Been waiting excitedly to find out what my new book will be from the moment I got the notice it has been despatched.

Then it arrived. The package is heavy, like there's a small brick inside, whoot. Obviously there's lots of words for me to devour.

I happily went to open it, pulling at that easy open strip on the Amazon packaging...

It broke.

My new book was trapped inside the packaging. I have never been so frustrated in my life.

I'm one of those people who are irritatingly slow at opening presents. I will gently pull up the cellotape, unfold the corner and slide the gift out, leaving the wrapping almost entirely untouched. I've been that way since I little.

Not today.

Today I tore into the packaging like some sort of possessed creature. I really wanted that new book.

Finally I'd torn away enough cardboard that I could tip the book out. And...

I don't recognise it. This is both a bad thing because what is it? What's it about? I want to knooooooow! It's also a very good thing because one, I obviously haven't read it, and two, what is it? What's it about? I want to knooooooow!

The front cover doesn't tell me much. Black and white photo of a young girl looking up solemnly, one eye hidden behind her hair. The book title 'The Passage' doesn't say much. The tag line 'Something is coming.' gives it a sense of suspense.

There's not much to go on to get an idea of genre but that's okay. TO THE BLURB!

Where's the blurb?

The blurb belongs on the back of the book. That's how you know what it's about quickly. What my new book has on the back is lots of review extracts that give little clue to the story outside of the words 'apocalyptic' and 'survivors'.

So it's a dystopian novel?

Oh, hey! Look at that, Stephen King likes it.

But seriously, where the hell is my blurb.

Inside of the back cover has a picture of the author (Justin Cronin) who kind of looks like the love child of George Clooney and Ben Stiller. Make of that what you will.

But anyway, not finding my precious blurb there I turn to the only place left that it would be. Inside the front cover...

I open the book.

I see the inside page before I see the inside cover. It's more bloody review quotes. I just want to read a blurb. Pretty, pretty please.

And there it is. The Golden Grail. My blurb.

It goes yadda yadda yadda Little girl, yadda FBI, yadda yadda Death Row. Well, sort of.

Anyway maybe I misunderstood 'apocalyptic' and its some sort of crime thriller and oh, wait. What's this? 'A tidal wave of darkness ready to engulf the world'.

I dig it.

I then go to clear up the shredded carboard on my bed and find a note I had completely missed in all my excitement. Immediately I felt guilty. The one rule in my house we had when it came to presents is before everything else you open the card (or in case the note).

So the book is part of a series with the third coming out soon, it's also one my Santa really enjoyed, and apparently there's vampires (but not as I know them).

Not just dystopian apocalypse but apparently there's fantasy thrown in there as well.

This book is mine. You'll have to claw it from my cold dead hands before I let it go.

Anyway, I thought it would be rude to fall into a blackhole of words before posting my thank you.

So, Thank You!

Now I'm going to go grab some blankets, hot chocolate, and pillows and make myself a reading nest. If you want my attention remember to shout at least five times before physically shaking me because otherwise I'll be oblivious to the world.

(Edited to include a photo of the Clooney-Stiller lovechild beacuse I swear I'm not just imagining it.)

Edit #2: OMG! There's another part that arrived today. I was so deliriously happy with the book that arrived yesterday that I never expected there to be more.

Seriously. I was so confused when I saw the Amazon parcel on the table. I was to work out if I'd bought anything from Amazon that I was expecting and when I realised I hadn't I was so sure I must just have been forgetting something. It was only when I opened it up and saw the note I realised it must have been a part 2 of my Secret Santa.

I now own Volume One of Revival. A graphic novel dealing with

My Santa is one seriously amazing person.

I feel so spoiled.

Thank you so much! I'm already enjoying The Passage and now I'm torn between finishing that off before starting Revival or putting it on pause to admire my new new book.

(I'm trying to work out how to translate the happy squeals escaping me into articulated gratitude but my brain is just saying 'happy-happy-happy' and 'best Santa ever'.)

Thank you again. I'll just be over here hugging my books.