I read the most hilarious book last night, The Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun, by Robert Kaplow. Although I could have done without some of the more scatological portions of the book, it is a truly brilliant satire of not just Lilian Jackson Braun’s genteel, well-mannered stories but of the entire mystery genre. I think that the mention of two minor, non-spoiler items ought to sum up quite nicely the necessity of reading this book: (1) protagonist James Qafka owns two Siamese cats named Ying-Tong and Poon-Tang; (2) Lilian Jackson Braun dies by being beheaded in the bathroom stall of a gay bar in the Village. (Police are unable to find her head - and if you can’t find head in the Village...oh, never mind.) And if that’s not enough, Kaplow makes fun of Britney Spears, Mary Astor, Dashiell Hammett, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle AND Oprah Winfrey, all in one concise little volume. Kaplow is very punny, too. In a good way.

While I was reading, I had a glass of what is rapidly becoming my favorite red wine. Kendall-Jackson makes this - line, I guess one would say - of wines called "Collage" which are blends. The Cabernet-Shiraz blend is very good, I'm not particularly fond of the Zinfandel-Shiraz and the Cabernet-Merlot is FABULOUS. I like my wines (both reds and whites) very dry, though, so if you prefer yours sweet, don't listen to me. The fact that World Market has these very very cheap is completely incidental to my enjoyment.