Pumpkin Spice Truffles

It's almost Halloween, and as anyone who follows me on Twitter or Facebook knows, Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I was scrolling through recipes this afternoon and came across a recipe on About.com that was so cute I couldn't resist sharing it with you. 

Take a look at these adorable pumpkin truffles: 

Are they cute, or what? 

The recipe says that they're "bursting with flavor from pumpkin puree, cream cheese, cinnamon graham crackers, and plenty of spices." The cream cheese flavor isn't overwhelming, but gives the candies a pleasant cheesecake flavor. I'll post the basic recipe here, but you can find the full thing here:

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz white chocolate, chopped (or use chips)
• 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup powdered dry milk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (I recommend using cinnamon grahams)
• 1 lb orange colored candy coating
• 3 oz green colored candy coating

Yield 24-30 truffles

preparation:

1. In a small bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts until it is melted and entirely smooth. Set aside for now.

2. Combine the softened cream cheese and the pumpkin puree in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and combined. Scrape the bowl and beat again to make sure there are no lumps in the cream cheese.

3. Add the powdered milk, the powdered sugar, and the pumpkin pie spice. Beat on low until incorporated, then scrape down the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until very smooth.

4. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until incorporated. Finally, stir in the graham cracker crumbs.

5. The mixture will be fairly soft at this point. Press cling wrap on the top and refrigerate it until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.

6. When the candy is firm, use a candy scoop or a teaspoon to scoop up small balls. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and roll the truffles between your palms to make them round.

7. Melt the orange candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl until melted and fluid.

8. Dip the truffles in the coating, one by one, using dipping tools or a fork. Set them on a foil-lined baking sheet when finished.

9. To make them look more like pumpkins, add a bit of melted chocolate to the remaining orange coating to turn it a darker shade of brownish-orange. Put it in a small plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe intersecting lines across the top of the truffles.

10. Finish them off with green leaves: melt the green candy coating and put it in a plastic bag as well. Draw a small swirl on to of each pumpkin truffle to simulate vines or leaves. (Note: There are two #9s in the recipe on the website. I've renumbered here.) 

11. Refrigerate the truffles to set the coating, for about 10 minutes, before serving. Store Pumpkin Spice Truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Trading Spaces

This is my last week in Missouri, taking care of my grandkids. My daughter is coming home tomorrow, so we'll get a couple of days to visit before I leave to go back to Florida. I've been living her life for the past two weeks, getting kids up and ready for school, doing laundry and dishes for four, doing homework after school and refereeing the inevitable spats between sisters who share a room. 

I've loved every minute of my time with the kids and I've had a great visit with my son-in-law. We've talked about everything there is to talk about and we've pretty much figured out how to save the world should anyone ever put us in charge. But I'm exhausted. 

I don't know if my daughter would feel equally worn-out if she were to take over my life for two weeks, what with the writing, the blogging and the demands of social media. I like to think she might find it somewhat challenging, but I could be deluding myself. All I know is, after living her life for a couple of weeks, I have a deeper respect for her. 

Today was probably my most challenging morning yet. The kids and I went to a party hosted by the local Baptist Church last night. The invitation said from 6:00 to 7:00, and in the interest of being supportive and a team-player in this small-town atmosphere, I thought it might be fun. 

The event was supposed to include a "weinie roast" and games. Turned out to be cooking hot dogs and S'mores over a bonfire and a kitchen filled with great food and a bunch of kids racing around and squealing -- all great fun. 

About the time I was getting ready to go home, I learned that the evening's festivities also included a hayride from town to the lake and back again. It was crisp and cold and a perfect October night, and I loved being out in the fresh air and experiencing autumn at its best -- but it meant that we were all out later than I'd expected and that gave this morning a rough start. 

I wasn't careful about what, how, and when I ate yesterday, so I started the day off not feeling well. A crew of men showed up this morning without warning to fix some damage to the drive leading to the house just as I was taking the kids to school. By the time I got back and got the message that my son-in-law needed me to bring him something to him in town, I was completely blocked in by half a dozen trucks, a back-hoe and several mounds of dirt.

The crew eventually finished, and off to town I went, but whatever schedule I had in my head when I woke up was completely shot. 

Luckily, we'd planned a crockpot meal for dinner tonight -- a meal my daughter had pinned on Pinterest that looked quick and easy. She's made it several times and her family always enjoys it, and it's my turn today. 

Photo from The Larson Lingo

You can find the recipe and more about it on The Larson Lingo blog, and it really does seem to qualify as one of the easiest dinners ever. Ingredients include a frozen bag of chicken tenders, a block of cream cheese, a can each of black beans, corn and Rotel. Dump it all in the crockpot and cook it for 8-10 hours on low. You can find the pin here. 

