Christmas Day and I leave to go visit J for a week--a much-needed escape after the last few weeks. While away from home, I thought I would give myself a challenge. I have been reading more than usual, but I wanted to take the time to really get into my growing TBR pile. And so, I packed nine books in my suitcase. Hopefully I get all nine read, but if not, that's okay. I'm there not just to read but to enjoy J's company and get some relaxation. I plan on keeping the list updated throughout my mini vacation. To help, here's the tentative list:

Bespelling Jane -- Mary Balogh, Colleen Cleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany
Holidays are Hell --Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu, and Vicki Petersson
The New Dead -- edited by Christopher Golden
This Christmas --Jennifer Coburn and Liz Ireland
Dashing Through the Mall -- Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs
The Geeks' Guide to World Domination -- Garth Sundem
The Lightkeeper's Daughter -- Colleen Coble
Rogue Angel: Destiny -- Alex Archer
ArchEnemy -- Frank Beddor

Lots of collections of short stories, some holiday themed, a zombie anthology (of course), a funny how-to, historical Christian fiction, an action adventure paperback, and the conclusion of a The Looking Glass Wars... I'd say a ver eclectic selection, but that's usually how my reading goes. I figure I'll start with one of the holiday themed collections, but if it doesn't grab me, I can always switch to zombies for guaranteed enjoyment. As I read, I hope to do a few mini reviews, or just thoughts on the book and/or author. I have a 3 hour layover at O'Hare today, so I have plenty of time to get started...