Jeff and Jackie Meyerson sent Diane and me The Christmas Mitzvah, a book inspired by a true story. Al Rosen, a Jewish man, takes on the jobs of his Christian neighbors on Christmas Eve and day so they can spend the holiday with their families, starting a tradition that lasts for decades.

A mitzvah, as Al explains, is a good deed, especially apt on a holiday. Jeff Gottesfeld’s story concerns kindness and differences bringing people together. Michelle Laurenlia Agatha’s lovely illustrations capture the essence of the story and the people who are helped by Al Rosen’s caring acts over the years. This book was selected as a Best Jewish Children’s Book of 2021 byTablet Magazine and is a Sydney Taylor honor award!

Thank you, Jeff and Jackie, for a book that will be part of our Holliday Traditions in the years ahead! GRADE: A

Jerry House alerted me that this blog ranked #24 out of 400 mystery blogs (check it out here ). All the credit for this high ranking belongs to you. It’s the wit and wisdom of  Patti, Jeff, Deb, Richard, Beth, Todd, Art, Willam, Maggie, Bob, Tracy, Carl, Lauren, Steve, Jerry, Wolf, Stan, Dan, Neeru, Michael, Byron, Elgin, Angela, Scott, Jim, John, Kevin, Randy, James, Kent, Fred, and Matthew as well as all of you who make this blog a part of your day that made this blog #24.

The year ahead with the Presidential Election Season, multiple wars, Dark Money warping our voting, Social Media spreading lies and confusion, and divisions in our country needs some rationality and sanity. You bring it to this blog. Together, we can get through this nightmare.

Thank you, thank you very much.

When this week began, the Bills were 8 1/2 point favorites over the NEW New England Patriots. As the week went on, Vegas kept increasing the point spread for this game. Now, at kick-off time, the Bills are now favored by 14 points over the Patriots! The Bills need a win badly to clinch their Playoff spot. How will your favorite NFL perform today?

Matthew Hughes delivered another one of his wonderful entertaining novels for the Holidays: A God in Hiding. A God in Hiding takes place in a world where Magic actually works and the powerful entities who built this Universe–sometimes referred to as “gods”–affect the human civilizations around them. A God in Hiding gives a nod to Hughes’s 2022 novel, Baldemar, and characters from that novel make cameo appearences in this one.

The action centers around Lieve Reder, a captain of a riverboat–unusual for a woman–who becomes involved in a mission to retrieve a magical item for her employer. Reder is accompanied on her mission by Dai, an artificial human created by one of the mad thaumaturges (aka, wizards) of Olliphract.

Reder learns that the “item” is actually a semi-sentient tool used to create the Universe. And Evil forces want that semi-sentient being for their own nefarious plans. Plenty of deadly encounters and escapades result.

Lieve Reder seems like an ambitious, feisty character on the outside, but as the story unfolds, she learns that she and her family have unexpected abilities. Hughes throws a lot of challenges at Reder and that only adds spice to A God in Hiding. If you’re looking for a novel full of action and adventure and surprises, A God in Hiding provides all three. GRADE: B+

Merry Christmas to all of you! Our Christmas dinner includes green salad, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, Mac & Cheese, dinner rolls, and jello salad. Desserts include apple pie, Oreo Cookie Cake, and Christmas cookies. What’s on your Christmas menu?