The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans, 283 Pages

Jacob Churcher returns to his childhood home after the death of his mother.  Upon arrival he discovers that the mother he hadn't seen in over 20 years had become a hoarder.  While cleaning through layer after layer of junk he uncovers family secrets that need to be brought to life.  During this process he meets Rachel, a woman looking for answers and trying to fill holes in her own past.  Little do they know that their past lives are intertwined.  During this journey they mend family ties and discover that love is possible and deserving for two people who had given up on ever finding happiness.

I enjoyed this book, and it was a really quick read, taking me only a few hours.  However, it was a bit too wholesome for my taste.  I could have used a bit more grit, with Jacob's abusive past/mother, and a little more steam/hotness with the romance storyline between Jacob and Rachel.  I've never read Richard Paul Evans before, so I'm guessing he writes clean/wholesome stuff.  There's nothing wrong with that, and I did enjoy the story.  I was in the mood for a little, quick wintry and Christmassy themed book and this did the trick. 

A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry. 190 Pages

If you are looking for a quick, cozy mystery then this is a good choice.  The main character, Runcorn is spending his Christmas on the coast of Wales.  Lots of characters, settings, and full, vivid descriptions, gives this who-done-it mystery a rich flavor of suspense.  The ending will surprise you, in more ways than one.  Can Runcorn find the killer? And will he find....love?  A perfect beginning to this Christmas season.  

An Angel for Christmas by Heather Graham 330 pages

I was looking for something that would lift my Christmas spirit, be light and quick and still have an okay enough storyline to keep me reading until the end.  An Angel for Christmas by Heather Graham was just the right book.  Was it predictable?  Yes.  Did it have moments that made me roll my eyes?  Yes.  But was it a fun read?  Yes.

Morwenna MacDougal (can you believe that name?...first eye roll) and her two brothers and parents are all gathering for Christmas.  Morwenna has a big city job, brother Shayne is a recently divorced doctor (this comes in handy later) and the youngest brother, Bobbie is "try to find himself" and has dropped out of college again.  They all travel to the family cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains where their family goes every Christmas. 

Then there is Gabe and Luke.  Gabe is the cop and Luke is the bad guy.  Of course!  Gabe is chasing Luke through the.....you guessed it!  Blue Ridge Mountains and manages to get away.  Gabe is hurt and is found and cared for by Morwenna and her family.  He worms his way into their hearts and settles in for a nice Christmas at the cabin. 

Woe!  Wait!  There is still that bad Luke running around in the woods.  What will happens when he decides that he needs to find Gabe and finish him off to truly get away with his crimes?  The suspense is killing you, isn't it?  Well, read An Angel for Christmas and find out if the MacDougal family has a happy Christmas after all.  Does Bobbie find himself?  Is Shayne really as divorced as he thinks he is?  Does Morwenna find love or is her big city/fast paced job too alluring to give up? And is that bad boy Luke served justice? 

Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber 258 Pages

Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber interested me because it takes places during the 1920's in Kansas and Missouri.  Most of the story takes place in Wellsford, Missouri.  Iris is 15 years old and lives with her father in Kansas.  Her mother died when she was very young.  Her father recently became engaged and has plans of moving his bootery to Kansas City, Missouri with his new wife.  Iris assumed that she would be moving to Kansas City too.  She soon learns that her father has found her a job working for a small town doctor who needs help caring for his elderly mother.  Iris is sent off to live in Wellsford, Missouri, leaving the only home and friends she has ever known.  Iris struggles with feeling of abandonment and betrayal by her father.  What Iris learns while living with Dr. Nesbitt and his mother are invaluable.  Life is hard and unfair for Iris and when tragedy strikes again she soon experiences warmth and understanding like she has never known. 