Give it a try some day when the world is falling down around your ears. It's certainly made my day a lot easier! 

Writing Candy Apple Dead

Having recently discovered that all the books in the Candy Shop Mystery Series were available in digital format, I've been thinking about the series a lot. I loved writing this series, and I still get notes and letters from readers who love the series, as well. The characters were a lot of fun to work with, and I had a great time coming up with Abby Shaw, her family and friends. 

I based the story in Candy Apple Dead on real-life events, the death of a personal friend that I never believed happened the way the police said it did. My friend, Terry, owned a clothing store in Salt Lake City, and back in the day I was a member of a local band. We were known for wearing matching clothes--clothes that Terry tailored for us in his shop. 

One morning I woke up to the news that Terry's shop had burned down in the middle of the night and his body had been found inside the store. I was devastated. Truly devastated. The police determined that Terry had set the fire himself, but I never believed it, so when I found myself at the start of a brand-new mystery series with a whole new set of characters to create and a new protagonist to work with, I thought it might bring me some closure to solve a case like Terry's. 

Am I suggesting that Terry's death happened the way I wrote it in Candy Apple Dead? No. Not at all. I want to be very clear on that. As any writer can tell you, we might begin with a particular person or situation in mind, but the characters in the book soon come to life, take on personalities of their own, and say and do things the original inspiration would never have said or done. 

People appeared in Brandon's life that never existed in Terry's. The one true character that existed in both Terry's life and Brandon's was Max, the inventory retrieval specialist. No, I didn't end up with the real Max after Terry died, but Terry did give me my doberman, Pride, and I loved that dog like crazy. 

You can read an excerpt from Candy Apple Dead and find buying information here. 

Did working through my friend's death in a work of fiction help? Yes, I think it did. If you're new to the series, I hope you'll enjoy getting to know Abby and the folks of Paradise, Colorado. If you try any of the candy recipes included in the books, please let me know how they turn out. 

Happy Reading! 

Candy Shop Mysteries Available in e-book Format!

It's amazing what you can find when you're clicking around on the Internet. The other day, I stumbled across copies of all five books in the Candy Shop Mystery Series available in e-book format. Who knew? I certainly didn't! I'm not sure why, but this was news to me. Great news! Exciting news! I'm personally thrilled to learn that the books are still available, and excited to have a way to share them with readers. 

I'm working on getting excerpts up for all the books, but it may take me a few days, so please be patient with me. 

First up, Candy Apple Dead, which is the first book in the series. 

Abby Shaw has returned to her hometown of Paradise, Colorado--leaving behind a career in corporate law and a cheating husband--to take over her aunt's candy shop, Divinity. But her sweet new life quickly turns sour when a fellow merchant dies in a fire. With all clues pointing to arson--and Abby's brother as the number one suspect--she must sink her teeth into finding the killer.

To read an excerpt and for information on where to buy a copy, click here:  

If you're read the series before, I hope you enjoy reconnecting with Abby, her family and friends. If you're new to the series, welcome! Enjoy! 

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 20

Okay, so I'm not exactly getting this thing done in 30 days. It's not even close. The important thing is that I'm still plugging along -- right?

Day 20's prompt is: Favorite Kiss.

Which is probably why I've procrastinated posting for so long. Favorite kiss in a book? I can't answer this one. I don't think I actually remember a single kiss from a single book in which there actually was a kiss. Kisses are usually so similar, so ordinary, so forgettable. I can barely remember character names from most of the books I read. I've tried and tried and tried to remember a single kiss from any book, but I honestly can't. I can remember a few on-screen kisses from TV and movies, but books? Nah.

I wonder why that is.

If you're a dog lover, this will touch your heart. If you're not a dog lover, this will still touch your heart. I saw this on someone else's site and just had to share.

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 18 & 19

Okay, I'm cheating. I know that. But the prompt for Day 18 is: Favorite beginning scene in a book. I don't even know how to respond to that. Maybe I have a really bad memory, but I don't remember details like that. My ex-husband remembered in great detail every single childhood disease our oldest daughter had. I could barely remember if she had measles or mumps. With very few exceptions, I don't retain character names from books I've read either. 

So my favorite opening scene? ........ blank ........ 

Next? 

Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)

Still not easy. I'm seriously wondering why I decided to take on this challenge -- as evidenced by the number of days that have gone by since I last posted a response to a meme prompt. But ... sigh ... I said I'd do it, and by gum! I'm gonna. So my favorite book cover.  

