Arthur Ellis Awards Shortlists - The Missing Clue - May 2020

We were meant to have an event at the store celebrating the announcement of the Arthur Ellis Awards shortlist, but obviously were unable to announce in person. But in case you missed it, here are the nominees:

Best French Crime Book
Louis Carmain, Les offrandes
Andrée Michaud, Tempêtes
Martin Michaud, Ghetto X
Guillaume Morrissette, Le tribunal de la rue Quirion

Arthur Ellis Best Short Story
In Plain Sight YS Lee
Peter Sellers Closing Doors
Zandra Renwick, Dead Man's Dog

Novella
Blood Ties Barbara Fradkin
Goddaughter does Vegas Melodie Campbell
Red Chesterfield, Wayne Arthurson
Too Close to Call by Brenda Chapman
The Woman in Apartment 615 by Devon Shepherd


UnHanged

B.L. Smith, Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
K.P. Bartlett, Henry's Bomb
Max Folsom, One Bad Day After Another
Liz Rachel Walker, The Dieppe Letters
Pam Barnsley, The River Cage

Best Juvenile
Tank & Fizz Case of the Tentacle Terror Liam O'Donnell & Mike Deas
Grey Sisters Jo Treggiari
Keep This to Yourself Tom Ryan
Ghosts David A Robertson
Missing Millionaire Katie Daubs
Billionaire Murders Kevin  Donovan
Court of Better Fiction Debra Komar
Forest City Killer Vanessa Brown
Murdered Midas Charlotte Gray

Best First
Nobody Move Philip Elliot
Blindshot Denis Coupal
Past Presence Nicole Bross
Greenwood Michael Christie
Fate Ian Hamilton
Hideaway Nicole Lundrigan
Last Resort Marisa Stapley
In the Dark Loreth Anne White

And last but not least, the Bony Blithe Award is given for the Best Canadian Light Mystery. The shortlist features:

Remembering the Dead Elizabeth J Duncan
Murder in Midtown Liz Freeland
Something Read Something Dead Eva Gates
Heat Wave Maureen Jennings
A Matter of Malice Thomas King  

Browsing is Back! - The Missing Clue - May 2020

We would first like to thank everyone who has supported us during this time by ordering books online, by phone, email, or by pointing through the window. 

Our curbside collection and free in city delivery will continue to be in effect. We encourage everyone to continue to stay safe by using these methods to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For those who need to visit in person, however, we will be re-opening May 4. We will be doing so within the guidelines set out by the province in terms of hand sanitation, appropriate physical distancing, etc. We will have these guidelines posted at the door and will insist that they are followed.

In addition, we will be limiting the number of people inside the store. We will only be allowing a maximum of 8 people into the store at any time.

We know that for some of you, browsing is an important part of the book buying process, and we hope to be able to facilitate that. However, we do ask that people are considerate of others and limit the number of books they handle. This will better help us keep the store safe for other browsers, and for ourselves.

We do also wish to add the caveat that as things evolve, it may prove necessary to alter these policies. Our priority is the safety of the community, our staff, and our customers, so if re-opening creates problems, we may have to move to browsing by appointment only alongside the existing curbside collection and delivery. 

