Today didn’t bring any free books but there are books-read needing to be talked about.

First, though, I must say it was a good day, full of activities other than reading – for a change.  The sky was mostly sunny and the roads were clear and dry. Good friends were in town to visit family and invited me to meet them at The Pancake House restaurant in the city for breakfast. The hour long drive was easy and enjoyable, but definitely cooler than it’s been the last few days. The temperature was -10c feeling like -14c with the wind chill.

Tonight I was thinking about the exquisite pain of cold weather. I was thinking about warm parts of the world where cold is unheard of. How do you explain the foreign concept of cold so it can be imagined accurately?

Hot and cold are so different. Hot starts out as warm (soft and gentle, cozy) and builds up to burning, stifling. It saps strength, leaving weakness and worse. I’ll admit, I’ve not spent much time in extreme heat so my explanation will be lacking I’m sure.

Cold starts out as cool (refreshing and energizing, shivery) and it builds up to cutting, stabbing, burning (but a different kind of burning.) When there is wind with the freezing cold, it feels like it goes right through you. It’s bearable only if you are dressed warm enough for the conditions.

I’ve decided it’s definitely a challenge to try to describe cold to someone who knows only heat. I have no idea how to say it well. The question does give the mind a mystery to ponder though. On the other hand, maybe it’s better felt than telt, as an old friend used to say.

Read (red) Books. (They really do need to find a way to spell read and read differently.)

I loved this set of books When Snowflakes Never Cease. The five authors did an amazing job. The stories have depth and are connected in clever ways that work.

This one Meant For Me was a disappointment. I think overall it was a great story but it had too much detail that – to my way of thinking – was unnecessary. I skimmed many pages. Also, the playing out of the story line was somewhat unbelievable and frustrating.  Alongside the dissatisfaction, though, was the thought that others may read the book  and disagree with my opinion. I still love this classy cover.

I enjoyed The Collins Case. It was a thriller all right but it didn’t trigger me the way some books do. The mystery was engaging and, happily, it didn’t mess with my emotions.

A friend and her children are mysteriously missing. The case is not Ann’s, that would be a conflict of interest, but she is working on it just the same. Her involvement could get her killed before they are found. It almost does, more than once.

I liked this one too. Blue Christmas. it was worth the reread. An unexpected invitation to a Christmas Eve service, with dinner following, turns into something that blows the mind of this lonely college student. It wasn’t until they pulled up to the massive front door that Hannah realizes she has no idea who her friend really is. She would never, in her wildest imagination, have connected her older friend with members of a popular teen rock band. This will certainly be a Christmas to remember.

Happy Reading!