Merry Hack Hack Hack

So, there it was a week before Christmas and all through the Pit of Hell, not a sound could be heard. Bliss.... Silence... Not even that annoying Hippopatamus song that sets my teeth on edge like nails to a chalkboard.

Throat begins to feel a little scratchy. I'm at the Mall, so a stop to Hot Dog On A Stick for a cherry lemonade is in order. Get home and spray the throat with the Chloraseptic spray for immediate negative results. Sore Throat: 1 Sherri: 0

Next morning, throat is feeling much worse. Hurts like hell to swallow and I have my office Christmas party tonight. I'm cooking for God's sake! What if I'm contagious? I can't go to the party and get anyone sick. Sore Throat: 2 Sherri: 0

Friday morning, Christmas is less than a week away. Husband is inviting his workmates over for a pizza and XBox party tonight. Several times throughout the night last night, my throat felt like it was closing up. Ice cream doesn't help. Hot beverages help slightly. Could it be strep? I go to urgent care. Nay, says the knows nothing, sees nothing medical professional. "People with strep look much more toxic than you." I guess I didn't try hard enough to look like shit. Here's an inhaler (huh? for a sore throat?) and some antibiotics. Sore Throat: 2 Sherri: 1

Saturday, I can barely get out of bed and am running a fever. Confined myself to my bedroom so as not to scare hubby's guests last night. Supposed to work half a day today. That's not gonna happen. Have to eat something to take these pills that are the size of a small Chevy. Hurts so bad to swallow any food, I'm in tears. Sore Throat: 3 Sherri: 1

Sunday I go to work for half a day, mostly out of guilt but lack the energy to do much. Hurts like a mother when I sneeze. Employees are holding up crucifixes and making the signs of the cross in my presence. Smell of garlic in the air. Guess this is how Dracula felt upon arriving in town. Have forgotten what solid food tastes like. Sore Throat: 4 Sherri: 1

Monday back to work. No voice. Using a whiteboard to communicate with my coworkers. Whoever said verbal communication is overrated has their head up their ass. Why aren't these friggin antibiotics working???? Sore Throat: 5 Sherri: 1

Tuesday, some voice. Razor blades in my throat. Ready to take hostages and Christmas can take a flying leap as far as I'm concerned. Sore Throat: 6 Sherri: 1

Wednesday, I go to the Ear Nose Throat specialist. Antiobiotics are supposed to be some of the strongest out there and should have had an improvement within 72 hours of taking them. Yeah, right. Now taking a steroid for the diagnosed condition of "acute tonsilitis." Could be worse. It could be "anugly tonsilitis." Sore Throat: 7 Sherri: 1

Thursday, Merry Christmas. Throat is no longer sore though still feels strange. Can swallow without pain! Yes! Sore Throat: 7 Sherri: 2

Now if the cough would go away, I'm ready for the New Year!

November Reading Review

Some decent reads this month


The Pact by Jennifer Sturman

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: Not a riveting start to the series but I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more. I enjoyed that the reader is left with hope of a future for Rachel and Peter. I'm curious to see how it will play out.




Portrait In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: I feel like I'm beginning to sound like a broken record with this series, but I can't help it. Another great installment of Eve and Roark. I loved the side story of Roark meeting his mother's family and Somerset's injury and vacation plans. As with the other stories, I was again way off base with the identity of the killer...


Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: The story was complete fluff but had a lot more Ranger in it this time around and that's just fine with me. Got to see more of Dickie and Joyce too, which wasn't so great but more a necessity to the storyline so I can overlook it (hahaha). A surprise revelation about Tank and Grandma Mazur was entertaining as usual. This series is a lot of fun and I am looking forward to #14!



Don't Tell by Karen Rose

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: First time reading this author and this story did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat between anxiety and hope that Caroline outwits the villain. Really liked the characters and the inner tormoil both Max and Caroline have to overcome. I enjoyed the ending and the closure it brought.





Cheating At Solitaire by Ally Carter

My Rating: 9 *'s

My Thoughts: Very cute story and a fast read. Enjoyed all of the characters except for Lance's agent. Thought he was a slimeball. Looking forward to the sequel.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In November

Quite a variety of genres made their way into the TBR pile last month...

Vamps And The City by Kerrelyn Sparks

Can the Undead find real love on reality TV?

Who says a vamp can't have it all?

Darcy Newhart thought it was a stroke of genius --- the first-ever reality TV show where mortals vie with vampires for the title of The Sexiest Man on Earth. As the show's director, Darcy's career would be on track again. And she can finally have a life apart from the vampire harem. Okay, so she's still technically dead, but two out of three's not bad. Now she just has to make sure that a mortal doesn't win. If only she wasn't so distracted by a super–sexy and live contestant named Austin...

But Darcy doesn't know the worst of it. Austin Erickson is actually a vampire slayer! And he's got his eye on the show's leggy blond director. Only problem is, he's never wanted any woman – living or dead – as badly. But if he wins her heart, will he lose his soul? And if it means an eternity of hot, passionate loving with Darcy, does that really matter anyway?

Un-Veiled by Eileen Rendahl

Welcome to the Do It Up salon, where secrets are always in style...

Rumor has it. . .

. . . that the Zimmerman twins, Ginger and Cinnamon, are the hot hair-stylists in Santa Bonita. Their Do It Up salon has been swamped ever since hometown-Hollywood-star Courtney Day had her wedding hair done there. Now the sisters know every secret of every bride-to-be that crosses their threshold: does she or doesn't she, will she or won't she, how often, and with whom?

What happens at Do It Up stays at Do It Up --- until Craig Esposito strolls into the salon with the latest wedding party. Cinnamon's dazed reaction suggests there's something only she knows about this handsome cousin to the groom --- making Ginger wonder if he's the mystery father of Cinnamon's young daughter (which should kill her attraction to him, but doesn't). Now the sisters' own secrets are the subject of small-town gossip ... and Ginger is about to tease out some surprising truths about her family, her town --- and herself.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer

At thirty-six, Genie Michaels feels like she has hit the snooze button on her life one too many times. When her “commitment-phobic” boyfriend Hugh proposes on national television—not to Genie, but to an unknown mystery woman—Genie’s wisecracking friend Patty doesn’t hesitate to give her some tough love: “You remind me of that idiot Sleeping Beauty, lying around waiting for your prince. Well, guess what, he rode right past your castle and now you have a choice—you can either go back to bed or you can wake up!”

Genie chooses to wake up. After some questionable advice, her first step is to allow every to believe she’s Hugh’s real fiancée. (She’ll let him to be the one to explain the mistake.) Naturally the good news travels fast and, in a heartbeat, Genie’s parents are booking a reception hall while friends are showering her with gifts, Genie feels bad about the deception, but at least everyone is dancing to her tune, and she can’t help but enjoy it. Particularly when a too-handsome-for-his-own-good Greek carpenter shows up on the scene thinking he’s hotter than Tabasco.

Genie realizes that she never needed a man to start her life—to buy a home, to get a better job, or even to wear a diamond ring. And if Prince Charming wants to show up while she’s at it, she just might teach him a thing or two.

The Ghost And The Femme Fatale by Alice Kimberly

Haunted by her past…

The Movie Town Theater is holding its first ever Film Noir Festival, with Penelope Thornton-McClure handling book sales for the guest speakers, including screen actress Hedda Geist. The legendary femme fatale has been out of the spotlight for decades. Unfortunately, the moment she steps back into it, she’s nearly killed. Then other guests start to die, and Penelope wants to know why her little town’s film noir weekend has taken a truly dark turn.

With local police on the wrong track, Penelope enlists the help of Jack Shepard, PI. Okay, so Jack hasn’t had a heartbeat since 1949, when he was gunned down in what is now Pen’s store. But the hard-boiled ghost actually remembers Hedda’s dark past and Penelope is sure he can help solve this case --- even if he and his license did expire more than fifty years ago…

The Best Day Of Someone Else's Life by Kerry Reichs

The story of a serial bridesmaid who discovers everything she never wanted to know about weddings --- and more than she ever imagined about love.

Thirteen Very Humiliating Moments…

Eleven trips down the aisle…

Nine one-wear-only dresses…

Seven insincere congratulations…

Six seriously regretted hook-ups…

Four allergic reactions…

Too many hangovers…

And

One reality check about the meaning of it all ... all setting her back a mere Fifty Grand!

