Mini-Reviews...

Harry is just about to graduate from college when he gets the news that his father has died.  He goes home for the funeral.  Its just him and his stepmother, Alice.  Harry doesn't really know Alice all that well, so he's a bit wary of her at first.  Alice has secrets that's she's been keeping for ages - some that are just too horrible to even speak of.  As the two spend some together, suspicions are raised and theories are made - was Harry's dad killed, and if so, why?  And, who is Alice?  The more Harry pieces together and the more we learn about Alice - lets just say, the more dicey the situation gets for Harry and anyone around him.  All The Beautiful Lies is a slow-going story that does captivate (at times), but I will be honest and tell you its not Swanson's strongest story.  I've loved his previous books, so I was super excited to read his latest one.  While I did enjoy bits of it, I wasn't completely satisfied.  I felt that the story lacked the excitement, suspense, and mystery that his other books have.  This one was rather flat in comparison.  Overall, it was a decent read. 

Based on the real-life kidnapping of Sally Horner and her captor (a news story that inspired Nabakov's novel, Lolita), this story provides a look into Sally's perspective and her family members' perspectives on how they struggled to deal with Sally's disappearance.  Its a heart-wrenching story that devastates.  This story grips you from the start as you read about this little girl who wants to befriend a group of girls in her class.  They challenge her to steal something from the local shop in order to join their club.  Sally hides a notebook beneath her sweater and starts walking out the door of the shop, but she gets stopped by a strange man who claims to be from the FBI.  He tells her he knows she's a thief and he must take her to talk to a judge about her crime.  Sally is terrified and looks around for help, but her new friends have fled from the store and left her alone.  The man threatens Sally some more and eventually kidnaps her.  She's scared and confused and doesn't understand why he won't just take her to the police.  Sally doesn't understand that this man is a liar and that he's kidnapped her.  She doesn't understand that he is a criminal who likes little girls.  She has no idea what he has in store for her.  All she knows is that she wants to go home to her mom and her sister.  Rust & Stardust is a terrifying story, because its based on Sally's story.  Its a compelling read that will have you crying, feeling horrified, and leave you bereft once you finish.  I couldn't stop reading, even though I wanted to stop so many times - it was just too hard to read about poor little Sally.  This is a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Five little girls are playing volleyball on school grounds when a man dressed in workman's garb walks up to them. He claims to be working and needs some help.  All the little girls volunteer to help him.  He chooses one of them and takes her by the hand.  They walk away together and the rest of the girls continue playing.  Eventually they realize how late its getting, so they set out to look for their friend.  They find her body in the boy's changing room by the swimming pool.  The man is never found and no one is charged with the little girl's murder.  The four little girls are left haunted by their friend's death.  Especially after they visit with her mother a few years later.  The mother blames them for her daughter's death.  She tells them they have three options: find the murderer, pay penance, or do nothing and she will make them pay.  All four girls are terrified and as we read about their lives we find out how they dealt with such a crazy threat.  Its sad, heartbreaking, and unputdownable! I absolutely LOVED this book! Such a great read!

Its the last day of school and the teacher is making announcements.  She will no longer be teaching at the school come the new year.  Yes, her decision has to do with the death of her little girl.  Her daughter's body was found floating in the school pool and it was ruled an accident.  However, the teacher has discovered that two of her students are responsible for her daughter's death.  Yes, her daughter was murdered.  The teacher recounts details she has uncovered and though she doesn't outright name the two murderers, everyone in class knows who she is talking about.  She then confesses to the punishment she has decided to dole out to these two boys.  Lets just say, her confession begins a series of events that are truly unexpected.  Talk about a chilling read. The children in this book are beyond awful and horrifying - they are killers! And the cold, calculating manner in which they plot out their crimes is just terrifying to read about.  I found that I couldn't stop reading. I absolutely loved this story - it was scary, gripping, and unputdownable. Yes, its awful to read about these kids who are monsters, but its also fascinating to learn about their families and how they viewed and handled their sons. And, of course, I wanted the teacher to get her revenge.  I absolutely LOVED this book!  Confessions is a revenge story at its best!

Mini-Reviews...

