Wednesday, May 31, 2017

May'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. May's Book of the Month is: 


Published as: Back When we Were Grownups in July 2001
Publisher: Ballantine Books



Birth Name: Anne Tyler
Born: 25 October 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Canonical Name: Anne Tyler
Pseudonyms: None

Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler was the thirteenth book that I read in 2017. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since July 1, 2010 and the reread took me seven days to finish. This book is a definite keeper for me.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, May 29, 2017

I'm Back to Doing Sum-doku Puzzles, and Occasionally Reading!

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.

I'm finally getting back into a fairly regular reading routine this month, thank goodness for that! Granted, my reading pace isn't completely back to normal yet, but at least I'm reading more than a book a month - lol! I do feel a little bit like I'm in constant catch-up mode, though - :)

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 204 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! As a matter of fact, I just received another six-pack of sum-doku puzzles through the afternoon mail on Tuesday, May 9th! So far, as of this morning, I have done approximately 42 sum-doku puzzles in the newest puzzle book that I have started most recently.

I have also been doing a number of jigsaw puzzles as well. After I finished the 500-piece puzzle of the four cats playing on someone's desk in a study somewhere, I immediately started in on the box of ten jigsaw puzzles that I purchased on Friday, April 14th! I don't know if I have finished all the puzzles as yet, but I think that I'm well on my way to doing that.

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler which I finished on Friday, May 19th! The next book on my TBR pile that I started reading on Friday, May 19th was The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri! Mareena's birthday is also coming up very soon, and as usual we may be going to our local library's book sale to celebrate.

I have to say that The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri isn't quite like the typical contemporary mysteries that I usually read. In my opinion, this is a cross between a hard-boiled detective story and an archeological mystery. To be perfectly honest, I'm not that far into the story yet - but I think that I may put it aside for a while.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, May 26, 2017

I'm Not Sure When, But There May be a Trip to the Library in the Cards!

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.

I'm finally getting back into a fairly regular reading routine this month, thank goodness for that! Granted, my reading pace isn't completely back to normal yet, but at least I'm reading more than a book a month - lol! I do feel a little bit like I'm in constant catch-up mode, though - :)

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 201 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! As a matter of fact, I just received another six-pack of sum-doku puzzles through the afternoon mail on Tuesday, May 9th! So far, as of this morning, I have done approximately 36 sum-doku puzzles in the newest puzzle book that I have started most recently.

I have also been doing a number of jigsaw puzzles as well. After I finished the 500-piece puzzle of the four cats playing on someone's desk in a study somewhere, I immediately started in on the box of ten jigsaw puzzles that I purchased on Friday, April 14th! I don't know if I have finished all the puzzles as yet, but I think that I'm well on my way to doing that.

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler which I finished on Friday, May 19th! The next book on my TBR pile that I started reading on Friday, May 19th was The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri! Mareena's birthday is also coming up very soon, and as usual we may be going to our local library's book sale to celebrate.

I have to say that The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri isn't quite like the typical contemporary mysteries that I usually read. In my opinion, this is a cross between a hard-boiled detective story and an archeological mystery. To be perfectly honest, I'm not that far into the story yet - but I am curious to see how it develops.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

I'm Slowly Getting Back Into Reading by Rewriting Some of my Reviews!

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.

I'm finally getting back into a fairly regular reading routine this month, thank goodness for that! Granted, my reading pace isn't completely back to normal yet, but at least I'm reading more than a book a month - lol! I do feel a little bit like I'm in constant catch-up mode, though - :)

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 198 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! As a matter of fact, I just received another six-pack of sum-doku puzzles through the afternoon mail on Tuesday, May 9th! So far, as of this morning, I have done approximately 30 sum-doku puzzles in the newest puzzle book that I have started most recently.

I have also been doing a number of jigsaw puzzles as well. After I finished the 500-piece puzzle of the four cats playing on someone's desk in a study somewhere, I immediately started in on the box of ten jigsaw puzzles that I purchased on Friday, April 14th! As of this morning - Tuesday, May 23rd - I've done approximately nine of those ten puzzles! What can I say, I just can't help myself - :)

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler which I finished on Friday, May 19th! I'm going to have to do some rewriting of this review as it is a reread for me from almost seven years ago. The next book on my TBR pile that I started reading on Friday, May 19th was The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri!

