What were your favorite programs of 2016?

What were your favorite movies of 2016?

What were your favorite books of 2016?

Christmas came early at the Kelley household. Diane decided since Patrick and Katie were home, they could help us choose and install a new HDTV. Our trusty SONY 46″ Bravia was obsolete and it was time to upgrade. Patrick researched HDTVs and found the SONY XBR X850D offered the best value. Diane and I have had very good luck with our other SONY products over the years. We considered SAMSUNG but with their phones catching on fire and their washers flinging parts around, we decided to make the Safe and Dependable choice. The new HDTV was delivered a couple days ago, Patrick set it up, and now we’re enjoyed the bigger, crisper brilliant screen and the enhanced sound. Highly recommended!

Hope Santa leaves that Special Gift you’ve been yearning for under your tree!

I’ve been a fan of the Waugh, Greenberg, and Asimov anthologies. This Avon paperback appeared in 1981. I liked Ellery Queen’s “The Dauphin’s Doll,” Edward D. Hoch’s “The Problem of the Church Steeple,” Stanley Ellin’s “Death of Christmas Eve,” and August Derleth’s “The Adventure of the Unique Dickensians.” If you’re looking for mystery stories to put you in the Christmas spirit, I recommend The Twelve Crimes of Christmas. GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION: Noel, Noel! by Isaac Asimov
CHRISTMAS PARTY by Rex Stout
DO YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPLIFTING EARLY by Robert Somerlott
THE NECKLACE OF PEARLS by Dorothy L. Sayers
CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS by Alice Scanlan Reach
THE CHRISTMAS MASQUE by S. S. Rafferty
THE DAUPHIN’S DOLL by Ellery Queen
BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE by Nick O’Donohoe
THE PROBLEM OF THE CHRISTMAS STEEPLE by Edward D. Hoch
DEATH ON CHRISTMAS EVE by Stanley Ellin
THE ADVENTURE OF THE UNIQUE DICKENSIANS by August Derleth
BLIND MAN’S HOOD by John Dickson Carr
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS by Isaac Asimov

If you’re a fan of Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries, you’ll enjoy Elsa Hart’s Jade Dragon Mountain. An itinerant scholar, Li Du, arrives in a village just a week before the Emperor of China is due to visit. Li Du talks to a Jesuit astronomer about the upcoming eclipse. Li Du also hears an argument between the Jesuit and an East India Company merchant. Shortly thereafter, Li Du finds the body of the murdered Jesuit. The magistrate asked Li Du to investigate the crime and he uncovers many secrets. As the day of the Emperor’s arrival approaches, the tension increases as plots abound. If you enjoy twisty plots, political intrigue, and red herrings, Jade Dragon Mountain is the mystery for you! I hope Elsa Hart writes another mystery featuring the brainy Li Du! GRADE: B

Francine Prose’s latest novel is a screwball comedy involving a musical play based on a best selling children’s book titled Mister Monkey. The play is terrible but kids love it. It’s the story of a larcenous pet chimpanzee and his antics in New York City. The play generates a lot of jobs and money. Prose shows how many of the principle characters involved in the play react to its continuing success. Ray, the author of the best selling children’s book, realizes the musical is bad but the allure of the money overwhelms him. Lakshmi, the musical’s costume designer, imagines herself as the star of the production. Margot, who plays the chimpanzee’s lawyer in the musical, struggles with her success in a dreadful production and begins to see her acting career goals slipping away. Wacky, surprising, and funny, Mister Monkey tells a tale of success and its costs. GRADE: B

I’m a fan of these DC animated movies. In Batman: Bad Blood (2016), Batman battles Firefly, Tusk, and Killer Moth. But after a titanic battle, Batman disappears. Robin and Nightwing form an uneasy alliance with Batwoman and newcommer, Batwing. Together, they take on a new villian, Heretic. This Blu-ray feture looks great! Special features include: “Putting the Fight in Gotham: and “Expanding the Batman Family” featurettes, two bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault, and a Sneak Peek at the next DC animated movie, Justice League VS. Teen Titans. This Blu-ray would make a great stocking stuffer! GRADE: B+