January 2020 Bestsellers - The Missing Clue - February 2020

Mass MarkeT

1.Maddie Day, Murder on Cape Cod

2.Vicky Delany, A Scandal in Scarlet

3. Jenn McKinley, Buried to the Brim

4. Joanne Fluke, Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

5. Libby Klein, Theatre Nights Are Murder

6. Amanda Flowers, Matchmaking Can Be Murder

7. Catie Murphy, Dead in Dublin

8. Laura Childs, Broken Bone China

9.  Laird Barron, Blood Standard

10. Kaitlyn Dunnet, Overkilt

Trade Paper

1.      Charles Finch, The Vanishing Man

2.      Alex Marwood, The Poison Garden

3.       Juliet Blackwood, The Vineyards of Champagne

4.      Martin Michaud, Never Forget

5.      Ian Hamilton, Foresight

6.      Tim Dorsey, No Sunscreen for the Dead

7.      Dervla McTiernan, The Ruin

8.      Dervla McTiernan, The Scholar

9.      Rennie Airth, Decent Inn of Death

10.   Tanya Tagaq, Split Tooth

Hard Cover & Large Trade Paper

1.      Scott Stephen, Masters and Servants

2.      Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole and the Fox

3.      Tasha Alexander, In the Shadow of Vesuvius

4.      Ian Rankin, Westwind

5.      Quintin Jardine, The Bad Fire

6.      Julian Stockwell, To the Eastern Seas

7.      Chris Hammer, Scrublands

8.      Martin Cruz Smith, The Siberian Dilemma

9.      Susan Hill, The Benefits of Hindsight

10.  Fred Vargas, This Poison Will Remain

Laura's Picks of the Month - The Missing Clue - February 2020

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood (TP, 22.00) was initially my first pick for Book of the Year 2019, but as it was only released January 2020, it had to wait. The story takes place in North Wales, where the majority of a cult’s members are found dead by poisoning. One of the survivors, a young woman named Romy, must adapt to the outside world and find her family members. It is creepy, psychological, and complex, and a really excellent read.

Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott (HC, 32.49, TP coming May 2020) is a crossover/fantasy taking place in a fictional town in England, Rotherweird. Rotherweird has been self-isolated since the Elizabethan era, banning its residents from studying the town’s history. The arrival of two outsiders, one a history teacher, the other a billionaire businessman, sets off a chain events that threatens the entire world. When I picked up the book, I was expecting some historical elements (which was delivered on), but I was not expecting the supernatural aspects of “Lost Acre,” a hidden world accessed in the town. It was a really enjoyable read, with lots of attention paid to world-building and character development.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (HC, 35.00) is the long-anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. I had heard from friends that it was similar in tone to the television series, but as I have not watched it, I felt like all the events and characters were fresh and exciting. I especially liked Atwood’s ability to take on the perspectives of the three, very different characters who tell the story of the fall of Gilead.

Penelope's Reads - The Missing Clue - February 2020

Penny is currently obsessed with ‘snow monsters’, aka yetis, thanks I think to a Paw Patrol episode. So she was delighted to receive a copy of The Thing About Yetis by Vin Vogel. Did you know, for example, that sometimes yetis even miss summer? That’s a sentiment I think many of us can get behind this week. More copies are on the way.

But if you’re in a mood to embrace winter, Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day continues to be a favorite around our house. We just got more of the soft cover in stock and the board book is on reorder.

What I'm Reading by Sian - The Missing Clue - February 2020

As I always do when I sit down to write my newsletter piece, I glanced over at Goodreads to discover I have apparently read all of two books so far this year. On the one hand, I feel like I’ve read more, but on the other hand, I honestly can’t remember what they were. Needless to say, the last few weeks have been a challenge and not particularly inspiring with regards to reading somehow. That said, there’s still lots to talk about from the end of 2019, so let’s dig in.

Sometimes there are books you are excited to read and devour instantly and sometimes you’re excited but somehow you bring them home and they sit for a bit. Such was the case with Anna Lee Huber’s An Artless Demise, book #7 in her ‘Lady Darby Mystery’ series. It was excellent as ever and an engaging read with some fairly high stakes for Kiera and Sebastian. Book #8, A Stroke of Malice, comes in trade paperback in April.

Vivian Shaw’s Grave Importance was one of my most anticipated reads in 2019 and the only disappointing thing about it was the discovery that it is the end of the ‘Dr. Greta Helsing’ series. This book focuses on a clinic that rehabilitates Egyptian mummies and brings into the narrative all the side characters you’ve come to love in this series. I’m sad to see it end but it’s sometimes nice to see a series end on it’s own terms before it drags out for too long. I’m anxiously awaiting news that she is working on something else.

There seem to be a lot of rules about what a person can pick as their book of the year and apparently picking the newest Sherry Thomas every year is against all of them. Which is all to say that I completely devoured The Art of Theft, book #4 in the ‘Lady Sherlock’ series because it was beautiful and wonderful and heartbreaking. A motley crew of Charlotte’s associates find themselves in France trying to steal a painting from a chateau and neither the journey, nor the conclusion, are what anyone expects. Murder on Cold Street, book #5, will be released in trade paperback next September and I already cannot wait.

I sat on Benedict Jacka’s Marked, book #9 in the ‘Alex Verus’ series for over a year. I enjoyed it, as I always do, but in the way of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden books or Simon R. Green’s Nightside, the stakes just keep getting higher and higher without much sense of relief (or some of the levity which the series started with). I have Fallen on my To Read pile and book #11, Forged, looks to be coming late in 2020.

