The Aftermath; or What I Have Read

Theoretically I should have pictures on Christmas but I didn't (typical.)

Anywho, it was a nice day, devoid of any meltdowns or tantrums (even Avery was well-behaved.)

I'll track down some pictures and write an update...

In the meantime

Here are the books that I have read since I've been home for Christmas:

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I started reading this book while I was an undergrad at Weber. My grandma (who was a professor there) had borrowed it from the library and asked me to return it on my way back to the Browning Center. I started reading it and I probably would have finished it, sitting in the cold outside the library, were it not for class. I read it over two days and it really made me think about grief and death. I wondered if it is worse to have someone die of a disease rather than at the hand of another person because there isn't really something to attach the blame. Try as you might, "cancer" doesn't really make a good bulletin board for your pain and grief.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

I am SUCH a sucker for historical mysteries. If a book has footnotes or a person doing research in a library, I am SO there! I think that is why I enjoyed the books Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke and the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud so much; FOOTNOTES! I read this book in a day, mostly because I just wanted to know what was going to happen to grad-student Connie and her historical detective work.

I highly recommend this book even though the ending was a bit off.

Cumorah Christmas by Bob Lonsberry

Bob is a friend from my mission and this book is set in my mission. I was fun to read about places that I was able to visit. The book was short but it was a nice story about a man who is reminded of Christmas in a sacred place. My Mom picked up this book for me a week or so before Christmas along with the next book.

Saving Madeline by Rachel Ann Nunes

My Mom surprised me with a signed copy of this book (thanks!) for Christmas. It was fun to meet the author because I really enjoyed the Ariana series when I was in junior high. My tastes changed and I didn't continue on with the other books Ms. Nunes has since written. I read this book on Christmas, after we arrived home from visiting my grandparents. The plot was engaging: a lawyer defends a man who kidnapped his own daughter because the mother was dangerous even though the police didn't have any evidence of the mother and her dangerous ways. I really liked it even though parts were a bit silly-romantic but the other parts made up for it. This book also has brought my number of autographed books to four.

Tangent: When I was younger I LOVED the Baby-sitter's Club book by Ann M. Martin (Hilary read the Babysitters Little Sister series for a little while.) Anyway, we went to a book signing with our parents at a mall so we could meet Ann M. Martin. I was so nervous I couldn't even tell her how much I liked her books or how much I was able to relate to ALL of the girls in the club. All I was able to do was spell my name.

I was so nervous.

I can't remember how old we were or where the signing was held. I just remember there were A LOT of people and I was very nervous.