Because I'm a Little Crazy

My Christmas gifts should come with warning labels. I'm not joking. I did some heavy shopping on Tuesday. Heavy. I'll be feeling the pain later, but am trying not to think about how much money I spent right now. And I'm still hoping that I get some time in Charleston next week to do some souvenir shopping, too. Which means that my family might be getting extra kitschy stuff, too.

Why do my gifts need warning labels? Because I have a tendency to buy strange novelty items. In my defense, it's usually because I can't figure out what to get anyone. This year I ended up at the candy shop. I don't know. I was looking for one item in particular and ended up buying a ton of stuff for my family. See, my brother has gotten impossible to shop for. I usually end up getting him really cheesy, strange things. Last year it was wasabi gumballs, bacon mints, and bacon band-aids. This year the bacon fun continues. There are crazy bacon gifts out there! (Hint, hint, family -- I want the "Bacon is a Vegetable" tee, if you can find it!)

And that's just his stuff. My dad's gift is especially aromatic. Considering their pets are as bad as ours at ferreting out foodstuffs, I'm going to have to tell mom not to put it under the tree.

My sisters, though, are getting non-edibles for the most part. I did get some small candy items from Powell's for them as well, though. And, I had to read one of the gifts before I could send it off. Shame on me! But, in my defense, it's for the one who is totally unwilling to borrow from me, telling me to buy my own any time I hand over a book. Yeah, that was my own you just took, by the way! So I figure I'm off the hook for reading her gift before shipping it over -- and she'll never know unless I tell her (or unless she reads it here!).

The book in question is James Dashner's The Maze Runner, a book that's part Running Man and part Cube (someone else made that comparison first and I can't for the life of me remember who, but I totally and completely agree with them).

Thomas can't remember much before landing in the Glade. The other boys inside have all experienced the same thing. Day by day, they've figured out how to survive. And the key is not to be caught outside the Glade at night, when the giant walls that surround them close. The maze outside is filled with creatures and traps. Only certain boys ever enter the maze and some of them never return. Thomas wants to be a Maze Runner more than anything. He's certain that he's been sent to the Glade to solve the maze. But just a day after Thomas arrives, the Box delivers another. And this time it's a girl. Now, time is running out for Thomas and the other boys. They must find a way out of the Glade before it's too late.

The Maze Runner is cool. The end is killer and according to Dashner, readers can't even imagine where the trilogy will go next, which is definitely enough to keep this on my radar. I'm really hoping the JJs enjoy this one as much as I did. It's intense and it's fun. Even better, if you have YA reading boys, this is the book for them! There's a lot of stuff out there that appeals to both boys and girls, I know, and this definitely fits into that category. I know from experience that that finding something to get guys interested can be a chore, and this book is really the perfect kind of read for any kid (young or age-challenged) who likes danger, adventure, monsters, and a little sci-fi.

Alrighty, I'm about to enter the overeating induced coma that's been threatening me all day. So, happy reading, and I hope you had a great Turkey Day!