Recently, I learned that the musical "CATS" -- which drew its inspiration from this book of poetry -- is staging a revival where I live for a short time. And so, to better inform myself about it before seeing the musical, I decided to read "OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS." And what a delightful, entertaining book of poetry it is. I read it in a very short time.

Cute story of a witch on her broom with a lot of hitchhikers.  The rhyming poem is wonderful.  It was longer than I expected of a board book but adorable.

WTF is this book?

Bloody hell, this is DARK.

“Yes,” agreed Katherine, “it was awful.”

Anne Dolan leaned forward earnestly. “What if things don’t go right, Kathy?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if they don’t believe us? They’ll send me to Framingham. I hear stories about Framingham here—it’s awful there. I’ve ridden through Framingham, and I didn’t like it . . .”

Katherine did not bother to point out to her mother that were she sent to the women’s prison there, she wouldn’t be spending much time in the town.

“They have capital punishment here now,” whispered Anne Dolan. “I remember when the governor signed the bill, I thought, That’s a terrible thing to do, what if somebody’s innocent and gets sent to the electric chair? And now it could be me, Kathy, they might end up putting me in the electric chair, have you ever thought about that? I’m scared,” she whimpered.

“They don’t have the electric chair any more, Ma. It’s poison gas.”

Right, fellow Bingo enthusiasts, it is time for the annual Michael McDowell read...a firm favourite Halloween Bingo tradition of mine, since Char hooked me on his books during the first BL Halloween Bingo.

When I checked the first few pages of the book, I discovered that the story is set in Boston. So, it is perfect for the Sleepy Hollow a.k.a. horror in New England category.

Bring on the McDowell!!!