The "Dear Amalia letters" began when Fred and Sarah Moore moved from Manhattan to the fictional town of Wheatfield, Mont., and wanted to keep in touch with their cousin. They detail a small town set in a sea of swaying golden wheat. The people are resilient, quirky and probably know more about their fellow Wheatfield residents than all the "Alphabet Agencies" put together.

In this book, you learn the dos and don'ts of small-town living, like what you can and cannot have delivered in the mail. You hear tall tales relating to vegetables, livestock and other town residents. You also hear about resilience and kindness as well. The book's funny, straightforward and a day brightener.

With only 230 pages, you'd be tempted to take Letters from Wheatfield on your next plane trip. It's probably not a good idea. I once read a Janet Evanovich book on the plane and was laughing so hard, I spent half my time apologizing and the other half telling the passengers around me what book I was reading. Letters from Wheatfield would likely create a similar scenario.