Christmas Reading Challenge

UPDATE:  Originally, I had stipulated reading 1-3 books in this challenge.  I would also like to add that you can read more books than what is listed.  What with Jenn's Bookshelves' Thankfully Reading Weekend and Dreadlock Girl's Read Read-a-Thon and Haley's Christmas Break Challenge: A Book-a-Day, I figure (for me, at least) these events will give extra opportunities to read more Christmas books...yay! So read as many books as you want as long as you read at least one.  Happy Reading!

In honor of the release of The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans today, I am announcing my first reading challenge ever...and it's a Christmas Reading Challenge! I know it may seem early (for people who are not Christmas fanatics, like me), but I want people to have plenty of time to decide what they want to read.

First, here are the details about The Christmas List:

Dear Reader,


When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.

As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

Merry Christmas

About the Author

RICHARD PAUL EVANS is the #1 best-selling author of The Christmas Box. His thirteen novels have each appeared on the New York Times bestseller list; there are more than thirteen million copies of his books in print. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers. He is the winner of the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards for his children's books, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. Evans received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award for his work helping abused children. He is the founder and CEO of BookWise, an international direct sales business. Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children. (from Amazon)


I am really looking forward to reading this.  The Christmas Box is one of my favorite Christmas books by Mr. Evans so I'm sure I will love this one as well!

Now, on to the challenge details.

The Christmas Reading Challenge:

• will run from Thanksgiving Day, November 26 through New Year's Eve, December 31, 2009
• you can choose 1 - 3 books...I know it seems a small amount, but it's a busy time of year and the challenge is only a little over a month.
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore or a book of Christmas short stories (sorry, no children's books, but YA novel is okay).
• Be sure to check back here in a couple of days, I will have a list of new Christmas books coming out and some old favorites to recommend.
• Be sure to come back and link your post here on Mr. Linky.  This is my first time using it so if it doesn't work, leave your link in the comments.  Please leave a comment after you post your link in Mr. Linky. Thanks!

Here is a smaller picture if you want to put one up on your blog:

Hope everyone is as excited about this challenge as I am!

Happy (Holiday) Reading!

NaNoWriMo Update

After much internal deliberation, I have decided to throw in the towel on NaNoWriMo.  I have a lot of personal stuff going on right now and I just started a new job after not working for almost two months.  It's just part-time, but I'm on my feet the entire time and this out of shape body has received quite a shock.  I'm exhausted (and aching)! Finally, the idea I have for my novel is going to require a lot of research and since I didn't get the idea until after NaNoWriMo started, I did not do the research beforehand.  I will still be working on this novel, but at my own pace.  I will look forward to next year and the possibility of signing up again.  So.....

Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.


~Robert South

A Christmas Carol

My most favorite Christmas book, and Christmas movie, of all time...A Christmas Carol.  When I heard a couple of years ago that Jim Carrey would be playing Scrooge in a new movie version of A Christmas Carol, I was thrilled.  However, when I found out it was going to be shot in performance-capture animation, I wasn't very happy.  I just prefer my Christmas Carol films to be with live action players.  Well, I went to see the new movie this weekend and I was very pleased.  They have really improved this type of animation.  The characters have an abundance of expression and the talent of the actors shines through.  As usual, Carrey was great.  And Gary Oldman and Colin Firth shined as well.  If you love Christmas and especially the story of A Christmas Carol, then I think you will like this movie. 

Here are a few of my favorite versions of the movie:

Scrooge (1970)--starring Albert Finney

A Christmas Carol (1999)--starring Patrick Stewart

A Christmas Carol (1951)--starring Alastair Sim

A Diva's Christmas Carol (2002)--starring Vanessa Williams




Which is your favorite?  Will you see the new Disney version?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a meme from Marcia at The Printed Page.

Slim pickins, I'm afraid!

In The Mail:

A Currier & Ives Christmas by Lynn A. Coleman, JoAnn A. Grote, DiAnn Mills & Deborah Raney from PaperBackSwap (isn't this cover beautiful?  Mine is a special collector's edition too!)

The artistry of renowned lithographers Currier & Ives captures the beauty and nostalgia of simpler days and Christmases past. Yet, while a picture may be worth a thousand words, there are times when even the best illustrations leave viewers with a yearning to know more. Inspired by the classic American art of Currier & Ives, these seasonal love stories delve deep inside the artists' portrayals to imagine and illustrate the untold tales behind each wintry scene. Look beyond the art to discover the heartwarming stories of holiday love of yesteryear in A Currier & Ives Christmas.

A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris which I won from Celticlady's Ramblings.

Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written - in one special volume - from the New York Times bestselling author.

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her 'spunky' (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written - together in one volume.

Stories include 'Fairy Dust,' 'One Word Answer,' 'Dracula Night,' 'Lucky,' and 'Giftwrap.'

Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman which I won from A Reader's Respite.

