Sunday, January 31, 2016

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:


The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls 
  Published as: The Glass Castle in March 2005
Publisher: Scribner



Birth Name: Jeannette Walls
Born: 21 April 1960 in Phoenix, Arizona

Canonical Name: Jeannette Walls
Pseudonyms: None

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls was the seventh book that I read in 2016. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since January 23, 2016 and it took me two days to read. This book is definitely a keeper for me.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Michael Phillip Cash - The History Major: A Novella

9. The History Major: A Novella by Michael Phillip Cash (2015)
Length: 142 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 30 January 2016
Finished: 31 January 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Michael Phillip Cash and to Red Feather Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 January 2016
Why do I have it? I like horror and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past. 

When college freshman Amanda Greene wakes up in her dorm room, she is woozy and slightly disoriented. She assumes that her grogginess is due to her excursion to the local college hangout the previous night. After having a vicious argument with her boyfriend, Amanda remembers going out with her two best friends to have some fun and forget her problems. The night that followed must have included some pretty heavy partying, because Amanda can hardly remember how she got back to the dorm.

As a matter of fact, Amanda is starting to suspect that something is wrong. She can't quite put her finger on what it is, but things are just not the same as they were yesterday. When Amanda eventually starts classes, she discovers that the courses that she is registered for are ones she would never have chosen. Her classmates and teachers all seem oddly familiar to her, but Amanda can't quite place any of their names or faces. 

Disturbing memories are beginning to surface in her mind, and an ominous shadow is stalking her. Something is definitely wrong - Amanda can sense it - but she's not sure what. All she knows for certain is that there will soon be an inevitable collision between fantasy and reality. Is this really the worst hangover ever, or is there something more serious happening?

This is actually the sixth book by Mr. Cash that I've read, and I must say that I enjoyed this one as much as the others that I've read. The premise was intriguing to me, and I avidly wanted to see how this story would develop. I give this book a B+! - I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

B+! - (85-89%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Kay Wilkins - A Scaly Tale

8. A Scaly Tale by Kay Wilkins (2010)
The Ripley's Bureau of Investigation: Ripley's RBI Series Book 1
Length: 125 pages 
Genre: Science Fiction 
Started: 29 January 2016
Finished: 30 January 2016
Where did it come from? Mareena downloaded this ebook from Amazon back in September of 2014 as a 'just because' gift for me. Then I acquired a physical copy from Bookmooch.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 13 September 2014 as an ebook; Since 23 November 2015 as a physical book.
Why do I have it? I like Ripley's Believe it or Not! and Kay Wilkins is a new author for me.

Hidden away on a small island off the East Coast of the United States is a unique school for children who possess a variety of extraordinary talents - that school's name is Ripley High. Located in the former home of Robert Ripley - creator of the world-famous 'Ripley's Believe it or Not!' franchise - the school takes in students who all share a secret. Although they may look like ordinary kids, these students all possess extraordinary talents or amazing skills: the ability to conduct electricity, or superhuman strength, or control over the weather - these are just a few of the talents that the Ripley High School students possess.

The Florida swamplands are home to all manner of strange phenomena - hungry alligators, wild electrical storms, and recently, sightings of a most unusual creature. Eye-witness accounts of a weird lizard-like animal have spread all throughout Florida and have finally reached the hallowed halls of Ripley High. The top secret agency known as 'Ripley's Bureau of Investigation' - or the RBI - sends their expert team of investigators to Florida to see what they can discover.

The RBI accepts only the best and brightest students from among Ripley High's already unique student body and asks them to join this elite agency. Seven teenage agents have proven that they have the best qualifications for membership. Under the guise of being members of a school museum club, these teenagers investigate seemingly unbelievable or outrageous claims in order to discover each case's validity. During their search of the Florida Everglades, these RBI agents will find themselves in the middle of a high-speed airboat chase, a swarm of rats, a mysterious treasure hunt, and facing off against undercover agents from the 'Department of Unbelievable Lies' - or the DUL. Believe it or Not! - this is just a typical day for the members of the RBI!

I must say that when Mareena gave this book to me as her 'just because' gift for November, neither of us were really expecting the book that I received. I usually love reading children's books, especially any type of 'fun facts' children's books. This is that type of book, although it does have a good dose of science fiction running through the storyline as well.

To be perfectly honest, I don't usually read anything remotely related to the science fiction genre, but I think that children would certainly enjoy reading this particular book. I appreciated that the trivia and fun facts were interspersed throughout the story, and can certainly see children enjoying the main adventurous plot. I give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, January 29, 2016

Jeannette Walls - The Glass Castle: A Memoir

7. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (2005)
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 27 January 2016
Finished: 29 January 2016
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 January 2016
Why do I have it? I like non-fiction and Jeannette Walls is a new author for me.

Jeannette Walls grew up as the second oldest of four children, with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Her childhood could best be described as unconventional as her parents lived like nomads, moving their family around the desert towns of the Southwest and camping in the mountains. Ms. Walls' remarkable memoir of her childhood is one of resilience and redemption, and a poignant glimpse into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant.

