Tuesday, January 31, 2012

January's Book of the Month

Hello Everyone! I chose the picture posted above because it reminds me of reading to my daughter Mareena when she was little. Every afternoon until she was about eight or nine years old, we would take one of her books that she wanted to read or that she was reading and we would curl up together on my big bed. 

We would spend an hour or so reading a chapter of her book, and then take a nap together. Her absolutely favorite author at that time was an English author named Enid Blyton. Ahh, nice memories...

My picks for 'Books of the Month' will be decidedly more adult these days, but they will be from almost any genre. January's Book of the Month is: 


   
Winter Harvest by Norah Lofts
Published as: The Road to Revelation in 1941
Publisher: Davies, London


Birth Name: Norah Robinson
Born: 27 August 1904 in Shipdham, Norfolk, England
Died: 10 September 1983 in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Canonical Name: Norah Lofts
Pseudonyms: Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis

Winter Harvest by Norah Lofts was the second book that I read in 2012. I have had this book on my TBR bookshelf since March 14, 2011 although I didn't actually read it until January of 2012. It took me two days to read this book and it is definitely a keeper for me.  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Maeve Binchy - The Copper Beech

10. The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy (1992)
Length: 391 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 27 January 2012
Finished: 31 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 24 January 2012
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

In the close-knit Irish community of Shancarrig, there stands an old copper beech overlooking the schoolhouse. For years, the imposing tree has been both a silent spectator and a staunch supporter of the generations of students who have gone to school in Shancarrig. Eight children once carved their names - and the names of those who they loved - into the bark of the tree, as part of an annual tradition that takes place on the final day of school. And so, the old copper beech has kept the secrets of these former pupils; bearing the etchings of their myriad ambitions and hopeful dreams for the future within its trunk.

These eight children have since become adults and are living their own lives. Yet the schoolhouse in Shancarrig still holds a special place in all of their hearts; as it is the schoolhouse that has shaped them and made them who they are. For each person, their hometown holds such special memories - some memories that are just too personal or private to ever be shared. However, the mighty copper beech has witnessed various declarations of love, hope, and identity - all the youthful dreams of the children who once played beneath its sheltering branches.

Although they live such vastly different lives, these eight dreamers can certainly agree on one thing about the bucolic and peaceful town of Shancarrig: life is dull; some might even say deadly dull. From Ryan's Hotel to Barna Woods, where the gypsies set up their campsites each year, from Nellie Dunn's bustling little sweet shop to Father Gunn's quiet parish church; the pace of life in tiny Shancarrig is placidly uneventful. And the community seems to prefer it that way.

However, for some more passionate souls - such as Nessa Ryan - there must be more to life in Shancarrig than running the family hotel. Yet if Nessa could just peel back the various layers of serenity - if she could see beyond the calm exterior of life in Shancarrig - she would see so much unexpected drama: the schoolhouse's headmistress, Maddy Ross has a secret love; Eddie Barton has developed a surprising friendship with someone through the mail; and Maura Brennan has discovered that she has a curious kinship with a glamorous couple - Mike and Gloria Darcy - recent newcomers to Shancarrig.

In this picturesque little town, where the river runs around the great rock for which the town is named, human life flows along in all its variety. Lives intertwine in much the same way as names crisscross on the trunk of that sturdy copper beech. Yet, from the cottages where Foxy Dunne and his family live in poverty; to the grand house where Leonora 'Leo' Murphy lives; and for the Kellys', who live near the school; as well as the town physician, Dr. Jims Blake, who lives on The Terrace - nothing is as it seems. For now, the secrets that have long been hidden deep in Shancarrig's shadows are being brought back into the light.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As I know I have said before, I absolutely love Maeve Binchy as an author. In my opinion, she writes such poignant stories and develops such personable characters that I found myself truly connecting with as I read further along in the book.

