I decided to reread Great Detectives: A Century of the Best Mysteries From England and America. Editor David Willis McCullough assembled a great anthology of stories including TWO complete novels: Ross Macdonald’s The Chill and Ruth Rendell’s Death Notes. I can’t think of many mystery anthologies that include a complete novel in addition to the short stories.

Several classic mystery writers are represented: Sayers, Chesterton, Christie, Crispin, Queen, and Stout. Private eyes of the Hammett and Chandler variety are here. I was surprised by mysteries by William Faulkner and Ray Bradbury and Israel Zangwill. Robert van Gulik’s “The Murder on the Lotus Pond” is one of my favorites as is “Never Shake a Family Tree” by Donald E. Westlake. If you’re a fan of police procedurals, you’ll enjoy Ed McBain’s “Sadie When She Died.”

In timely fashion, P.D. James’ “The Murder of Santa Claus” shows up. Great Detectives is a great anthology. If you have a mystery enthusiast on your Gift List, this book would be received with excitement and joy! Do you have a favorite mystery anthology? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Foreword / David Willis McCullough — ix
The big bow mystery / Israel Zangwill — 1
The queen’s square / Dorothy L. Sayers — 85
The invisible man / G.K. Chesterton — 101
The girl in the train / Agatha Christie — 115
The murder on the lotus pond / Robert van Gulik — 131
Hand upon the waters / William Faulkner — 147
The Sam Spade stories: A man called Spade ; They can only hang you once ; Too many have lived / Dashiell Hammett — 161
The hunchback cat / Edmund Crispin — 215
Trouble is my business / Raymond Chandler — 221
The adventure of Abraham Lincoln’s clue / Ellery Queen — 265
See no evil / Rex Stout — 281
Yesterday I lived! / Ray Bradbury — 339
The chill / Ross Macdonald — 343
The murder of Santa Claus / P.D. James — 533
Never shake a family tree / Donald E. Westlake — 555
Death notes / Ruth Rendell — 568
Sadie when she died / Ed McBain — 697

Director John Watts, who has directed all three of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films, brings audiences a dazzling movie for the Holidays. Script writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deliver a roller coaster effect in this movie: at one point, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend Ned (Jacob Battalon) worry about their chances of being accepted to MIT. The next moment, all hell breaks lose as Peter meddles with a spell by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) that opens the doors to the Multiverse.

The result is supervillains from other dimensions start to appear on our world: Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Electro (Jamie Foxx). Peter Parker realizes he has really screwed up the Universe and tries to fix it with the help of MJ and Ned but things spiral out of control!

Mid-way through Spider-Man: No Way Home, during one of the quiet moments in this 148 minute movie, I started to think: what am I doing in this sold-out theater with Covid-19 surging in Western New York? Is my N95 mask enough to protect me?

But then the roller coaster action zoomed upward and I was lost in the action again. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a cinematic thrill ride! If this is the last movie I see in a theater until deep into 2022, I’m all right with it. GRADE: A-

I’m a big fan of Ann Patchett’s work. Diane’s Book Club read Patchett’s Bel Canto and some of the members consider it the best book they ever read! I’ve reviewed The Dutch House (you can read my review here) and This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage (you can read that review here).

Ann Patchett’s latest work is a collection of her essays. Diane and I decided to listen to the audiobook version (9 CDs, 11 hours and 15 minutes). Ann Patchett proves to be a wonderful narrator!

The diversity of subjects Ann Patchett writes about impressed me. From “Three Fathers” to Patchett hosting “The First Thanksgiving” as an adult, to her experiences in Paris as a student, Patchett presents her own view of Life with the decisions she makes. And in some cases, like “To the Doghouse,” Patchett admits reading Peanuts comics and learning from Snoopy affected her writing and her Life.

My favorite essays in These Precious Days are “Eudora Welty, an Introduction.” Welty became such an important writer to Ann Patchett that she drove from Nashville to Jackson, Mississippi to attend Welty’s funeral. I also loved “Reading Kate DiCamillo,” where Patchett discovers a writer and ends up with a great friend.

