Day 199: The Velveteen Rabbit

Chatting Books Online Day 199. Today's recommended book is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.

This is the endearing story of how a child's love can make a plush toy become real. This beautiful story book with original artwork by William Nicholson was first published in 1922 . If you ever doubted the power of a child's love and magical fairies this story takes those doubts away. And what a life this sweet Christmas present bunny lived first as a much loved toy and then as a real hopping, bouncing rabbit in the bramble,.

Enjoy this lovely hardcover edition that sells for just $13.95 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , Mask Up and believe in the power of nursery magic!

Day 198: Garden Miscelany

Chatting Books Online Day 198. Today's recommended book is A Garden Miscellany: An Illustrated Guide to the elements of the Garden by Suzanne Staubach.

For you garden book fans, this is a fairly new title from The Timber Press (so you know it is well done). It is a hardcover book that explains all the ingredients possible in a garden from A - Z - or should I say from Allee to Yard. On each page it gives a description of some item of miscellany you may wish to add to your garden. It gives an illustration of said item and a description and most interestingly a history of its use in gardens. For instance it tells us that Allee , a promenade usually of trees, is named suc derived from the French word aller meaning "to go" which makes perfect sense when you think about it , and yet the connection has never occurred to me until I read this book! It goes on to explain so many items like Follies and Pergolas, Summerhouses, and Cold Frames, and even gives a description of a Ha-Ha and its use.

This delightful hardcover book is 220 pages and sells for $ 27.50 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , Mask Up and Get Lost in Your Garden!

Day 197: The Story of Ferdinand

Chatting Books Online Day 197. Today's recommended book is The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. This classic tale tells the story of a great big bull named Ferdinand who did not want to fight and buck but instead preferred to spend his days peacefully sitting under his favorite and smelling the flowers. I think we can all take a lesson from Ferdinand.

We carry this storybook in two versions. A board book which sells for $8.99 , and as a traditional storybook which sells for $ 17.99.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , Mask Up and Take Time to Smell the Flowers!

Day 196: The Week in Review ; Sept. 21- 27, 2020

Chatting Books Online Day 196. The Week in Review Sept 21-27, 2020. It is hard to believe that before we finish recommendations next week I will have been writing these for more than 200 consecutive days. I must really like books!

This week’s recommendations brought a book about Those Darn Squirrels! and another about a wooden toy who dreamed of being a real boy . A book on organizing our closets and another on baking delicious southern treats. And finally an all-time favorite by Jane Austen. Pretty good week I should say . Now, I wonder what day 200 will bring , it better be special!

This week’s recommendations were: Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin, The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, The Good Book of Southern Baking by Kelly Fields, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

If you missed any of these reviews and want to read what I had to say about them you can see all of our Chatting Books Online picks by visiting our website at: http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online .

We still (and always will going forward) offer shipping if you cannot make it to the store. Or just stop by the shop Monday - Saturday between 10:00am and 4pm and between Noon and 4pm on Sundays.

Day 195: Pride and Prejudice

Chatting Books Online Day 195. How is it possible that I have made it all the way to Day 195 without TECHNICALLY recommending Pride and Prejudice yet? I say "technically" because I did recommend Pride and Prejudice Paper Dolls a while back, but that is not at all the same as recommending the real thing. So without further delay, today’s recommended book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I know it is cliche to say that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time, and is probably my favorite by Austen (though in truth I like them all), but alas cliche or not it is true. The story of the Bennet sisters and their search for husbands - or their fight against the very idea has - always captivated me. I think I like the way Lizzie and Mr Darcey spar with each other , a quick wit can be very attractive you know. Back in the before times, when travel was allowed, I attended a lecture actually held at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) where the topic was "Women Behaving Badly" and was about the women in Jane Austen's novels (Jane Austen's childhood home was less than 30 miles from Highclere). In that talk I found it so interesting to learn about how very bold the women in this and other Austen novels were for their time . These strong minded, strong willed women were rebels! Maybe that's why I have always liked them so much. I must like them I even named one of the bookstore chicken's Lizzie Bennet ( what ? you didn't know we have literary chickens at the bookstore? Of course we do - three of them. Lizzie Bennet, Jo March and Princess Buttercup.). But again I digress.

The edition we carry currently is a lovely cloth over hardcover book from the Penguin Classics Collection. It has 435 pages and currently sells for $25.00 a copy. It is a book to treasure for a lifetime

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care .

Day 194: The Good Book of Southern Baking

Chatting Books Online Day 194. Today's hot off the presses book recommendation is : The Good Book of Southern Baking: A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread by Kelly Fields.

This newly released cookbook came to my attention when I saw a friend of mine, who happens to be a pastry chef, raving about it on Facebook. What is this new cookbook, I wondered? And why have I not heard of it yet! Well the why hadn't I heard of it was easy - it was just released on Sept 8, 2020 and with no book launches or release parties or signings in the current climate I just missed this one ...almost!

