95 Books In 2006, George W. Bush read 95 books. We will do better.

Montreal’s excellent Drawn & Quarterly has recently released a five-volume collection of beloved Finnish children’s author Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strip. Last week I spied the first three volumes at Vancouver’s Pulp Fiction, which I snapped up for an out-of-town Moomin-lovin’ friend.

Before I packed the beautiful hardcovers up for shipping, I figured I’d better - ahem - read them first. What a treat! I’ve never encountered the Moomins before, but I was quickly drawn into Jansson’s whimsical world of childish delights with old school wisdom-of-the-ages resonance for kidults like me. The stories are sweet and lovely with touches of melancholy and edginess. Can’t wait to pick up volumes 4 & 5 for mysel…er, Sarah.

-Nikki