The Snow Angel

The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Glenn Beck writes another sad and heart-wrenching Christmas story that ends on a note of hope at Christmas Eve. Rachel Price had a lonely childhood, verbally abused by her mother and distanced by a unsure, overworked father. Her kind neighbors, the Wevers, who could see Rachel's sadness, took her under their wing, and gave her new skills, security, and love. But many years later, when Rachel marries, she falls into the same life she led at home. Cyrus is overbearing, possessive, and abusive - verbally and physically. For years, Rachel tries to hide the shame and abuse, lying to herself that she is deserving of such treatment, but when her own honest, young, daughter Lily begins to question the life her family lives - Rachel, with the help of an old friend and a new ally, begins to unravel the web of untruths and insecurities.

This is a gem of a book - it's not your typical happy holiday novel. It deals with real-life issues, scabs, scars and hurting wounds. I got caught up in Beck's Christmas Sweater last year and was hoping this read would be as good or even better - I was not disappointed.



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A Christmas Homecoming

A Christmas Homecoming: A Novel by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I relish Anne Perry's small Christmas novels - this being her ninth release. Her characters always include some of our favorites from her larger novels and I certainly feel like I've stepped back into Victorian times and feel the cold bleakness of winter in Whitby, York.

Caroline and her husband, Joshua, and his acting troupe arrive at the mansion of their benefactor barely ahead of the Christmas snowstorm that locks them down for days. Also arriving on the doorstep in the middle of the terrible storm is a pale, handsome man who strangely resembles one of the characters, Dracula, of the play adapted from Bram Stoker's new novel, that Joshua's group is to practice and perform. When this same man is found dead days later, from a sharpened broomstick driven through his heart, all who inhabit the snow-stormed manor are fearing for their lives. Can Caroline, playing amateur detective, put the clues together and solve the mystery?





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The Next Always

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book one of the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy was a great read - especially since the setting is right over the mountain! I knew that Nora Roberts had opened an inn in Boonsboro and after reading The Next Always I'd love to mosey on down the road to take a peek.

The three Montgomery brothers, of the Montgomery Family contractors, are the key characters in this trilogy. Book one focuses on Beckett, architect and youngest brother who has a very busy life restoring the old inn. Back in town and now running the local bookstore, Turn the Page, is Clare Brewster and her three sons. Clare had fallen deeply, madly in love and married, right out of high school, Beckett's friend who had joined the military and died in Iraqi War. Clare doesn't realize that Beckett, after all these years, still carries a torch for her and is also falling for her three ornery, little boys.

Some of the antics in this 300+ novel will make you giggle out loud and I do wonder if there really is a ghost in the Inn Boonsboro who is friendly!



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200 Christmas Recipes: Hamlyn All Color

200 Christmas Recipes: Hamlyn All Color by Hamlyn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delicious lil recipe book – a photo for each dish prepared! How about Roast Goose with Spiced Apples (page 36 ) or Moroccan Stuffed Lamb (page 34) or even Traditional Shortbread (page 210)? Even if you don’t plan on cooking any of the delicacies – it’s fun to drool over the full color photos!





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Christmas with Southern Living 2011

Christmas with Southern Living 2011: Savor * Entertain * Decorate * Share by Editors of Southern Living Magazine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mom and I look forward to cruising the pages of the annual Southern Living Christmas book at this time of the year. Delicious recipes (with photos that make your mouth water), decorating ideas, and ideas for fun crafts. Two of my favorite recipes are Caramel Drop-Banana Bread Trifle Dessert, page 35 and the Sweet Potato Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting, page 27. Yum!! Take a look and see which recipe is your new fav!



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