children's fiction that was written around 100 years ago, especially those featuring spunky female characters. Jerusha (Patty) Abbott was an orphan girl, who at 17 was given the chance to go to college to become a writer through the beneficence of a anonymous donor. Patty got a glimpse of "Mr. Smith", and titles him Daddy Long Legs in the monthly letters she writes him. Patty grabs hold of each and every experience, gathering happiness after what has been a long drought in the orphanage. She is determined to gain all she can through college, and become a self sufficient writer as soon as possible. Her letters to Daddy Long Legs soon start to alter his hands off approach, and Patty's enthusiasm for life and those around her works it's magic on him. This is yet another classic that leaves the reader smiling, and serves as a good example of the wonderful literature dating from the early twentieth century.

Cut to the Bone by Jefferson Bass, 368 pages

This book serves as a prequel for the Bill Brockton series and shows the creation of the Body Farm, and his first encounter with a deadly serial killer. In 1992 Bill Brockton is the head of the Anthropology Department at the University of Tennessee, and is upset by the lack of proper guidelines for proving time of death. So he creates a rather macabre research facility devoted to studying the decay of bodies after death. Meanwhile, Dr. Brockton is called in to help investigate some deaths that bear an uncanny resemblance to previous cases. Soon Dr. Brockton realizes he is in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a serial killer out for revenge. And the game could end up costing him all he loves along with his life.
This series is a must read for fans of Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell, along with any CSI fanatics. The authors use their background to create a realistic and attention-grabbing book, that has the reader eagerly turning each page.

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger, 320 pages

I've been hooked on Gail Carriger since her Soulless series. So when I discovered she had a new teen series set in the same world, it was a must read. This steampunk spy series features a finishing school for ladies that trains them to be the best spies. It's filled with intrigue, humor, and a great steampunk twist on Regency romance and paranormal creatures.

What gloves go best with foxglove poison? What is the seating arrangement for a deadly dinner party? Sophronia is sure to discover the answers to these pressing problems at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Her first year was a success in that she survived, and Sophronia is determined to continue her winning streak. A field trip to London though promises adventure and intrigue that could take down a nation, along with ending Sophronia's life, or worse, leaving her in public with a wrinkled dress.