A school shooting from the perspective of a first-grader named Zach.  Hidden in a closet with his classmates and teacher, Zach hears the "pop" sound from the bullets and feels the fear from everyone around him.  Afterward, he finds out his big brother, Andy (ten years old, fifth grade) was killed, along with eighteen other people. His family is forever changed and as he navigates these changes, he realizes how much he misses his brother, how lonely he really is, and how different his parents have become.  Talk about a heart-wrenching read! I was teared up as I read about Zach's experience hiding out in the closet and the aftermath of that horrible day. Reading about his family through his eyes was eye-opening and just broke my heart.  Such a compelling story.  I would definitely recommend.

Dahlia was living the life at Harvard and looking forward to becoming a lawyer.  One night she goes out with her BFF and the next thing she knows, she's been the victim of a brutal assault that she can't remember.  Terrified, she leaves school and goes home.  Fast forward, she's now a paralegal who spends all her free time with her new BFF.  Her past is her past, or so she thinks.  Unfortunately, one day at work, she finds a group of lawyers watching a video in the break room - a video of her being gang-raped. Horrified and shocked, Dahlia now knows what happened to her that night.  And now she's ready to exact revenge on her attackers.  This was a quick read, that I skimmed through.  It was predictable and cliched.  Not a book I would recommend.

Kate has just lost a case and now needs something big to help boost her career.  Luckily, a new case has fallen into her lap and the defendant is someone well-known in the government, which means publicity for the trial (and Kate).  James has been accused of raping a co-worker (someone he'd had an affair with recently).  His wife is horrified and heart-broken over these allegations made against her husband.  As the trial proceeds, we learn about these characters' histories, connections, and their agendas.  Its a good story that does reel you in, however it is really predictable.  The characters are rather annoying or just plain awful - you care about them to a tiny degree.  Of course, the main question is "Will James be found guilty?".  Then again, a good-looking, rich and educated man tends to do as he pleases and never pays the price - especially when your BFF is the PM.  All in all, a solid read that I gobbled up on a rainy day.

Loved this latest book by Paris.  OMG! I was absolutely hooked from the start and couldn't figure out who was behind anything. I would guess one thing and then be second guessing my choice a minute later. I loved the suspense and mystery - so gripping! I hated the characters, because they were just awful.  And yet, I could not help but love reading their story. So so good! Finn and Layla go away together.  At a rest stop, he goes to the bathroom, comes out and she's gone.  No one ever finds her.  Fast forward and he is now engaged to Ellen - Layla's sister!! Yep, how crazy and wrong does that seem?  Life is moving along smoothly, until one day when a little Russian doll makes an appearance.  After that, Finn's life is on a downward spiral.  Seems that maybe Layla isn't missing after all.  I won't say anything else, just that you should read this one - its such a fun one! Absolutely LOVED it!!

Mini Reviews...

I have been reading like crazy lately.  So many great books and so little time, means that I am zooming right through them just to get to the next one. Luckily, they have all been so fantastic that I'm enjoying every second I spend with them.  Here are a few of the books I've recently devoured:

A short novel about a man named Shimura, who notices that the food he buys keeps disappearing.  He sets up a camera and watches his home from work.  What does he see? A woman making tea in his house! Say what?! Yep, he finds himself watching a woman in his kitchen making herself at home.  Whoa, Nelly! Talk about a shocker!  He phones the police to bust the woman at his home, but then finds himself hoping she will escape before the police arrive.  In the end, she gets arrested.  Turns out she is homeless and has been living in his home for more than a year!  A year - can you imagine!?! Apparently, she was in the neighborhood one morning and noticed him leaving his house for work. She noted that he didn't lock his door.  So, she decides to check out his house and once inside, she finds herself eager to stay.  She sleeps in the closet in his guest room - the one room he never goes in.  Shimura is beyond shocked and feels violated.  He can't believe that she had been in his house while he was asleep, away on vacation, watching TV, etc. It just confounds him.  Suffice it to say, I was shocked. I felt badly for this woman being in such a position that she felt she needed to break into a house to find shelter.  However, I definitely understood Shimura's feelings and agreed with him that his home no longer felt like his home.  This is one book that I can't stop thinking about.  I just loved it so much. It was short, but so thought-provoking with its exploration of loneliness and homelessness.  Talk about a must-read!

