The Twilight Before Christmas - Christine Feehan

I got the bestest box from Amazon last week. Sshh, don't tell Scott. My Amazon box had some new books that I wanted to start reading. I decided to dive in with some Drake Sisters.

The Twilight Before Christmas, is the story of Kate, an award winning novelist, and Matt Granite, a former army ranger who now works in his family's construction business.

Kate has returned to Sea Haven, has bought a run-down mill, and hopes to renovate it into a bookstore and cafe. Matt has always loved Kate, so this turns out to be the perfect opportunity to get close to her.

An earthquake rocks Sea Haven, cracking the foundation of Kate's mill, and reveals an old burial crypt, allowing for a century old evil to be released, just in time for Christmas.

The book begins with a new, dreary version of The Night Before Christmas. And each chapter begins with two lines of the poem. It reminded me of high school and being asked about foreshadowing.

So now that I've gotten to know the first 2 Drake sisters, it's time to get to know the others.

52 Weeks of Happiness - Week 10

Ethan's mate turned 4! 

"Now we are the same, mommy."

The party had a Superhero theme.

Isaac was Ben 10.

Ethan was SuperEthan.

Happiness is playing Super Heroes.

House Hunting

This weekend, we had a mission. Our mission was to head over to Lusaka, get Ethan registered in school, and house hunt. 

The first 2 were easy. 

The house hunting gave me a headache.

Friday morning we set off to check out some houses. The estate agent had given us a bunch of houses and we narrowed it down to about 10 that we wanted to see. We saw about 6. Then in the afternoon, we went to see another half dozen. I seriously had a headache that evening. But, we narrowed our choices down to 3.

Saturday morning, we decided to re-visit our favourite 3. The agent had a fourth one, she thought we'd want to see. 

House #1 - Roma

Roma is an area in Lusaka. It's the furtherest away from Ethan's school of the 4 houses. 

This is the house.

It has a pool (that needs cleaning).

And a fireplace!

House #2 - Leopard's Hill

We were told by our dear friends that we don't want to live here. It's out by the International School, far from everything else.

This house is in a compound with 5 other houses.

The kitchen.

And yet another pool that needs maintenance. (There's also a small, baby pool on the other side.)

House #3 - Woodlands

This is a standalone house in a quiet neighbourhood close to Scott's office, and about 10 minutes from the school. 

The front and back of the house.

Love how you find a fireplace in a house in Africa!!!!

And check out this bathtub!

The downside to this house is the lack of swimming pool, but it does have a vegetable garden!!

House #4 - Kabulonga

This is another house on a compound. It's advertised as a 3-bedroom, but it's actually 4, as they consider one of the rooms to be a study. 

Hmmm... I just realised, this is the only 2 story house in our top 4.

For a person who doesn't cook, I'm sure obsessed with the kitchen.

Forget about the last bathtub, check this one out!

So those were our favourites. Which do you think we chose?

Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult

Did I ever tell you how Ethan's name was chosen? We didn't know Ethan was a boy, and were choosing/discussing names. We had a girl name picked. That was easy. But Scott and I could not agree on a boy's name. Scott wasn't a fan of any of the names I'd suggest.

Then one day, while watching TV, I offered up Nathan. With our last name starting with an N, Scott wouldn't go for it. But then, suddenly, he offered up Ethan. I liked it, and that was done. Why bother thinking up more names when we finally agree upon one?

So you're probably wondering why I'm sharing this when you're here to read my thoughts on this book. Well I need you to know that, because as good as this book is, I had a hard time with it.  The little boy's name is Nathaniel, and he is 5 years old.

The Perfect Match asks, a seemingly innocent question.
Your son has been deeply hurt.
You know the courts won't bring you justice.
What would you do?


Nina Frost is a prosecutor. She is thrown into every mother's nightmare. Her 5 year old son was raped. Knowing the legal system, she knows the chances of her son's molester being prosecuted is rare, and would further damage her son. She feels she has no other choice, but to protect her son by shooting the man responsible.

The problem then comes, when DNA proves that it was not this man, but his half brother. She has killed an innocent man.

The first part of the book was really difficult. It touched way to close to home.

The second part was now about her, her defence, her guilt, her husband, and her son. She vowed to protect her son, but if she goes to jail, she won't be there to protect him. However, she needs to come to terms with the fact that she killed an innocent man. Her husband needs to deal with the fact that his wife killed someone. Should he have been the one to shoot the man? Why didn't he think/follow through with it? What does that say about him?

Perfect Match is a difficult book to swallow. But if you can get passed it's question, it's well worth the read.

52 Weeks of Happiness - Week 9

Lover Unleashed is the 9th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It was released March 29th. I was utterly excited for it, that I pre-ordered it on Amazon. However, by April 3rd, I had the jitters. A bunch of my mates had read it already, and I was getting impatient. Who am I kidding? The book wasn't due to arrive until April 17th. There's no way I could wait that long. So I went ahead and got it on my Kindle!

April 17th arrived, and there was no Amazon box. I was ok, as I had already read it, but as much as I love my Kindle, I still wanted the actual book.

Thursday I went to check, and still no book. Ok, this is now 2 weeks late! I decided to give it one more day. If nothing arrived on Friday, I'd email Amazon and let them know it has disappeared.

Guess what showed up on Friday??????

Oh, and it gets better.

One of my mates introduced me to cafepress.com. They have a BDB shop. So I, of course, shopped. Don't tell Scott! Guess what came today?????

PJs!!!!!

Happiness is finally having a copy of Lover Unleashed and getting a pair of BDB pjs!


(Sshhhhhh.... don't tell Scott I have it on Kindle too)

Farewell Tour - Sunday Breakfast

Scott and I are not exactly big breakfast people. Well... maybe I should say Scott isn't. I'm often bugging him to go for breakfast. Sometimes he agrees.

Yesterday I wanted breakfast. Pancakes to be exact. But I wasn't in a mood for a Kempinski breakfast, and Scott didn't want Epidor. Besides Epidor doesn't have pancakes, so we decided to head to Africafe.

They make the best (and only) Zanzibar Chai Latte.

And for Ethan, a teddy bear pancake.

The perfect way to spend our last Sunday in Dar as a family.

Farewell Tour - Addis in Dar

If you were to ask me what my favourite restaurant in Dar is, I'd have to say Addis in Dar.

I had never had Ethiopian food until some mates took us there, many years ago. Since then, it has been a favourite of ours. It is also a place you either really love, or are not a fan of. Ethiopian food is made up of Wat (stew), injera (flatbread), grains and berbere (combination of spices). Like Indian food, it's meant to be shared and eaten with your hands. 

What's really cool, is the tables. You sit low.

Saturday night, Scott and I headed there. This weekend is our last weekend together in Dar. Next weekend we're house hunting in Lusaka, the weekend after that Scott's in Mozambique for a board meeting, and the following weekend he's officially relocated to Lusaka. 

As usual, we pigged out!

Thank you Addis for all the wonderful meals and memories. Any chance you'll open an Addis in Lusaka?