Cricket. Cricket. Crick......et. 

 I'm going to go with this one -- or any cover that looks anything like this one. Put a couple of Adirondack chairs in any location that looks out over any body of water-- stream, river, pond, lake, ocean, they're all good -- and I'm hooked. Mackinac chairs work almost as well. Beach chairs, not so much. Folding canvas chairs? Nah. I appreciate the folding canvas chair immensely. Don't get me wrong. Especially the drink holder apparatus. But for visual effect, it loses everything in the translation. 

A single chair--if it's the right chair--can work almost as well. I have a healthy appreciation for the healing properties of solitude, if used correctly and applied in the right situations. Don't you think?  It looks like the perfect place to ponder the oddities of life. Put a good book on that chair, and I'd knock my best friend down trying to get myself into it--especially if that book had a really great Adirondack chair on the cover.

Foodie Friday: New Orleans Style Pralines

A recipe guaranteed to get you into the carnival spirit! 

New Orleans Style Pralines

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 pounds chopped pecans (approx 6 cups)
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:

In a heavy saucepan slowly simmer cream and sugar over low heat until the mixture becomes golden brown in color and reaches the soft-ball stage (234 degrees F. on candy thermometer).

Add pecans and lemon juice and continue to cook until the soft-ball stage is reached again. Drop from a large kitchen spoon onto an oiled baking sheet.

Spread each mound out with the back of a spoon until they're about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. (Adjust to taste. Some people like them thin and some people like them thicker.)

Let candy harden, then lift from plate or slab with a spatula and transfer into covered tin.

Pralines will keep in airtight container for for 2 weeks at room temperature -- that is, if they last that long.

Pacing Tips

Blogging about pacing at Dancing on Coals today! Stop by and check it out.

Thursday's Top Ten: Top Ten Favorite Quotes

Thursday's Top Ten - 

What are your Top Ten favorite quotes?

1. "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Henry Ford

This is so true, and I've seen it in action many, many times. I've watched talented writers fall off the grid because they believe they can't write. I've seen less talented writers rise to the top because they believe they can. I've seen it happen time and again in other aspects of life, too. We are all too often our own worst enemies.

2. "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale

This one goes hand-in-hand with the first quote. Our minds are amazingly powerful. Our thoughts and beliefs create our reality.

3. "Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. " Voltaire

4. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela

5. "You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. " Marianne Williamson

How often I see people--especially women--downplaying their successes in order to come across as non-threatening. How often I do it myself.

6. "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams

Truth is truth, no matter how we may feel about it. We cannot make a thing untrue simply by wanting it to be false. Neither can we make a thing true simply by force of will.

7. "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read. " Mark Twain

8. "Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." George Edward Woodberry

9. "Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other." Erma Bombeck

And finally, because it just cracks me up ....

10. "All right, then, I'll go to hell." Mark Twain

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 17

Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)

I'm really not a short-story reader. Not a novella reader either. I don't even like really short novels. You won't find a book that's only 50,000 words long on my bookshelf unless someone has given it to me for free. Whether or not I'll read it is kind of a crapshoot, depending on my mood.

So the only possible collection of stories I can list here are the Childcraft books that my parents bought when I was a kid. The set consisted of 15 volumes, and I loved them all, especially Volume 3, "Folk and Fairy Tales," which was filled with great stories that led me into a lifelong love of stories and the written word. My favorite story of all from that book was called "Tom Tit Tot," a retelling of the classic Rumplestilskin. To this day, if open one of the books I can hear my mother's voice as she read the stories to me.

I read them to my granddaughters now, and I love sharing these beloved stories from my childhood with them -- but even though I do my best, I have to admit I don't do the stories justice. Nobody read these stories better than my mother did.

For all those reasons, these books will always have a special place in my heart.

Valentine's Day Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart

A special treat for fans of the Candy Shop Mysteries on Valentine's Day. Candy may be Abby Shaw's first love, but nothing beats this quick and easy tart for making a good impression after a special meal. Enjoy!

 

Valentine's Day Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart

1 purchased refrigerated pie pastry for 9-inch pie
1 cup (6 ounces) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and dried
Sifted powdered sugar

Place the pastry circle (plastic removed) on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly. Trim small amount of pastry away to form heart shape.

Place the pastry heart on ungreased baking sheet. Turn edges under 1/2 inch; flute. Prick pastry with tines of fork.

Bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

Microwave chocolate morsels and sweetened condensed milk in a medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Stir in vanilla extract.

Spread mixture over crust and refrigerate for a few minutes or until chocolate is set.