I have to say that this book isn't quite like the typical contemporary mysteries that I usually read. In my opinion, this is a cross between a hard-boiled detective story and an archeological mystery. To be perfectly honest, I'm not that far into the story yet - but I am curious to see how it develops.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, May 19, 2017

Anne Tyler - Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel

Reread. Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler (2001)
Length: 284 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Originally Read: 7 July 2010
Reread Finished: 19 May 2017
Where did it come from? Originally from a Library Book Sale, then from my "keeper" shelf.

When I had almost finished reading Indignation: A Novel by Philip Roth, I decided to look through the three remaining books that Mareena had pulled off my bookshelf a couple of weeks ago. I finally settled on this book and started reading it on Thursday, May 11th although I actually restarted it again the next day. I'm surprised that it took me this long to read this again because it's such a great book!

I had originally acquired this book from a Library Book Sale that Mareena and I went to in July of 2010 and read it for the first time over six days in July of 2010 - from July 1st, to July 7th! My reread of the book took place almost seven years later, over a week in May of 2017 - from May 12th, to May 19th! Since I have read this book at least twice, I have put the book back on my bookshelf and will probably read it one more time.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

In Between Reading, There Are Puzzles That Still Need Doing!

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.

I'm finally getting back into a fairly regular reading routine this month, thank goodness for that! Granted, my reading pace isn't completely back to normal yet, but at least I'm reading more than a book a month - lol! Anyway, I'm happy to say that as of Monday morning, May 15th, I've finished reading two books and am well into a third.

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 192 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! As a matter of fact, I just received another six-pack of sum-doku puzzles through the afternoon mail on Tuesday, May 9th! So far, as of this morning, I have done approximately 18 sum-doku puzzles in the newest puzzle book that I have started most recently.

I have also been doing a number of jigsaw puzzles as well. After I finished the 500-piece puzzle of the four cats playing on someone's desk in a study somewhere, I immediately started in on the box of ten jigsaw puzzles that I purchased on Friday, April 14th! As of this morning - Wednesday, May 17th - I've done approximately eight of those ten puzzles! What can I say, I just can't help myself - :)

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Indignation: A Novel by Philip Roth which I finished on Tuesday, May 9th! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was an unusual premise and was a relatively easy read for me. I also just chose my next book that I want to read on Friday, May 12th: Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler. This book has been on my TBR pile since July 1st, 2010 and I have already read the book once - over six days in July of 2010 - from July 1st, to July 7th, 2010.

I'm really enjoying reading this book, it's such a wonderfully poignant story and the main character has an extraordinary sense of humor. In my opinion, she is such a charming character. Now I'm off to rewrite a couple of my previous reviews!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, May 15, 2017

I'm Really Settling Into a Better Reading Routine!

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.

I'm finally getting back into a fairly regular reading routine this month, thank goodness for that! Granted, my reading pace isn't completely back to normal yet, but at least I'm reading more than a book a month - lol! Anyway, I'm happy to say that as of Monday morning, May 15th, I've finished reading two books and am well into a third.

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 190 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! As a matter of fact, I just received another six-pack of sum-doku puzzles through the afternoon mail on Tuesday, May 9th! I immediately opened the package that afternoon and started doing some of the puzzles already - as of this morning, I've actually done 14 sum-doku puzzles.

Well, apparently the hashtag campaign #renewtheexorcist seems to have worked! I was delighted to learn that 'The Exorcist' television show has been renewed for a second season, although I don't know when the show will be broadcast. Perhaps some time in September, I'll have to check. Supposedly, the two main characters have become traveling exorcists and travel around the country assisting people who are oppressed or possessed by demons.

As for watching intriguing movies, Mareena and I have watched several movies dealing with historical events. While I love watching movies about history, I don't think I have watched as many movies as I have over the past two months. The most recent one was Thirteen Days - a movie that was released in 2000 and starred Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Culp and Kevin Costner. It was about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which took place over thirteen days in October of 1962 - from October 16th, to October 28th - and the movie was broadcast on Friday night, April 28th!

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Indignation: A Novel by Philip Roth which I finished on Tuesday, May 9th! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was an unusual premise and was a relatively easy read for me. I also just chose my next book that I want to read on Friday, May 12th: Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler. This book has been on my TBR pile since July 1st, 2010 and I have already read the book once - over six days in July of 2010 - from July 1st, to July 7th, 2010.

According to Goodreads - as of today, May 15th - I've actually read 47 pages out of 304 in Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler; or approximately 15 percent. Since my own copy of Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler actually has 284 pages in it; reading 47 pages means that I have read approximately 17 percent.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, May 12, 2017

It's my Eighth Blogiversary!




Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful day for yourselves! :) Yes, today is my Eighth Blogiversary! Eight Years?!?! Whoo Hoo. Party time! :)

I checked on an anniversary website and found out that the traditional gifts to celebrate eight years together is to give your partner something made of Bronze or Pottery. The more modern gift is to give your partner is either Linen or Lace. The eighth anniversary gemstone is tourmaline, tanzanite, or aventurine, the anniversary color is bronze, and the flower that you usually give your partner on your eighth anniversary together is either Clematis - which represents cleverness, ingenuity, pretense and intelligence, or Lilac - which symbolizes the emotions of young love, beauty, pride, humility, confidence and youthfulness.


Clematis (also known as Traveler's Joy, Virgin's Bower, Old Man's Beard, Leather Flower, Vase Vine or Pepper Vine) is a genus of about 300 species within the Buttercup family. Hybrids of this particular flower have always been extremely popular among gardeners - beginning with a variety known as Jackman's Clematis - a garden standard since 1862; with many other varieties being produced constantly. Although they are mainly of Chinese and Japanese origin, most species are known as Clematis in English. The genus name originally comes from Ancient Greek, and clématis as it is known, actually translates to "a climbing plant."

There are over 250 species and chosen cultivars of this flower already known, and these are often named after their originators or particular characteristics. The genus is composed of mostly vigorous, woody, climbing flowering vines; although the woody stems are quite fragile until several years old. The leaves of the clematis are divided into leaflets and leafstalks that are capable of twisting and curling around supporting structures to help anchor the plant as it climbs. Some of the species of this plant are shrubby, while others grow into herbaceous perennial plants.

These particular species are mainly found throughout the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, although rarely in the tropics. They grow best in full sun, surrounded by cool, moist, well-drained soil. The leaves of the clematis plant provide a food source for a variety of caterpillars - including a particular type of moth known as the Willow Beauty. The cooler temperate species of clematis are of the deciduous variety, while many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.

While wild clematis is native to China, this particular species had also made its way into Japanese gardens by the 17th century. Japanese garden selections were the first exotic clematises to reach European gardens by the 18th century - which was long before the Chinese species were identified in their native habitat by the late 19th century. During the Victorian era - in a time made famous for its nuanced flower symbolism - clematis had acquired several meanings by the time the flower had arrived in Europe; it came to symbolize both artistic and mental beauty, as well as poverty.

Although the European variety of clematis was never incorporated into the herbalists' pharmacopeia, the Western White Clematis was quite prevalent all throughout the American Old West. While the entire genus contains essential oils and compounds that are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membranes, Spanish colonials had occasionally used small quantities of the seeds and the acrid leaves of the plant as a pepper substitute. Early pioneers and travelers followed their advice, and so nicknamed the Western White Clematis, the Pepper Vine.

Ingesting large quantities of clematis compounds can actually cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract, and so some species of the plant are considered essentially toxic. As a matter of fact, when gardening and dealing with the clematis plant in general it is a good idea to always wear gloves. However, despite the plant's toxicity, Native Americans found that using very small amounts of clematis were an effective remedy for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. Clematis is also an effective treatment for skin infections.