When he was sober, Jeannette's father was a tremendously gifted person. Rex Walls was an engineer and sometime inventor, who was brilliant and charismatic. Sobriety allowed him to be an amazing father to his children; he taught them physics, geology, and how to embrace life without fear. He captured his children's imagination, and taught them to appreciate the world around them. But when he drank, Rex became dishonest and destructive.

Jeannette's mother was a free spirit who found the very idea of domesticity completely abhorrent. Rose Mary Walls was an educator, but much preferred living the life of an artist - writing and painting - to teaching schoolchildren. She loved her children, but didn't want the responsibility of raising a family. To Rose Mary's mind, cooking a meal which would be consumed in fifteen minutes just didn't appeal to her, not when she could create a painting that might last forever.

So, the Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, but chose to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is truly astonishing - a touching memoir written with deep affection and generosity. Ms. Walls' writing is permeated by her intense love for a peculiar but loyal family. This is a story of triumph against all odds, yet it is also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave Ms. Walls the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

In my opinion, this was a remarkable book for me to read. It was a poignantly written, intensely personal memoir which highlights just how resilient children can be in terrible circumstances. The impoverished life that the Walls children experienced - as seen through the eyes of a child - was not abnormal to them; they just accepted things the way they were.

I appreciated that even in the middle of such a heart-wrenching period, there were still humorous times. Despite its own flaws, the Walls family was a strong, loving family - the children loved their parents deeply, and their parents reciprocated that love. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Jennifer McVeigh - The Fever Tree: A Novel

6. The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh (2012)
Length: 425 pages 
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Started: 20 January 2016
Finished: 27 January 2016
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 December 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Jennifer McVeigh is a new author for me.

During the late nineteenth-century, South Africa is a country rife with unrest and torn apart by greed. Socialite Frances Irvine is rendered destitute in the wake of her father's sudden death and forced to abandon her life of wealth and privilege in London, in favor of emigration to the Southern Cape of Africa. Shunned by polite society and cast aside by her titled relatives, Frances reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from a man she previously rejected - a man she is not even certain she could ever like, let alone love.

South Africa in 1880 is a remote and inhospitable land, yet Frances is absolutely amazed by the amount of personal freedom that she finds there. While she lived in London, Frances had once thought herself horribly constrained by the rules of society; grudgingly accepting her position, but unable to break out of the situation. Her life in South Africa is so different from life as she knew it in London; filled with a dangerously enticing freedom that Frances has never experienced before.

In this brutal and unknown land, Frances will become entangled with two very different men - one driven by his ideals, the other by his ambition. Edwin Matthews is a distant cousin - a serious, but dedicated doctor who makes his living in the diamond fields of South Africa. He is a careful man, determined to do whatever he can to get ahead in life. To Frances' mind, Edwin is taking blatant advantage of her reduced circumstances; and she is convinced that his sudden interest in her is largely due to her dramatic fall in fortune, rather than any sense of romantic feelings for her.

Reluctantly traveling by steamship to South Africa to be married, Frances is abruptly thrown in to the company of William Westbrook. William is the polar opposite of Edwin, and Frances is absolutely enchanted by him from their first meeting. He is a dashing and ambitious diamond trader, whose tales of his thrilling exploits capture Frances' imagination. Magnetically attractive, spontaneous and courageous, William is everything that Edwin is not, and she is swept away by an intoxicating, all-consuming love. Stunned by the strength of her attraction, Frances secretly begins to hope that she has found a viable alternative to a loveless marriage with Edwin.

However, Frances' idyllic dreams are suddenly met by harsh, unvarnished reality. Removed from civilization and disillusioned by her isolation, she soon finds herself living in the middle of a tremendous dilemma - forced to choose between passion and integrity. Her choice has the potential to change her life forever. South Africa is not quite the colonial paradise that Frances expected it might be - the desolate, seemingly barren landscape does contain a certain hidden beauty - but nothing else is as it seems.

Only when the rumor of a smallpox epidemic takes Frances into the dark heart of the diamond mines does she see her true path to happiness. She soon realizes that she has so much to learn about herself, as well as this strange new land. This strange land that has become her home.

Despite this story's initially slow pace, I still very much enjoyed reading it. In my opinion, the story was slightly difficult to get into and I found that it dragged slightly in certain parts. Once I got past the slow points though, the pace picked up considerably and I really got into the story. I appreciated reading about the mining conditions of South Africa, and was stunned by the brutal reality of the colonial era. I would give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, January 25, 2016

I'm Going Back to Doing Crossword Puzzles For a Little While!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

Surprisingly, I have been doing fairly good. Despite the fact that I was doing a complex jigsaw puzzle of 1,000 pieces, I finished the old-time city center puzzle on Sunday night, January 24th! I'm amazed that it only took me a total of two days to finish a 1,000-piece puzzle, since I started doing this one on Friday afternoon, January 22nd!

As regards my reading, I'm not that far into The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh, yet. Granted, I started reading this book on Wednesday night, January 20th; but five days later, I'm not even halfway through. I'm certainly enjoying the story very much, but I will say that for some reason I'm finding it hard going for me. Actually, maybe 'hard going' is the wrong description, more like 'slow going'. The plot is in no way boring, I'm just finding that my reading pace is slightly slower than usual.

