Book #52

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

And just like that I'm finished! Full wrap up and list of my top ten favorites for the year to come tomorrow.

Book #51

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I started another Stephanie Plum novel but decided to check out a few pages of this book on the Kindle app on my phone before going to sleep last night. Once I began I couldn't put it down. It's consumed my day and is, hands down, one of the greatest books I've ever read. I'm not a book reviewer so it always seems silly to write more than a sentence or two about one of my selections but this novel? Oh my goodness. I'm embarrassed it took so long for me to discover it.

Book #50

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book #49

One of my all time favorite books. It's just as wonderful as I remembered.

“It seems to me that we can’t explain all the truly awful things in the world like war and murder and brain tumors, and we can’t fix these things, so we look at the frightening things that are closer to us and we magnify them until they burst open. Inside is something that we can manage, something that isn’t as awful as it had a first seemed. It is a relief to discover that although there might be axe murderers and kidnappers in the world, most people seem a lot like us: sometimes afraid and sometimes brave, sometimes cruel and sometimes kind.”

Book #48

Was this really badly written? Yes. Because it's the book version of watching a cheesy Lifetime/Hallmark/ABCFamily Christmas movie. I couldn't help myself.

#47

Oh dear internet, I'm pretty sure I've hit the bottom of the barrel of my dignity with this choice. I don't even care anymore, I don't think.

There are two things I've been pretty obsessed with this past year: books and TV shows. This year I've watched all seasons of Justified, Parks and Recreation, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, and probably more that I can't think of. And I developed a love for a genre I didn't even know I liked, the procedural crime drama. First I became obsessed with Bones and promptly watched all episodes. And when I ran out of those I was told I should watch Castle. So I did and am terribly obsessed with that one as well.

Long story short, Heat Wave is the first in a series of companion novels for that show. It's like glorified fan fiction with an ABC seal of approval. And it's not very great.

Yet I have no shame.

Book #46

I've been meaning to read One for the Money by Janet Evanovich all year long. I've checked out the library's ancient copy at least four times with the intent to introduce myself to Stephanie Plum but I could never make myself do it. Can I make a weird book confession? If a paperback is too old and tattered (like not the good kind of old and tattered, just the gross kind) I can't bring myself to read it. It's why I usually stick to the new arrival shelf. So anyway, long story short I downloaded it to my Kindle because it's Christmas and as a concession to not asking for a Kindle Fire I've decided I can use gift cards to purchase all the books I want.

And I picked this one because I really wanted to read the book before I saw the movie.



The plus side is I'm officially addicted and excited that I have 17 more Plum novels (plus Christmas novellas) to catch up on.

Book #45

Christmas Spirit

I often neglect this blog when I have lots of other things going on but I'm back now. I've spent the last two weeks nursing my poor mother back to health after she contracted MRSA. (Right? Crazy? It totally was.) It's been an ordeal. I'm trying to re-discover the Christmas spirit this week before the holidays begin this weekend.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate. Though I try every year to be an egg nog kind of person.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? When Santa was still visiting my house he just sat out the presents. Often assembled and ready to play. My parents bought tons of presents each year so it was always a living room FULL of toys. In retrospect this is a bit ridiculous but at the time? SO MAGICAL. Now I wrap everything. I love unwrapping gifts.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? - I like white lights for the most part.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? - Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up? - Thanksgiving weekend. Thought this year it seems there are still boxes full of things to put out. Oh well.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? - Ham and hashbrown casserole. Christmas is all about the cheesy potatoes for me. And homemade Chex Mix.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? - In 1994 we brought my brother home from the hospital on Christmas Eve to a house full of well wishers. My entire extended family came over and brought Christmas dinner and presents. He was truly the best Christmas gift ever. I'm so thankful to have a sibling.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? - I was around 8 or 9 I think. I had it figured out for a while but I didn't want the magic to stop.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? - Yes. My dad grew up opening every single one of his presents on Christmas Eve so my parents compromised their traditions by allowing for a few presents to be opened the night before. My dad still lobbies each year for us to open all of them on Christmas Eve though. He's never gotten his way.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? - It really depends. Some years we do white lights, others multi-colored. Mostly it's sentimental ornaments but I've done fancy trees in the past too.

11. Snow! love it or dread it? - Let's be honest, I don't love winter and I don't really look forward to ice or snow. I don't mind a snow day but I hate when it's slippery and I have to actually leave the house.

12. Can you ice skate? - I would never even attempt such nonsense. I can't stand ice.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? - My brother totally counts, right? Other than that goober I really enjoyed my barbie convertible power wheels car and a kitchen set.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? - Having the time after a long year for relaxation and reflection.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? - I'm constantly switching things up and rarely make the same things two years in a row so I really don't know that I have a favorite.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? - Baking and movie watching.

17. What tops your tree? - A bow.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? - Both. Of course I love giving. But c'mon, who doesn't love being on the receiving end of the perfect gift?

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? - Double yum. Peppermint is one of my favorite flavors.

20. Favorite Christmas movie? - Christmas Vacation. At last count we've watched it four times this season. I am Clark Griswold.

Ellen: You set standards that no family activity can live up to.

Clark: When have I ever done that?

Ellen: Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, holidays, vacations, graduations...

21. Saddest Christmas song? - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" -- preferably the Judy Garland version from Meet Me in St. Louis. This song has made me ugly cry. Not even kidding.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? - See the aforementioned. It's perfect.


this year's Christmas card

Book #44

While I've made no secret my love of the dystopian YA novel this year I have to say that with Crossed I've really exceeded my quota. No more. At least until next year. I didn't love the first book in this series, Matched but I still wanted to give the next one a try. There wasn't improvement. I thought Crossed was incredibly boring. Which is a bummer because I hate wasting my time with boring books.

Book #43

Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Book #42

A few people had told me that since I enjoy YA Fiction I should read Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries. So I did, and I didn't love it. I'm not even sure I liked it that much. The plot was lacking and the character development was poor, if not non-existent. I, shock of all shocks, actually preferred the movie in this instance. And we all know that should NEVER happen.

{10 more books and 22 days to go.}

Book #41

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope