Angels at Christmas by Debbie Macomber

The first story in "Angels at Christmas" by Debbie Macomber is entitled "Those Christmas Angels" and follows the antics of Macomber's favorite Christmas angels: Goodness, Mercy & Shirley. They peek at a prayer request on Archangel Gabriel's desk and discover it is from the daughter of the woman who Shirley used to protect when she was a Guardian Angel. This woman, Anne, has asked God to send a woman to her son, Roy, so that he would know love and be happy. The angels try all sorts of tricks and finally decide upon a young teacher, Julie, as THE ONE for Roy. Roy can't believe that Julie is as good and generous as she appears. The trio of angels have until Christmas Eve to convince him otherwise.

I enjoyed this story, but I thought it was kind of low-key. It had a happy ending, but it just wasn't as exciting or funny as it could have been. I give it 3 1/2 stars.

2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

I love visiting other blogs and getting book recommendations from them. This challenge is a dream come true! I've read several of the top 25, but there are plenty more just waiting for me to read. When you visit this blog, you can see the Top 25 list and get a link to the rest of the 2009 Book Blogger Recommendations. Here is how you play this challenge...

The Levels:
Level I - Read 5 books from the 2009 Book Blogger Recommendation List
Level II - Read 10 books
Level III - Read 15 books
Level IV - Read 20 books
Level V - Read 20+ books

The Rules:

Challenge will run January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.

Create an intro post, linking back to this blog. Sign up with the MckLinky. Please link to your challenge intro post, not your blog home page.

Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.

All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)
Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

Sound like fun? Go sign up!

What's In a Name?

And here I go again - enticed by an unresistable challenge! I'm anxious to see how I do on these challenges next year. It will be my first entire year doing challenges.

Here is the description of the What's In A Name Challenge as posted by Beth F on the dedicated challenge blog.
So here's how it works: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
4. A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
6. A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher
The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know
Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
Books may overlap other challenges.
Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
Creativity for matching the categories is allowed.
You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

There will be a single prize at the end of the challenge. Readers who complete the challenge and write up a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment) are eligible.

So, if you want to sign up for this great challenge, click here.
You know you want to go down this road with me!

Thankfully Reading Weekend

Well, I definitely wasn't as productive as the rest of you this weekend! I read "Angels at Christmas" by Debbie Macomber. Yes, that's it. My DH has been ill, but managed to get down Thanksgiving dinner that we shared with my sister and her family. Thanksgiving evening he spent on the couch while my DD and I visited his Mother and the rest of his family. Friday he was feeling better so we went shopping for the Black Friday sales - not at 4 AM, more like 9 AM. We had a fairly successful trip. Friday evening I returned to reading my book. Saturday we did the same thing - shopping in the morning and reading in the evening. Today, we had Church in the morning, putting out decorations on our porch in the afternoon, and dinner at Grandma's. That brings me to now. I'm finishing up my book and posting this. The Thankfully Reading Weekend Challenge really did help me focus on getting to read whenever I could fit it in.
Thanks so much for hosting this! Maybe next year I'll be able to read faster!

2010 Debut Author Challenge

This is a challenge that I'm going to enjoy - not that I won't enjoy all the others. I'm always looking for new authors and new authors of YA books...what could be better?
Here are the rules for this challenge:

The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels!Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, GoodReads, Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime! The Story Siren, who is hosting this challenge, would like to limit the novels to those released in 2010.

We have to do the research to make sure a novel meets the criteria for the challenge. There are a few sites listed on the information blog that can help with the search. Go here to check them out. To sign up, go here.

I don't know what books I'll read yet, but when I do I'll post them here so everyone can check them out.

Peanut Blossoms

This is the first cookie we make every year. When they were small, the kids helped unwrap the Hershey kisses. They even waited until they were all done unwrapping to eat one...or two.

PEANUT BLOSSOMS

Cream: 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add: 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well.

Blend in: 1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. soda

Shape dough into balls. Roll balls in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees (F) for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and top each with a Hershey kiss. Bake 2 minutes longer.

That's it. The kisses will be very soft when just out of the oven, so you need to wait a little while to pack them into storage containers.

This is our favorite Christmas cookie and baking them marks the beginning of the Season.

Operation Actually Read the Bible - update

I haven't been blogging my progress as I should have, but I have been reading my Bible. I'm at Exodus 30 in the Old Testament, Psalm 50, and Matthew 26:26. I have especally liked the psalms I have read in the last few days - Psalm 47 & 48. I have sung versions of them in Church, but I really needed to hear them this week. My husband is sick and discovering the cause has been hard - actually, we haven't discovered it yet. So, if you get an opportunity, please pray for him. Thanks. Hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving is here!

So, Thanksgiving is here and I'm reading "Angels at Christmas" by Debbie Macomber. I'm on page 88 so I better go back to reading.
Happy Thanksgiving!

2010 Reading Through the Seasons Challenge

This challenge looks fairly easy - just have to find books with seasons in the titles. I'm up for it. And I love the button! If you want to join in, these are the rules:

1. Four books, one for each season.

2. Title must have a season, not holiday, winter, fall, autumn, spring, summer

3. Jan 1 to Dec 31

4. Leave a link to your post about the challenge & I'll add you to the participant list.

Everything else is fairly flexible. Reviews, lists, even a blog is not necessary and books may be used for other challenges. It would be nice if you posted a short summary about the books you read so we can add to our TBR piles/wish lists.

To sign up or for more information, click here.

Colorful Reading Challenge

Yes, another challenge! This one will coincide with the Rainbow Challenge, I think. I already have one book, "Lavendar Morning" that I can read for this - I'll have to put it off until January though. Hmmm.

Here is how Lost in Books described the challenge:

The point of the challenge is to read 9 books with 9 different colors in the title. Six colors are required, while the last 3 can be your choice. Books may be overlapped with other challenges (I always love that rule so I always have that rule for my challenges. :) At least 6 of the books should be new to you (doesn't matter which 6).

The Six Required Colors are:
1. Blue
2. Black
3. Red
4. Gold/Yellow
5. White
6. Silver

The 3 remaining colors can be anything from purple, orange, and green to magenta, crimson, and cream. It doesn't matter as long as their is a color in the title.

There is no need to make a list of books and if you do you may change it at any time. The challenge runs from January 1- December 31, 2010. If you would like to participate, click here. Happy Reading!