I'm a gardner but have never tried to grow dahlias. So, trying something new interested me. Once again, this was a find in the Nook but this time it was a gift from Steve. This is a cute litte hardback with the outline of a dahlia plant on the cover as there is no dust jacket. Fate brought us together as the book was published in 1954 which is my birth year. It's full of information about growing the numerous dahlia plants with listings of the best ones in each category (there are many categories of dahlias) plus listings of which cultivars grow best in each region. But, it was somewhat dry to read because of the lack of color photos. That's because, of course , the books 70 year old publication date. I'm growing a Proven Winners Apricot dahlia plant in a pot in my front yard. It hasn't bloomed yet but I'm looking forward to that.

Loved learning about Kelly Bishop’s storied career, particularly since a lot of it I did not previously know. While it felt a bit slow about a third of the way into book for a few chapters, it helped set up the importance of her future relationships, such as her husband Lee Leonard, and showed the variety of experiences she had to make her the well known Kelly Bishop I love today.

So good, it not only captured my attention, but kept it. Such a good storyline.

A fascinating and delightful discussion with Judi Dench following her career performing in Shakespeare’s works. Full of humor, anecdotes, and insights into The Bard’s plays.

The information is interesting and some of it was new to me - the key micronutrients and related benefits breakdown was a quick way to gather helpful information. However some of the advice to increase health and longevity felt far-reaching and even somewhat insulting as there are so many people that can't simply achieve such perfect bloodwork. So it felt a little privileged and self-righteous.

Agreed with the critics it is almost a classic. An authentic and well-written tale of a young girl and her strong understanding of her Eskimo heritage and the love of nature. Refreshing, intense and heartfelt. A light but meaningful read, perfect for winter!

Thought it would be a nice escapist graphic novel but it was literally about eating cicadas! Story of a group of women who open a restaurant that serves insects- for environmental and cultural motivations.

And the subtitle is Creating a Garden that Entrances by Day and Comes Alive at Night. I've wanted to create such a garden, a "Moon Garden", for years. I have planted some white blooming flowers and some with variegated foliage to come alive at night but my ideas lack structure and follow through. I found this book helpful with the many perennials, shrubs, and trees listed as possible candidates for my space.

A dark themed beach read with characters of various unhappiness, with the setting of a wedding which should be joyous. None of the characters are particularly interesting or likeable, making this a plug through kind of book.

This was a great book, as it made the Rebecca Caudill Award list of really good middle school books. I enjoyed how there were many different subplots within the whole book.