The Venn diagram of the reading tastes of my father, my sister Hannah, and I is oddly laid out, but I am usually willing to give something a chance if they both loved it. Given my father’s recent death it seems somehow fitting that the two books I’ve read this year were one’s that they both loved. Really, Daniel O’Malley’s The Rook was right up my alley right from the blurb on the back, but if you like espionage and smart modern fantasy, you cannot go wrong with this book. It is genuinely unputdownable and you will never want it to end. I didn’t love Stiletto quite as much, as the narrator was different, but it was still excellent. Rumours abound about a third book, but I’m not holding my breath.

My To Read pile continues to be less of a pile and more stacks of books scattered around the house. There are new additions, like Tasha Alexander’s In the Shadow of Vesuvius, Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets, and Will Thomas’ Lethal Pursuit as well as much older titles like Kelley Armstrong’s Deceptions. And I’m about to add a bunch more as I am eagerly awaiting Charles Finch’s The Last Passenger (Charles Lenox #13, but another prequel), Ben Aaronovitch’s False Value (Rivers of London #8), and Deanna Raybourn’s A Murderous Relation (Veronica Speedwell #5).

Wendy's Recent Reads - The Missing Clue - February 2020

I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Casey’s Lady Takes the Case. This is the first book in a new series, called ‘Manor Cat Mystery’. The author’s name is a pseudonym for an award -winning author but I have no idea who it is. Set in England in 1912, the heroine Lady Cecilia Bates, is the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Avebury. In an attempt to save the family home, Danby Hall, and the lands, the family is trying to arrange a marriage between Cecilia’s brother Patrick and an American heiress. Needless to say the path to the altar does not go smoothly. The second title in the series Lady Rights a Wrong, will be published in June 2020. (Both the titles are in trade paper $22.)

Kate Collins, who wrote the ‘Flower Shop Mystery’ series has just published a new title, The Statue of Limitations (mm, $10.99). This is the first title in a new series called the ‘Goddess of Greene St. Mystery’. The main character Athena Spencer, has returned to Sequoia, a small coastal town on Lake Michigan from Chicago. Her large Greek family are delighted by her (and her son’s return), and her mother is busily trying to find her a new husband. Athena with her sisters Delphi, Maia and Selene work in the family’s Garden Centre in the Greek section of Sequoia. This area is under threat of demolition for a new development. The intrigue surrounding this threat and a six-foot-tall statue of the goddess Athena, which may have or may not have been stolen, form the centre of the plot.

Nicola Ford is the pen-name of Dr. Nickie Snashall, who is the National Trust archaeologist for the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage site. The first title The Hidden Bones, in her Hills and Barbrook series introduced us to recently widowed Clare Hills, who before her marriage had studied to be an archaeologist and Dr. David Barbrook, an old friend from her student days who is now a university lecturer in archaeology. In the second title in the series, The Lost Shrine, Clare is heading an archaeological survey of a tract of arable land which is slated for residential development. The death of the previous head has resulted in many rumours which creates a tense atmosphere further exacerbated by the actions of “the nighthawks”. Nighthawks are metal detectorists who go to archaeological sites under the cover of darkness to pillage the site.

Upcoming Events - The Missing Clue - February 2020

Used Book Sale – Tuesday, February 18th to Sunday, February 23rd

We are once again offering our traditional February Used Book Sale! We have an especially good selection of books right now, but 1/2 price is always better!  Come see us after Louis Riel Day and take advantage of both those factors!

Paper Bag Princess Day – Saturday, March 7th

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Robert Munsch classic, and we will have special editions, activities and at least one staff member in an enormous paper bag! We even have a select number of signed copies that we will be offering for sale during the event! Watch out for more details!

Arthur Ellis Awards Shortlist Event – Wednesday April 15th

We are thrilled to announce that we are going to be hosting another event for the Crime Writers of Canada!  his time, we are going to be part of the nation-wide roll out of the shortlist for this year's Arthur Ellis Awards. We invite local authors, families, and fans to join us to celebrate these wonderful books!

In Memorium – J.M. Bumsted - The Missing Clue - February 2020

December 19th, 1938-January 25th, 2020

This is an announcement we never wanted to have to make, especially since he usually wrote the opening piece of the newsletter, but Jack died peacefully at home on January 25th. We know he was a big part of many of your reading lives and his opinion has informed a great many bookshelves across Winnipeg and beyond.