I also appreciate that her plots are never just the 'chocolate box' variety - the 'feel good, happily ever after' type plots and stories. Ms. Binchy's stories aren't always wrapped up in a nice, neat little bow. I love her writing style precisely because I find it to be more realistic and true to life. I would definitely give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Belva Plain - Fortune's Hand

9. Fortune's Hand by Belva Plain (1999)
Length: 421 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 24 January 2012
Finished: 26 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 24 January 2012
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Robb McDaniel was living the very definition of an idyllic life: the type of privileged and charmed existence of which so many were truly envious. He was an idealistic young teacher, full of vibrant hopes and dreams and determined to shape the young minds of the future in the best way possible. He was blissfully happy to be engaged to his high school sweetheart, and together, this charmed couple were planning for the future. Yes, Robb McDaniel was truly blessed and thankful for everything he had in life: until he wanted something more.

Upon receiving a sudden windfall, money that is tragically earned, Robb is offered the chance to live a different sort of life. He is offered the opportunity of going to law school and of pursuing a brilliant career. Yet nothing in Robb McDaniel's life could possibly have prepared him for the price of a dream come true.

A job with a prestigious law firm. Marriage to the boss' daughter. A wonderful family. A splendid home. In fact, Robb had everything that he could possibly want, and more besides. All the offers and prominence he just couldn't refuse. Truly, Robb McDaniel was living a life of great success, greater hunger, greatest shame...

In her latest novel, best-selling author Belva Plain creates a riveting and compelling portrait of a man who had everything - and of the women who loved him. With a profound insight, she explores the power of temptation, betrayal, and greed - and the ultimately redeeming gift of love. This is a story of great complexity and heart-aching poignancy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, Belva Plain was a terrific author, and she really did a tremendous job of capturing the various nuances and complexities of her characters' relationships and weaving them all into an emotional and intriguing story. I've always enjoyed reading books about families and their sometimes troubled and dysfunctional relationships. I would give this book a definite A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Belva Plain - Crossroads

8. Crossroads by Belva Plain (2004)
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 18 January 2012
Finished: 22 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 17 January 2012
Why do I have it? I like Belva Plain as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.


Cassie Wright never saw it coming. As the owner of the thriving Wright Glassworks, her life was well-planned, orderly and quiet until a tragic accident forces her to become mother to a one year old child who has no one else to care for her. As the years pass, Cassie raises Gwen as her own, and the girl flourished in a world of privilege and opportunity. Enter Jewel Fairbanks; beautiful and conniving, Jewel will touch both Cassie's and Gwen's life in powerful ways. Both Gwen and Jewel will marry - Gwen to honest, hardworking Stan and Jewel to Jeff, a businessman who owns the company where Stan works. 


But when Stan makes a shocking discovery on the job, a growing drama of jealousy, greed and betrayal will entangle both couples, changing all four lives irrevocably in ways they never could have foreseen. While I usually enjoy Belva Plain's books, I found this one to be one of her weakest. I'm still glad that I read it and give this book a B+! 


B+! - (89-85%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Anne Rivers Siddons - Hill Towns

7. Hill Towns by Anne Rivers Siddons (1993)
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 16 January 2012
Finished: 18 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 September 2010
Why do I have it? I like Anne Rivers Siddons as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.


A single traumatic event from her childhood has irrevocably marked Catherine Gaillard's adulthood, striking her with an almost unconquerable fear of leaving her cloistered mountaintop home in Tennessee for thirty years. But now, in an effort to shake her fears and put the incident behind her, Catherine is embarking on a life-changing vacation to Italy with her husband Joe. As they make their way across the beautiful countryside of Tuscany with two other couples, Cat and Joe soon find themselves being pulled in separate directions, and the fabric of their marriage begins to unravel. And a journey that began as a carefree tour crosses unexpected boundaries, carrying them into the heart of their relationship, becoming the ultimate test of their love.


I truly did enjoy this book. It was a little slow to get into at first but I give it an A+!


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, January 16, 2012

Lionel Dahmer - A Father's Story

6. A Father's Story by Lionel Dahmer (1994)
Length: 255 pages
Genre: True Crime
Started: 14 January 2012
Finished: 16 January 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 March 2009
Why do I have it? I like true crime and Lionel Dahmer is a new author for me.


