Little of this and a little of that

Well, I figured out everything I am going to get for people for Christmas this year, and discovered that it is not much. A lot of people I know are not doing Christmas this year, so I feel a bit lost with how small my gift buying list is. Plus, I still am not really finding the time to read, I am really counting on December to rekindle what has been lost. In the meantime, I decided to do some book shopping yesterday. But, first! I have been very quiet, and I never shared that I FINALLY got my birthday present from Tom. I ordered some books that were not out yet, so I had to wait for over a month after my birthday to get them. So, I got:

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (He is a hit or miss author for me, I am not a big fan of the genre that he writes in, but I have really enjoyed his books over the years. The last two that he had, I found too romancey for my tastes. I hope I like this one better. But, I own all his books, so I have to keep the collection up. The Notebook and The Wedding are my two favourites.)

The Magic and the Healing by Nick O'Donohoe (This is the book that I had to wait for, as it only came out on the 9th of November. It is a rerelease that looks interesting. I read about it on Chappy's Mom's blog. Deb is very wonderful with fantasy recommendations)

Partners of Necessity by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee (Once again, Deb at Chappy's Mom talks about this series. She rereads them ALL the time. Since it was because of her I discovered Sharon Shinn, I trust her reading, so when I saw this 4-in-1 book, I thought it was a fair investment. It is the Liaden Universe series, a space opera of sorts.)

Once Upon a Spring Morn
Once Upon an Autumn Eve both by Dennis McKiernan (I have reviewed the two previous books from this series on here. I was going to wait until they came out in paperback, but I just couldn't resist. I want to know how the story goes. This quartet seems to be hit or miss. One of my friends read one of them and just couldn't get into it, I greatly enjoyed the fairy tale retellings. So, just a warning.)

A Christmas to Remember by Thomas Kinkade (I was in the store one day and happened upon a book by Thomas Kinkade. I did not know he was an author, so I picked it up and now me and one of my friends read him. I have four more books to go with him, but only because three of them are Christmas novels that I am saving for nearer to Christmas.)

Before I continue, a big thank you to Deb for all the great fantasy reads. If you click here, you will see all of her reading lists for the last few years. (She doesn't only read fantasy.)

Now, for yesterdays shopping spree. I intend to wrap these and put them under the tree, so it is not so bad. It is what happens when no one buys you books for Christmas. I got:

Night Watch by Sarah Waters
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (Sequel to The Tea Rose)
Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey (Sequel to The Fairy Godmother)
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch
Abudance by Sena Jeter Naslund (This book is for a book of the month for one of the sites I visit, so I will be keeping it out.)

I also preordered Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs yesterday while I was browsing, and I ordered Ines of my Soul by Isabel Allende and Black Order by James Rollins with it. Sort of funny, Rollins and Allende are two of my favourite authors, and I waiting until the end of January to read them. That list above is not essential to read authors, but I am getting them first.

Just in case people forget how much I love Rollins, I am going to point out that he has a new novel coming out in June of next year!!! If all goes well, I might actually read it hot off the press. The last couple of times his new books came out, I still had others to read. It is called The Judas Strain, and it is book 3 in The Sigma Force series. For anyone that is at all interested, my favourite Rollins novel is Amazonia. I think people should read him. I do not normally like Thrillers, but I loved reading him. I am so happy my friend handed me one of his books and asked if I have read him! I can safely say that Rollins is my favourite author in many respects, although, I do not know if I am capable of naming one author as my favourite. Just, everyone should at least read him once.