Hard Cover Christmas

My home state is now under a blanket of snow, and I have to admit--I'm a little jealous of their winter wonderland. Sometimes I long for the comforts of familiarity. Living on a semi-tropical island over the past two years, there are a few things I’m slowly getting used to. Like last year, we spent part of Christmas Day on the beach. One ex-pat tradition is to hit the shores in celebration of the season.

And it was kinda strange (but very cool) getting so close to royalty during Queen Elizabeth’s visit last month. Security is totally not what it would be if I were home in the States or visiting the UK. I joined the crowd of school children and office workers lining the streets for a glimpse of the queen’s motorcade.

Speaking of uncommon sightings, on book shelves here American books are integrated with those published in the UK. Yes, American books sit side by side with British ro-coms that go on and on about “snogging” (read: kissing). And sometimes there are US/UK hybrids resulting in something very cool. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a Simon Pulse Ro-Com in hard cover! Check out this US-produced, UK-published gem:

Here’s to a joyous holiday season with uncommon and common delights wherever on the map you are! :-)