Hector and Virgil are back! Their charming bed and breakfast is still a safe haven for bibliophiles, although this time there are not as many "bookish" moments. There is a list of must-read cookbooks, books for a baby's first five years (I loved seeing Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne on the list), and another list of books specific for bathroom reading. The focus of book number two (pun intended) is the discovery of local controversial poet Solomon Solomon's manuscript in the B&B safe. The town decides to celebrate his works with a festival involving a poetry contest, food, and a ball of foil.
Cutest moment in the book? When asked by their schoolteacher each twin said he wanted to be a bachelor when he grew up. Neither had no idea what that meant. My one complaint? The brothers do not narrate as much of the sequel as they did in Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast.
As an aside, Nancy Pearl has a chapter in one of her Lust books about characters you would like to meet. I would like to meet mother. She practiced chemistry, built model planes, played football, studied anatomy, collected road kill, and raised twins all on her own. She sounds like a hell raiser. Natalie Merchant has a song called "Sister Tilly" and I could see mother as a Miss Tilly as someone who would "stand at the barricades; a girl in the fray." ( )

Another delightful sojourn with the Bachelor Brothers - while this book does have more of an overall narrative arc, I would still recommend reading the original BBB&B first to get the best feel for the characters. Smart, literary, and wonderful. ( )

Very silly. Loved Solomon Solomon's "Hygiene for Boys" poetry.

Hector and Virgil, the eponymous bachelor brothers, are back and facing trials and tribulations that they were spared in the first book. They must hire a handyman, fend off a pushy journalist, and prepare for a special Solomon Solomon extravaganza. This one is marked more by the brothers' adventures than by the tales of their guests; I enjoyed the latter in the first book, but found the second book more entertaining. Characterized by the same easygoing humor as the first; pleasant but not insipid. ( )

I really enjoyed how this book picked up right after the other one left off. It was either as good or better than the first one. There were a few events that were hard to believe, but it was a nice, cozy visit with our 'old friends' from the first book. All the old characters are there, with one or two new ones. It surprised me with a few plot twists as well. And I found two more books to read from their book recommendations! ( )