According to Goodreads, as of last night, January 24th, I am on page 123 of 432; or approximately 28 percent. There are actually 425 pages in my copy of The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh, so 123 pages of 425 is approximately 29 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, January 23, 2016

I Think I Like Doing Jigsaw Puzzles of Days Gone by!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

Well, as of Christmas Day, I have steadily been doing the jigsaw puzzles that I received as Christmas gifts. As of Thursday, January 14th, I finished the 700-piece puzzle of the five sleepy kitties. I've just started doing my third Christmas puzzle - a 1000-piece puzzle of an old-time city center! Since Friday afternoon, January 22nd, I've been doing this particular puzzle.

I can't really say how far into the puzzle I've gotten, but I think I'm about a third of the way through. So far, the puzzle has been fairly complex for me to do, but I'm really enjoying it anyway. I hope to finish this puzzle by either tomorrow or Monday afternoon.

As regards my reading, I had finished reading Secret For a Nightingale by Victoria Holt on Wednesday, January 20th. I immediately started reading The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh the same night. Jennifer McVeigh is a new author for me, so obviously this the first of her books that I've actually read; but so far, the book is really good. I'm enjoying it very much!

According to Goodreads, as of yesterday morning I am on page 110 of 432; or approximately 25 percent. There are actually 425 pages in my copy of The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh, so 110 pages of 425 is approximately 26 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Victoria Holt - Secret For a Nightingale

5. Secret For a Nightingale by Victoria Holt (1986)
Length: 371 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery 
Started: 16 January 2016
Finished: 20 January 2016
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 9 April 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical mysteries and Victoria Holt is a new author for me.

Susanna Pleydell is a beautiful, high-spirited young woman. As a young child living in India, she first became aware of her gift for healing the sick. It was truly a special gift that allowed her to soothe those in need. Yet Susanna willingly sacrifices her dream of helping others when she meets and marries the dashing and sophisticated Aubrey St. Clare.

It is only after the couple's marriage that Susanna learns something of Aubrey's true nature. When they return home to London, Susanna notices that her husband has suddenly and inexplicably changed: he reveals a darkly brooding and dangerous side; a disturbing infatuation with the occult and a penchant for opium. But most fearsome of all, is Aubrey's strange association with Dr. Damian Adair, a mysterious figure who exerts a sinister influence over her husband.

Susanna is terrified for both herself and her husband, and when Aubrey's frightening behavior eventually leads to tragedy, Susanna flees. In her mind, there is only one person to blame for all this horror - Damian Adair. She is determined to have her own vengeance against the man who effectively ruined her life.

Carefully guarding her past - keeping her dark secrets to herself - Susanna travels to the Middle East and lends her assistance during the Crimean War. She begins a completely new life as a nurse, working beside the legendary Florence Nightingale. It is in the Middle East where fate eventually brings the mysterious Dr. Adair back into her life.

And it is during her time spent in the Middle East that Susanna discovers a surprising truth about herself: her blazing desire for revenge has waned, becoming tempered with a baffling new emotion. Is it possible that her once unforgiving heart has seemingly changed; suddenly crossing the boundary between hate...and love?

First of all, let me say that while I have read a number of books written by this same author under two of her pseudonyms - Jean Plaidy and Phillppa Carr - I don't think I've read anything written under the pseudonym Victoria Holt. In my opinion, this story was unexpectedly complex and I enjoyed it very much. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

I'm a Crossword Puzzle Junkie!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

First of all, let me tell you a short story. For those of you who may read or follow my blog on a fairly regular basis, you probably already know that Mareena and I have nicknamed our tortoise-shell cat Lollipop, 'the secretary'. Ms. Lollipop, along with our other tortoise-shell kitty Leila are also known as 'The Twins'. Leila is actually named after the former boxer Layla Ali, because Leila has a feisty personality.

When we first adopted the girls - we initially nicknamed Leila 'G. I. Jane', because she crept everywhere, keeping her belly low, body close to the wall. She honestly looked like she was a participant in 'feline boot camp'. She is still slightly skittish, but we now call her 'the Crunchy Marshmallow Fluff' girl. She's dropped the 'feline boot camp' persona, and gone into 'feisty, take-no-nonsense' mode. Although Leila acts tough around her sisters, if either Mareena or myself shows her any attention, she immediately throws herself against us and purrs.

Anyway, late on Sunday night, January 17th, I heard some slight rustling followed by a steady tearing of paper. Knowing how much Lollipop loves playing with loose papers, and worried that I may have forgotten to cover up the book that I was reading, I got up to check out the situation. Turning on the light, I noticed Leila sitting proudly on a ripped crossword puzzle book. I put it away more safely and went back to bed.

The next afternoon, Monday, January 18th, Leila somehow managed to get a hold of the newspaper - which was opened to the unfinished crossword puzzle - and proceeded to knead just the clues to the puzzle! I'm rather proud of myself that I was still able to solve a crossword clue, without the actual clue! I'm honestly not sure how I did it, but I figured it out anyway. LOL!

As regards my reading, I had finished reading A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block on Saturday, January 16th. I immediately started reading Secret For a Nightingale by Victoria Holt the same day. It was a bit of a slow start for me, but I'm totally engrossed in the story now. According to Goodreads, as of yesterday morning I am on page 130 of 371; or approximately 35 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Lawrence Block - A Walk Among the Tombstones

4. A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block (1992)
The Matthew Scudder Crime Novels Series Book 10
Length: 347 pages 
Genre: Contemporary Mystery 
Started: 14 January 2016
Finished: 16 January 2016
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 13 January 2016
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Lawrence Block is a new author for me.

A stunningly resourceful brand of criminal has recently set up shop in the big city; an ingenious breed of human predators who victimize the loved ones of those who live outside the law. These sadistic extortionists have certainly chosen their victims wisely; knowing that criminals will never run to the police, no matter how brutal the threat. As a result, these vicious monsters have consistently been able to get away with their nefarious business.

On a Thursday morning in late March, Francine Khoury leaves her home to run some errands. Hours later, her heroin-dealing husband Kenan receives a mysterious phone call demanding a hefty ransom for Francine's safe return. Despite following all of the caller's instructions - including delivering payment - Kenan is devastated by the discovery of his wife's mutilated body in the trunk of a car.

Desperate to bring his wife's sadistic murderers to justice, Kenan knows that he can't turn to the police for help. Instead, he explores alternative avenues for justice: which is where Matthew Scudder comes in. Matthew Scudder - ex-cop turned private eye - has absolutely no love for the drug dealers and glorified poison peddlers who have now come to him for help. However, Matt's personal aversion to Kenan Khoury's shady lifestyle in no way lessens the private investigator's sorrow for the man's horrific loss.

Matthew Scudder, private eye, will do whatever it takes to bring these perpetrators to justice - because they are using the innocent to fuel their diabolical schemes. He is determined to find the elusive extortionists and put them out of business permanently. Before another drop of innocent blood is spilled.

First of all, let me say that I had initially wanted to read this book after seeing advertisements for the 2014 film adaptation starring Liam Neeson. I may never actually see the movie, but the book was definitely worth the wait to read. In my opinion, while the plot dealt with some seriously dark issues, it was still remarkably realistic. Although parts of the story were difficult for me to read because of some graphically violent passages, I still enjoyed the book very much. I would give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Jigsaw Puzzles Are Back in Fashion!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

Well, apparently doing jigsaw puzzles have come back in fashion for me. I just recently started doing the second jigsaw puzzle that I received as a Christmas present from Mareena. This puzzle is a sweet one. It's a 700-piece puzzle of five very sleepy-looking cats; one is actually falling asleep in a flower pot! The four other cats are all stretched out in various restful positions.

At 700 pieces, I was expecting the puzzle to take much longer for me to finish than it actually did. It certainly wasn't the simplest of puzzles, but it also wasn't the most difficult one that I've ever done. I started doing this puzzle on Tuesday afternoon, January 12th, and just finished it this morning, Thursday, January 14th! Two days to finish a puzzle of this size? Not too bad!!!

As regards my reading, I had finished reading Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King on Monday night, January 11th! Since then, I haven't really settled on which book I want to read next. I actually just started reading a novella that I received through the mail on Monday afternoon, January 11th: The History Major: A Novella by Michael Phillip Cash. I started the book on Tuesday morning, January 12th, but having only read a chapter so far, I can't really say how much I will enjoy the story.

I just received A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block yesterday afternoon - Wednesday,  January 13th! Mareena had requested the book for me as a 'just because' gift for January. It had been on my wish list for quite some time, so I couldn't wait to start reading it. So, as of this morning, January 14th, I've started reading this book.

I've temporarily shelved The History Major: A Novella by Michael Phillip Cash, but I hope to get back to it very soon. I'm only able to read one book at a time; my reading pace is slightly slower than Mareena's: she usually has two or three books going at the same time! According to Goodreads, as of Thursday afternoon, January 14th I am on page 79 of 384; or approximately 20 percent. There are actually 347 pages in my copy of A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block, so 79 pages of 347 is approximately 23 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, January 11, 2016

Stephen King - Full Dark, No Stars

Reread. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (2010)
Length: 560 pages
Genre: Short Story 
Originally Read: 24 September 2012
Reread Finished: 11 January 2016
Where did it come from? Originally from Price Chopper, then from my "keeper" shelf.

So, perhaps a day before I finished reading my previous book, I told Mareena that I wanted to read something eerie for my next book. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for in terms of the type of horror I wanted to read about, but I knew that the book had to be satisfyingly horrific. Stephen King is usually my standard horror author.

I had bought this book back on September 20th, 2012 when I went out shopping at my local Price Chopper. This was my first book purchase in quite some time, but the synopsis just looked so interesting, that I had to have the book. I immediately started reading it on the day I bought it, and it only took me four days to read the book - from September 20th, to September 24th, 2012. My reread of the book took me another four days in January of 2016 - from January 7th, to January 11th, 2016!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Sudoku and Crosswords Are the Puzzles of the Day!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

Well, I haven't done any other jigsaw puzzles since I finished the one with the herd of pink elephants on Tuesday, January 5th! Although, the sudoku and crossword puzzles from the Sunday newspaper are always fair game for me. Mareena and I also watched the second episode of the final season of 'Downton Abbey' together, as well!