Love, love, love!! Gabi, A Girl in Pieces was such a fun and entertaining read. I loved getting to know Gabi, her family and friends. High school is tough, especially senior year when you are applying to college.  Its especially tough when your mom doesn't want you to go away to school, your father is a meth addict, your brother is always getting in trouble lately, your best friend is pregnant, and your other best friend has just come out as gay - OMG!  What's a girl to do? Eat some lemon pepper chicken wings and write some kick ass poetry.  Gabi is awesome.  She's honest, brave, and keeps it real.  I love how supportive she is of her family and friends. I love how she throws herself into her poetry and finds comfort through her poems.  I love how she opens her heart to the possibility of love.  And I love how she accepts her body, even though people are always commenting on it.  Gabi is truly an unforgettable character - I would love for Quintero to write about Gabi's life in college!!  This is one book that I will definitely be re-reading in the future.

I am a HUGE fan of Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians series - it is beyond!  The way he writes about these fascinating characters and their luxe life is fun, entertaining, and unputdownable.  I just love when a new book comes out! Rich People Problems is the third book and I absolutely LOVED it. I sat down one afternoon to read it and didn't get up until I had turned the very last page later that night.  I found myself catching up with familiar characters and getting lost in their new dramas (of which there were so many to choose from).  Such a fun read! Basically, the family matriarch is dying and that means that everyone in the family is over at her house trying to make sure they  are still included in her will.  Yep, its "all about the Benjamins" when it comes to this family.  Suffice it to say, there is plenty of backstabbing, lying, and cheating when it comes to staking claim in the family's fortune and I loved reading all about it!  I love the family drama and dysfunction, the fashion, the luxury, and pretty much everything about this book.  It was such a treat to read! I'm hoping there's another book in the offing, because I would LOVE to find out what happens next to this crazy, rich family!

A quick and light read about a young woman's first trip to Florence with her cousin.  Its a diary that pretty much sums up what they did each day - eating delicious foods and visiting old churches.  Athill does write about the people they meet, the places they stay and the train rides to and fro.  It does make for an interesting read about such a beautiful and dynamic city.  I couldn't help but find myself thinking about my trip to Florence.  I went with my best friend.  We were in grad school and didn't have a lot of money, but we managed to delight in the sights, foods, museums, and experience of it all.  Gelato was our food of choice - how could it not be?!  We walked everywhere and loved taking it all in - the city, the people, and the atmosphere.  We just loved being in such a vibrant and beautiful place. I can still remember the awe I felt when I saw Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's artwork up close - it was truly a mind blowing experience.  I would love to go back and stay for a month or two - that would be bliss.  Reading Athill's book was definitely fun.  I enjoyed learning about her trip and how it made me think about my own trip - a great walk down memory lane.



And there you have it, a few of the books that I've recently had the pleasure of reading.  Not a bad bunch, right?  What about you? What have you read lately?  Anything you want to recommend - let me know.  Happy reading!!

Mini Reviews...

I just finished reading these over the weekend:
                                                                                                  

Meh.  I was so excited to read the latest Veronica Roth, especially after loving the Divergent series so much.   I was looking forward to an adventure story with a bit of romance thrown in - as per the usual format from her past books.  Instead I found myself reading a book that was chock full of too much information.  And what I mean by that is the fact that this book bordered on dull due to the vast amount of details that Roth wanted to pack into the story.  I get that she wanted to create a whole new world and people, but talk about overload.  I couldn't help but skim this book and wonder why I was even still reading it at one point.  The gist of the story is that Cyra is the sister to a ruthless leader who wants to take over the world.  He uses her to kill people - Cyra's touch causes pain (to the point of death).  Akos is a prisoner and provides Cyra with relief from her painful life.  They fall in love and wind up saving each other throughout the book.  In the end we find out that Cyra is not who she thinks she is.  Let me just say, I'm not so sure I want to find out who she is. 

Four friends (Pia, Wini, Rachel, and Sandra) get together every year for a week of fun and adventure.  Its their time to hang out, catch up, and get away from their families.  This year they are going white water rafting down a river that has never really been rafted on before.  I'm sure you can guess that their trip does not go as planned.  HUGE fights ensue between the women, friendships are tested, and the worst-case scenario occurs almost straightaway.  The guide dies, leaving them lost and helpless (when their raft with all their supplies gets washed away).  What are they going to do?  How about walk towards a fire they smell and eventually see. Hmm...who's making that fire?  Could it be help?  Or could it be their end?  Let me just say that this book was predictable with a capital "P".  I found the characters stereotypical, the dramas cliched, and the overall story to be a letdown.  Not a book I would recommend at all.