If you’re looking for intelligent, interesting, and moving essays, I highly recommend These Precious Days. This would make a great Holiday Gift for that book lover on your Gift List! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Essays don’t die — 1
Three fathers — 9
First Thanksgiving — 37
The Paris tattoo — 43
My year of no shopping — 51
The worthless servant — 59
How to practice — 77
To the doghouse — 103
Eudora Welty, an introduction — 113
Flight plan — 121
How knitting saved my life. Twice. — 149
Tavia — 159
There are no children here — 169
A paper ticket is good for one year — 206
The moment nothing changed — 213
The nightstand — 220
A talk to the Association of Graduate School Deans in the Humanities — 252
Cover stories — 272
Reading Kate DiCamillo — 287
Sisters — 297
These precious days — 304
Two more things I want to say about my father — 302
What the American Academy of Arts and Letters taught me about death — 404
Epilogue: a day at the beach — 414

Acknowledgements — 423

After two straight disappointing losses to the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 7-6 Buffalo Bills find themselves barely in the Playoff picture. Today, the Bills take on the stumbling Carolina Panthers (5-8). The Bills need a win badly. Quarterback Josh Allen has a sprained ankle so he may or may not play today. If Allen can’t go, backup QB Mitch Trubisky–the former Chicago Bears quarterback–will have to engineer a win. The Bills are 10 1/2 point favorites. How will your favorite NFL team perform today?

I’m always fascinated by the creative process so a book like How to Write a Mystery is a must-read for me. The object of books like this is to give the reader (and potential writer) some tips on how to get started. For example, two of my favorite chapters are “Always Outline!” by Jeffery Deaver and “Never Outline!” by Lee Child. Both successful authors argue their approach–basically a debate about structure–and show how they write novels. Very revealing!

If I was still teaching, I’d give all of my students a copy of Laurie R. King’s “The Art of the Rewrite” before assigning the Research Paper I required each semester.

Louise Penny’s “Building Your Community” shows how a place becomes a character in books. William Kent Krueger elaborates on that aspect in his essay, “Setting.” Max Allan Collins, who has written just about everything, offers “Tie Ins and Continuing a Character.” All in all, How to Write a Mystery presents plenty of writing tips and shares some writing secrets from your favorite mystery writers. Well worth a look! GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

Introduction Lee Child 1

The Rules and Genres

The Rules-and When to Break Them Neil Nyren 5

Carved in stone or gentle suggestions: what are the rules in the mystery genre, why do they matter, and when don’t they matter?

Carolyn Hart 12

Keeping It Thrilling Meg Gardiner 13

Nine things your thriller needs to be lean, mean, and exhilarating.

Beth Amos 22

Insider, Outsider: The Amateur Sleuth Naomi Hirahara 23

The point, and point of view, of your accidental detective.

Lindsey Davis 33

Finding Lou: The Police Procedural Rachel Howzell Hall 34

Are you a cop, or do you just play one on the page?

Linwood Barclay 39

The Mindset of Darkness: Writing Noir Alex Segura 40

It’s about character: the flawed protagonist and letting your characters fail.

Hank Phillippi Ryan 46

Crossing the Genres Charlaine Harris 48

Mixing your mystery with a vampire, a talking cow, or a love interest?

Kate White 51

The Historical Mystery Jacqueline Winspear 52

Time, place, and the past.

Suzanne Chazin 58

The Medical Thriller Tess Gerritsen 59

Playing on the reader’s real-life fears and hunger for insider knowledge.

Gigi Pandian 66

Researching the Spy Thriller Gayle Lynds 67

Or: Why can’t I just make it all up?

Stephanie Kane 75

Other Mysteries

Mysteries for Children: An Introduction Susan Vaught 79

The kids’ mystery, from picture books to YA-expectations and some hints.

C. M. Surrisi 83

Unleash Your Inner Child Chris Grabenstein 84

Middle-grade mysteries: you, too, can become a rock star for ten-year-olds.

Elizabeth Sims 91

The Young Adult Mystery Kelley Armstrong 92

Complex, authentic stories for the young adult-emphasis on adult.

Pat Gallant Weich 101

Graphic Novels Dale W. Berry Gary Phillips 103

The mystery within the panels: your conversation with words and pictures.

Dag Öhrlund 113

The Short Mystery Art Taylor 114

What do the characters (and readers) want in your mystery short story?

Charles Salzberg 121

Ten Stupid Questions about True Crime Daniel Stashower 122

Building a vivid page-turner, out of nothing but facts.

Carole Buggé 129

The Writing

On Style Lyndsay Faye 133

The writer’s voice, or, cooking with cadence, rhythm, and audacity.

Steve Hockensmith 142

Always Outline! Jeffery Deaver 143

The why and the how of planning it out first.

Rob Hart 150

Hallie Ephron 151

Never Outline! Lee Child 152

The argument for spontaneity.

Shelly Frome 156

The Art of the Rewrite Laurie R. King 157

Turning your raw first draft into a clear, compelling story.

