I always enjoy Charles Todd books, and this was no exception. Inspector Rutledge is at his best when he is involved in a crime related to the war. In A Lonely Death we actually see him working two crimes at the same time. Although it was slow in a few places, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seeing a crime solved by an astute detective instead of with technology.

After a slow start, I could not put this book down. Science history, espionage, romance, family issues, Gifts of War has a little bit of everything. Set during WWI in England, it is the story of Hal and Sam which begins at the Christmas Truce. After many ups and downs the end of the story is a complete surprise.

The Camel Bookmobile is a gentle story of a woman who travels to Africa to bring literacy to illiterate people. As a teacher, I often wonder about the importance of some of what we are teaching our kids. The Camel Bookmobile does an excellent job of illustrating the point that what we need to know is different for different people. When Fiona starts her quest to bring literacy to a group of people in the African bush, she cannot imagine anyone who would not value books. She learns many valuable lessons through her journey; the ending will surprise you.