#88

Looks like I'm ending the year with just 88 books read. My last two were not winners. Patricia Cornwell did it again with her latest "Red Mist." Almost 500 pages and it didn't get interesting until about 450 pages. She killed off a major player. Maybe she'll continue to do that until it's just Kay Scapetta and we can bury this series. I keep hoping that Patricia will come back to her beginnings but I think she's wandering farther away.

No big plans for New Year's. I have to work since I got those 6 days off over Christmas. They close the store early on Saturday but I have the late shift on Sunday which will ruin any plans with the family on that day.

#87

I can't believe it took me 17 days to read this latest novel. It's not that it wasn't good....it just was a very slow read. "The Surrendered" by Chang-Rae Lee started in Korea during the war and ended probably at the turn of the century. Flash backs kept occurring and one minute June was a young orphan in Korea and the next she was a woman in her late 40's dying of cancer but on a quest to find her estranged son in Italy. She enlists her ex-husband to help find the son he didn't know he had. I'm so glad to be finished with it!

Had another short visit from my Colorado friend and her son. They came yesterday early afternoon and left this morning. Her mother passed away last week so she's back in Virginia trying to settle the estate. The tragedy is giving us more chances to visit.

Christmas shopping is pretty much done. Not much under the tree but I did it pretty much in an hour or two. Wrapping took longer than buying. Still wishing I didn't have to bother but it's coming whether I want it or not.

I was scheduled to work 10 days but I didn't make it the 10th. I had stomach distress and knew that if I tried to work and couldn't get someone to cover me in time, there would have been "clean up in aisle one" at the store. I took Friday off and was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Now I work 4 and am off for 6 over Christmas. I'm sure I'll pay the price for those 6 days off.

#86

Finished the latest James Patterson novel, "Kill Alex Cross." It is a sequel that Patterson still writes on his own. This was one of his best. The plot was two fold. Alex Cross was called to help when the President's children were kidnapped from their private school. At the same time terrorist activities were taking place in Washington. At first it was thought that the two were connected. The two stories ran simultaneously and created a good read. Scary because it could happen.

Picked up my new iPhone 4S tonight. It was great until I came home and connected it to my iTunes and suddenly it was my iPhone 4 all over again. Everything I downloaded as far as apps turned my new phone into my old one. Now I have to restore the 4S and figure out how to keep my apps. Always something.