After reading two fantasy trilogies in a row, with horrific battles between good and evil and our heros prevailing only at great sacrifice, I was in dire need of something completely different. Unfortunately, I got really sick and could go no further than the other side of the room for books already read. I chose "Little Women" and found I was going through as many tissues with tears as with the other sorts of nose-runnings. (I was in a weakened state!)

This all preface to say that my sister, in some prescient state chose to send this year (last year she sent the first of the trilogies):

Horse People; Scenes from a Riding Life, by Michael Korda, which is turning out to be a quite pleasant often amusing read (though of course one treasured steeds untimely end moistened a few more tissues)

and

Indulgence; One man's selfless search for the best chocolate in the world, by Paul Richardson, which sounds like another in the theme of EmmaB's "Raw Spirit". That one looks to be entertaining as well.

~ Becky in Tucson