I used my macbook pro to submit this comment. =)

Sick in bed otherwise, so I hope that counts.

Worst birthday: Dec 29th in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. About 5 degrees out. I'm ten years old and having movies and burger king, and when we try to get home the bus is late and I have to give my socks to some kid whose wearing "party" shoes in 2 feet of snow!

Best birthday: Dec 29th in Winnipeg (I don't live there anymore even). I'm 27 and my brother throws me a huge "kids" party to make up for the crappy winter b-days I've always had. Hot dogs, chips, and he gave me a strawberry shortcake doll!! What a sweety, made up for all those years.

Happy birthday to you, and enjoy the fact that it's June, not December!

Maria

All of the above... plus....

• Incarnations of Immortality Series by Piers Anthony. A weird but wonderful interpretation of what it would be like if "Death" and "War" and "Fate" were offices, like being a judge or lawyer, or mayor. The underlying premise is that those roles get filled by ordinary humans who now have to figure out what to do... Death has to sort souls at a place like the post office. It's fun and light, and at the same time deep and philisopical. Especially read the first one "On a Pale Horse" and perhaps the last two (like some of the others above this series can feel more forced in the middle books, but so worth the read overall. and each book can be read separately if you must).

• Mordant's Need Series by Stephen R. Donaldson. Only two books "The Mirror of Her Dreams", and "A Man Rides Through", but each book is about 1000 pages paperback (but fast reads). The women lives in the "real world" but is drawn through her mirror to a medieval/magical world where mirror magic is the highest art. The "bumbling apprentice" is the love interest (no it's not too "girly", but it is lighter fantasy not sci-fi)... and perhaps the chosen master? Or not? Donaldson deals with questioning reality, and also the "ugly duckling becoming...". I read his works when I feel in need of some "metamorphosis" in my own life, usually quite uplifting, as as his shorter works (Read the short story "Daughter of Regals" if you want to get a feel for his style before starting into 2000 pages. =)

• If you like the "Arthur" legend type fantasy... try Marion Zimmer Bradley. Very high on the "girl" fantasy scale, but beautifully wrought.

• Just like LOTR's is always worth another read, going back and reading all of Douglas Adams might be a better match for the cottage. Of course "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is wonderful... but I even sometimes prefer his "Dirk Gently" series when I need a fast fun summer read. Quote from Wikipedia: "'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency', described on its cover as a 'thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic'. Like many of Adams' stories, its plot defies easy encapsulation. The book was followed by a sequel, 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'".

Those are my top recommeds for fast-read fantasy... there's a whole 'nother list for darker deeper fantasy, and hard sci-fi, but I could hole up with this list for weeks, and enjoy every read.

Oh, so many good books so little time. I can barely find time for new ones, much less old ones (can you tell I'm an English major yet... ;o)... I just hope that some one will enjoy these as much as I have, and hopefully will again.

Let us know what you get started on, Julie. Or if anyone else starts in on some of these suggestions, let me know what you think. I think I'm be trying the Recluce Series, and the Pratchett works with what's left of my summer!

Thanks for the great list. Maria

No a bad price, considering that it has two lithuim batteries included. I wonder how well it would charge on run of the mill Wallymart 48-for-$8 AA's? But at least you could look up a contact or something on a quick charge I guess.

We were travelling to visit family and had planned to "trade" babysitting Valentine's day with my brother/sister in law. We went grocery shopping and bought both husbands roses at Costco's (why should only women get roses? why should we pay $50 a bunch? ;)

My DH took me to iHop (not "romantic", but it's what I wanted to do while because we don't have them in our town), and my brother got the chance to take his wife to a nice dinner after his children were asleep. It was worth it to give them a fabulous V day of their own!

Thanks for the great giveaway. =) Maria