Wayward Cat Publishing
Dianna Dann   Dana Trantham   D.D. Charles

Fiction-wise
Here in Central Florida, the weather has finally given us a few days of sweater mornings, long-sleeve afternoons, and back to hot cocoa evenings. After Christmas, hubs and I will be heading up to Asheville to exercise our real winter jackets. So, what's new in books this month? From PopSugar's "18 New, Must-read Books Coming Out in December" by Sabienna Bowman: 

Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen
"The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Jane Austen in this witty, winking historical romance with a dash of mystery!" I see what you did there with the subtitle. Looks like a fun read.

Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer
"...a City with no name of its own where, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, lives human and otherwise, converge in terrifying and miraculous ways. At stake: the fate of the future, the fate of Earth―all the Earths." Well, the description is a problem. Even after figuring out the word is "lives" with a long i, my brain wants to read it short. Nonetheless, sounds gripping!

The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
" A supernatural thriller...about two young girls, a scary story that becomes far too real, and the tragic--and terrifying--consequences that follow one of them into adulthood. " A little too scary for me!

The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey
"Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, ...an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss." My kind of book!

The Story of a Goat by Parumal Murugan; translation by N Kalyan Raman
"With allegorical resonance for contemporary society and examining hierarchies of caste and color, The Story of the Goat is a provocative but heartwarming fable from a world-class storyteller who is finally achieving recognition outside his home country." Set in India and narrated by...a goat! I think I like it.


Kids Books
From "10 Great Holiday-Season Books to Enjoy with Your Little Ones" by Mia Geiger at the Washington Post:

Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares
"Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head." Dawwww!

My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa by Lisa Bullard
"Kwanzaa traces its origins to the American Civil Rights era. Critical thinking questions and fast facts prompt young readers to engage with this fun narrative and learn all about Kwanzaa." Well, it looks like a lot more fun than this description!

Barnyard Bubbe's Hanukkah by Joni Klein-Higger
"Neigh! Oink! Bah! Whimsical farm animals leave presents for Bubbe during Hanukkah. What will Bubbe do with these thoughtful gifts?" A must read!

Snow Globe Wishes by Erin Dealey
"As the worst snow storm of the year rolls in, one family hunkers down together in a cozy blanket fort for the night. A little girl makes a wish on a snow globe and, in the morning, the sun rises on a winter wonderland--beckoning all outside. And what if, on this snow-filled day, families shake their busy lives and everyone goes out to play? A lyrical holiday story about wishes and community and snow--lots and lots of snow." Sounds wonderful!

And here's one I used to read to my kids:
The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson
"The winter solstice―the shortest day of the year―marks the beginning of the coldest, darkest season. Discover the scientific reasons for this phenomenon and learn how cultures past and present have celebrated it."


(All book descriptions are quoted from Amazon.)

From A Word A Day at Wordsmith.org. You can receive an email every day with a vocabulary word, its definition, usage, and etymology.

Fulgor: splendor; brightness

Inquiline: an animal living in the nest, burrow, or home of another

Jouissance: pleasure; ecstasy

Worricow: a hobgoblin, scarecrow, or person of frightening appearance

Hyaloid: glassy or transparent

Full of fulgor, the inquiline owl danced about with jouissance before the worricow on the shore of the hyaloid lake. That's the best I've got.
 

Fresh from a morning swim, this trio of young raccoons was walking along the edge of the reeds at Viera Wetlands. December, 2019.

 

 

by Christina Georgina Rossetti 

      
Wintry boughs against a wintry sky;
Yet the sky is partly blue
And the clouds are partly bright.
Who can tell but sap is mounting high
Out of sight,
Ready to burst through?
 
Winter is the mother-nurse of Spring,
Lovely for her daughter's sake.
Not unlovely for her own;
For a future buds in everything
Grown or blown
Or about to break.