Lionel Dahmer delves into his own life and psyche and tries to explain to the public and himself how his son Jeffrey Dahmer - the notorious serial killer who was caught and imprisoned in 1991 - turned from loving son to gruesome murderer. He psychoanalyzes himself and tries to pinpoint the traits in himself that turned so wrong in his son. This is the second time that I've read this book and I give it an A+! 


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Kate Veitch - Trust

5. Trust by Kate Veitch (2010)
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 13 January 2012
Finished: 14 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 22 December 2011
Why do I have it? Mareena bought this book at a used book store through Barnes and Noble as a Christmas present for me. She knew that I had enjoyed Kate Veitch's first book very much as well.


Susanna Greenfield has put her all into being a good daughter, wife and mother. She has maintained an important career as a college art professor, raised two beautiful headstrong teenagers, had a successful twenty year marriage to her handsome architect husband, Gerry, and was the eternal peace maker between her pretty younger sister, Angie - a born-again Christian and recovering junkie - and their headstrong mother, Jean.


As Susanna struggles to revive her creative career, a devastating accident rips apart the very fabric of her safe and secure world, exposing secrets which threaten to destroy both a marriage and a life. I truly enjoyed this book, the second by Kate Veitch and give it an A+!


A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, January 13, 2012

Randy Susan Meyers - The Murderer's Daughters

4. The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers (2010)
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 10 January 2012
Finished: 13 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 19 November 2010
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Randy Susan Meyers is a new author for me.


Lulu and Merry had never had an ideal childhood, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father does something that shatters their lives altogether. He has always hungered for the love of the girls self-obsessed mother, but after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu's mother has warned her never to open the door to him but when Lulu's father arrives at the house he bullies his way past her and into the house.


What follows is horrific. Lulu listens to her parents fight and runs to get help. When she returns, Lulu finds that her father has killed her mother, stabbed her sister and tried to kill himself. For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened: one pretends he's dead, while the other feels compelled to help him. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, influencing all their life choices. They both fear the day when their father's attempts to win parole might meet with success.


I enjoyed this book very much. It was very well-written and the characters were believable. I give it an A+!


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Daphne du Maurier - The Loving Spirit

3. The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier (1931)
Length: 365 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 8 January 2012
Finished: 10 January 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2010
Why do I have it? I like Daphne du Maurier as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.


Janet Coombe is a victim of her time and gender. She longs to know the wildness and freedom of the sea-faring life, but in Cornwall of the early 1800s, all that Janet may do is marry and raise a family. She ends up marrying her cousin, a staid ship-builder and raising six children with him. Janet is overjoyed when her boy Joseph, fulfills her secret dreams and becomes a sailor, eventually captaining his own ship - a ship built by his brothers - named the Janet CoombeThrough the trials, tribulations and tragedies which strike her family, Janet holds on to her lively and loving spirit and passes that on to the later generations. I really enjoyed this book, Daphne du Maurier's debut novel. I give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Norah Lofts - Winter Harvest

2. Winter Harvest by Norah Lofts (1955)
(Originally Published as: The Road to Revelation) (1941)
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 6 January 2012
Finished: 8 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 March 2011
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several other books by this author in the past.


In 1846 the Donner Party set out for the "Promised Land" - leaving hot, arid Utah and Nevada behind for the greener pastures and burgeoning opportunities of California. They were all making the journey together; God-fearing people, immigrants as well as down-on-their-luck entrepreneurs. The good and the brave as well as the weak-willed are thrown together during the strangest journey of their lives. A journey that ends in a horrifying decision which would change all their lives.


I truly enjoyed this book. I had read a non-fiction book on the Donner Party incident last year and found that this novel was factually accurate. It is a sad book about a particularly heart-breaking time in history. I give this book an A+!