Before serving, arrange raspberries over chocolate; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Discovering Parks & Recreation

Let me begin by saying that I've never been a fan of Amy Poehler, so when my daughter encouraged me to give Poehler's new series, Parks and Recreation, a try, I was hesitant. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, but I prefer intelligent humor to slapstick or physical comedy. Not that I don't find the occasional pratfall humorous. I'm not a comedy snob. But the universal appeal of fart jokes is lost on me.

Still, my kid's a pretty smart cookie, so if she liked it, I figured maybe I should give it a try. I don't like voicing my opinion about something when I know absolutely nothing about it. You'll never catch me marching on the library in an effort to ban a book just because somebody's mom got offended by it. So if I'm gonna tell my kid that I don't like her show, I have to watch it first.

The other day, while sitting with a couple of sick grand-kids, I queued up Season One on Daughter's Netflix account and dove in.

Have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Poehler's character is actually pretty endearing, and the ensemble cast is great. I'll even admit to some laugh-out-loud moments in almost every episode. Having wound my way through the six episodes in season one, I queued up season two the next time I watched the kids.

Too many comedy series start off with a bang and then fizzle out. Some of my favorites have lost me after half a dozen episodes. I'll admit that I'm a little surprised that Parks and Recreation is getting better with age. The character development is extremely well done, changing my opinion of this character or that with something as subtle as a look. The humor is intelligent --most of the time -- but there are plenty of just plain silly moments, too.

I've seen about half of the second season, so if you're a fan of the show, please don't post any spoilers, but do share if there's a show you like that you thought you wouldn't!

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 16

Day 16 of the 30-Day Book Meme asks me to list my favorite poem or collection of poetry. I'll confess that I don't read a lot of poetry. Not because I don't like it. I do. But because I don't have a lot of poetry collections lying around the house, I tend to forget about it until someone mentions it. Then I wonder why I don't read more poetry and vow to rectify that, and wander around full of good intentions for a few days.

So this question is actually pretty each for me to answer because only one poem came to mind when I read the question. 


Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. It is, hands down, the most powerful piece of poetry I've read in decades. Every word of it speaks directly to my heart. It's about a strong woman who knows exactly who she is. And she dares every woman on the planet to recognize just how incredible she is. 


And it is a dare. For many of us, it's far too easy to make ourselves small. To hide what makes us great and apologize for who we are. It's much easier to do that than to lift your chin and stride forward in boldness. 


As Marianne Williamson said in Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992:

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  

 And that's exactly what Maya Angelou challenges us--inspires us--to avoid in Phenomenal Woman. Writing this has inspired me to dig out my copy and place it beside my bed. This is a poem every woman should read on a regular basis. 

Your Favorite Comfort Book

The 30-Day Book Meme, Day 15: Your "Comfort" Book. 

Do you have one? Just one? If you had to pick one Comfort Book, what would it be? 

I think I'm going to have to say So Big by Edna Ferber because (a) it's a book I've read more than once, and (b) it's a book I think about frequently, and (c) every time I think about it or read it, I think about my mother. 

Not because she resembles any of the characters in the book, but because this is one of the books she helped me pick out on my very first grown up trip to the library all those years ago. Which gives this book a special place in my heart. 

I'd tack on Edna Ferber's Giant for the same reasons. Good memories. The comfort of Mom on one of our best days together.

You can't get much better than that. 

So what about you? What's your favorite comfort book? I'd love to hear what's tops on your own list.

 

Who is Your Favorite Character in a Book?

This is getting hard. These daily topics are either too similar or too difficult to make this fun, but I did say I was going to do this and keeping my commitments is important to me. Even little, seemingly insignificant commitments. Commitments that don't matter to anyone else in the world.

So Day 14: Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender)

Okay, first of all, any sex OR gender? Wow, that just opens up all sorts of possibilities.

This is a tough question for me. I have lots of favorite characters in books, all for different reasons. My reading tastes are varied. I don't read just one kind of book, so it's not like I can stroke my chin for a minute and say, oh, sure, Anne Tyler's Maggie Moran from Breathing Lessons. It has to be her. Or almost any one of Susan Howatch's characters. She brings every one of them so brilliantly to life, they're each my favorite when I'm reading from their point of view.

Maybe I should default to George Fayne from the Nancy Drew series. Nancy was swell, but George was my gal. I also loved George Harrison best of all the Beatles, but that's a topic for another day.

A sweep of my keeper shelf helps me narrow my search for Favorite Character of all Time down a bit. I have a few keepers on the shelf, including other books I've mentioned during this challenge, but some of my prize books (besides Nancy Drew, of course) are my collection of Agatha Christies. And that narrows down my options down considerably.