There will be a public memorial service on Saturday, February 15th at 11am at St. George’s Church Anglican Church Crescentwood (168 Wilton Street at Grosvenor Avenue). The store will be opening at 1pm as a result. We will also be hosting a drop-in at Whodunit on Sunday, February 16th from 4pm-6pm for those customers who would like to share their remembrances of Jack. All are welcome at both events.

JOHN MICHAEL BUMSTED
(originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press)

It is with profound sadness that the family of Professor Jack Bumsted announces his death, quietly and peacefully at home, on January 25, 2020.

Jack was born in White Plains, New York, December 12, 1938. He received his BA (Hons) summa cum laude from Tufts College in 1959. He received his PhD from Brown University in 1965. As a professor, he taught at a number of universities, including Simon Fraser, where he was on the founding faculty, as well as McMaster, and University of Edinburgh, before joining the faculty of St. John's College at the University of Manitoba in 1980, where he would finish his career in 2007. During his time at the University of Manitoba, he held a number of administrative positions, including Dean of Studies of St. John's College, and Director of the Institute of the Humanities. His academic career took him across the country and the world, including Germany, Japan, India, Britain, and the United States of America.

The author of over 30 academic and popular books on Canadian history, as well as numerous pamphlets, articles, and papers, Jack received many honours for his work. He was named to the Royal Society of Canada in 2003. The academic interest in Lord Selkirk, that originally brought him to Manitoba, resulted in the publication in 2008 of Lord Selkirk: A Life, which received a number of awards, including the Leila-Commons Award, the Alexander Isbister Award, and the JW Dafoe Book Prize.

Jack was an active member of his community, involved in his church, his children's sporting activities, and a regular speaker at community gatherings on a range of topics. Jack loved crime fiction, popular music, sports (particularly the Red Sox and the Patriots), and spending time with his family. His love of books led him to a second career as a bookseller, and proprietor of the Whodunit Bookshop on Lilac Street, where he was often to be found, and always available to offer advice on any topic.

Jack, predeceased by his son, Jonathan; is survived by his wife, Wendy; his children, Carla, Geraint, Hannah, Sian, and Michael; and his grandchildren, Jeremy, Thomas, Oliver, Joenna, Henry, Lily, Bram, and Penelope.

The family would like to acknowledge the effort and care of his home care workers and nurses, particularly Manuel, Abdul, Raoul, Henry, and Senya, who provided tremendous help to him in his later life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name, to St. John's College (92 Dysart Road), to endow a scholarship for Indigenous scholars of history, or to the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC).

2019 Bestsellers - The Missing Clue - December 2019

Although 2019 is not technically over yet and we could certainly have a runaway December bestseller, here are the bestselling books sold at Whodunit from January to November 2019.

1.      Ann Cleeves, The Long Call

2.      Margaret Atwood, Testaments

3.      Louise Penny, A Better Man

4.      Jacqueline Winspear, The American Agent

5.      Laird Barron, The Blood Standard            

6.      Ellen Wilkinson, The Division Bell Mystery

7.      Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods 

8.      Dawn McMillan, I Need a New Butt!        

9.      C.J. Sansom, Tombland                   

10.  Greta Thunberg, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference

If you’re looking for a new author to dip your toe into this holiday season, consider the following top ten bestselling authors, based on new and used sales.

1. Louise Penny

2. Peter May                                                 

3. Agatha Christie                                                                          

4. Peter Robinson

5. Laura Childs                                         

6. Ann Cleeves                                              

7. Ian Rankin                                                

8. Anne Perry                                                                                  

9. Ellis Peters                                              

10.  Donna Leon

Bumsted Books of the Year - Henry's Pick - December 2019

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore, TP $10.99

"Where I live, it's all about borders. And territories. And crews. When you're a little kid in Harlem, you can pretty much do anything, as long as you're careful. But when you start to get old - about my age, twelve - things start to change."

When my mom asked me what my book of the year was, The Stars Beneath Our Feet was the first book that came to mind. Then I hesitated, because it's a pretty dark book. The main character is named Lolly. His brother has just died and his whole world has changed. But it's so well-written, funny, and deep, and it really made me think, and for that reason, it really stuck with me. So while I don't recommend it for anyone under 11 or anyone who doesn't enjoy realistic fiction on tougher subjects, it's still my book of the year.

