One Mississippi by Mark Childress :  This was the only book I asked for at Christmas. I have enjoyed both Crazy in Alabama and Gone for Good. After reading the first couple chapters, I almost put the book down. It's main premise was just like a storyline from Nip/Tuck that I had watched. I stuck with it and was pleasantly surprised. My favorite parts of his writing are when he ''lets'' the characters do outlandish things that people don't often or can't do in real life. Rating ***1/2

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini This book is one of those rare books (like Memoirs of a Geisha) that was recommended to me so many times that I grew weary of saying I hadn't read it. As it sat on my night table, even my husband read it and told me that I should. So I did. And it was great! The story flowed well and had wonderful descriptions. The characters were rich in personality and I felt they were real. My only problem....the main character was so weak of moral character that I couldn't root for him. I wanted to shake him. Rating ****

For One More Day by Mitch Albom :  A friend gave me this book at Christmas. Although I was pleased to receive it, I would not have purchased it of my own accord. Luckily it was a quick read. I felt it was a bit contrived and unbelievable. Rating **1/2

Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille  Demille is one of my favorite storytellers. The premise behind the plot is excellent. Not to be so fatalistic, but I wish he had let the bad guys get further with the plan and dealt with the aftermath. On about page 75 I looked at my husband and said, ''He won't let it happen. He's going to spend all 350 pages and then nothing will happen.'' Sadly, I was right. I'll admit that I was totally glued to the book toward the end. He's a good writer. Rating ***1/2

Next by Michael Crichton is a book taking current biological (transgenic) research to the Nth degree. It is a fascinating book from the conceptual viewpoint. The bibliography is just as impressive as the book. Anyone who wants to see where cloning and genetic manipulation could take us would be interested in the fictional account. This said, it is by no means my favorite book of Crichton's. Rating ***1/2

Delirious Summer has many of the same characters featured in Flabbergasted, but easily stands on its own because the central character (narrator) is new to the cast. Besides being generally delightful, it has an uplifting message about how everyone has something to contribute to betterment of the world around us. I recommend it highly. Ray Blackston is a talented writer, with just enough quirkiness in his books to make them charming. Rating *** 3/4

Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding - I chose this book, not because of the Bridget Jones franchise, but because I really enjoyed her book Olivia Joules and her Overactive Imagination. The main character, Rosie Richardson, becomes disenchanted with celebrity and packs it up to find meaning overseas. Faced with delayed food shipments and famine, she organizes a sort of Idol Gives Back with a British flair. I enjoyed reading about humanitarian work in Africa, but the London celebrity parts were flat for me. Rating ** 1/2

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I love time travel books, I love art (Clare's profession) and considered going into library science (Henry's profession). I've found that reading too many positive reviews dooms a book to be a disappointment, and this was no exception. The story was kind of Lolita meets The Notebook. There were definitely good parts and the characters were well-developed. I loved when Henry and Clare got to be a couple in the same time and how the reader got to know their friends and the ordinary parts of their lives. I loved the emotional trials and worries that were displayed as Henry disappeared. I found the ending a good one. All in all, I liked it, but it doesn't rank in the top books ever like it has for many others. I will go see the movie if/when it comes out. Rating ***3/4

Digital Designs and Digital Designs 2 by Renee Pearson - These books blew me away! I've spent the last year teaching myself Adobe Photoshop Elements. I was proficient. I learned SO MUCH from the second book. The first book is a great starting point for using Elements to design scrapbook pages. The second book makes you into a whiz! Both books come with CDs that contain all sorts of current digital papers, elements and layouts. I highly recommend both to anyone who wants to learn digital scrapbooking! Rating *****

Wicked by Gregory Maguire - This was another book I had high expectations for that did not live up to online reviews. The beginning was agonizingly boring to me. Once the characters got to college, it picked up a little bit, but the pace never got to a point where I couldn't put the book down. I was most interested when the story began to parallel the movie of Wizard of Oz, a childhood favorite of mine, but it still didn't keep me up late to finish it. When I see the musical, I expect to find it more amazing having read the book, but can't say that it will earn a spot in my library. Rating **3/4

Currently Reading: THR3E by Ted Dekker