BOOK REVIEW: Mistletoe & Magic by Lisa Cach, Stobie Piel, Lynsay Sands and Amy Elizabeth Saunders

As is my habit, 'Christmas' was my theme for December's books from my TBR pile. Among my Christmas reads, anthologies are usually my favorites. Mistletoe & Magic is an anthology of historical holiday romances.
I haven't read a lot of historical romance in the last few years, so I had to settle back into that. Most romances that I read are NC-17, if not X rated, too! Mistletoe & Magic was more like a PG romance. That's OK, just not my thing anymore. All the same, Mistletoe & Magic is a sweet collection of Christmasy stories that should lift your holiday spirit. Give it a try next year!
My rating: 3/5.

Where the heck have I been????

First things first.  Susanne won my copy of Open Season by Linda Howard.  Susanne, please e-mail me with your mailing address so that I can get the book on it's way!!!

Now, any of you who watch this blog may notice that I am not so much with the blogging of late. First I became a crochet fiend.  Then I became a Swap Bot addict.  And now ---- I am trying very hard to get healthy and lose weight, so I have gone back to Spark People to try to get fit.  It's a hard trek, but I have already lost 3.6 pounds in the first week.

If you guys promise not to tell our family, I have a secret for you all.  My husband and I want to have a baby.  And boy-howdy, I have a lot standing in my way!!!  First of all, I'm 34.  Granted, it's not too late.  But, it will not make it easy, that's for sure.  Then you add my heart issue.  I'm OK to carry a baby, but I go to perinatologist on January 5th to see how likely a baby would develop the same problem.  Sure, my level of the disease isn't so bad, but it could be a lot worse than this.  Finally, my weight.  I desperately need to lose weight, and I'm sure that it would increase my chance of conceiving.

So there you have it!  I may not blog so much because I am tight for time with everything going on.  I will try to update y'all as much as I can, but I just don't have the time to be as devoted as I once was.

I love you all and please send warm happy baby-making thoughts!!!  (Hey!  Not those kinds of thoughts!  Naughty, naughty!)

BOOK REVIEW: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Imagine a future where family is done away with: no mothers, fathers, spouses. You have siblings in a sense, but they mean nothing to you. Everyone is created in a factory, and each egg has a pre-determined destiny. Alpha and Betas get to develop as singles. Any others get split multiple times, creating twin after twin after twin.

Every egg has a purpose. The Alphas and Betas are meant to be in 'white-collar' positions. There's even a place for the semi-moron Epsilons - any menial task required.

This was an interesting take on the future. Even though babies are essentially factory-birthed and raised, sex has not disappeared - far from it. People are expected to 'have' as many of the others as they can. A person interested in an exclusive relationship is branded as anti-social and often sent away.

There are few parts of this society that I can appreciate. Everyone is micro-managed, and free thinking has gone the way of the dodo. Then again, so has violence and disease. But to me, it isn't worth the price paid. An interesting book to read, a tad philosophical at times. My rating: 3/5.

A Winner!

Jackie B. has won my copy of The Search by Iris Johansen!!!  Jackie, please e-mail me with your address!  Congrats!!!

To everyone else, please don't forget to sign up for Open Season by Linda Howard.  You have until December 14th -- unless I draw late again!!!