(Henry is 11 years old.)

Bumsted Books of the Year - Hannah's Pick - December 2019

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, TP $22.99

My book of the year is The Rook. I picked this up in an independent bookstore in Chicago, started reading it on the plane home, and couldn’t put it down. On my next trip to Winnipeg, I gave it to my dad (Jack), who loved it as much as I did.

The Rook is the story of Myfanwy Thomas, a woman who wakes up one day with no memory of who she is but soon discovers that she is a senior official in the British occult secret service.  The book doesn’t stint on lovingly rendered descriptions of the Byzantine minutiae of agency politics but also provides enough action-packed occult adventure to keep the reader engaged.  And not to worry if you--like my dad and I--are sad to have the book come to an end - there is an equally engaging sequel called Stiletto!  For fans of John Le Carre, Ben Aaronovich, and Guy Adams.

Bumsted Books of the Year - Laura's Pick - December 2019

Melmoth by Sarah Perry, TP $23.99

My book of the year has been difficult to nail down, as I’ve had the chance to read so many enjoyable books this year. The one that stands out the most is Sarah Perry’s Melmoth which tells the story of a woman named Helen who becomes entangled in the search for a mythical creature, Melmoth. Perry’s invention of Melmoth, a woman cursed to wander the earth and bear witness to humanity’s failings, raises questions about morality, accountability, and compassion. The narrative jumps between the accounts of Melmoth that Helen reads, suspecting that she will be visited by Melmoth soon because of her own mistakes. It's intense, encourages readers to be introspective, and Perry's interpretation of the gothic genre in a modern light is bewitching. As a ghost story and a story of human cruelty, Melmoth kept me up at night.

Bumsted Books of the Year - Penelope's Pick - December 2019

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper (illustrated by Carson Ellis), HC PB $23.99

Penelope, although extremely verbal, is perhaps not quite able to understand the complex rules of picking her book of the year. And certainly, by virtue of sheer numbers of times I have been forced to reread something (“read again, Mama, again”), she would select the board book edition of Press Here by Herve Tullet. But if we had to pick a new book, certainly The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper would be it. I have always felt that the shortest day of the year was the most hopeful, as it’s all uphill from there, daylight wise. Now there is a beautifully illustrated poem with the same message.

(Penelope is 2.5 years old.)

Bumsted Books of the Year - Michael's Pick - December 2019

Of Vengeance by J.D. Kurtness, TP $17.99

As many of you know from years past, I am often the enforcer of the rules when it comes to these selections. (Editors note: He is ruthless! SB) As a result, I found myself in a very difficult position when I suggested to Wendy that I sort of had two books that I wanted to have a tie: Innu author J.D. Kurtness' delightful little debut about a female sociopath Of Vengeance, and Rotherweird, Andrew Caldecott's genre-bending, modern fantasy novel about a historian hired to replace a vanished predecessor in an isolated English town. In fact, right up until publication of this newsletter I wavered back and forth. In the end however, I have decided I'll tell you all more about Rotherweird when it comes in paperback in May, because Of Vengeance is something that I think is truly unique to current Canadian crime fiction.

Originally in French as De Vengeance, Kurtness' debut caught me first with its well designed cover and a great jacket quotation "Let's Be Honest: who hasn't fantasized about Shooting Someone in the Face with a Hunting Rifle?" because of a book that I was reading for Bloody Scotland with similar themes To Live With What You Are by Charlie Gracie, a book that I have been actively failing to get into our shop. What struck me when I picked it up was that like the Gracie, this was a book that built an intense and intimate portrait of a character who is openly violent, and would be what we would likely refer to as evil. That both of these authors could accomplish this was interesting, but to me, that Kurtness' prose could do so in translation (excellently done by Pablo Strauss), has made me upset once again about my failures as a French reader.

The other thing about Of Vengeance is that it was a book that simultaneously drove me to read it while also demanding that I take my time in doing so. It is a slight volume, but one that creates visceral scenes full of detail and power. For an author to be able to do that in her debut is something that is worth celebrating, and while my own endorsement does not quite match the awards that it already has won, the 2018 Indigenous Voices Award for Prose in French, for example, I hope that by highlighting this book, I can encourage more people to take a chance on this dark, spectacular book.