Rae Franklin James 164

Leslie Budewitz 165

Plot and the Bones of a Mystery Deborah Crombie 166

Bringing together all the elements of your novel so it stands strong.

Tim Maleeny 172

Robert Lopresti 173

Diversity in Crime Fiction Frankie Y. Bailey 174

Enriching your novel by writing characters, not categories.

Elaine Viets 183

The Protagonist Allison Brennan 184

Your hero: the one we relate to, the one who drives the story.

Stephanie Kay Bendel 191

The Villain of the Piece T. Jefferson Parker 192

Your hero in reverse: the forces that create a vivid villain.

Kris Neri 198

Supporting Characters Craig Johnson 199

The chorus of voices that backs up your protagonist.

Gay Toltl Kinman 204

Writing the Talk Greg Herren 205

Dialogue that sounds true, reveals character, and draws in the reader.

Bradley Harper 212

Stephen Ross 213

Setting William Kent Krueger 214

Your most versatile element: backdrop, player, and the all-pervading sense of place.

Thomas B. Sawyer 222

Humor in Crime Fiction Catriona McPherson 223

Funny mystery, or mystery with fun: why, how, and when to stop?

James W. Ziskin 231

Writing in Partnership Caroline Charles Todd 232

Two writers with one voice: how we learned to collaborate.

Bradley Harper 237

Tie-Ins and Continuing a Character Max Allan Collins 238

Playing in someone else’s sandbox.

Hal Bodner 245

After the Writing

Secrets of a Book Critic Oline H. Cogdill 249

Reviews and reviewers: what to learn from them, and what to ignore.

Marilyn Stasio 257

Self-Publishing Liliana Hart 258

How to flourish as an independently published writer.

Nancy J. Cohen 266

Authors Online Maddee James 267

Building your author identity and reaching out to readers, online.

Mysti Berry 275

Building Your Community Louise Penny 276

It’s the writer, not the book: finding a home in the virtual village.

Bev Vincent 284

Legal Considerations Daniel Steven 285

What every mystery writer needs to know about publishing law.

About the Contributors 291

Contributor Permissions 309

Index 315

Generous Beth Fedyn sent me an Advance Reading Copy of Christopher Leonard’s brilliant The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy. Of course I dropped everything and read it immediately.

Christopher Leonard uses an historical approach to matching the actions of the Federal Reserve–under Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, and Jerome Powell–and the dire economic consequences of their monetary policies.

Leonard starts with Greenspan who for 15 years, mostly kept interest rates low. Everybody loved that…until the housing bubble–fueled by those low interest rates–almost collapsed our economy in 2008. Ben Bernanke invented “Quantitative Easing” to stimulate the economy after the 2008 crash. But that resulted in a slow growing economy. Janet Yellen balanced economic growth and inflation during her term as head of the Federal Reserve. But Trump replaced her with Jerome Powell, our present Fed chief, who faces the problems of inflation and an economy with too few workers caused by the Pandemic.

Christopher Leonard takes us behind the scenes of the Fed meetings and shows the disputes that took place while the Federal Reserve outwardly projected unity.

This week Jerome Powell signaled at least THREE interest rate increases in 2022. Yes, everything will cost more so BUY IT NOW! The increases are aimed at reducing inflation which is at an uncomfortable of 6.8% (the Fed target is 2%). If you want to understand our monetary system and learn why inequity has risen because of the Fed, The Lords of Easy Money will supply you with all the answers. Thanks, Beth! You’re the best! GRADE:A (The Lords of Easy Money will be published January 11, 2022)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART 1: “RESPECTFULLY, NO” — 1

1. Going Below Zero — 3
2. Serious Numbers — 33
3. The Green Inflation(s) — 53
4. Fedspeak — 71
5. The Overmighty Citizen– 91
6. Money Bomb — 107

PART 2: THE AGE OF ZIRP — 123

7. Quantitative Quagmire — 125

8. The Fixer — 151

9. The Risk Machine — 171

10. The ZIRP Regime — 185

11. The Hornig Rule — 201

12. Totally Normal — 221

PART 3: LET THEM EAT ASSETS — 239

13. The Invisible Bailout — 241

14. Infection — 261

15. Winners and Losers — 275

16. The Long Crash — 293

Notes — 307

A Plain-English Glossary of Important Term in this Book — 343

Acknowledgements — 353

Index — 359

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Avram Davidson takes over the Editor position for this series–succeeding Anthony Boucher and Robert Mills–and presents readers with a solid collection. I enjoyed Ron Goulart’s “Please Stand By,” one of Goulart’s Max Kearny stories (you can read more about Max Kearny here).

