How To Make An American Quilt by Whitney Otto

photo courtesy of www.amazon.com

A quilt holds the quilter's deepest thoughts, her history, her life. Imagine then a quilt holding the stories of eight women, whose extremely diverse characters make each of them unique. The said quilt would be rich in colors and patters. The said quilt would be rich in stories of love, hate, frustrations, hope, sadness, joy. The said quilt would be rich in women's history. The Crazy Quilt...so aptly called.

Quilters will surely enjoy this book, as it's about something they can relate to. Having managed to scrap just a few points to pass me in my Home Ec class, however, I found the book a rather difficult read, with its complex quilting language. Minus this hindrance, I would say the book was enlightening and liberating.

The Eggnog Chronicles by Carly Alexander

courtesy of http://www.amazon.com/

Are New Yorkers cursed when it comes to finding true love? Or are their visions merely hampered by the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple?

Carly Alexander provides her readers with a glimpse into the colorful life of three ladies, born and bred in New York. Celeb obit writer Jane Conner is the cynical older sister, and she describes her love life with these equations: Great sex = great time. Commitment = annoyance overload. Her sister Ricki Conner is the Christmas junkie, who left the winters of New York for the summers of Carolina in the hopes of getting a ring on her finger. Emma Dombrowski, or Emma Dee, is ready for the big M, motherhood...the catch: she's pregnant with another man's baby.

It was a delight to journey with these witty, sassy ladies and you can't help but cheer along with them when they have finally found that elusive true love.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A poignant story of a love found...and lost.

Landon Carter gave Jaime Sullivan his word that he would never fall in love with her. Without any adequate explanation, except that he thought it was the right thing to do, Landon began doing things for Jaime, things he had never done before. Within weeks of being with her, Landon broke his word. Just when he feels everything is perfect, Jaime tells him the painful truth: she has leukemia and she's dying.

I'm a sucker for happy endings. Who isn't? In this novel by Nicholas Sparks, the heroine dies and leaves behind her handsome and beloved hero. Others may see this as the zenith of all sad endings but I see otherwise. The miracle isn't in Jaime recovering but in Landon living. Faith, indeed, can move mountains. Jaime's faith in and love for Landon made him the man nobody thought he could ever be.

Photo from the movie 'A Walk to Remember', courtesy of www.imdb.com

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

An inside look at the world of party planning and gruelling parties courtesy of the most dedicated party people ritzy New York has ever seen. Welcome to the city that never sleeps...

Everyone Worth Knowing is a light and funny read. At the end of the day, it's a romance story with just the right New York twist.

Possession by A.S. Byatt

Roland Michell stumbles upon drafts of what appears to be love letters written by the prominent poet Randolph Henry Ash to an unnamed someone. Intrigued, he searches for any documentation that could shed light on the possible recipient of the said missives. He comes across the name Christabel LaMotte, a distinguished scholar herself, admired by feminists. In his desire to learn more about the woman, he solicits the help of LaMotte scholar, Maud Bailey. Together, they discover the tie that binds Ash and LaMotte and the influence each had on the other's masterpieces, Bailey's true identity, and the beginning of their own romance.
The story itself is captivating; look beyond the romance and one is confronted with modern-day issues set in 18th century Europe. The inclusion of the full texts of the poems mentioned in the story is a delightful trimming on the cake. Poem enthusiasts are going to love this book. I particularly found the last chapter sad...but sweet.

Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz

Martin Stillwater, or Marty, is quite sure he had a rather violent encounter with someone who looked and sounded like him. As if that isn't troubling enough, The Other even claims that Marty stole his life, his wife and his children. The police wouldn't believe Marty; with a doubt bordering close to skepticism, they entertain the thought that Martin Stillwater, mystery novel writer and recent People magazine feature story, is on a publicity-seeking spree. With nobody else to trust, Marty takes matters in his own hands to protect the family The Other is so bent on reclaiming.

It's a clone story, and while I'm not into the sci-fi genre when it comes to books, Mr. Murder is, surprisingly, a good read. It isn't more of the science and less of the suspense. In fact, apart from mentioning the reason for the eerie similarity between Marty and Alfie, nothing more of the science mumbo-jumbo is mentioned in the book. It's the thrill of the hide-and-seek that gets you hooked.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

Yet another story of how the legendary Santa Claus came to be. This time, the setting is at the Forest of Burzee and we see the future Santa Claus being surrounded by mythical creatures: Wood Nymphs, Ryls, Knooks, and Fairies. We discover that Santa happens to be an abandoned child, raised by the forest creatures and to whom the Mantle of Immortality was bestowed. I've never read any book that quite fully explained who Santa Claus is and why he seemed to have made it his mission to keep children happy. L. Frank Baum's work answers all of my Santa questions and more. His story is imaginative and the closest I've come to 'real'. I'm neutral on the subject of Santa Claus, neither a staunch believer nor a vehement denier. What I'm sure of though is this: Santa Claus or not, there is indeed 'nothing as beautiful as a happy child'.