As regards my reading, I had finished reading Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott on Thursday, January 7th. I already had decided that I wanted to read something frightening for my next book and chose to reread a book that I first read over four days in September of 2012 - Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. I started reading this book on Thursday, January 7th!

According to Goodreads, as of today, I am on page 306 of 560; or approximately 54 percent. I'm not sure if I will be finishing the book soon, but I definitely plan to. I can certainly say that when Stephen King writes about revenge - whoo boy! - does he ever write about revenge! He gives me the chills just thinking about it.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Joan Mendlicott - Come Walk With Me

2. Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott (2007)
Length: 259 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 2 January 2016
Finished: 7 January 2016
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 December 2015
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Joan Mendlicott is a new author for me.

'The journey ends when you find your way home...' or so the old saying goes. However, when Claire Bennett's husband Phillip died, she was utterly devastated. Nowhere felt like home anymore and Claire felt lost and directionless. The couple's thriving antiques business and their beautiful house in the Hamptons, the social scene and Claire's volunteer work - everything just seemed so empty and meaningless for Claire without Phillip by her side.

Claire also knows that from the depths of her heart she still mourns a terrible loss from a tragic accident that happened years ago. In her mind, she truly believes that it is this heartbreaking loss which ultimately led to her estrangement from her adult children - her daughter, Amanda and her son, Paul. Claire is convinced that her sadness and grief is unending, and can honestly say that from where she stands, there is absolutely no light to be found at the end of this tunnel.

Desperately fleeing from her painful memories, Claire moves to a condo in Florida. Settling down in Boca Raton, at least for a little while, Claire then impulsively decides to visit her recently engaged daughter in North Carolina. From the sandy beaches of Boca Raton to a tiny farm tucked high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Claire eventually gains a self-awareness through the unexpected kindness of strangers. Her acceptance of such kindness, forces Claire to finally confront some harsh truths from the past.

She finally acknowledges to herself that she has lost so much more than just her husband and the close, loving relationships with her children. Claire admits to herself that her zest for life has diminished; her joyful demeanor is gone. The joy she once found in living her life has apparently been missing for many years, and now that she has found it again Claire at last reaches out to her son and daughter, hoping to somehow reconnect with them. And when the healing of old wounds leads her to a second chance for new love, Claire realizes that all her travels have brought her to a place where she will never again walk alone.

I must say that while I enjoyed reading this book very much, I found myself not really liking the main character. At least, I felt that way about her towards the beginning of the story; my feelings for her changed as I continued to read the book. The plot was certainly intriguing, and I really wanted to see how the story would develop. I have three other books by Joan Mendlicott - from her Ladies of Covington Series - sitting on my bookshelf. While I'm not quite sure how interesting these books will be, I would certainly give this book a strong A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

It May be a New Year, Just Not Necessarily a New Puzzle!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

Well, I don't usually do this very often, but I felt the need to redo the puzzle with the pink elephants that I had started on Christmas Day. I usually wait for several months or even years until I do a particular puzzle again, but I couldn't wait for that long this time. It took me a total of four days to finish this puzzle the first time that I did it; then when I started doing the puzzle again on Sunday, January 3rd, it only took me two days to finish it. 

Mareena and I started watching the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel on New Year's Eve, Thursday afternoon, December 31st. We finished watching the movie today: Tuesday, January 5th! Since the sixth season of 'Downton Abbey' started on Sunday night, January 3rd, we had decided to watch the rest of the movie on Monday afternoon, January 4th - then changed our minds and watched it the next day instead.

As regards my reading, I had finished reading Vinegar Hill: A Novel by A. Manette Ansay on Saturday, January 2nd. I already had my eye set on reading Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott, who is a new author for me. I immediately started reading that book next, but haven't gotten too far into it as yet.

According to Goodreads, as of yesterday I am on page 31 of 272; or approximately 11 percent. There are actually 259 pages in my copy of Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott, so 31 pages of 259 is approximately 12 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, January 2, 2016

A. Manette Ansay - Vinegar Hill: A Novel

1. Vinegar Hill: A Novel by A. Manette Ansay (1994)
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 31 December 2015
Finished: 2 January 2016
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 December 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and A. Manette Ansay is a new author for me.

As a young girl, Ellen Grier had always believed that marriage was meant to be between two people who loved each other deeply. She and her husband James may have had a marriage of convenience, but that didn't necessarily mean that they couldn't come to love each other over time. Despite their initial differences, Ellen was determined to be a good wife for James - as dutiful and as proper a wife as either of their strict German Catholic families could possibly want.

Thirteen years pass, and it is now 1972. Circumstance has carried Ellen Grier and her family back to her and James' hometown of Holly's Field, Wisconsin. Dutifully accompanying her recently unemployed husband, Ellen has brought their two children - their daughter Amy, and their son Herbert - into the home of her in-laws on Vinegar Hill. This family of four now lives with James' parents - his domineering and abusive father Fritz and smotheringly attentive mother Mary-Margaret - and Ellen has begun to find their new living situation increasingly intolerable.