A fun read about friendship, family, and first love.  Andie has her summer all planned out and she is excited for it to start.  And then everything falls apart.  Her politician dad is getting investigated and as a result, Andie finds out that her spot at Johns Hopkins is gone.  Devastated, she soon finds herself agreeing to walk dogs for the summer in order to fill her resume.  She also finds out that her dad will be around all summer long - something she is not too happy about.  After her mother passed away, Andie was pretty much left to her own devices.  She's not used to her dad asking where she's going and when she'll be home.  Luckily, her best friends will be in town this summer, which means - fun, fun, fun.  The beach, scavenger hunts, parties, and boys will make this a great summer for Andie and her friends.  Or maybe not?  Talk about the perfect light read to follow up Roth and Ferencik - I needed something fun and fluffy to keep my reading mojo going. I'm glad I picked this one.  Its easy and fun to get caught up in Andie and her friend's summer (mis)adventures. 




  

And now I'm off to read this book:
Its another YA, but this one takes place in Italy - how fun does that sound? I love Italy, so I'm excited to read this one.  After I finish this book I think I'll be in the mood for something a bit more substantial.  If you have any recommendations, please let me know what I should be reading next. 

Happy reading!!

More Mini Reviews...

I just finished reading another book last night.  It had been days since I last read a book, so I picked it up on a whim and wound up staying awake til the wee hours finishing it.  With all the holiday fun (baking, shopping, tree trimming, visiting, wrapping, etc.) I've only read a few bits and bobs.  I'm hoping to get another book in this week.  As for my reviews, they have been placed on the back burner for now.  So, I figured a few mini reviews would tide me over until I can get back on track with my blogging.  Here goes:

 Tom Bettany finds out that his son is dead - he was stoned and fell from the balcony.  Shocked by the tragic news, he returns to London to find out the truth about his son's death.  The more facts he uncovers, the more likely it seems that his son was murdered.  Talk about drama, mystery, thriller, and espionage all rolled into one.  Nobody Walks by Mick Herron packs quite a wallop with its quick-pace, suspense-filled scenes, and grittiness.  I loved getting to know Bettany and following him on his mission to uncover the truth - he was a force to be reckoned with.  Definitely a must-read for fans of Herron's works and fans of crime-thriller novels.  This is one book you won't want to miss!

Happy (belated) Birthday, Jane Austen!!  To celebrate Austen, Quirk Books published a wonderful book filled with the beautiful covers from her six novels - 200 years worth of covers!  Alongside the covers are wonderful and insightful commentaries about the history and details surrounding the covers, quotes, and essays regarding Austen-related topics.  This book is a MUST-HAVE for any fan of Austen.  I know that I absolutely loved flipping through the pages and taking in the colorful designs and artwork.  The images were fantastic!  And the essays about Austen were fascinating.  Love. Love. Love!!!

By the Book is about authors sharing their love of books.  "65 of the world's leading writers open up about the books and authors that have meant the most to them" - how delicious does that sound?!  How could I not want to read this book and find out what some of my favorite writers have loved reading.  Plus, we get to know these authors a little better as they share with us their writing habits, inspirations, and pet peeves.  This book is touted as "a book party not to be missed" - how fun!?!  I LOVED dipping in and out of this book over the past few weeks.  Getting to know each and every one of the authors was fascinating and rather captivating.  There were times when I just couldn't stop reading and wound up befriending ten authors in one sitting.  I would most definitely recommend By the Book to every book lover I know - you will most definitely fall in LOVE with this book!!

The Final Silence is the fourth book featuring Jack Lennon and it is terrific!  Filled with dark, gritty details and lots of action, this novel will have you turning pages faster than you can say "crime thriller".  Jack Lennon is a detective whose job is pretty much on the fence - what with his lust for drugs and alcohol.  This man is on a downward spiral and the only thing keeping him afloat is his daughter, Ellen.  When Jack gets a call from an old girlfriend his life gets turned inside-out and upside-down pretty quickly.  Fast-paced, lots of twists and turns, this is one crime-thriller/noir-ish novel you don't want to miss!!  I enjoyed getting lost in Northern Ireland and meeting Jack Lennon via Stuart Neville - this book was riveting!!

