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A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's Christmastime in the Highlands, but you wouldn't be able to tell in Lochdubh, the village where Hamish Macbeth is constable. The local Calvinists don't truck with Santa, trees and lights. A disgruntled Macbeth is called out to the croft of Mrs. Gallagher, a waspish old woman who lives alone and has had her cat stolen. Along with that mystery, Hamish must investigate the theft of the large Christmas tree and lights from the unfriendly village of Cnothan. This is a short little book of 129 pages, just right for a special Christmas edition to delight cozy mystery and M.C. Beaton fans. Having just read the most recent Hamish Macbeth book, this was a sweet return to the "old" Hamish that I have grown to love over the years. Annie View all my reviews

If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have read almost all of Jen Lancaster's books. She's close to my age, so her cultural references resonate with me. She's also a socially-liberal Conservative, which also resonates with me. I prefer her memoirs to her novels, but after a series of historical non-fiction, I was ready for a light reading break. This book delivers. Although I am not a famous writer of Amish Zombie Teen Romances, I am am married to a man who has a few similarities to "Mac", and have fallen down the rabbit pit of home repair on several occasions. Some of the material is very familiar, since it's based on the stories in "Jeneration X", her book about moving out of their house in the city out to the suburbs. It's a bit outlandish, but we're not reading Jen Lancaster's material for stark realism, people. There were parts that had me laughing out loud, and sighing in recognition. All in all, and enjoya