Merry Christmas!

I finally finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.  I had been reading it on and off since September because I had been applying to jobs, got a new job, and started working on my grad school application.  I thought that it was an amazing novel and difficult to put down at times.  It doesn't take long for the story to get underway or to get the reader intrigued.  It is a difficult read, however, and I found myself having to go back several chapters to re-read certain parts to get a better understanding.  The characters are complex, and there are very many characters that you have to follow.  Also, the novel has an incredible amount of detail and each detail is key to the mystery.  I highly recommend this novel, and since I usually never enjoy mystery novels, you know that it has to be good! 

I plan to read the other two novels that follow this one, but before I go out to buy them, I will be finishing The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I began this book over the summer, but never had a chance to finish it because I borrowed it from the library.  When my time ran out, I had about 150 pages left, and I wasn't allowed to renew it because it had a waitlist.  I asked for it for Christmas, and I can now finish it.  So far, it has been incredible!  I absolutely love this book, and I recommend it to anyone.  It is a quick read, and opens your eyes to both gender and racial issues through quite a new perspective.  IT IS A MUST READ. 

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!  I know I did!  And it snowed Christmas morning, which was cool.  It snowed today as well, but only about half an inch.  Some people around us, about 2 hours South and North, are getting 6-12 inches, and New York, Boston, and Connecticut are getting 1-2 feet!  I'm glad we didn't get that much snow.  I am still recovering from last year's two huge snow storms.  Also, it is too difficult to get to work when it snows and it just makes things dangerous.  I love the cold weather, but hate the snow!  lol. 

Anyway, back to Christmas.  I love all the gifts that I received, from both family and friends.  Julie, Annie, Andrea, and I went to Clyde's in D.C. for our Christmas dinner and gift exchange.  We all got dressed up super cute and took the metro into D.C.  Annie gave me a drink mixer, lotion, body spray, lip gloss, a cute ornament, and a Penn State shot glass; and Andrea and Julie gave me a purse from Guess.  It was so fun!  From my family I got a lot of books: The Help, The Glass Castle, Half-Broke Horses, Aunt Julie and the Scriptwriter, Traveling with Pomegranates, and the complete works of Shakespeare, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells.  Also, I got two desk calendars, one for work and one for home, an Irish Dancer figurine by Demdaco, a jewelry hanging organizer, a glass picture frame, a very cute pair of pink pumps, and some cute ornaments to add to the tree.  I didn't ask for much since my mom bought a lot of my new work clothes only a month ago. 

Well, I cannot believe 2010 is almost over!  I will be heading up to Connecticut on Friday to celebrate the New Year with Josh and his family at his mom's house.  I'm excited for this trip and it will be a nice break away from work, even if I will only be up there for 3 days.  I wish you all a Happy New Year!