Tuesday Book Review

I know it looks like I haven't read a book in a month but what really has happened is that I have been sick for over 2 weeks and just haven't felt like posting. Here is a report on some of the books I have read. Every December I read Christmas Books. I always dig into my vast collection of Christmas books and read about Santa Claus. I hadn't read "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" by L. Frank Baum for a while. I love the clay-mation Christmas special that is based on the book - in fact that is why I bought the book originally. I had to special order the book and spend quite a bit of money back before Amazon.com to find the book. If I had only waited 20 years. But I have the book and love reading it. For those of you that think the author's name is familiar - it probably is. He is the one that wrote "The Oz" series of books - including the famous "The Wizard of Oz". I can get the whole series free on my Kindle and periodically I do grab one to read. It is not my favorite series of books though. However he has placed 'The Forest of Burzee' on the edge of the Land of Oz - so if you know your layout of the land - you will know where Santa lives.

After being sick for 2 weeks and home for the second Sunday in a row - I was looking through the Deseret Book catalog and this book caught my eye. I wondered if I could download it on my Kindle - I could. It was a cute book but I have a hard time with people that are told not do something and they keep doing it. This woman was told repeatedly to stay out of the police investigation because she was hampering it but she just kept on doing as she pleased. I don't like people that can't listen or feel they are above the law. I guess I am just to much of a 'goody-two-shoes'. It was a fast read and just what I needed though.

When you fly there is an hour during take-off and landing that they make you turn off all your electronic devices - so if you are dependent on just reading a Kindle during that time period - you are bored silly (I can't decide if you are bored now or not - no one seems to know if you can have something in your lap or not during take-off and landing with the new rules). Anyway, because of that I always carry a book so I can still read. Carianne gave me "A Victorian Christmas" to read on the way home from her house on Christmas Day. It is a book of short-stories and some luscious sounding recipes that I need to write down and try. I thoroughly enjoyed the book - especially when I was sick and my attention span was not very long. The day I had the stomach flu this was the greatest book ever because I could pick it up and put it down so easily. Pretty sad why I am recommending it - but I did enjoy it.

This is a Kindle edition of a bunch of short stories from the end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century about Christmas. When Carlye wanted to read my Kindle during our trip there - this was where I turned because I knew there would be nothing offensive. She read about 1/4 of the book and about 8 of the short stories. I think a few of them were over her head but she loves reading on my Kindle. I do think she enjoyed Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater" better, though (I gave that to Carianne and Carlye). I loved these stories and will probably have a few show in future Christmas books.

I have loved "The Bird's Christmas Carol" since the first time I read it when I was in the 6th grade. I was really into the old tear-jerker's when I was 12 but this is a sweet story of love and giving that just never grows old. I read it on the plane on my way home, Christmas Day.

This will sum up my reviews for today. I read this book yesterday. "Murder Takes the Cake" was a fun mystery. Daphne was a reluctant sleuth and that is more my kind of heroine. I look forward to reading more from Gayle Trent. The reason I read this book was because it was a free download on my Kindle. I will happily pay for the next books (which is why they do this) because I like Gayle Trent's writing style. It is fun to acquire a new author so early in the new year.

I hope this helps those of you that have been wondering where I have been with my book reviews. I will try and be more consistent this coming year. Happy reading to you.