As of the writing of this post, I’ve read 129 books in 2008. Not my highest total, but not too bad, all things considered.

Here are some of the books I read this year that I really enjoyed. With one exception, I listed only the first book in a series, if I started and enjoyed a series this year. I have been reading a lot of supernatural fantasy, but I’ve read some other good stuff as well this year.

January:
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Supernatural fantasy. The latest installment in the Mercy Thompson series.

February:
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
Mystery set in Venice. The first in her Inspector Guido Brunetti series. I spent much of the year reading the rest of this series.

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson
Supernatural mystery. The first book in the Repairman Jack series. I’ve still got a couple books left in this series, but not many.

THUD by Terry Pratchett
Fantasy. Discworld. I really don’t need to say more, do I?

March:
Tithe by Holly Black
Young adult urban fantasy.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman & Yoshitaka Amano
Fantasy, graphic novel. This was a reread, because sometimes you just need a Neil Gaiman fix.

White Knight by Jim Butcher
Supernatural mystery. Installment in the Harry Dresden series.

April:
Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
Supernatural fantasy. Sequel to Magic Bites.

May:
The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
Fantasy anthology. Lots of folklore too.

June:
Fables Vol 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham et al.
Fantasy, graphic novel. You really need to be reading this series.

July:
Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon et al.
Young adult graphic novel. Joss Whedon takes over Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways series and does well.

Hellboy Vol 1: Seeds of Destruction by Mike Mignola
Supernatural fantasy, graphic novel. The start of the Hellboy series.

August:
Girl Genius Vol 7: Agatha Heterodyne and the The Voice of the Castle by Phil Foglio et al.
Young adult, steampunk, graphic novel. This is another series you need to be reading.

September:
Precious Dragon by Liz Williams
Fantasy mystery. The third book in the Detective Inspector Chen series.

October:
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Fiction.

A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Urban fantasy. Reread. Awesome.

November:
Territory by Emma Bull
Historical fantasy. The story that leads up to the shoot-out at the OK Corral.

City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Non-fiction. The reconstruction of La Fenice in Venice as only John Berendt could tell it.

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
Mystery. This is the first book in the Inspector Montalbano series, but not the best; I really started to like the series around book three.

December:
Why Mermaids Sing and Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris
Historical mystery. Installments in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I love these books.

Thirteen Orphans: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold
Urban fantasy. Start of a new series.

Erin posted an adorable picture of Lana.

Quick go look!

Cute cute cute!

So as I mentioned last week, I was on a baking binge before Christmas. I love to bake, and Christmas is a good excuse for me to go hog wild.

For this weeks Tasty Tuesday, here are my two favorite cookies from this year, Cranberry Caramel Bars and Cranberry Oatmeal cookies.

Cranberry-Caramel Bars
1 heaping cup fresh cranberries
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups flour (240 grams)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
1/2 cup brown sugar (114 grams)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
~10 ounces chopped dates
~12 ounces of caramel sauce
13 x 9″ pan

Preheat oven to 350.

Coarsely chop cranberries (I gave ’em a spin or two in the food processor). Mix with 2 tbsp sugar and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, oats, and sugars in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture (NOTE: I never remember to do this). Press the flour mixture into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9″ pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Remove dish from the oven. Sprinkle with dates, pecans, and cranberries. Drizzle caramel sauce over everything. If you remembered to set it aside, sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. (I think it looks nicer with the cranberries on top anyway.)

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Eat.

Modified from Christmas Cookies. I received this book as a gift and do not recommend it, for I found the recipes to be poorly written, but after modification this recipe is a gem.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (114 grams)
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour (210 grams)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces, slightly toasted
1/2 cup coconut flakes, slightly toasted
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugars until light. Add egg, corn syrup, and vanilla. Beat about a minute.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture in two stages. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Scoop out 2 tbsp balls of dough, and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.

I baked about half the cookies, and froze the rest in 2 tbsp balls to bake later. I also made part of the recipe without pecans for my grandmother, and they turned out fine, although I of course prefer the pecans.

This recipe was modified from The Best of Fine Cooking: Cookies Vol 23, which had some excellent (and well-written) recipes. If you can still find it on the shelves, snag it. You won’t be sorry.

Just finished reading the C.S. Harris mystery Where Serpents Sleep.

Excellent.

I love really her Sebastian St. Cyr series and highly recommend it to anyone who likes Vistorian mysteries–or mysteries in general.

…is to read as many books as possible. I’ve got up two reviews from books I just finished, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I got a stack of new books for Christmas, so my problem right now is going to be deciding what I want to read next. I’m thinking C.S. Harris‘ latest Sebastian St. Cyr mystery.

Here are some gifts left in previous years by the Christmas Elephant:

Here is tonight’s sunset, and the sunset Christmas day.

Holy moley!

14 – 14 and the first quarter isn’t even over.

Neither of their touchdowns was pretty. We’ve got to play better than this!

Have a cat nap for Boxing Day!

Michael got what every good geek should have wanted this year: A Monty Python Cow Catapult!

In the spirit of the season, here is my favorite carol:

Adeste Fideles laeti triumphantes,
Veníte, veníte in Bethlehem.
Natum vidéte, Regem Angelorum:

Veníte adoremus,
Veníte adoremus
Veníte adoremus Dóminum

Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine,
gestant puellae viscera
Deum verum, genitum non factum:

Veníte adoremus,
Veníte adoremus
Veníte adoremus Dóminum

Cantet nunc io chorus Angelórum
cantet nunc aula caelestium:
Gloria in excelsis Deo:

Veníte adoremus,
Veníte adoremus
Veníte adoremus Dóminum

Ergo qui natus, die hodierna
Jesu, tibi sit glória
Patris aeterni Verbum caro factum:

Veníte adoremus,
Veníte adoremus
Veníte adoremus Dóminum

I just realized that when I pulled out the cookie cutters–the ELEPHANT cookie cutter was MISSING!

I have NO elephant Christmas cookies!

:(

How will the Christmas elephant ever forgive me?

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Somehow the holidays always surprise me with how quickly they arrive. Luckily, the only thing I have to do before Christmas is bake.

And bake I have. Here’s what I’ve made so far:

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Lemon Shortbread Coins, from The Essential Baker by Carole Bloom
Spiced Sugar Coins, from The Essential Baker by Carole Bloom
Hazelnut-Chocolate Chip Cookies, from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett (modified)
Lemon Snowflake Cookies, from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett (these were a mess to make)
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett
King Arthur’s Special Roll-Out Sugar Cookies, from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Book
Sour Cream Nutmeg Sugar Cookies, from Christmas Cookies
Cranberry-Caramel Bars, from Christmas Cookies (modified)
Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Bars, from The Best of Fine Cooking: Cookies
Giant Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, from The Best of Fine Cooking: Cookies (modified to be not giant)
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread Bars, from The Best of Fine Cooking: Cookies

I still need to decorate the sugar cookies and make the pumpkin and sweet potato pies, and Michael is still planning on making peanut butter fudge.

Now before you think I’ve completely lost my mind, I did give cookies to my co-workers for Christmas, and will give them to some others tomorrow.

AND I didn’t bake up the full recipes for some of the cookies. So I’ve got frozen dough I can bake at any time. Yum!

Lemon Snowflake Cookies

Lemon Coins

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (with coconut, pecans, and white “chocolate”)

Sugar Cookies