The house on Vinegar Hill is a loveless home - suffused with the settling dust of bitterness and mired in the harshness of routine. A home where calculated cruelty is a way of life, preserved and perpetuated in the service of an uncompromising, punitive and angry God. Behind this facade of false piety, there are sins and secrets in this place that have the strength to crush a vibrant young woman's passionate spirit. And it is here that Ellen must find the strength to endure, change, and grow in the pervasive darkness and bleakness of spirit that threatens to destroy everything she is and everyone she loves.

First of all, let me say that despite this being such a tragically heart-wrenching story, I really enjoyed reading the book. So many characters really resonated with me, that I avidly wanted to know what would happen to them next. I would definitely give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, January 1, 2016

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 1,050 unread books lying around the house and ended December with 1,055 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this year came from Bookmooch, Paperback Swap, Library Book Sales and friends. Quite a number of my books that I read this year left my house to go to new homes so that's something I guess. :)

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Rereads
- An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer
Between Husbands and Friends: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- The Haunted by Bentley Little
- Lovers All Untrue: A Novel by Norah Lofts
- Gad's Hall: A Novel of the Supernatural by Norah Lofts
The Sight of the Stars by Belva Plain
Dancehall by Bernard F. Conners
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Heartwood: A Novel by Belva Plain
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Every Last One: A Novel by Anna Quindlen
Stardust by Robert B. Parker
- Fortune's Hand by Belva Plain
- The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
- Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle
Saving Face and Other Stories by Norah Lofts
- The Deadly Gift by Norah Lofts
- 666 by Jay Anson

Changes to the TBR pile 

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber
Alone Yet Not Alone: Based on the True Story of Barbara and Regina Leininger by Tracy Michele Leininger
Abide With Me: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout
The Man in the Picture: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill
Big Girl: A Novel by Danielle Steel
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
Ripley's Believe it or Not!: Ghost Stories and Plays by Ripley's Enterprises, Inc.
Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
A Density of Souls: A Novel by Christopher Rice
The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton
Telling Lies to Alice by Laura Wilson
The Golden Fleece by Norah Lofts
I'd Know You Anywhere: A Novel by Laura Lippman
Unnatural Causes by P. D. James
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
End in Tears by Ruth Rendell
Flowers in the Rain and Other Stories by Rosamunde Pilcher
The Amateur Marriage: A Novel by Anne Tyler
See Jane Die: A Novel by Erica Spindler
Groundswell: A Novel by Katie Lee
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Ellen Foster: A Novel by Kaye Gibbons
Love in Bloom: A Novel by Sheila Roberts
The Shack: A Novel by William P. Young
On the Ropes: A Duffy Dombrowski Mystery by Tom Schreck
Breathing Lessons: A Novel by Anne Tyler
Eye Contact: A Novel by Cammie McGovern
Timepiece by Richard Paul Evans
The Dead Hour: A Novel by Denise Mina
The Art of Mending: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg
The Secret Keeper: A Novel by Kate Morton
Other Worlds by Barbara Michaels
The Christmas Promise: A Novel by Donna VanLiere
A Good Woman by Danielle Steel
I Couldn't Love You More: A Novel by Jillian Medoff
The Woods by Harlan Coben
- Cover of Snow: A Novel by Jenny Milchman
Guilty or Innocent? by Anita Gustafson
- Total Joy by Marabel Morgan
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
- Domestic Affairs: A Novel by Eileen Goudge
- Third Girl by Agatha Christie
- Lost...and Never Found by Anita Gustafson
- Secrets by Danielle Steel
Service of All the Dead by Colin Dexter
Angell, Pearl and Little God by Winston Graham
- Ghost Moon/The Empty Chair/Hawke's Cove/The Color of Hope by Karen Robards, Jeffery Deaver, Susan Wilson and Susan Madison
- Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
The Road Taken: A Novel by Rona Jaffe
- Jane's House/China: Alive in the Bitter Sea/Promises/Outrage by Robert Kimmel Smith, Fox Butterfield, Catherine Gaskin and Henry Denker
- Addison House by Clare McNally
- The Bridges of Madison County: A Novel by Robert James Waller
- The Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart
- The Art of Seeing: A Novel by Cammie McGovern
- Daddy's Little Girl/Without Fail/Flight Lessons/Three Weeks in Paris by Mary Higgins Clark, Lee Child, Patricia Gaffney and Barbara Taylor Bradford
- The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky
Neighborhood Watch: A Novel by Cammie McGovern
- Kramer Versus Kramer by Avery Corman
- The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
- The Sixth Commandment by Lawrence Sanders
- The Missing World: A Novel by Margot Livesey
- Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
- The Friends by Rosa Guy
- Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
- The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer by Robert K. Tannenbaum and Peter S. Greenberg
- The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :)
Collector's Series Sum-Doku Puzzles 4-pack: (Volumes 10, 11, 12, 14) by Dell Magazines
- Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach
- Vinegar Hill: A Novel by A. Manette Ansay
- An Unexpected Family by Joan Mendlicott
- Three Junes by Julia Glass
- Silent Treatment by Michael Palmer
- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
- The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
- Promises of Change by Joan Medlicott
- Overnight Float: A Mystery by Clare Munnings
- The Other Family: A Novel by Joanna Trollope
- Moon Women by Pamela Duncan
- The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh
- Evil Season by Michael Benson
- Eve by Iris Johansen
- Disturbed Earth by Reggie Nadelson
- A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
- Cooking Light Snacktastic!: Smart 150-Calorie Snacks That Keep You Satisfied by The Editors of Cooking Light
- Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott
- Capitol Murder: A Novel of Suspense by Phillip Margolin
At Home in Covington by Joan Mendlicott
- Alone! Alone!: Lives of Some Outsider Women by Rosemary Dinnage
- The Walking by Bentley Little
- The Return by Bentley Little
- The Association by Bentley Little
- When the Ghost Screams: True Stories of Victims Who Haunt by Leslie Rule
- Ripley's Bureau of Investigation: Ripley's RBI: A Scaly Tale by Kay Wilkins
- The Count and the Confession: A True Murder Mystery by John Taylor
- Gone Girl: A Novel by Gillian Flynn
- Firestarter by Stephen King
- The Deathstone by Ken Eulo
- The Bloodstone by Ken Eulo
- The Brownstone by Ken Eulo
- Before the Frost by Henning Mankell
- Land of Echoes by Daniel Hecht
- Good Girls Gone Bad by Jillian Medoff
Deadly American Beauty: A True Story of Passion, Adultery and Murder by John Glatt
- Hunger Point: A Novel by Jillian Medoff
- Very Old Bones by William Kennedy
- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Southern Living 2006 Annual Recipes by Southern Living Magazine
- Stone Creek: A Novel by Victoria Lustbader
- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski
- Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay
- Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
- Redemption Falls: A Novel by Joseph O'Connor
- Peace Like a River: A Novel by Leif Enger
- The Ordeal by Ice: The Search For the Northwest Passage by Farley Mowat
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- The Language of Sisters: A Novel by Amy Hatvany
- The Kitchen House: A Novel by Kathleen Grissom
- Hunting Sweetie Rose by Jack Frederickson
- Dark Paradise by Tami Hoag
- Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book by Better Homes and Gardens
- Better Homes and Gardens Good Food and Fitness by Bonnie Lasater
- Better Homes and Gardens Calorie-Trimmed Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens
- All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab
- The Sleeping Partner by Winston Graham
- The Grove of Eagles by Winston Graham
- The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr
- Three by Ted Dekker
- Breaking the Surface by Greg Louganis and Eric Marcus
- A Thousand Country Roads: An Epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
The Book of Planet Earth by Clint Twist
The Associate by Phillip Margolin
The Most Wanted by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag
The World's Last Mysteries by Reader's Digest
Criminals: A Novel by Margot Livesey
- Behind the Mask: A True Story of Obsession and a Savage Genius by Stella Sands
- 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories by Martin H. Greenberg, Robert H. Weinberg and Stefan Dziemianowicz

