Some Christmas book thoughts.... Part One

In the last two days, I've managed a rough draft of a December budget and a potential last minute December budget buster. Here's the score:

1 suddenly continual running kitchen faucet
+1 four year old boy
+1 eleven month old dog
+3 mismatched wrenches
+1 dead flashlight
+1 semi working duct taped flashlight
+2 aching shoulders
+1 trip to Lowes
+6 hours of continual interruptions
+4 rounds of "how can that still be dripping!"
= day of plans shot to heck


Yet, VICTORY IS MINE! Honestly, I had to win. It is December, Christmas cometh, and I've already paid the plumber enough money this year. Yeah, that whole gas line thing. So, I may have stopped to help wipe the boys bottom, walk the dog, and track down tools that disappeared miraculously into the trunk of a Cozy Coupe, but I did get it done!

Then, tonight, I was going to blog about my budget, but I decided to reward my victory with writing about that which I love... books. So, I've made myself a heaping big mug of cocoa, and waited patiently for all of the rest of Team Stone to commence snoring.

My favorite new Christmas book this year seemed to take me by surprise. I plucked it off the cart in receiving in late September or early October and fell in love with it. It is a picture book by Carol Heyer entitled Humphrey's First Christmas. The link is to the author's website and it will give you a peek at the incredible illustrations. The story is as endearing and beautiful as the art. Who is Humphrey? Well, lets just say the wise men didn't walk... and it gets cold at night when you don't have a blanket.

My favorite book to give to book lovers would have to be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I did a blog about it months ago. You can read it here. I still hand sell it every chance I get.

Newest book I've been waiting for, but haven't put my paws on yet: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. She has fictionalized parts of her life in to books before, but this is the first time she's calling it a memoir. It is based on her one woman show and I'm itching to get to it. OK, confession time, I just added the link from the Simon and Schuster website, and I couldn't help myself. I clicked the "read an excerpt" link. Been gone awhile. Went back to check my spelling of excerpt. Was gone another little bit. Sorry. Didn't mean to leave you hangin'!

I've pawed up quite a few others this season. I picked up Glenn Beck's The Christmas Sweater. I had read several reviews. I gave it a good try. Even though it is based on a true story, it was a little too Lifetime movie for my tastes. I'm kind of over Marley and Me by John Grogan. I guess it was all the movie hype. Sometimes I can stomach it, sometimes I can't. With this one, I can't. However, I am so excited to have a real blockbuster series, I've been calling it my Big Fat Teenage Vampire Christmas! Rock on Twilight!

Here's another bit of brutal honesty. I spent so much time reading parts of Wishful Drinking that I am now up way too late to finish my thoughts! So, I guess I'll make this part one!