On the 20th anniversary of the death of Rebecca, the first wife of Maxim de Winter, family friend Colonel Julyan receives an anonymous parcel containing a notebook - marked "Rebecca's Tale" - and two pictures. Has she kept her word to haunt him for ending up in the de Winter crypt?

The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans (ordered from BOMC2.com)

Dear Reader,

When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.

As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

Merry Christmas --Richard Paul Evans (from Amazon)


So, what did you get in your mailbox?

Happy Reading!



(All excerpts from Fantastic Fiction unless otherwise noted)

Book review--The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu

I received this book to read and review from Lisa Roe, Online Publicist.

This is a great book! It is organized in chapters by topics such as:  Outer Space, How things Work, Daily Life, etc.  It is in a question and answer format.  Basically, you can bet that every question your child has ever asked you will be answered in this book!

The first week I received it, we used it as a reference for my son's project on the planets.  He had to draw each planet as it is positioned in the solar system and then pick his favorite and describe it.  On page 5, there is a picture showing the line up of the planets in relation to the sun and on subsequent pages are questions and answers about the different planets.  It was a very "handy" tool for this homework assignment!

I have chosen a few topics with their Q & As as excerpts to show you the great informative nature of this book.

Chapter:  Creatures Big and Small

Dinosaurs and Ancient Life (if you have kids, especially boys, then you have probably been asked this question!)

When did the dinosaurs live?

Dinosaurs first appeared about 230 to 250 million years ago, during the Triassic Period.  Their large size and vast numbers meant that they dominated animal life on Earth for millions of years.  Dinosaurs became extinct around 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period.  Earth was much different when dinosaurs roamed the planet.  Several hundred million years ago, instead of there being seven continents, or large land masses, there was just one giant mass of land that was surrounded by ocean.  This land mass gradually broke apart into separate continents.  Areas that are now covered with tall buildings or mountain ranges were once beneath the sea, and scientists believe the climate was fairly warm throughout the year.  By the end of the era in which dinosaurs lived, temperatures had cooled and distinct seasons had developed.

Why did dinosaurs become extinct?

Scientists do not know for sure why dinosaurs became extinct.  They have many different theories, some of which explain the extinction as something that happened gradually over a long period of time.  Other theories suggest that a single catastrophe, such as a fallen asteroid from outer space, caused the dinosaur population to die off rather suddenly.  And some scientists believe the dinosaur population had been gradually getting smaller and then was finished off by some dramatic event.

Chapter: Daily Life

Tough Questions:  Divorce, Death and God

Who is God?  (a tough one...this is one my kids have asked me recently)

It is believed by many people that God is the perfect spiritual being who has always existed and who created everything. (Although having no physical form and therefore no gender, God is usually referred to as a male.) Believers feel that God made the universe and all that is in it.  God is thought by many to be all-knowing and all-powerful.  In many religions, it is thought that the souls of people who have led good lives on Earth join God after they die.

While many of the world's most widely practiced religions--Christianity, Islam, Judaism--teach of the existence of a single supreme being (called God in Judeo-Christian religions and Allah in Islam), some religions teach that there are many gods.  Hinduism (practiced by many people in India and elsewhere) teaches that there are many gods, but all are part of one divine being, called Brahman.  Some people feel that God is everywhere and part of everything--the universe itself, and all life, and all natural occurrences, are divine.  Others, called atheists, do not believe a supreme being exists in any form. 

I highly recommend this book.  It's great if you have kids, but it's also great for adults.  As I was reading through it, even I found out some things I otherwise would not have known.

Happy Reading!



**FTC disclaimer:  I received this book for review from the publicist.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my son Gabe's 8th birthday.  I can't believe he's eight years old...it seems like yesterday he was justmy little baby.  Due to financial circumstances lately, I can't afford to get him much.  I wish I could give him the moon on a string!

Happy Birthday Sweetie! Mom loves you!

Mini Review--Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty

Elsewhere: A novella by William Peter Blatty

This is my first mini review.  I decided to do it with this book because I was mildly disappointed with this read.  Frankly, I was expecting something a lot scarier than what I read.  Yes, the house is genuinely creepy and there are some eerie moments.  However, one thing that bothered me was the fact that I figured out the secret of the plot very early on.  I was also very unhappy with the character development.  While there are some fleeting moments of mirth in the banter between two of the main characters, this too is slightly strained, like the author was trying too hard.  Thank goodness this was a fairly short read for I'm afraid I may not have otherwise made it through.

About the book:

An incredible haunted house novel from William Peter Blatty, the legendary author of The Exorcist! Disturbing, unsettling, chilling, and laced with a nasty streak of dark humor, Elsewhere is a must-have for all fans of dark fiction! Sure to become a time-honored classic in the genre! (from Fantastic Fiction)


As always, Happy Reading!



**FTC Disclaimer:  I purchased this book with my own money.