Kelly Fields is the chef behind Willa Jean's in New Orleans and was previously at Susan Spicer's Spice and Restaurant August. She won the Outstanding Pastry Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and has been called one of the most influential people of the South by Garden and Gun. In this new book She is determined to cover us all in light and fluffy cornbread (the secret is a blend of flours and letting it rest over night in the fridge before baking), delightful biscuits , and delectable cookies and cakes. I for one and happy to do all the tasting ! The book starts out with great tips and techniques - things I never knew, like the condition of my baking sheet may cause my cookies to become too dark on the bottoms before the cookies are done - how did I knot know this ?

I cannot wait to try the recipe called "My Mom's Peach, Blackberry, and Bourbon Cobbler" it sounds like a southerner's summer dream come true.

Pick up a copy of this wonderful new gem of a cookbook at The Conundrum . It is hardcover, with 328 pages of delicious recipes and delightful pictures. The book sells for $35.00 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , and Bake something Southern and Delicious ! .

Day 193: The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves

Chatting Books Online Day 193. Today I would like to recommend an outstanding audiobook for your listening pleasure: The Darkest Evening by Anne Cleaves.

After listening this to this book I discovered that it is part of a series (The Vera Stanhope series), and I can tell you as someone who has never read , or listened to one of these books, nor seen the British TV drama I now know exists I can honestly tell you you do not have to have read the other 8 books in the series - but the great news is if you do like it there are 8 more to enjoy!

The reason I am recommending this is because I not only enjoyed the writing and the action of this thriller, but I also loved the voices listening to it. The book is set in and around a country manor house in rural England so the accents transport you but there is also something about the recording that makes you absolutely feel the cold of the English countryside in the days just before Christmas.

Detective Vera Stanhope makes a wrong turn on a snowy night and happens upon an abandoned vehicle with a toddler still inside. As Vera begins investigating and trying to get the child to safety she comes across the manor house which she actually remembers from her childhood as it is the ancestral home of her black sheep father's family which she hasn't visited in decades.

I will definitely be listening to more from this series, makes drive time go by in a flash!

If you would like information on ordering audiobooks through The Conundrum and our partner Libro just message me and I will be happy to send you a link. It is easy to use, and with a membership you save considerable money on each book.

You can download the audiobook through our store by using this link: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250771469

or you can buy a hardcover copy in store for $27.99 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , and Mask Up, and when you can't read, listen to a book!

Day 192: The Home Edit

Chatting Books Online Day 192. Today's recommended book is THE HOME EDIT: A GUIDE to ORGANIZING and REALIZING YOUR HOUSE GOALS by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin.

Clea and Joanna have a show on Netflix by this same name. I am currently obsessed with this show. In each week they reorganize some part of two houses , one is generally a celebrity (so a bit of looky loo voyeuristic pleasure here) , and the other is just a normal , non-famous family.

When the show and book were first recommended to me I thought "Oh, it's another 'sparking joy' marie kondo-esque type show", but I watched it anyway - let me tell you it is NOT ! These girls are down to earth, real, there is no shame in their organizing game kinda people. I read their book and instead of getting intimidated I feel a sense of calm just looking at the beautiful organized spaces and learning how to do them for myself (though I seriously may still hire a professional to help me). I just really want my world to look like this.

For those of me who know me well you know that I have a dark , messy secret. While my spaces (home, shop etc) always look very neat and even spartan - do not, I repeat, DO NOT , open a closet or a drawer, or go in the back room of the bookshop. You will likely be crushed by what falls out and we may never find you. Well this book has finally inspired me to bring order to this chaos. They actually mention in the book how the hidden mess may be weighing you down in life and causing stress - yes! It is, why have I never identified this before? I cannot wait to jump into my first project (one drawer at a time, small bites , as they suggest) . I plan to start with the kitchen junk drawers - if you see the junk drawers in their book you would be amazed - they actually close without finagling, and everything in them is useful and organized!

The book starts by telling you Clea and Joanna's story , then goes on to outline the process. Edit , Categorize, Contain. Everything is useful, and pleasing to the eye. I cannot wait to get started.

Fair warning, the girls just launched a new book The Home Edit Life , which I should receive copies of later this week. I fully expect the first copy will immediately become mine and I will jump right in. If it is anything like this one I think you should expect to see another recommendation following shortly thereafter for that book as well!

O.K. , enough typing for now I have drawers to empty out , clear plastic storage bins and a label maker to buy and obviously a lot of scarves to transform into donuts (or are they cinnamon buns?) via the Sumner method , - that's a little inside joke for show fans.

The book is paperback, 256 pages, and sells for $24.99 a copy.

To purchase a copy of this book come see us Mondays - Saturdays between 10:00am and 4pm, and Sundays between Noon and 4pm at the shop, or you can message me and we can ship a copy directly to you. Take Care , and Mask Up, and go organize something - then have some candy and/or champagne, you deserve it ! .