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.

Sign of Seven Trilogy - Nora Roberts

I loved the books. I love reading Nora Roberts tell a story over 3-4 books.

This story deals with 3 boys, who at the age of 10, inadvertently released a demon when they became blood brothers. Every 7 years, for 7 days, the demon wreaks havoc on their town, causing some people to go mad. It follows what happens when they are at their third "Seven", the strong women they meet, and how they are able to defeat the demon. Each book follows a different guy/girl pairup.

Having read most of Nora Robert's trilogies, they do tend to follow the same general pattern, guy/girl meetup... have to work together to defeat something not entirely good... learn to live life... Even though it is somewhat predictable, I enjoy my time reading these kinds of books. I like to escape into the world she creates and get to know the enjoyable characters.

Waiting to Surface by Emily Listfield

This is another library find. The synopsis on the dust jacket sounded interesting, so I checked it out.

I gave up on this book. After 5 chapters, my attention just wasn't there. I wasn't interested in the story AT ALL.

If you have read this book and found it great, I'm happy for you... I guess it just isn't for me...

"Don't you forget about me" by Jancee Dunn

I found this book at the library, and it looked interesting, so I checked it out.

It's about a woman who is basically just floating through life, until her husband decides that he's unhappy and leaves her. She ends up in a pretty deep depression, her boss makes her take a sabbatical, and she ends up moving in with her parents for a while, at the age of 38.

This coincides with her upcoming 20 yr high school reunion. She basically reverts back to her high school self, reminiscing about how it was the best time of her life. It wasn't until later that she discovers/remembers just how it really was for her, and this basically makes her "grow up."

It's a pretty good book. A quick read. I checked it out on a Saturday, and it was finished by Sunday night, reading sporadically. It's a good nostalgia story for anyone who grew up in the 80's.