Despite being cursed with a boy's name, Kevin "Vi" Connelly is seriously female and a committed romantic. The affliction hit at the tender age of six when she was handed a basket of flower petals and ensnared by the "marry-tale." The thrill, the attention, the big white dress - it's the Best Day of Your Life, and it's seriously addictive. But at twenty-seven, with a closetful of pricey bridesmaid dresses she'll never wear again, a trunkful of embarrassing memories, and an empty bank account from paying for it all, the illusion of matrimony as the Answer to Everything begins to fray. As her friends' choices don't provide answers, and her family confuses her more, Vi faces off against her eminently untrustworthy boyfriend and the veracity of the BDOYL.

Eleven weddings in eighteen months would send any sane woman either over the edge or scurrying for the altar. But as reality separates from illusion, Vi learns that letting go of someone else's story to write your own may be harder than buying the myth, but just might help her make the right choices for herself.

Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett

Stoneham, New Hampshire, was a dying town until community leaders invited booksellers to open up shop. Now, its streets are lined with bookstores---and paved with murder...

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles was met with friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she was met with friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed with a kitchen knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased---and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one oh her own mysteries---and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book...

Exes And Ohs by Beth Kendrick

Mr. Perfect's just about to ruin her future.

EXIT THE GROOM...

Child psychologist Gwen Traynor has learned the hard way that "perfect" men aren't always what they seem. After being dumped the night before her wedding, she's understandably wary of diving back into the dating pool. But when she meets Alex Coughlin, she's convinced her luck is changing. He's smart, handsome, funny -- an ideal rebound guy. She doesn't intend to fall in love with him, but scintillating dates and mind-blowing physical chemistry have a way of winning a girl over.

ENTER THE EX...

Just as things are heating up with Alex, Gwen meets her newest patient -- a precocious preschooler whose chaotic soap opera-actress of a mother, Harmony, sounds an awful lot like one of Alex's crazy ex-girlfriends. Mostly because she is one of Alex's crazy ex-girlfriends. Unfortunately for Gwen, Harmony has a secret that plunges them all into a real-life daytime drama, complete with sex, lies, and Vegas elopements. With Harmony determined to reunite with Alex and Gwen's ex-fiancé begging for a second chance, only one thing is certain:

New loves and old flames are an explosive combination.

Charmed & Deadly by Candace Havens

Payback is a witch.

Saturday, 3 A.M.

Paris … for the moment

Spells: 15

Dead guys: too many to count

Pissed-off, stressed-out witch: 1

Look: The last five years of my life have been dedicated to ridding the world of evil magic dudes and dudettes --- with a little time off with my sweetie for good behavior. Sure, I’ve made a few enemies along the way, who wouldn’t? So when I realized that an attempted hit on the prime minister was really meant for me, I was like, “same spell, different day.”

But then I realized that something about this hex reminded me a lot of my ex. Jason Gladstone was my college sweetheart --- until he tied me up and tried to drain me of my powers. I knew I should have killed that jerk when I had the chance…

It figures that this would happen just when things between me and Dr. Sam are finally back on track --- lately, we’ve even come up with a new dessert: Bronwyn a la mode. But I’ve got to put the whipped cream on ice for now, because it turns out that Jason’s no one-hit wonder. Having bad guys trying to kill me is nothing new. But now Jason’s messing with my nearest and dearest … so this time, it’s personal.

7th Heaven by James Patterson

A VERY PUBLIC DISAPPEARANCE

California's "Boy With A Broken Heart," the teenage son of a recent governor, has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Michael Campion, born with an incurable heart defect, has grown up under the watchful eye of an adoring public. The pressure on detective Lindsay Boxer to learn what happened to Michael is overwhelming. When she finally does get a lead, it's devastating --- and for Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano it leads to the biggest trial of her life.

A DEADLY RASH OF ARSONS

While working on the Campion case, Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin, also try to catch whoever is setting fire to some of the most beautiful homes in San Francisco, leaving their owners to perish in the flames. Lindsay enlists her friends in the Women's Murder Club to help her find the arsonist --- and suddenly the fires start raging much too close to home.

A CHANCE AT 7TH HEAVEN

These two intense cases bring Lindsay and Rich closer together than ever --- and put Lindsay on the brink. Torn between two men and close to an emotional meltdown, she has to draw on every resource to keep from being pulled under.


Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin

Ellen and Andy's marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she's meant to live. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.