From Publishers Weekly
Fifty-something fraternal twins Hector and Virgil operate a Shangri-la for bibliophiles, located somewhere between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada. In this deliciously witty tale of their B&B, which has won Canada's Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, the collected autobiographical jottings - "Brief Lives" - of the brothers' guests are interspersed with chapters alternately penned by each brother as dispatches for CBC Radio (Richardson first introduced Hector and Virgil on CBC Radio's Gabereau show). Virgil is the wry, bassoon-playing, contemplative one, sending missives from thought-inspiring locales like the cemetery-cum-golf course. (On their dead mother: "In compliance with her wishes, we kept her ashes in a ziplock bag in the freezer, attending the day we could incorporate them into a household project.") The more energetic Hector enjoys the affections of cosmetics saleswoman and would-be writer Altona Winkler and harbors a penchant for trouncing librarians at Scrabble. There's also Waffle the cat and the resident parrot, Mrs. Rochester, who spouts maternal advice along with the occasional vulgar epithet. Guests are greeted by musical eggcups at breakfast, and the brothers supply suggested book lists (e.g., "Hector's List of Favorite Authors for the Bath"). Richardson's voice is impressively versatile, equally assured with such diverse characters as Helen, a Winnipeg grandmother, and Gordon, a staid attorney on a forced wilderness encounter. This quiet charmer is a bibliophile's delight.

A really nice book, quiet and gentle, and a little absurd. I would have liked a few more 'Brief Lives' sections & less of Virgil & Hector who became a bit to twee & cloying after a while. I enjoyed the gentle comedy, & the occasional bit of bite from Mother & Mrs. Rochester.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to RockDg9 for the first line grabber relay.

Thanks catsalive!

I want to visit this place! It sounds like a perfect retreat - a bibliophiles B&B with laid-back proprietors. The story is humorous and clever, full of witticisms and poignancy. Loved it.

RockDad and RockMum both read this and absolutely adored it. It will be on PC for the moment until the rest of the family get a chance to read this 'bibliophiles delight'!

Time to find a new reader.