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, January 6, 2012

Dennis Wheatley - To the Devil a Daughter

1. To the Devil a Daughter by Dennis Wheatley (1953)
The Molly Fountain and Colonel Verney Series Book 1
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 31 December 2011
Finished: 6 January 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 30 December 2011
Why do I have it? I like horror and Dennis Wheatley is a new author for me.

Christina seemed no different from any other young girl - polite, attractive and a little shy. But every evening, as darkness fell, Christina changed amazingly. Dark, demonic power rose inside her and threatened all around her. As that terrible power began to emerge, it called out to the mist and rain of the Essex marshes. Hidden away beneath the stones of Bentford Priory, a hideous monster created by a satanic priest awaited a virgin sacrifice to bring it to life.

I have to say that I requested this book because I enjoy occult novels. I had never actually heard of Dennis Wheatley as an author before and never realized that he was such a prolific writer. I do think that I remember reading somewhere that this particular novel was made into a Hammer Films movie sometime in the 1970s along with another one or two of Dennis Wheatley's novels.

Anyway, I think that I will give this book a B+! I did enjoy the premise of the novel and found that there were parts that moved along quite quickly. I found that it finished very well, but it did rather drag in other parts. It was sometimes too detailed for me. Overall, I think this was a good Dennis Wheatley book to introduce me to the author, but I don't think that Dennis Wheatley will be an automatic add on author to my TBR pile.

B+! - (85-89%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Yearly Reading Wrap-up at Moonshine and Rosefire


Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading year for yourselves. I am known as Rosefire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog. I originally posted my reviews over at my daughter's blog, Emeraldfire's Bookmark but am now in the process of transferring them all over to my own blog. My daughter makes blogging look like so much fun that I thought that I would try it out for myself! :)

Anyway, I started out January with about 654 books lying around the house and ended the year with 631 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this year came from Bookmooch and Paperback Swap and Library Book Sales. Quite a number of my books that I read this month left my house to go to new homes so that's something I guess. :)

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Re-reads
- Lightning by Danielle Steel
- Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts
- Whispers by Belva Plain
- Bright River Trilogy by Annie Greene
The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy
Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
- The Claw by Norah Lofts
- Firebird by Janice Graham
- Secrecy by Belva Plain
- Random Winds by Belva Plain
- Demon Summer by Elaine Booth Selig


Changes to the TBR pile 


Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Great Fire by Monica Dickens
- Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and Her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate by Diane Fanning
- Ordinary Love and Good Will by Jane Smiley
- Beach Roses by Jean Stone
- Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
- The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Gruesome Deaths by John Glatt
- Thin Air by Robert B. Parker
- Madman in the Mirror by A. J. Gallant
- Evil Twins: Chilling True Stories of Twins, Killing and Insanity by John Glatt
- Scarlet Women by J. D. Christilian
- Full Circle by Danielle Steel
- Where or When by Anita Shreve
- Aches and Pains by Maeve Binchy
- Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor
- Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
- Eden Burning by Belva Plain
- The A. B. C. Murders by Agatha Christie
- The King of Lies by John Hart
- Testimony by Anita Shreve
- Preacher's Girl: The Life and Crimes of Blanche Taylor Moore by Jim Schutze
- Storyville by Lois Battle
- Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle
- The Lonely Furrow by Norah Lofts
- Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
- Breathe, Little Boy, Breathe!: An Emergency Room Doctor's Story by Stephen B. Seager, M. D.
- Harvest by Belva Plain
- The Miracle at St. Bruno's by Philippa Carr
- Crosswordoku by Patrick Blindauer and Frank Longo
Sanctuary by Nora Roberts
Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman
The Attorney by Steve Martini
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
Resistance by Anita Shreve
Faithless by Karin Slaughter
- Gone to Her Death by Jill McGown
- A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve
- The Black House by Paul Theroux
- When Darkness Falls by James Grippando
- The Wingless Bird by Catherine Cookson
- Unsavory Delicacies: Three Short Stories of Suspense by Russell Brooks
- The Best of Friends by Joanna Trollope
- Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town by Mary Kinney Branson and Jack Branson
- Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
- Godplayer by Robin Cook
- Windswept by Mary Ellen Chase
- The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston
- Emergency! by Stephen B. Seager, M. D.
- Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba
- Valediction by Robert B. Parker
- The House of Conflict by Iris Bromige
- If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
- The Fourth Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders
- Looking Back by Belva Plain
- Neighbors by Maureen S. Pusti
- The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino
- Heaven in Your Hand by Norah Lofts
- Without a Backward Glance by Kate Veitch