What an interesting book about George III and his family.  I enjoyed getting to know more about his personal life and through Hadlow's impeccable research we are able to do so.  She shares with us about George's "royal experiment", which is to create a royal family that would function happily and rather smoothly.  He wanted his "royal experiment" to succeed and become a model that his subjects would be able to follow and create in their own families.  Talk about wishful thinking!  However, Hadlow does show that George did sort of succeed with his "royal experiment" and I found the whole story absolutely fascinating. I'm not usually one for a historical biography, but this book read like a novel (which made it a rather compelling read).  I would definitely recommend this one to history buffs - you will love it!!

 As a love of Greek mythology and literature, I was excited to read Adam Nicolson's book, Why Homer Matters.  Nicolson explores Homer's Illiad and Odyssey, as a means for examining life, nature, and humanity.  This is truly a book written by a man whose love for Homer shines through and through.  His explanation of the poems and their meanings is thought-provoking.  Nicolson tackles a subject rich in history and brings it to the present by relating it to modern day.  He writes an incredibly interesting book that will have fans of Homer excited and inspired.  Definitely a must-read!

A fantasy-lite romance novel.  Talk about a genre I wouldn't normally read.  Yet, I found myself staying up all night just to finish it.  What can I say?  I wanted to read more about the romance.  In Moth and Spark, we have Prince Corin and Tam, young lovers struggling to figure out whether they should or shouldn't be together.  There are class issues to deal with, alongside the impending war of their country - too much drama!  And there are dragons, quests, danger, prophecies, and so much more.  Oh, and love.  Yep, Corin and Tam are infatuated with each other - more like, obsessed.  I loved reading all about their passions for their country, their powers and each other.  Anne Leonard has written one heck of a debut novel - chock full of bewitching scenes in a fascinating world.  I can't wait to read more of her work!

And there you have it, a few of my recent reads.  Talk about an eclectic mix, eh?  Now, I'm off to finish writing out Christmas cards and bake some banana bread.  Happy reading!!

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with copies of these wonderful tomes!!

Mini Reviews...

You guys, I have been reading like crazy lately.  So many books, so little time.  And yet, I somehow manage to read a few books a week. I am loving this reading frenzy - its fabulous!  Of course, my blogging has fallen to the wayside as a result.  I'm just so busy lately, plus the holidays are here - well, you know what I mean.  Anyhow, I figured a great way to get me blogging again was to post some mini reviews.  So, here goes:

Fun and fast read that you will gobble up in under an hour.  Its filled with creative and imaginative text conversations between characters from some of literature's most famous works.  Think Rochester using all caps to talk at Jane and Hamlet's teen angst popping up in his replies to his mother's concerned texts.  This book is truly a delightful read for the literary-obsessed.  I know I loved all the snark, humor, wit and silliness dispensed throughout this quirky read - it was fantastic!!

As a fan of Lovett's last novel, The Bookman's Tale, I just knew I would enjoy his latest book, First Impressions.  A mix of historical fiction and murder mystery, this new story takes us on quite the adventure.  We have Jane Austen penning P&P (aka First Impressions) and falling in love to provide the historical context for modern day Sophie's search for an illusive novel that everyone seems to want, but no one can find.  There is romance, danger, mystery, murder (possibly), books, Austen, and so much more in this fun and thrilling read.  Its a treat for fans of Lovett, Austen, old books, and love.

What a disappointing read!  After hearing King talk about this book being his return to scary, I really did expect one creepy read.  Well, it was not scary in the least.  Even the Frankenstein-ish aspects were not spooky.  Nope, this book was simply about death (what happens after death?) and drug addiction.  I know King had a problem with drugs, so perhaps that's why he considered this book a horror story - since it was a horror he had experienced first hand. I was expecting more from this book, but in the end was just happy to be done with it.  I think I'll be taking a break from King for a while.

Precious Ramotswe is one of my favorite characters and I absolutely love getting caught up in her life.  So, of course I was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Alexander McCall Smith's latest installment in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  Once again Precious has cases to solve, business hiccups to deal with, and several other dramas to endure.  And like always, she manages to get through it all with her usual determination, grace, and intelligence. Plus, her family and friends help her along the way as well.  I'm going to be sad when Smith stops writing these books, so until that happens I will happily devour them as they come out.  Here's to hoping that he's working on another one as I type this.

