Here on IDEOTV, it's Christmas in ... okay, August, but still it's time for some wintry festivities as we read—and talk about!—Dachshund Through the Snow: An Andy Carpenter Mystery!

It's a murder mystery, a searing portrait of small-down power, corruption, and lies, a thrilling tale of corporate malfeasance, and a legal procedural, but really what it is is a story about a guy who doesn't want to do anything except watch ESPN with his buddies, who similarly want only to watch ESPN. "Dudes rock", in book form!

Grab a shovel and prepare yourself for the ultimate in tension and the premier in punny titles, because like a cake out in the rain or an actor out on loan, our minds are squirming like a toad because it's time for ... Dachshund Through the Snow.

Recommendations:

• "Abracadabralifornia" by The Pepper Men (Jon Daly)
• You Must be New Here by Ganser

Music:

• "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" by Rush
• "Child's Christmas in Wales" by John Cale
• "Rich Man's World" by Immortal Technique