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- The Red Church by Scott Nicholson
- By Her Hand, She Draws You Down by Douglas Smith
Chapter of Echoes by Aileen Armitage
To the Devil a Daughter by Dennis Wheatley
- Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell
- House of Smoke by J. F. Freedman
- The Worst Thing I've Done: A Novel by Ursula Hegi
The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears by Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green
- Haunted Heritage: A Definitive Collection of North American Ghost Stories by Michael Norman and Beth Scott
Trust by Kate Veitch
Bag of Bones by Stephen King
The House Beyond the Hill by Michael R. Collings
- Backwoods by Sara Reinke
- The House by Bentley Little
- The Disappearance by Bentley Little
- His Father's Son by Bentley Little
- The Takeover by Jack Drew
Celtic Cross-Stitch Designs by Carol Phillipson
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Martin Dugard and Bill O'Reilly
- The Killing Game by Iris Johansen
- Devil's Eye by Al Ruksenas
- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
- Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker
- Almost Sisters by Nancy Anderson, Leal Littke and Carroll Hofeling Morris
- Southern Women by Lois Battle
- Ghost Island by Jan O'Donnell Klaveness
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch
- Winter Harvest by Norah Lofts
- Thin Air by Robert B. Parker
- The Ambush Murders by Ben Bradlee
- The Zani Murders by Kelly Fero
- Hunting Evil: Inside the Ipswich Serial Murders by Paul Harrison
- A First Book For Understanding Diabetes by H. Peter Chase
- The Sisters by Cynthia Victor
- What Matters Most by Cynthia Victor
- The Three of us by Cynthia Victor
- Soul Eater by Dana Brookins
- Consequences by Cynthia Victor
- Only You by Cynthia Victor
- Relative Sins by Cynthia Victor
- Leisure Arts 184: More Needlepoint Projects For Plastic Canvas: 16 Projects
- Needlepoint by Better Homes and Gardens
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The House of Conflict by Iris Bromige

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and Her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate by Diane Fanning
- The Happiest People on Earth by Demos Shakarian, John and Elizabeth Sherrill
- Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss
The Sweet Taste of Burning: A Tale of the Occult by Paul Andreota
Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor
- Preacher's Girl: The Life and Crimes of Blanche Taylor Moore by Jim Schutze
The Tarnished Eye by Judith Guest
Aches and Pains by Maeve Binchy
- The King of Lies by John Hart
- The Fallen by T. Jefferson Parker
- Sleep Long, my Love by Hillary Waugh
- The Last Cheerleader by Meg O'Brien
- The Fourth Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders
- The Wingless Bird by Catherine Cookson
Unsavory Delicacies: Three Short Stories of Suspense by Russell Brooks
- About Face by Fern Michaels
- Firebird by Janice Graham
- The Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice
- The Lonely Furrow by Norah Lofts
- The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinsky
- Winter Heart by Frances C. Kerns
- Linda's Homecoming by Phyllis A. Whitney
- An Accidental Woman by Barbara Delinsky
- The Black House by Paul Theroux
- Godplayer by Robin Cook (2 copies)
- Peter Lawford: The Man Who Kept the Secrets by James Spada
- Mutation by Robin Cook
- One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
- The Best of Friends by Joanna Trollope
- Love me Not by Deanie Francis Mills
- Faithless by Karin Slaughter
- Grave Matters by Margaret Yorke
- Ruin Creek by David Payne
- Marie: A True Story by Peter Maas
- Sanctuary by Nora Roberts
Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories by James H. Pickering
Resistance by Anita Shreve
Crosswordoku by Patrick Blindauer and Frank Longo
- The Visitor by Jere Cunningham
The Magic Cottage by James Herbert
Billy by Whitley Strieber
The Forbidden Zone by Whitley Strieber
Gone to Her Death by Jill McGown
- The Coffin Tree by Gwendoline Butler
Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town by Mary Kinney Branson and Jack Branson
Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
- Blind Instinct by Robert W. Walker
- The Architect by Keith Ablow
- Ghostlight by Clare McNally
- Forgiving by LaVyrle Spenser
- Honor Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer
- The Third Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders
- I'll be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark
- The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Be Healed by Marilyn Hickey
- Erica Wilson's Children's World by Janet Wilson
- Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt
- Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: The Uncensored Story of the Jonbenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search For the Final Truth by Lawrence Schiller
- Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
- Death Wears a Red Hat by William Kienzle
- Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
- How to Sell Anything to Anybody by Joe Girard
- Illustrated World War II Encyclopedia by Eddy Bauer
- Neighbors by Maureen S. Pusti
- Hidden Jewel by V. C. Andrews
- The Mallen Girl by Catherine Cookson
- The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino
Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba
- Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
- Grace Point by Anne D. LeClaire
- The Fly on the Wall by Tony Hillerman
- Mitla Pass by Leon Uris
- Silent Treatment by Michael Palmer
- Lie to Me by David Martin
- The Midnight Hour by Karen Robards
- The Green Man by Lee Mather