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
Big Stone Gap: A Novel by Adriana Trigiani
- Sleeping Tiger by Rosamunde Pilcher
The Amateur Marriage: A Novel by Anne Tyler
The Beckoning by Virginia Coffman
The Kennedy Women by Pearl S. Buck
- Ordinary People by Judith Guest
- The Shack: A Novel by William P. Young
Fatal Dosage by Gary Provost
Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
All He Ever Wanted: A Novel by Anita Shreve
Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
I'd Know You Anywhere: A Novel by Laura Lippman
Love in Bloom: A Novel by Sheila Roberts
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck
The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton
Wishes on the Wind by Elaine Barbieri
- Heartwood: A Novel by Belva Plain
- Twins: A Novel by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland
Save the Last Dance For Me by Judi Miller
Soul/Mate by Rosamond Smith
Groundswell: A Novel by Katie Lee
Man, Woman and Child by Erich Segal
Gad's Hall: A Novel of the Supernatural by Norah Lofts
- Myself, my Enemy by Jean Plaidy
- End in Tears by Ruth Rendell
- Show of Evil by William Diehl
So Far... by Kelsey Grammer
Gerald's Game by Stephen King
Ellen Foster: A Novel by Kaye Gibbons
Small Town Girl by Lavyrle Spencer
A Nice Place to Live by Robert C. Sloane
Eye Contact: A Novel by Cammie McGovern
Breathing Lessons: A Novel by Anne Tyler
On the Ropes: A Duffy Dombrowski Mystery by Tom Schreck
Impulse by Michael Weaver
Intent to Harm by Stan Washburn
Now You Know by Kitty Dukakis and Jane Scovell
Nighttime is my Time: A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark
Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler
The Tin Can Tree by Anne Tyler
Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington by Mary Higgins Clark
The Woods by Harlan Coben
- The Christmas Promise: A Novel by Donna VanLiere
- The Secret Keeper: A Novel by Kate Morton
- The Bridges of Madison County: A Novel by Robert James Waller
- The Art of Mending: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg
- A Song For the Asking by Steve Gannon
- Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of Their Relationship Based Eleanor Roosevelt's Private Papers by Joseph P. Lash
- Phoenix by Amos Aricha and Eli Landau
- Guilt by Association by Susan Sloan- The Human Factor by Graham Greene
- The Dead Hour: A Novel by Denise Mina
Twice Kissed by Lisa Jackson
Rose Madder by Stephen King
- Calories and Carbohydrates by Barbara Kraus
- All Through the Night: A Suspense Story by Mary Higgins Clark
- While my Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
- The Margaret Boyles Bargello Workbook: A Collection of Original Designs by Margaret Boyles
- The Big Picture by Douglas Kennedy
- Holidays in Cross Stitch, 1990: The Vanessa Ann Collection by The Vanessa-Ann Collection
- The Rich Are Different by Susan Howatch
- Stardust by Robert B. Parker
- The Tangent Objective by Lawrence Sanders
- Irish History For Dummies by Mike Cronin
- The Wee Book of Irish Wit and Malarkey by Sean McCann and Paul Ryan
- Country-Style Stenciling: With 8 Ready-To-Use, Pre-Cut Plastics by Margaret Boyles
- Cover of Snow: A Novel by Jenny Milchman
- Heat by William Goldman
- Guilty or Innocent? by Anita Gustafson
- Bargello Magic: How to Design Your Own by Pauline Fisher and Anabel Lasker
- Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book by Erica Wilson
- At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
- Lost by Gary Devon
- Laceworks by Yoko Suzuki
- Service of All the Dead by Colin Dexter
- Assumed Identity by David Morrell
- King's Oak by Anne Rivers Siddons
- The Light at the End by John Skipp and Craig Spector
- The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky
- Lost...and Never Found by Anita Gustafson
- Neighborhood Watch: A Novel by Cammie McGovern
- Adam and Evil by Gillian Roberts
- The Violet Closet by Gary Gottesfeld
- The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr
- Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
- Domestic Affairs: A Novel by Eileen Goudge
- Angell, Pearl and Little God by Winston Graham
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon
The Sky is Falling: A Novel by Sidney Sheldon
Reader's Digest Condensed Books - Best Sellers 1989: The Negotiator/Gracie: A Love Story by Frederick Forsyth and George Burns
- Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons
Addison House by Clare McNally
- Remembered Laughter: The Life of Noel Coward by Cole Lesley
- Sandcastles by Luanne Rice
- Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark
- The Diary by Eileen Goudge
- Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke by Patty Duke
- Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters
- Second Generation by Howard Fast
- Max by Howard Fast
- Suddenly by Barbara Delinsky
- Sweetwater Creek by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
- Fallen Son by Mike Walsh
- The Missing World: A Novel by Margot Livesey
- Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
- Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner
- Mercy Street: A Novel by Mariah Stewart
- Love Kills: The Stalking of Diane Newton King by Andy Hoffman
The Saving Graces: A Novel by Patricia Gaffney
- The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer by Robert K. Tanenbaum and Peter S. Greenberg
- Grave's End: A True Ghost Story by Elaine Mercado, R. N.
- The Senator's Wife by Karen Robards
No One Left to Tell by Jordan Dane
Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag
Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, With Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel
- Random Hearts by Warren Adler

