"December" Is Over!!!!!!! Time To Get "Tied Up In Tinsel!"

I finished "Lost December" this evening. Richard Paul Evans has done it again!!!!!!!!!!! What a terrific novel! It starts when Luke Crisp decides to go out into the world instead of taking over the family business as his father wishes. After his friend, James, is killed in a car accident just days before their college graduation, Luke decides to do just that--see the world. It all goes bad when he finances friend Sean's gambling spree. Sean gets in over his head and is unable to pay back some loan sharks. Luke squanders his money trying to save his friend, who unfortunately has not been honest about certain things in his life. Luke's fiancee, Candace, reveals her true colors. As Kanye West put it, "I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger, but she ain't messin' with no broke n----er!" Actually, I would call her a gold digger! She left Luke when he said he was going to start over from scratch! What a bitch! Though, she did try to warn Luke about his excessive spending! After Luke is left with no money and no friends, he finds himself too ashamed to go back to his father and secretly takes a job at one of his father's copy centers. There, he meets some people who are undoubtedly destined to change his life: Carlos--who gives Luke a job at a senior citizens' home--and Rachael, a co-worker of with whom Luke falls in love. That love eventually leads him back to his father's doorstep to seek forgiveness for his extravagant ways! "Lost December" is truly the story of the Biblical prodigal son, with a romantic twist!!!! I guess now I can get started on what will probably be the last book I read this year, "Tied Up In Tinsel," by Ngaio Marsh.
Christmas at Halberds Manor is full of surprises. Gifts, feasts, a traditional Druid Christmas pageant...even a corpse. There is no lack of suspects, since every member of the manor house staff is a paroled murderer! Can Scotland Yard's Roderick Alleyn unwrap the real Christmas killer? There's only one way to find out!!!! I can't wait to get "Tied Up In Tinsel!"

"Michael Vey" Ends With 'Shocking' Cliffhanger! Time To Get "Lost" In "December"

I spent a few hours on Saturday sitting at a table helping Hubby Christopher Wanamaker promote his club at Anime USA (Find out about my experience in my Anime-niac blog)! In between passing out fliers about the DC Anime Club and satisfying the curiosity of inquiring minds, I managed to finish Richard Paul Evans' young adult novel, "Michael Vey: The Prisoner Of Cell 25." After his mother is abducted, Michael--along with his buddy Ostin and Jack and Wade (the boys who bullied Michael)--set off on a quest to rescue Michael's mother. In the process, several interesting events unfold. Michael himself is taken prisoner by Dr. Hatch; Michael escapes from his cell and is reunited with Taylor and introduced to the other students at the Elgen Academy; and Michael learns the truth about his father's death. Though I am usually a major fan of RPE's books, I will say that I was not overly fond of the character Nichelle. She was completely under Dr. Hatch's control and did whatever he told her to, even to the point of harming or killing another human being. However, I cannot wait until next year to see what happens next as Michael's story continues in "Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen." Int he meantime, I will be content to immerse myself in the pages of Evans' latest novel, "Lost December," which he describes as a "modern day holiday version of the prodigal son, a powerful talle of redemption, hope, and the meaning of true love." When Luke Crisp graduates from business school, his father, CEO and co-founder of Fortune 500 Crisp’s Copy Centers, is ready to share some good news: he wants to turn the family business over to his son. But Luke has other plans. Taking control of his trust fund, Luke leaves home to pursue a life of reckless indulgence. But when his funds run out, so do his friends. Humbled, alone, and too ashamed to ask his father for help, Luke secretly takes a lowly job at one of his father’s copy centers. There he falls in love with a struggling single mother and begins to understand the greatest source of personal joy. I expect that this, like a few of Evans' novels, will result in a few tears. Anybody have a Kleenex???????

Shocking Developments In "Michael Vey"

Most of Richard Paul Evans' novels are quick reads, so it's no surprise to me that I'm already about to begin Chapter 30! What is shocking is the fact that what Michael has learned about himself and his friend Taylor have led to 2 kidnappings--Mrs. Vey & Taylor have been abducted! Taylor was taken to the Elgen Academy, where she discovered she is a twin with a sister named Tara! And Michael has set off with Ostin & Jack (one of the boys who used to bully Michael) on a quest to Pasadena, California to try to locate his missing mother!!!!!!!!!!! I will say one thing: This book is certainly full of "shocking" twists and turns!