Xmas Book Gifts & Monday Check-In

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I'm baaaack!  Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  Mine was lovely, as usual.  I have an additional week off work, so I get to continue the relaxation and get some reading in.  December was a slow working month for me as the weather kept everyone healthy and no one needed a substitute teacher...Left me with lots of Xmas planning time :D 

I had to go back and edit my 2011 wrap-up post as I completed 3 more books before ringing in 2012.  Reviews coming soon for:

Emma- Jane Austen
Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume

I'm currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which I'm applying to two reading challenges.  This was a "book of the year" for a few bloggers last year, so here's hoping I take to it just as well :)

Judging by the posts I've read, Santa left some great books under your tree.  Wouldn't you know it...he did at my house, too :)

11/22/63- Stephen King
Highly anticipated! This is getting mostly good reviews. I love time travel stories :) I'm hoping to get to this next.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
A YA classic I wish I'd read back then but am so glad I did now. A beautiful little book for girls about growing up.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
Another classic I'm finally getting around to. Isn't it a gorgeous cover?

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
I didn't know how slim this book is! A classic I haven't gotten around to yet and my first Steinbeck.

Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Her show is so lively and never fails to cheer me up on a bad day. Sounds fun :)

Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
I read this in just a few days.   Some fascinating stories.  Review coming soon.

...And I previously posted about some early bookish Xmas gifts.

I also got some DVDs: Glengarry Glen Ross, Matchstick Men, and was very surprised to get a rare (at least inexpensively) copy of a terrific movie, Charade, lots of iTunes, a couple of I Spy books for my closetful of children's books (now I just need a classroom to put them in!), Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm, Uniball pens, hand cream, chocolate, and a calendar with bulldogs (awww, they're so cute).  And I got a plaque made from this picture in the Entertainment Weekly reunions issue from one of my favourite movies:

I got it done at Staples.  It was very affordable and it turned out so well, especially considering the crease in the middle.  It's barely visible on the plaque (that's not it pictured) and looks even better than the original.

Happy New Year!  And have a great reading week :)