The Everything Family Christmas Book: Stories, Songs, Recipes, Crafts, Traditions, and More by Yvonne Jeffrey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it.

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Box 21 by Anders Roslund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed two other books by the team of Roslund and Hellstrom, and I borrowed it from my library's collection.
The subject matter, the physical and mental abuse of two sex slaves and the international human trafficking, may be difficult for some adult readers. The scenes move through time and location so the reader is intrigued by the questions how will this all come together for the reader trusts the authors would not tell and show us something if it were not important. I was surprised by the ending.
I recommend this for adult readers. If it were a movie, I would rate it R.

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Home Invasion by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book caught my attention with the first chapter, and the pace of the plot kept me reading to the end. The pacing and the plot adds another half-star to the rating.
The characters are defined by their roles in the plot, and this is a weakness in the novel for me.
This is not a book I would recommend to my liberal friends because, in their arrogance and political correctness, they would dismiss the plot as unbelievable. Some of the concluding plot points are a bit too much for me.
I recommend this book for readers who wonder, "What are they thinking?" about federal politicians.

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National Geographic Traveler: Australia, 4th Edition by Roff Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read for information about the ports where Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's 13-day Queensland voyage will be. This book gives me lots of information about Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, some about Newcastle, and nothing about Airlie Beach.
I am glad my local library had this available to borrow.

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Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the second book, Death is a Strange Country, in the Brunetti series years ago, and I bought this as a Nook book when it was offered at a reduced price. Death at La Fenice is the first of a 21-book series.
I enjoy these mysteries with enough descriptions of Venice to make it a supporting character. Commissario Brunetti is a man with a job to do, investigate the death of Maestro Wellhauer who was conducting at La Fenice. He has a different style from many of the headstrong, amateur detectives in other cozy mysteries I read, and I enjoy the differences this brings to this book.
I recommend it to readers of mysteries or to armchair travelers who want to know more about Venice.


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The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was published 35 years ago, and a current project of mine is to read all 25 books of the Shannara series in the chronological order of their events.

This is the book that started the series, and it is the book that opened the publishing genre of fantasy when the publisher thought there might be a market for readers who enjoyed Tolkein and wanted more fantasy quests.
I enjoy the characters Brooks creates and Brooks does an excellent job of writing battle scenes.
I give it five stars for it can be enjoyed by multi-generational readers without feeling dated.

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