It's Beginning to Look Alot Like...Debbie Macomber

Instead of cleaning my house, doing laundry, or taking a much-needed nap, this afternoon I curled up on the couch and read a delightful little book about two of my favorite subjects…Christmas and romance. In “When Christmas Comes”, my new favorite author, Debbie Macomber, weaves a fun tale of mix-ups and misunderstandings with a dose of mistletoe (That sounds like it should be the blurb on the back of the book, but I promise I though of that all on my own). I really enjoyed this book. I will warn you, it is very cutesy in parts. The same is true for her “The Christmas Basket”, but that didn’t stop me from liking that one either. These books do not contain the secrets of the universe, but that’s not what I am looking for when I read a book with Christmas in the title. I want to have a mondo attack of the warm fuzzies and have my faith in the magic of the season renewed, not face cold, hard reality. For that, I could just turn on the news.

I have been on a Macomber kick lately. It all started about three weeks ago when I picked up “The Shop on Blossom Street”, which I also thoroughly enjoyed, but for different reasons. “The Shop” is not necessarily a feel-good book, or one where everything is all tidied up at the end, but I did feel like even if I didn’t go on to read the sequel, “A Good Yarn” (which I also loved, by the way), then I still would be satisfied. Since then, I have read Always Dakota (looooved it), For All My Tomorrows (liked it but it was a bit toooo racy in some parts…did a lot of page flippin’), Caroline’s Child (very sweet), and Dr. Texas (predictable, but funny in parts). I went to the library today and checked out about 8 more of her books, which I will spend time devouring over the weekend while my husband and son go hiking and I am here with my 2 month old bambina, Princess Nursalot, providing she actually sleeps longer than 1 hour at a time.

I don’t know why I do this. I start reading one author, then I must read all of her books before moving on to another author. Why do I do this when I know that I am destined to be disappointed when the library doesn’t have the next book on the list at the time I want it? Then I have to choose a different author, start reading all her stuff, then the library calls and says, “Mrs. ReadyMcReaderton, we have the book you requested by Debbie Macomber, Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, insert your favorite author here, etc in, waiting for you to pick it up.” But I can’t read it then, because I have already moved on to another author! Ugh! I want the book when I want it, not a different time! Do the people at the library not know who I am? When I request a book, I expect them to track down who has it, drive to that person’s home, rip it out of his/her/its hands, then present it to me. What is so wrong with that, I ask you.

Now I am off to wade through the mountain of laundry that is blocking my utility room door. My house did not magically clean itself, but I had a nice trip to ChristmasRomanceFantasyLand, so it was worth it. I am now in the mood for hot chocolate and frosted sugar cookies..maybe I can convince my husband that the dust on the television is actually snow…..