Bumsted Books of the Year - Sian's Pick - December 2019

Who Slays the Wicked by C.S. Harris, HC $35

I have read a paltry 28 books in 2019, which given my goal was 100, is a mortifying number to report. Of those 29 books, I gave five of them five stars. Of those five star titles, I would have been permitted to select four of them (rules!). So let me tell you here quickly, since I know Michael is about to break the rules a little bit immediately below me, that Sherry Thomas’s The Art of Theft is truly wonderful and if you haven’t started her Lady Sherlock series yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Now look, is it a total jerk move to tell you that my book of the year is number FOURTEEN in a series and a hardcover to boot? Yes. Classic Bumsted move. But I have my reasons. In January 2015 I was job-searching and home A LOT. I read C.S. Harris’ What Angels Fear, the first book in her Sebastian St. Cyr series. Then over the next FIVE days, I read the following eight books. It is an unputdownable series with a captivating protagonist, enough romance and history to make it interesting, and a compelling secondary character in Hero, St. Cyr’s wife. The good news is that you could pick up Who Slays the Wicked and not need to read the first thirteen books. The even better news is that you’re just going to want to read them anyways, so you’ll have me to thank you that joyous experience as well.

Who Slays the Wicked combines history with the timelessness of how dangerous secrets can be and just how far we would go to protect the people we love. Plus, there’s a trade paperback coming in March.

Bumsted Books of the Year - Wendy's Pick - December 2019

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan, TP $22

My book of the year is Dervla McTiernan’s The Scholar. The book is set in Galway, Ireland where McTiernan studied law, although she now lives in Western Australia. The Scholar is actually the second title in the Cormac Reilly series. I know that this might be an impediment to some of our readers, but when we received this title the first book in the series, The Ruin was not available in Canada. The plot deals in part with the impact of big pharma on university research. A most enjoyable read.

Bumsted Books of The Year - Jack's Pick - December 2019

City of Windows by Robert Pobi, TP $24.99

I have a small confession to make. My eyesight has deteriorated to the point that even with strong lens glasses I can no longer read mass-market paperbacks. So, my book of the year is a trade paperback entitled City of Windows. The author, although not, we believe Canadian, lives in Canada, and the book itself is set in the United States.

City of Windows, begins with three assassinations, done by hunting rifle at long range under very difficult conditions. The title of the book refers to the windows from which the assassin's rifle shoots its victims. Half the book is taken up with discovering the connection between the victims. The protagonist, Lucas Page, a former FBI agent, invalided out of the bureau, is an interesting and attractive character, as is his family of five adopted children, and one large dog is great as well.

Page and I have several things in common. We are both university professors. We are both minus parts of our body. We both find students to be not as imaginative as they once were.

The plot is strong, and the writing is excellent. As to what makes it my book of the year, I not only read this book, but re-read this book; something that makes a book truly exceptional.

What Penelope is Reading

I think we all have grand plans when we have kids about the kinds of books that they are going to read. As a baby, Penny loved the usual books, especially anything by the Ahlbergs (Each Peach Pear Plum, Peepo!, and The Baby’s Catalogue being particular favourites). But now as she has started to watch TV, she loves herself some merch, and this is why you’re starting to see Maisy and Peppa Pig on our shelves. Now, our parents never put any pressure on us to read things that were ‘wholesome’ versus ‘fun’, and reading is the whole point (it could be a grocery store flyer, I think, as long as you’re doing it together), but I do sometimes look longingly at the beautiful picture books we own and await anxiously the day when those are the first thing she picks when she says “read!” and thrusts a book at me. Don’t even talk to me about Baby Shark. Which is to say, if you haven’t spent time in our kid’s section, you’ll find a good combination of high and low and something for everyone.

And speaking (again!) of rereads, I think there are families who read the same books every night and families who pick new ones. I am of the camp that reads the same books every night, so we start with Tuck Me In, move on to Dream Animals, then Sleepyhead, and finally Goodnight Moon (I purposely dropped Goodnight Gorilla down the side of the bed because I can’t deal with the fact it has no words). After almost two years of reading these same books, I know them by heart. In fact, we finish with The Going to Bed Book, which I recite as I zip her into her sleep sack. Imagine my surprise when the other week Penny started reciting it along with me! Turns out she knows a lot of the words to most of the books we read every night. Just another example of the power of words and the time we spend with our kids sharing books.