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin 259 Pages

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin follows the story of Matt and his younger sisters, Callie and Emmy.  The story is written as a long letter from Matt to Emmy.  Matt recounts the story of their abusive mother, the various men in her life, their father Ben and the man named Murdoch.  It is a sad tale, but one full of hope and promise.  While Matt and his sisters struggle to survive, salvation has arrived with the meeting of Murdoch.  How can this man, who only dated his mother for a few short months, have such a profound impact on Matt?  Their lives change drastically when their mother totally loses control.  A great story with a happy ending....believe it or not. 

The Woman in the Wall by Patrice Kindl 192 Pages

The Woman in the Wall is a young adult fiction book that I randomly pulled off the library shelves.  I tend to pull off random books when I don't have anything particular in mind to read.  There have been a few times where I have been very pleasantly surprised by a random story and this book was no exception.  First let me say, I seriously thought this book was a fairy tale or fantasy.  You have to suspend reality and just believe that a 7 to 14 year old girl can sew clothing perfectly, can do carpentery, use heavy duty power tools and complete major home renovations.  Got that?  Good.  Then we can continue. 

Anna is the middle children of three girls.  They live with their mother in a huge home.  Dad is dead, or so they assume, as he disappeared one day while working in the Library of Congress.  Anna is extremely shy and is overlooked by those around her.  When I say "overlooked" I mean it is literally like she is not there.  Anna is quiet, plain and blends into the walls.  When the thought of having to start school is too much for her, she decides to take blending into the walls one step further and begins to build walls.  She creates secret rooms and passageways throughout the house.  Then she decides to live in those secret places and never come out again.  Eventually her mother and sisters forget she ever existed.  When Anna's mother plans to marry and move to Chicago, Anna knows she must come out of the walls or she will be sold along with the house.  After 7 long years in the walls, Anna shows herself.

Okay.  So that is all really unbelievable.  How could a family forget about one of their own?  How can a child be so small and shy as to not be there?  I really thought there was a lot of metaphor going on here.  I can easily see where a small, shy, middle child can be overlooked in a family.  I think the themes in the story were taken to extreme to add emphasis to the idea that family does forget about family sometimes.  Children are overlooked.  Children sometimes have to make their own decisions.  Children sometimes have to build walls.  Short book, fast read.  I liked it.

Because of Mr. Terupt By Rob Buyea 288 Pages

Because of Mr. Terupt is a wonderful story.  An easy page turner with short chapters and wide margins makes it perfect for a reluctant reader.  My daughter loves non-fiction and was told by her teacher to read more fiction.  I gave her this book and she was done in 4 days!  Seven wonderful 5th graders drive the different chapters of this book.  Each chapter has a different voice, a different story and a different feel.  Each 5th grader speaks about Mr. Terupt, their teacher, their friends, their enemies and their personal lives.  From the popular kid to the fat kid, from the quiet kid to the new kid, you learn that life is not easy for anyone and that what really matters in life are the people in it.  Mr. Terupt goes above and beyond to connect with each of his students and to teach them what's really important in life.  However, when tragedy strikes, does the class turn on each other?  Or do they stand by each other and finally realize what Mr. Terupt was teaching them all along?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 192 Pages

His first adult novel in some time, Neil Gaiman paints a vivid fairy tale of a young boy and his discovery of a neighbor girl and her mysterious family.  In some parts this story was very disturbing, but in other parts it was very true to what childhood is.  Mythological and supernatural elements throughout makes the story of a young boys attempt to undo what has been unleased on the world a potential page turner.  With the help of his friend, Letty Hemstock and Letty's mother and grandmother, the evil is overcome, but at what cost?  Learning that nothing can undo true friendship and love is what the reader will leave with.  Personally, I only so-so enjoyed this book.  Sure, I got the meaning.  I also know that Neil Gaiman can write some really weird stuff.  Sometimes, though, it's too weird.  I found myself quickly turning the page to find out what happened next, but at the same time knowing it would be more weirdness and something out of left-field.  There were times I was genuinely confused.  I'm easily confused, though.