In addition to reading some background material for the spring term (more on that next week — it’s not totally dull, I promise!), I have enjoyed some non-scholastic reading time during the Christmas & New Year break. While the kids played video games, jumped on the trampoline, created “squirrel homes” out of the firewood pile (essentially turning the pile into a big mess in the driveway, but they didn’t hurt anything & it kept them occupied for a couple of hours) and bicycled miles of laps around the neighborhood, I curled up in my pjs & socks and read by the fire.

At our annual office book exchange in mid-December, I got the first novel in Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander Series, Beyond the Highland Mist. I previously read her Fever Series, and although I didn’t care for some of the explicit language (one character, in particular, used the F-word frequently), she is an excellent writer and creative storyteller, and I wanted to see how the other series compared.

Suffice it to say that I started book one the week before Christmas … and now, I’m almost finished with book five! The tales are a combination of romance and adventure that unfold within a fantastical – yet uncannily realistic – Scottish setting. Her descriptions of castles and terrain make me want to travel to Europe (Drustan & Daegus can come along, too)! 😉

My classes start back next week, though, so it’s nearly time to put away the novels and focus on the must-reads. I will plan to reward myself during Spring Break with some more lighthearted reading … perhaps books six & seven! 😉