Theodore L. Thomas’s “Test” is chilling while James Blish’s “Who’s in Charge Here?” will challenge you as most of his stories tend to do. Avram Davidson includes one of his own stories, “The Singular Events Which Occurred in the Hovel on the Alley Off of Eye Street,” complete with its own looniness.

My favorite story in The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Twelfth Series is J. G. Ballard’s moody “The Garden of Time.” Doom is approaching but a couple manage to stave it off…for a time. Avram Davidson makes a good start as Editor. We’ll see how he does next month. GRADE: B+

• ix • Introduction (The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 12) • (1963) • essay by Avram Davidson
• 1 • Test • (1962) • short story by Theodore L. Thomas
• 6 • Please Stand By • [Max Kearny] • (1962) • short story by Ron Goulart
• 31 • Who’s in Charge Here? • (1962) • short story by James Blish
• 37 • Three for the Stars • (1962) • short story by Joseph Dickinson
• 50 • When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed • (1962) • short story by Vance Aandahl
• 73 • Landscape with Sphinxes • (1962) • short story by Karen Anderson
• 77 • My Dear Emily • (1962) • short story by Joanna Russ
• 101 • The Gumdrop King • (1962) • short story by Will Stanton
• 108 • The Golden Horn • [Tales of a Darkening World] • (1962) • novelette by Edgar Pangborn
• 148 • The Singular Events Which Occurred in the Hovel on the Alley Off of Eye Street • (1962) • short story by Avram Davidson
• 156 • A Kind of Artistry • (1962) • novelette by Brian W. Aldiss
• 184 • Two’s a Crowd • (1962) • short story by Sasha Gilien
• 194 • The Man Without a Planet • (1962) • short story by Kate Wilhelm
• 202 • The Garden of Time • (1962) • short story by J. G. Ballard
• 211 • Hop-Friend • (1962) • short story by Terry Carr

I’m a big fan of Rhino Records so when I saw this Home For Christmas CD set, I had to have it. Rhino usually takes a historical approach to their compilation CDs and Home For Christmas follows this methodology. Just about all the Christmas songs I grew up listening to as a kid are here. It’s a trip down Memory Lane. How many of these Christmas Classics do you remember? GRADE: A

I own many of Bette Midler’s albums but I only got around to listening to her Cool Yule Christmas CD last week. Bette Midler alternates jazzy renditions of Christmas songs with conventional interpretations. While I liked “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” I was less pleased by the Hawaiian “Mele Kalikimaka” which I’ve always regarded as a “gimmick” song. And adding Christmas lyrics to “From a Distance” does not make it a better song…or a true Christmas song. So, Cool Yule is a mixed bag: some good songs, some duds. GRADE: B-

TRACK LIST:

1. “Merry Christmas” (Fred Spielman, Janice Torre) – 3:13
2. “Cool Yule” (Steve Allen, Eric Kornfeld) – 2:28
3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 3:55
4. “Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (duet with Johnny Mathis) (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith/Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:46
5. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (Kim Gannon, Walter Kent) – 3:21
6. “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” (Frank Loesser) – 3:58
7. “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (Irving Berlin) – 3:25
8. “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow/Johnny Marks) – 2:47 [bonus track on CDs released at Target]
9. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Veni, Veni Emmanuel)” (Traditional) – 3:12
10. “Mele Kalikimaka” (Robert Alexander Anderson) – 2:34
11. “From a Distance” (Christmas version) (Julie Gold/Special holiday lyrics by Jay Landers) – 5:11
12. “White Christmas” (Irving Berlin) – 3:20

Tracklist:

1-1	Leroy Anderson–	Sleigh RideMusic By – Leroy AndersonMusic By – Leroy Anderson
1-2	Burl Ives–	A Holly Jolly ChristmasMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny MarksMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny Marks
1-3	Bobby Helms–	Jingle Bell RockMusic By, Lyrics By – Jim Boothe, Joe BealMusic By, Lyrics By – Jim Boothe, Joe Beal
1-4	Judy Garland–	Have Yourself A Merry Little ChristmasMusic By, Lyrics By – Hugh Martin, Ralph BlaneMusic By, Lyrics By – Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
1-5	Johnny Mathis–	Carol Of The BellsAdapted By – Johnny MathisMusic By, Lyrics By – Leontovich*, Wilhousky*Adapted By – Johnny MathisMusic By, Lyrics By – Leontovich*, Wilhousky*
1-6	Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians–	The Twelve Days Of ChristmasWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional
1-7	Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters–	Jingle BellsMusic By, Lyrics By – James S. Pierpont*Music By, Lyrics By – James S. Pierpont*
1-8	Mabel Scott–	Boogie Woogie Santa ClausMusic By, Lyrics By – Leon ReneMusic By, Lyrics By – Leon Rene
1-9	Gene Autry–	Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)Music By, Lyrics By – Gene Autry, Oakley HaldemanMusic By, Lyrics By – Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
1-10	Brenda Lee–	Rockin’ Around The Christmas TreeMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny MarksMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny Marks
1-11	Connie Francis–	I’ll Be Home For ChristmasMusic By, Lyrics By – Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter KentMusic By, Lyrics By – Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent
1-12	John Fahey–	Joy To The WorldMusic By, Lyrics By – George F. Handel*Music By, Lyrics By – George F. Handel*
1-13	Roger Whittaker–	Away In A MangerLyrics By – James Ramsey Murray*Music By – Unknown ArtistLyrics By – James Ramsey Murray*Music By – Unknown Artist
1-14	The Orioles–	Oh Holy NightMusic By, Lyrics By – Adolphe Adam*Music By, Lyrics By – Adolphe Adam*
1-15	Eartha Kitt–	Santa BabyMusic By, Lyrics By – Joan Javits, Phil Springer*, Tony SpringerMusic By, Lyrics By – Joan Javits, Phil Springer*, Tony Springer
1-16	Johnny Mercer–	Winter WonderlandMusic By, Lyrics By – Dick Smith (3), Felix BernardMusic By, Lyrics By – Dick Smith (3), Felix Bernard
1-17	Charles Brown–	Merry Christmas BabyMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny Moore (2), Lou BaxterMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny Moore (2), Lou Baxter
1-18	Paul Anka–	Oh Little Town Of BethlehemArranged By – S. Feller*Written-By – TraditionalArranged By – S. Feller*Written-By – Traditional
1-19	The Inner Voices*–	We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Caroling CarolingArranged By – Morgan AmesMusic By [Caroling], Lyrics By [Caroling] – Alfred Burt*, Willa Hutson*Written-By [We Wish You] – TraditionalArranged By – Morgan AmesMusic By [Caroling], Lyrics By [Caroling] – Alfred Burt*, Willa Hutson*Written-By [We Wish You] – Traditional
1-20	Mel Torme*–	The Christmas SongMusic By, Lyrics By – Mel Torme*Music By, Lyrics By – Mel Torme*
2-1	Bing Crosby–	White ChristmasMusic By, Lyrics By – Irving BerlinMusic By, Lyrics By – Irving Berlin
2-2	Harry Simeone Chorale*–	The Little Drummer BoyMusic By, Lyrics By – Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis*Music By, Lyrics By – Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis*
2-3	Vaughn Monroe–	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!Music By, Lyrics By – Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne*Music By, Lyrics By – Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne*
2-4	The Beach Boys–	Little Saint NickMusic By, Lyrics By – Brian WilsonMusic By, Lyrics By – Brian Wilson
2-5	Jimmy Boyd–	I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa ClausMusic By, Lyrics By – Tommie ConnorMusic By, Lyrics By – Tommie Connor
2-6	Buck Owens And His Buckaroos–	Santa Looked A Lot Like DaddyMusic By, Lyrics By – Buck OwensMusic By, Lyrics By – Buck Owens
2-7	Mario Lanza–	Ave MariaWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional
2-8	Brook Benton–	This Time Of YearMusic By, Lyrics By – Brook Benton, Clyde OtisMusic By, Lyrics By – Brook Benton, Clyde Otis
2-9	The Jackson 5–	Santa Claus Is Comin’ To TownMusic By, Lyrics By – Haven Gillespie, J. Fred CootsMusic By, Lyrics By – Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots
2-10	Spike Jones & His City Slickers*–	All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)Music By, Lyrics By – Don Gardner*Music By, Lyrics By – Don Gardner*
2-11	Jackie Wilson–	Deck The HallsArranged By – Michaels*, Tarnopol*Written-By – TraditionalArranged By – Michaels*, Tarnopol*Written-By – Traditional
2-12	Mahalia Jackson–	Silent NightMusic By, Lyrics By – Franz Gruber, Joseph MohrMusic By, Lyrics By – Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr
2-13	Jimmie Rodgers (2)–	Little Shepherd Of Kingdom ComeWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional
2-14	Bing Crosby–	Adeste FidelesWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional
2-15	Gene Autry–	Rudolph The Red Nosed ReindeerMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny MarksMusic By, Lyrics By – Johnny Marks
2-16	Bobby Darin–	Go Tell It On The MountainWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional
2-17	Harry Belafonte–	Mary’s Boy ChildMusic By, Lyrics By – Jester HairstonMusic By, Lyrics By – Jester Hairston
2-18	Frankie Lymon–	It’s Christmas Once AgainMusic By, Lyrics By – E. Blackman*, E. Blackman*, L. Blackman*Music By, Lyrics By – E. Blackman*, E. Blackman*, L. Blackman*
2-19	Perry Como–	There’s No Place Like Home For The HolidaysMusic By, Lyrics By – Al Stillman, Robert Allen (3)Music By, Lyrics By – Al Stillman, Robert Allen (3)
2-20	Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians*–	Auld Lang SyneWritten-By – TraditionalWritten-By – Traditional