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading year for me. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 71
Pages Read: 22,424
Grade Range: A+! to C!

So, there you go! The reading year that was 2011! I hope that you all had an equally good reading year; if not a little better. :) See you all next year! :)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for December at Moonshine and Rosefire


Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Rosefire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog. I originally posted my reviews over at my daughter's blog, Emeraldfire's Bookmark but am now in the process of transferring them all over to my own blog. My daughter makes blogging look like so much fun that I thought that I would try it out for myself! :)

Anyway, I started out December with 644 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 631 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Bookmooch and Paperback Swap; I have bought no new books this month. Books that I truly wanted to read, Mareena downloaded to her Kindle as a Christmas present for me. :)

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Re-reads
- Lightning by Danielle Steel
- Gad's Hall: A Novel of the Supernatural by Norah Lofts

Changes to the TBR pile 


Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Great Fire by Monica Dickens
- Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and Her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate by Diane Fanning
- Ordinary Love and Good Will by Jane Smiley
- Beach Roses by Jean Stone
- Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
- The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Gruesome Deaths by John Glatt
- Thin Air by Robert B. Parker
- Madman in the Mirror by A. J. Gallant
- Evil Twins: Chilling True Stories of Twins, Killing and Insanity by John Glatt
- Scarlet Women by J. D. Christilian
- Full Circle by Danielle Steel

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Martin Dugard and Bill O'Reilly
- Celtic Cross-Stitch Designs by Carol Phillipson
- The House Beyond the Hill by Michael R. Collings
- Backwoods by Sara Reinke
- The House by Bentley Little
- The Disappearance by Bentley Little
- His Father's Son by Bentley Little
- The Takeoverby Jack Drew
- Bag of Bones by Stephen King - Trust by Kate Veitch
- The Cherokee Nation and the Trial of Tears by Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green
- Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell
- Haunted Heritage: A Definitive Collection of North American Ghost Stories by Michael Norman and Beth Scott
- House of Smoke by J. F. Freedman
- The Worst Thing I've Done: A Novel by Ursula Hegi
- Chapter of Echoes by Aileen Armitage
- To the Devil a Daughter by Dennis Wheatley
- The Red Church by Scott Nicholson
- By Her Hand, She Draws You Down by Douglas Smith

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and Her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate by Diane Fanning
- The Happiest People on Earth by Demos Shakarian, John and Elizabeth Sherrill
- Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 13
Pages Read: 3,663
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

So, there you go! The reading month that was December. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)



Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight