Books published by publisher Reader's Digest Association, Incorporated, The

More than any other kind of wildlife, birds have an almost magical hold on the human imagination. They are beautiful, vibrantly alive, and seen everywhere. They open our eyes to the world of nature and enrich our spirits with their color, their music, and their wondrous gift of flight. The BOOK OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS celebrates the hundreds of species that spend at least part of the year in the United States or Canada. It includes some 600 species in all and the 8 chapters are organized by type and habitat. Each page features a full-color painting, usually of a male in breeding plumage, since the male is more colorful than the female, accompanied by a brief narrative focusing on key aspects of the bird in the wild. At the bottom of each page is information for quick reference, with details on identification, habitat, nesting, and food. In addition, a drawing highlights a particular point of interest about the species, and a color-coded range map showing where it can be found. There is a Special Collection of more than 100 species that are rare or have limited ranges in North America and a Traveler’s Guide arranged alphabetically by state and province, describing more than 350 prime locations for seeing America’s birds at their best. Praise from Roger Tory Peterson highlights the back cover of this volume. The illustrations and paintings are from some of the most renowned wildlife artists in the field, such as H. Douglas Pratt, Ray Harris-Ching, and Albert Earl Gilbert. Fun to read, easy to use, informative, and lovely to look at—here is the perfect book for anyone who loves nature.

A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1886, the story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become among the most famous characters in literature. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, an amateur detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it." (A "study" is a preliminary drawing, sketch or painting done in preparation for a finished piece.) The story, and its main characters, attracted little public interest when it first appeared. Only 11 complete copies of the magazine in which the story first appeared, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, are known to exist now and they have considerable value. Although Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories featuring Holmes, A Study in Scarlet is one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. The novel was followed by The Sign of the Four, published in 1890. A Study in Scarlet was the first work of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an investigative tool.

Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. Nathan Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without venturing outside.

As with most of Hillerman's novels everyone has different agendas and stories that overlap. There are alleged stolen artifacts form and archeological dig, and possibly a drug interest. They may or may not interact. We also get a good dose of Zuñi culture, and a feel that we are in the area. Hillerman is nice enough to leave sufficient clues to let you figure out the mystery before Leaphorn and you then get to watch as he finally comes around to your way of thinking. Another book by Hillerman "The Boy who Made Dragonfly" further describes the dance hall of the dead (Kothluwalawa.)

1991, hardcover reprint edition (of a collection of stories which first appeared in 1903 and 1904), illustrations throughout by David Johnson. 6-page afterword by John L. Cobbs. Reader's Digest, NY. Hardcover title, 318 pages. Nicely printed on ivory colored stock. The folks at the Reader's Digest have done a service to those who wish to have nice hardcover editions of classics. Here is a good example. These wonderful stories were the output following the December 1893 issue of The Strand, when Holmes was sent over the Reichenbach Falls. The author wanted to be rid of the famous detective; his audience demanded his return.