JLA GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS weighs in at 8 pounds, 1504 pages, and a list price of $150. I didn’t know the JLA GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS existed until I read about in on Rick Robinson’s blog. You can read what he said about it here.

The artwork and color is fabulous! But the stories of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and all the other members of the Justice League of America are fun to read. And at over 1500 pages, there are a lot of stories!

I had to rest the JLA GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS on the Dining Room table to read it. The weight is too much for any lap! But the experience of reading JLA GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS was terrific! If you have a friend who loves comic books and graphic novels, JLA GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS would make a perfect gift! Did you read comic books when you were a kid? What was your favorite? GRADE: A

Peter Rothstein’s musical All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 details the real-life truce between Germany and the Allies, which occurred on Christmas day during World War I, resulting in a single night of camaraderie, music, and peace before both sides returned to fighting and killing each other in the morning.

For a few hours, the soldiers on each side of the battlefield engaged in an informal truce. They traded items–chocolate, tobacco, puddings, rum–and showed pictures of their families. Many of the Germans knew how to speak English which made the brief friendly exchange possible. And they sang songs together.

The masked and vaccine-checked audience Diane and I were with loved the variety of songs and commentary (from letters, diaries, journals, Official War Documents, speeches, epitaphs, and memoirs). But, anyone with a knowledge of History realizes what the end result of this magic moment will be. GRADE: A

MUSICAL NUMBERS:

PROLOGUE

Will ye go to Flanders? Scottish Folk Song, arr. Erick Lichte

THE OPTIMISTIC DEPARTURE

Come on and Join (Alexander’s Ragtime Band)  Irving Berlin 

God Save the King  English Traditional

Good-By-Ee  R.P. Weston and Bert Lee

It’s a Long Way to Tipperary  Jack Judge and Harry Williams

Les Godillots  Paul Briollet and Eugene Rimbault, based on Traditional French song

THE GRIM REALITY 

Pack Up Your Troubles  George Henry and Felix Powell

The Old Barbed Wire  English Traditional 

I Want to Go Home  Lieut. Gitz Rice

Deutschlandlied  Franz Joseph Haydn

Keep the Home-Fires Burning  Ivor Novello

O Come, O Come Emmanuel  12th c. plainchant

CHRISTMAS 

Christmas in the Camp  Harrington and Scott 

We Wish You a Merry Christmas  English Traditional Carol

Die Wacht am Rhein  Karl Wilhelm 

Christmas Day in the Cookhouse Traditional English 

O Tannenbaum  German Carol, arr. Timothy C. Takach

THE TRUCE 

Silent Night  Franz Gruber, arr. Erick Lichte

Angels We Have Heard on High  French Traditional 

Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella  French Carol

In Dulci Jubilo  German Carol

Wassail  Erick Lichte, based on traditional texts 

Minuit chrétiens (O Holy Night)  Adolph Adam, harm. Erick Lichte 

Will Ye Go to Flanders? (Reprise)  Scottish Folksong, arr. Erick Lichte 

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen  German Traditional Carol  

Wie schön leuchtet derMorgenstern  Philip Nicolai, arr. Erick Lichte 

Good King Wenceslas  Piae Cantionis

THE RETURN TO BATTLE 

Auld Lang Syne  Scottish Folk Tune, arr. Timothy C. Takach

EPILOGUE  

The Last Post  English Bugle Call 
Silent Night (Reprise)  Franz Gruber, arr. Erick Lichte

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