Sunday Salon: Wrapping Up

Happy Sunday happy friends! How are we feeling these days? Personally, at this moment, the stress level is much lower than it has been the last few weeks. Since I talked to you last, I have survived what I think was the last round of manic Christmas cheer...one outside Christmas pageant (at freezing temps!) and three Christmas parties. The kids are out of school now, and I can focus on my family and our upcoming Christmas feasts! I always make a traditional Polish meal on Christmas Eve (pierogies and kielbasa baby!), and have got plans for a filet roast and a spiral ham for Christmas day. Mmmmm....I'm hungry.

Yesterday was an exciting day for me, as the Best & Worst issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived in my mailbox! This is a big highlight in my year. It was satisfying to see that a few of my favorite books were a few of their favorites too (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, One Day and Room for example). I added a few more books to my "need list". Even more interesting, however, are their worst books of the year. The Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert and Angelina by Andrew Morton? Won't be reading those books anytime soon, thanks.

Some exciting news on the book club front. I convinced the girls in the Books, Babes and Bordeaux group to read The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli, because I loved it so much (review coming tomorrow!). As it turns out, Ms. Soli is going to call into our book club meeting in January to discuss the book with us. How totally cool is that?

I experienced a strange amount of productivity this week with my books. Go figure. I finished The Island by Elin Hilderbrand on audio (eh) and started Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (a murder mystery set in Amish country, author recommended by Caite). I'm pretty close to knocking that one out...a nice long walk would do it. Then, I'm back to Assassination Vacation, which I had intended to listen to before my iPod went crazy. Yee haw!

In my print world, I finished up Lucky by Alice Sebold then headed for some graphic novel fun. If you are in a reading funk, graphic novels are a great way to get you out of it. Quick reads, visually and intellectually stimulating, and you are back on track. I read all three installments of the Color Trilogy, written by Kim Dong Hwa, a Korean author...The Color of Earth, The Color of Water, and The Color of Heaven. Wonderful stuff. Then I read American Widow, a GN about a woman who lost her husband in 9/11. I also read a short story called The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, that was recommended by the lovely Nymeth. Extremely creepy, deliciously fun with an unreliable narrator! Now I am reading Drew Brees' autobiography called Coming Back Stronger, and it is almost impossible to put down. God love than man. I got a signed copy of his book when I was in Indiana last summer, and I want to donate it to our Adult Literacy League auction this spring, but I had to read it first!

I wish you all a wonderful holiday with your families. Will any of you be taking part in the Day-After-Christmas chaos? My mom and I usually do. You just can't pass up half price wrapping paper and lights and bows and stuff. Hope Santa brings you everything you dreamed of (books, iPads, e-readers?). Merry Christmas!