(personal/work) The first business day of the year

Is always SO much fun at financial institutions.

Today has been a blast. I haven't gotten any "Where are my tax forms?", but I've gotten an awful lot of "Why didn't I get my check in December?" (Because you didn't request it. Because Bush Jr. passed a law, and you had to request it, as opposed to us just sending it out. No, we can't send it out now as part of last year's taxes. Because it's not LAST YEAR ANYMORE.)

Actually, it hasn't been that bad. I'm not tearing my hair out, and I've had only one nasty caller who hung up on me. And really, they weren't that nasty. I've had nastier colds.

I might even write a bit tonight in the Lair when I get home.

(books) 52 books in a year

Going to do this challenge - and see how long it takes me. I'm making sure it's new to me books - I tend to do a LOT of rereading, because I have a lot of comfort books.

#1 - Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

This was a disturbing book for me, mostly because a big part of the story deals with the Holocaust. My family is Jewish - my mother's parents came from Poland after the War, and so I really felt for the protagonist's grandmother. There were two stories here: the contemporary story of Becca as she tried to figure out where her grandmother came from, and Gemma's story.

Really, the romance in this between Becca and Stan felt almost like an afterthought to me, and I'll admit to skimming the little interludes where Becca is remembering Gemma tell the story of Briar Rose. Really, the book came alive for me in Poland, where Becca finally discovers who Gemma really was.

I'm not going to grade these, but I don't think I'll read this again.