Wednesday, February 27, 2008

So THIS is winter

I've been wondering when winter would really show herself.

I'd say this is it, huh? Yesterday morning, I woke to 3 or so inches of snow. And it snowed all day, in my neck of the woods. And this morning, it's still snowing!!

It's beautiful, really. This is what I expected winter to be like. I guess I wouldn't be too happy if it were like this from November until May, but for a brief moment, it's winter in all her brilliant white pure snowiness.

Welcome to Ohio, me. Welcome to Ohio, indeed.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

2 Good Reads

No, not Pulizer Prize winners....

No, not classics....

Just good books to curl up and read on a cold winter day....

"T is for Trespass" by Sue Grafton. If you haven't read all the other books leading up to this one, it's OK, this one can stand alone. In my humble opinion, though, you should read them. To me, Ms. Grafton's books are like old friends. You know their history, their personality, their temperament... no surprises. This follows form as surely as the sun rises in the East. The difference in this one is evil. This bad guy, who's a woman by the way, is just mean. She's really a bad one. But the story is good. A quick read, no surprises, like visiting an old friend. Two thumbs up!

"Playing for Pizza" by John Grisham. Not at all like Mr. Grisham's usual books, this one is like eating a candy bar. It's relatively short, and easy to pick up and put down. And the story is amusing. An NFL pariah ends up in Parma, Italy playing "football americano" for the Parma Panthers. I was hooked when, in the first chapter, we find Rick in a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, recuperating from a nasty concussion and other boo-boos suffered in the previous day's football game, where Rick was the Cleveland Brown's third string quarterback. Since the Browns are my new home team, I was "in." Then, Rick travels to Italy to play. Well. Nowhere I'd rather be than Italy! Turns out to be a cute, feel good book. If I had written it, however, it would probably stand NO chance of publication, but because Grisham has a following (like me), here it is. Something different, a diversion, a candy bar. One thumb up.