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

Books Read: 85
Pages Read: 24,600
Grade Range: A+! to C+!

So, there you go! The reading year that was 2015! 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 1,035 books lying around the house and ended the month with 1,026 books unread. All the books that I acquired this month came from Paperback SwapBookmooch, a Library Book Sale that Mareena and I went to on the 23rd and Penny Dell Puzzles.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Rereads
- The Haunted by Bentley Little
- Between Husbands and Friends: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
- Big Girl: A Novel by Danielle Steel
- The Man in the Picture: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill
- Abide With Me: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout
Alone Yet Not Alone: Based on the True Story of Barbara and Regina Leininger by Tracy Michele Leininger
8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- When the Ghost Screams: True Stories of Victims Who Haunt by Leslie Rule
- The Association by Bentley Little
- The Return by Bentley Little
- The Walking by Bentley Little
- Alone! Alone!: Lives of Some Outsider Women by Rosemary Dinnage
At Home in Covington by Joan Mendlicott
- Capitol Murder: A Novel of Suspense by Phillip Margolin
- Come Walk With Me by Joan Mendlicott
- Cooking Light Snacktastic!: Smart 150-Calorie Snacks That Keep You Satisfied by The Editors of Cooking Light
- A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
- Disturbed Earth by Reggie Nadelson
- Eve by Iris Johansen
- Evil Season by Michael Benson
- The Fever Tree: A Novel by Jennifer McVeigh
- Moon Women by Pamela Duncan
- The Other Family: A Novel by Joanna Trollope
- Overnight Float: A Mystery by Clare Munnings
- Promises of Change by Joan Medlicott
- The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
- Silent Treatment by Michael Palmer
- Three Junes by Julia Glass
- An Unexpected Family by Joan Mendlicott
- Vinegar Hill: A Novel by A. Manette Ansay
- Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach
- Collector's Series Sum-Doku Puzzles 4-pack: (Volumes 10, 11, 12, 14) by Dell Magazines

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Ordinary People by Judith Guest
- The Kennedy Women by Pearl S. Buck
- The Beckoning by Virginia Coffman
- The Amateur Marriage: A Novel by Anne Tyler
- Sleeping Tiger by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Big Stone Gap: A Novel by Adriana Trigiani

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

Books Read: 9
Pages Read: 2,551
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