Santa tagged me early on and asked about some of the things I really liked...then she went a bit mad in making those happen.

The picture shows two books, but there were actually 6: two physical books, and four that were Kindle books. :-) The Kindle books include two fun mysteries (cozies, as they're called): "An Appetite for Murder," and "Haunting Jordan." "Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies" looks like a fascinating autobiographical piece, and a biography called "Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva" rounds out the ebooks.

The physical books are lovely. "The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland" is a book about one of the greatest acts of hospitality ever. I've loved the story since it all happened, and this book just hits home for me.

And the gorgeous "Istanbul: Recipes from the Heart of Turkey" combines my fascination with that greatest of world cities and with the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire-influenced lands in the Middle East.

Thank you very, very much, Santa. What delicious, delightful, and intriguing books to get from someone who worked so very hard to know what would interest me.

Every. Book. A. Winner!!!