Guess What I Got For Christmas?!

No. Not a baby.

The baby will be here soon, though, and we are in full "hunker down" mode. I have already been in a minor car accident (not my fault, thank you very much!) and fallen very hard in an icy parking lot. I refuse to leave my house again unless I am going to the hospital. So I asked for books for Christmas. Books upon books upon books!

And guess what? I GOT THEM!

I got wonderful books! Books that I am so excited to read! Books I have been waiting for!

Books like:

A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS
ALL CLEAR
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
WELCOME TO BORDERTOWN
UNDERDOGS
TONGUES OF SERPENTS
MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA
THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK

I even have new graphic novels, like a new collection about Thor (or "Mommy's Boyfriend" as my husband has trained our son to say), and a new Schlock Mercenary, THE TERAPORT WARS.

So let's get out the hot chocolate, people, and prepare to hunker down, sip and read!

*AND NOW A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*

Webmaster Mikey has once again discovered that the settings on the Contact Jessica page were changed, and no messages have come through! If you emailed me through the website in the last month, your message was lost in the webisphere (or whatever they call it these days). If you wish to re-email me, please do so! This will also explain why, if you are requesting an interview or some such thing, I appear to be ignoring you. Sorry about that! It's all fixed now!

25 Days Until . . .

CHRISTMAS!

I love Christmas! I love everything about Christmas! No joke: I even love going to the mall, despite the crowds. Because we're all there to buy presents for people we care about, so what's not to love, right?

But, as many of you know, I love Christmas books, too. And movies. And I love to recommend them. In fact, you cannot avoid my recommendations! So if you do not want these things recommended to you, just look away now!

Let's start with the movies, shall we? Wonderful movies, like-

Elf'
A Christmas Story
The Muppets' Christmas Carol
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians! (Mystery Science Theater 3000 edition, of course)

And I'm super excited to see the new movie, Arthur Christmas. Looks like fun!

And to read:

The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittney Ryan
Let It Snow! by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, by Connie Willis
Miss Davenport's Christmas, by Marion Chesney (out of print, but a gem of a Regency romance!)
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf, by Wendelin van Draanen
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, illustrated by P. J. Lynch
A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Chris Raschka

To look at AND read:

Llama Llama Holiday Drama, by Anna Dewdney
Olivia Helps With Christmas, by Ian Falconer
Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton
Olive, the Other Reindeer, by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
A Wish for Wings That Work, by Berkeley Breathed
Red Ranger Came Calling, by Berkeley Breathed
Santa Calls, by William Joyce
The Christmas Tapestry, by Patricia Polacco
The Polar Express, by Chris van Allsburg
Snowmen at Night, Snowmen at Christmas, by Mark and Caralyn Buehner
A Pirates' Night Before Christmas, by Philip Yates and Sebastia Serra
The Twelve Bots of Christmas, by Nathan Hale
The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson and Jon J. Muth
Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Alison Jay

And to listen to:

The Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays
Annie Lennox: A Christmas Cornucopia
Sarah MacLachlan: Wintersong
David Sedaris: Six to Eight Black Men
Stewart McLean: Polly Anderson's Christmas Party
Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Any favorites of yours you'd like to suggest? Feel free to use the comments!

And have a great holiday season (if I don't blog again)!