The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

If you like a little magic in your novel, then you're sure to like The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. According to the author, every book she's written has some element of fairytale to it.

The novel takes place in a quirky little town in North Carolina. Emily arrives to stay with her grandfather Vance after her mother dies. Emily had never met him because her mother refused to talk about her past. Emily is shocked to see that Vance is eight feet tall. She soons realizes that there are a lot of strange things happening in and around his house. The wallpaper in her room changes with her mood and tiny sparkling lights dance all around the house and fields.

The towns people shun her because of something horrible her mother did when she was a teen living in town. But she makes a friend who helps her to make sense of it all.

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

Bestselling author Tami Hoag has written another thriller that will keep you guessing.

A young woman is murdered and her four year old daughter is the only witness. She tells the authorities that "Bad Daddy" hurt her mommy.

I enjoyed the twists and turns and getting to know all of the interesting characters. Some of the characters are definitely the type of people you will love to hate.

Suspect By Michael Robotham

Joseph O'Loughlin seems to have it all - a lovely wife and daughter, and a rewarding career as a clinical psychologist. But things change drastically when the police find a young woman dead with multiple stab wounds, which seem to be self-inflicted.
The police call Joe to see if he could help them understand the crime. It turns out that Joe knows the victim. Her name is Catherine McBride, a nurse and former colleague.
Meanwhile, Joe has been working with a very troubled young patient named Bobby Moran, who has extremely violent dreams. Joe begins to wonder if Bobby's dreams may turn into reality.
This investigation takes Joe through the darkest parts of the human mind.

Suspect provides plenty of twists and turns.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I decided to begin the Harry Potter series for the first time. Many of my friends and colleagues have read the series more than once and all of their comments about the books really piqued my interest. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in a couple of days and got hooked. I enjoyed watching the friendship between the first year Hogwarts students develop. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is such an interesting, scary place. A place I'd like to visit.

There is so much going on in this little book; sadness, madness, humor, magic, wizardry and evil. There are plenty of ghosts, trolls, strange creatures, strange teachers, mean students, talking portraits, magic mirrors, a spying cat and much, much more. I just started the second book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so more on this later.

Lost December, by Richard Paul Evans

Luke Crisp is the prodigal son. Luke's mother died when he was very young. Luke and his father have an exceptionally close relationship, one built on trust, respect, honesty, and love. He has worked hard at the Crisp family printing business since the age of twelve. When Luke and his father are not working, they often play golf together, go to dinner, or go on vacations together. Carl Crisp has big plans, he wants to retire and hand over the family business to his only child. Having recently graduated from college his father wants him to pursue an MBA from a school out east--far away from his Arizona home; to get the education his father never had and to see more of what the world has to offer. Although very reluctant to leave his home and his father he finally agrees to attend Wharton School in Philadelphia.

Although a good student, Luke falls in with a different crowd and problems arise. He drinks too much, cheats on his girlfriend, and spends all his money. In time his girlfriend leaves him and he completely runs out of money. He finds himself alone and living on the street. Can he find his way back into his father's life?

This is a great Christmas story of love, loss, and love found. It is a quick read and again a page turner. I hope you enjoy it and much as I did.

Blue Nights by Joan Didion

Joan Didion, author of the bestselling memoir The Year of Magical Thinking (2005) which is about her marriage to author John Gregory Dunne (1932-2003), has written Blue Nights (2011), a haunting account of the illness and death of her adopted daughter Quintana Roo Dunne Michael (1966-2005). In 2003, Quintana was hospitalized with pneumonia which developed into septic shock, rendering her unconscious when her father died of cardiac arrest in the couple's New York apartment. She was hospitalized again in 2004 due to bleeding in the brain. Barely able to grieve for her husband, Joan became Quintana's caregiver until she passed away in 2005. The reader learns of the adoption and the doubts and fears Didion and Dunne faced, as well as, bits and pieces of Quintana's childhood, her wedding, her illness, and ultimately her death. Didion also discusses her health problems, getting old, and her intense feelings of guilt for being unable to save the lives of those she loved most because she felt she should have seen the signs that might have saved them. "How could I have missed what was clearly there to be seen?"

An honest, humble memoir of love and grief.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

For all you "Ellen" fans out there, this is the book for you. I admit I have liked Ellen DeGeneres since way back when. I enjoyed her sitcoms, I loved her as Dora in the hit movie "Finding Nemo," (someone PLEASE tell me why there was never a sequel to that movie), and on the rare occasion I actually get to watch her talk show I love that program too. She simply comes across as a good, kind and generous person who is not afraid to laugh at herself. We need way more people like that too!

"Seriously...I'm Kidding" is a funny book with simple anecdotes on life--according to Ellen. She shares her life experiences about recycling, moving, getting older, being a "Cover Girl" over 50, her animals, her family, babies, being nice, being neat, and oh, yes--being funny and so much more. The chapters are short and sweet. I was so engulfed in reading her story when I heard someone laughing out loud. I looked around and then realized, I was the person laughing! This book is that funny.

It is short, sweet and hilarious. Pick it up today and get lost in a great read (or grab the audio version, Ellen narrates it and it is GREAT!)