Marple or Poirot?

For me, it's gotta be the delightful Miss Jane Marple. She was sharp. She was an amateur. She solved complex crimes based only on her ability to notice things about people, and everyone underestimated her.

What about you? Who is your favorite character in a book? Of any sex OR gender? 

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 13

Day 13 - Favorite Childhood Book OR Current Favorite YA book (or both!)

Favorite childhood book. I've already talked about my love of the Nancy Drew mystery series, so I'm going to go with a book I loved when I was even younger. Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle. Oh, what a magical world the author created for me in this book and its companion, Raggedy Andy Stories.

I loved the idea of my toys coming to life when I wasn't around. Dancing and moving and playing and talking and eating and doing all the things I secretly knew they did, even before anyone told me. My dolls and toys were so real to me when I was little, and Johnny Gruelle understood that. 

I'd almost forgotten how much I loved the idea of my things coming to life until a few years ago when the movie Night at the Museum was released. The idea was slightly different, but I watched that movie eagerly, waiting for that same magical world Johnny Gruelle created for me years ago. 

I wonder if any adult experience can truly match a childhood memory. 

What do you think?

Today's Challenge: Name the top 10 things you like to do in the winter. This might be easy for some of you, but it's really difficult for me because winter is not my favorite time of year. In fact, it's right there at the bottom of my list--which is one of the reasons I moved from Utah--where winter is a big thing (Greatest Snow on Earth!)--to Florida, where winter is just like summer, but a little cooler and a lot less humid.

Kind of like spring or fall used to be in my old life.

I was born in Utah, but moved to Montana when I was just 3 weeks old, which means that in my heart, Montana is home and Utah's sort of a step-home. But even though I was born, bred, and raised in states where snow rules, winter is lost on me. I've never enjoyed it and, in fact, every year I used to ask myself why I still lived in a state where snow covers the ground half the time and spring, summer and fall are entirely too short.


So what are the top 10 things I like to do in winter?

10. Walk the dog wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. I love the fact that in my new home state, I don't have to worry about slipping and sliding on the ice, falling down and hyper-extending my knee -- again.

9. Get in the car and drive without having to scrape snow and ice off the windows.

8.  Walk across parking lots without worrying about slipping on the ice.

7. Open my windows and let in the breeze coming off the Gulf.

6. Crochet. I love making new things for friends and family. I've gotten a bit behind lately, but here's my latest project--a baby blanket for good friends whose baby was born a few months ago. Now I'm working on an afghan for my niece's oldest son, promised to him so long ago he's probably forgotten all about it.

5. Watch people wearing down-filled vests and fur-lined boots when it's 60 degrees outside -- and then realize that after a year of living here, I'm becoming one of them!

4. Ride my bike. Because I can! 

3. Read. I love to do that all year round, so maybe it doesn't count. But even here there's something really nice about curling up with a book and a blanket and losing yourself for an hour or two.

2. Enjoy a nice, hot cup of cocoa, preferably while reading a good book, watching a good movie, or snuggling with a grandchild. Or all of the above :)

1. Go to the beach. Okay, it's a little nippy here some days, and you probably wouldn't want to go to the beach in your bikini and flip-flops, but you can go to the beach as long as you're bundled up appropriately (see #5 above).

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 12

Day 12 - A book or Series of Books You’ve Read More than Five Times: 

Hmmm. I'm not sure there is such a thing. I have a few keepers on my shelf, but I tend not to read books again unless I really, really love them. Really. Right now, I've listed 62 books on my "Favorites" shelf on goodreads.com but of all those books, I can't find a single one I've read five times. Penmarric and Cashelmara by Susan Howatch probably come closest with 3 times each. And my Agatha Christies. And Gone with the Wind. But though there are some books I really enjoyed on that list, most of them are one shots only. 

I've tried re-reading some old favorites, but that's ruined a few books for me. They were favorites at the time, but my reading tastes have changed and I didn't enjoy them the second time around. So now I'm kind of hesitant to take the chance. I like the memories I have. I don't want to ruin them with my current reality.

The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 11 A Book that Disappointed

Day 11 - A Book that Disappointed You:

Unfortunately, I have a lot of possibilities here, but I'm going to pick just one. Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene. I read this book for a book club several years ago. In theory, it sounded like a pretty good book club book. Turns out, it was a pretty good book club short story stuffed with a whole lot of filler. 

I had a really tough time getting all the way through it, simply because nothing happened. Or maybe I should say, the same thing kept happening over and over. Like I said, it would have been a nice, inspiring short story but a book? Not so much. 

How about you? Read any disappointing books lately?