All year long, I read unpublished/pre-published books. I'm very lucky! I'm always the very first to read the new Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Elizabeth Lowell, Teresa Medieros, Eloisa James, Dorothea Benton Frank, Laura Lippman, Meg Cabot, Mary Jane Clark, Faye Kellerman, and many others!

I also have the opportunity to read other Avon authors well before the books appear in the stores. Don't I have the best job? I love coming to work.

But I take off the week between Christmas and New Year's Day--and the best thing about this week is that it is a complete shopping and work moratorium. What a relief not to have to be scouring the stores for KOOKY PENS and Abercrombie clothes.

Sometimes, I go to my house upstate, sometimes I stay in town, sometimes I go to LA, but no matter what, I always take this week to read some of the books I've been accumulating all year.

I won't tell you which romance books I'm going to read (because some might be from other publishers--SHHH), but in other genres, my TBR pile includes:

LOOK ME IN THE EYE by John Elder Robison. A memoir of growing up with Asperger's Syndrome written by the brother of Augusten Burroughs. I cannot wait to read this one.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA. I think it's time to read this as an adult.

THE LUXE Gossip Girl set in historical New York. What fun.

I may reread THE SECRET LIFE OF THE LONELY DOLL by Jean Nathan. Such a creepy tale of a life in New York.




The other thing I enjoy doing during this week is catch up on movies! My bf and I are dying to see INTO THIN AIR and my daughter Charlotte wants to see I AM LEGEND.

Sometimes, I go to one of those giant movie theaters in New York City and see two or three movies in one day, although it's hard to get anyone to do this with me.

Then there is my movie queue. My daughter and I just NetFlixed THE SHINING--so fun to be able to share this with her!

We'll also probably watch THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. I'll take our red envelopes up to our house in the country and watch some of these while the wind blows outside.



But my biggest job? Potty training my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Lola. I just bought her this sweater.

Yes, I do crate her, but, no, not religiously. But don't tell any dog breeders you might know because I think I want a second Cav.

Or I will once this one is trained.





So...my questions out to all of you is, what great book have I missed this year? Which great movie? And what great dog training tips do you have (I know, I know, I have to put her in the crate.)

My resolution for next year? Trying to learn how to put my manuscripts into my Sony Reader so that I don't waste paper.

Hope your holidays are happy!