Disappointing dystopian  YA novel.  Basically, there is something causing humans to kill themselves and others.  What that "something" is no one really knows.  All they know is that in order to prevent death from happening they need to shut their eyes (or wear a blindfold).  Yep, apparently its something that if you see it you will want to die.  Anyhow, this book goes back and forth in time and pretty much winds up where you expect it to.  At first I liked where the story was going, but then the more I read and the more predictable it became - well, I just lost interest.  Definitely not a good read.

I read the first book in this trilogy and was underwhelmed.  Of course, I had to read the second one to see if if would improve.  And, it did.  Well, sort of.  I'm still not sure where this story is going, but I know that I enjoyed reading it more this time round.  Once again Cassie and the motley crew she is now a part of continue to fight for their lives against the aliens' many waves of destruction - they want to exterminate the human race (ahhhh!).  The Infinite Sea is a thrilling and adventurous read that I really did enjoy.  I'm definitely looking forward to the last book.

Veronica Mars is once again on the case.  This time round she has to find a serial rapist and murderer, before he strikes again.  Plus, she still worries about her dad (especially considering that he was almost killed in the last book) and struggles to figure out how she'll cope with Logan leaving her again for work.  She's confused, angry, determined, smart, and riled up - basically, she's her usual Veronica Mars self.  I loved the TV series and now I'm really digging these books.  They have a bit of noir-ish feel to them, along with a great cast of characters to read all about.  I'm definitely hoping that they keep churning out more of these books, because they are a great way to touch base with Veronica Mars and the seedy underbelly of Neptune, along with the constant battle between the rich and the poor. 

What would you do if you found out that you had one year (this has to happen before you turn 30) to see the 6 types of love that exist and write about them in an old journal that has been passed down from one 'gifted' woman to the next or else you would be doomed to never experience true love?  And this 'gift' is the ability to see love - like, you see a couple and suddenly your eyesight blurs or begins to notice colors around them and you realize that these two people are absolutely, truly in love with one another.  What would you do?  Would you believe the woman telling you this or would you think she's crazy?  Well, in Sarah Jio's latest novel, Jane believes Colette (the woman who told her this news) and begins to understand and see the various types of love all around her.  The book was predictable and a bit sappy, but it really was sweet and made for a fun read.  I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her works. 

This book is a 'single white female' of the older woman variety.  Grace is married to a popular author.  They have one daughter and appear to live charmed life.  Except, Grace is extremely unhappy with her marriage - all her husband does is bully her and verbally abuse her.  Of course no one knows this dark secret, because Grace pretends they are happy.  Plus, Grace also has a mother who is an alcoholic and manic depressive - another deep, dark secret she hides from the world.  Talk about too many secrets, eh?  Well, the story finds Grace slowly being replaced by the very assistant she found for her husband.  Soon, she is being heavily medicated by a crackpot psychiatrist the assistant recommended - and her husband even wants to have her committed!! So, Grace flees.  She literally escapes the hospital and flies to London to meet up with a dear old friend and finally take full control of her life.  All the while, Beth (the assistant) has taken over her house, monies, husband, jobs, and life.  Its crazy, creepy, and such an addictive read.




I love the TV show GIRLS, so I was super excited to learn that Lena Dunham had written a book of personal essays.  I stayed up all night reading the book and absolutely loved it!  The essays were funny, sad, quirky, observant, smart, and totally relatable.  I found myself nodding along, smiling, getting upset, and even tearing up at times as I read Dunham's essays on college, friendship, writing, sex, love, and rape.  Her personal stories were terrific - they were candid in nature and showcased Dunham's talent for writing.  I found myself easily immersed in her world, her history, and her life.  And, I found myself inspired by her.  Not That Kind Of Girl is a worthwhile read that I would happily recommend to fans of GIRLS and Dunham.  You will LOVE this book!!

And there you have it, a smattering of the books I've recently read.  I may not have loved them all, but I did enjoy reading a variety of genres - I'm really trying to mix it up.  What about you?  Any good books to recommend?  Well, I'm off to finish reading my copy of Vogue and then watch The Pioneer Woman's Cowboy Christmas Special on Food Network.  Cheers!!