BOOKWORM: ANSWER

Thank you for the replies, and we do have one correct answer. (Though I do disclaim, disqualify and banish from all further contests our estimable contestant CARO, who is scary-smart, but who may have heard this puzzle before, living in the same house and all, though I changed the widths and increased the number of books just to mix it up a bit).

It is, indeed, 1 1/2 inches of nibbling for Mr. Bookworm, a nice portly gentleman of leisure, at his Club for lunch. Today it's perhaps a bit of Bulwer-Lytton (dark and stormy nights being right up his alley, all snug as a bug, and all). Then a nice meaty plow through a plate of Gibbon, culminating with dessert---just a smidgen of Carroll, for he DOES love reading the exploits of his Great-Great Uncle, the All-Wise Caterpillar.

See the books above, in the bookends (and NO, Mr. B. did not hollow out that space for inserting the trout---it's all an illusion). As books a customarily arranged in a bookshelf, they stand from left to right, with Vol. I being the first-on-the-left, Vol. II just to the right, and so on.

So, if you look at Vol. I, the front cover is touching the BACK cover of Vol. II. Therefore, Mr. Bookworm, starting at Page 1, would nibble only through the front COVER, which is 1/4 inch (a nice first course).

Then all the way through Vol. II, which is 1 inch total---a lovely entree with vegetables.

Now, approaching dessert, just a nice little nip through the 1/4 inch of the Back Cover of Vol. III, and VOILA!! He's done.

1 1/2 inches of tasty books, the brandy and cigars enjoyed, and he's off to a nice comfy chair in the Reading Room for a nap.

Now, for some Unfinished Business:

There were no responses to the Saturday Puzzles I posted way back in March, so I just completely forgot about it.

http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2010/03/saturday-sillies-puzzles.html

Forthwith, the answers, if anyone's interested:

Left to right, and down the blocks:

Painless operation
Excuse me
Play in the yard
Life after death
Crossbow
Partly cloudy
An afterthought
I’ll be there in a minute
Torn apart

XXXXXXXXXXX

Playwright of Numbers:

1111000

IONESCO

1 11 100 0

I ONES C O

And for the little ditty above the fireplace:

If grate be empty, put coal on.

If grate be full, stop putting coal on.

Don't put coal on over a high fender

You'd be an ass to risk it.

I LOVE puzzles, especially word puzzles.. Hope I haven't bored you with too much all at once.

Have a wonderful MOTHERS' DAY WEEKEND!!

PS I love to solve puzzles, but this spacing thing which JUST WON'T DO RIGHT after the umpteenth time---that's a mystery past my solving. Sorry.