Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

I picked up this book a while back while on a business trip. I found it in the clearance section, so I got it for a steal. I am usually up for a good historical fiction story.

I tried reading it when I first bought it, but was having a hard time being drawn into the story. There is a lot of written French, which I have a hard time with.

I lent the book to a friend, who also enjoys historical fiction and she loved it.

The book has been sitting in my bookcase ever since. I finally pulled it out over the weekend and am not experiencing the same apprehension at reading the story.

It is essentially another grail story, but with a bit of a twist...

I will warn you that it does jump around a lot and it is hard to keep the characters straight, who's good, who's bad, who's who, who's when... (if you read the book, you'll get this).

It was a good book, but I'll need to re-read it sometime to see if I understand the storyline a little better. In my opinion, it would have been better for the author to stick to a couple of storylines, but I understand why it was written the way it was written... I would have just liked to get more involved with the characters than I did...

The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck

We picked up a copy of "The Christmas Sweater" when Glenn Beck was here for his book signing tour, and I read it over New Year's.

The book is a fictional adaptation of some real events that took place in Glenn Beck's life. The story follows Eddie, a 12-yr-old boy, through some of the most difficult times in his life, and how he finally gains the courage to face his personal "storm" and learns to recognize what is really important in life. He also comes to learn that one of the most important steps to finding peace is being able to forgive yourself.

Eddie is at times frustratingly self-centered and stubborn in the book, but given his age and the circumstances, that's not unreasonable. And the lessons he learns are applicable to all of us, regardless of our individual circumstances.

The book made me think about my priorities and appreciate my family. It is a great reminder of the power of love and forgiveness, and of faith. I don't want to give away too much of the story or Glenn's take on it (which he shares at the end), but in my opinion it is inspirational and worth the read.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

I was given this book by "Santa" in my stocking this year. I have been meaning to read it for quite some time as I loved the movie. While the book and movie have a lot of elements that are different they both cohesively portray the friendship of these 4 girls as they start to grow into their selves. The basic plot is centered around a pair of pants that are magical in the fact that they fit all 4 girls perfectly. These pants were discovered at the beginning of a summer when all 4 would be going separate directions for the first time in their lives. They each have their own adventures and discoveries during their time apart but the pants draw them closer and give them the "boost" that they need at the time that they need it. I loved the book. It paints a wonderful picture of friendship and sisterhood that reminds you why your friends are your friends. I believe it to be a must-read for anyone who likes good friendship stories and tales of discovering who you are and those discoveries bringing you closer to the ones you love. It is written for a teenage audience, so it reads easy and quickly. I hope whoever reads it likes it as much as I did.

Tribute - Nora Roberts

I was given a SIGNED COPY of Tribute for Christmas, along with many other NR books (some as JD Robb) and have been reading up a storm ever since.

Tribute is a beautiful story, steeped in suspense and intrigue. You follow a woman who is rebuilding her life by renovating a farm that was owned by her famous grandmother. In the process, she needed to find out the details surrounding her grandmother's death, in order to save her own life. I was rivited. Yet another good NR book.