Lilac is a species of flowering plant in the olive family. Although they are native to the Balkan Peninsula, this species is widely cultivated as ornamental and has also been naturalized throughout other parts of Europe such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, as well as much of North America. It is not considered a particularly aggressive species, usually found growing wild in widespread scattered sites, generally in the vicinity of past or present areas of human habitation. In fact, the lilac is a very popular ornamental plant for gardens and parks to use because of its attractive, sweet-smelling flowers which bloom in early summer.

These flowers can be found in three primary colors: Lilac, Mauve, and occasionally White. Although a smaller variety of lilac known as the Persian Lilac had been introduced into northern European gardens from the Ottomans by the 16th century, lilacs had been introduced to the American colonies by the 18th century. The Lilac has been widely naturalized in northern and western Europe; and as a sign of the Lilac's complete naturalization in North America, it has been chosen as the state flower of New Hampshire.


I originally started reading Back When we Were Grownups: A Novel by Anne Tyler on 11 May 2017, although I chose to restart my reading just this morning - 12 May 2017. This is actually a reread for me from about six and a half years ago - as I originally read the book for the first time in July of 2010. I initially acquired this book from a Library Book Sale that Mareena and I went to in July of 2010; specifically on July 1st, 2010.

Anne Tyler (born 25 October 1941) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, short story writer and literary critic. She is the author of 20 novels, three of which - Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant (1982), The Accidental Tourist (1985), and Breathing Lessons (1988) were chosen as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. While all three of these novels are perhaps Ms. Tyler's best-known works, Breathing Lessons actually won the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. The eldest of four children, Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Her father was an industrial chemist and her mother was a social worker. The Tylers were Quakers, very active with social causes in the Midwest and the South. As a matter of fact, Ms. Tyler spent four years of her childhood - from ages seven to eleven - as part of a Quaker community in Celo, in the mountains of North Carolina, near the town of Burnsville.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Philip Roth - Indignation: A Novel

12. Indignation: A Novel by Philip Roth (2008)
Length: 233 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 6 May 2017
Finished: 9 May 2017
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 18 December 2016
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and had read and enjoyed The Ghost Writer by the same author in the past.

In 1951, during the second year of the Korean War, an intensely studious young man has just transferred from Newark, New Jersey to begin his sophomore year on the highly conservative campus of Winesburg College in Ohio. As the son of a kosher butcher, Marcus Messner finds that he can no longer take his father's attitude towards him. It would seem as if Marcus' father - the once-sturdy, hardworking neighborhood butcher - has become increasingly fearful for his beloved son. While Marcus' harried, long-suffering mother claims that his father's apprehension only stems from his immense love and pride in Marcus and his many accomplishments, the young man can no longer deny that his father's treatment of him has produced too much tension in their relationship.

To Marcus, the once jovial and diligent store-owner seems to have changed almost overnight. His inexplicable anxiety seems to stem primarily from the man's misperceptions about the dangers of adult life, the dangers of the world, the dangers that he imagines lurks around every corner for his beloved boy. It is this eccentric behavior that finally forces Marcus to move far away from his parents; as he believes that he can no longer endure their stifling behavior. So Marcus leaves the local college where he is originally enrolled and transfers to the pastoral, illustrious and elite campus of Ohio's Winesburg College.

It is in this midwestern college, where Marcus must find his own way among the customs and constrictions of a completely different world. Philip Roth's twenty-ninth novel Indignation, is a remarkable departure from his more recent books; this is a story of inexperience, foolishness, sexual discovery, intellectual resistance, courage, personal integrity, and error. It is a powerful story told with all the inventiveness and wit that the author has at his command.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; although I cannot adequately explain what I liked most about the story. In my opinion, it was a easy read for me, and quite a unique story. I found myself avidly wanting to know what would happen next and how the story would eventually develop. I would certainly give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Saturday, May 6, 2017

I'm on a Roll With my Reading!

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.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't really been doing that much lately. I'm not sick anymore, but I just haven't been able to get back to my normal book-a-day reading style - falling behind to a book-a-month pace is just not my style! Although having said that, I will admit that my reading pace is beginning to pick up very slightly. I had some really good news from my doctor on Thursday afternoon, so on my errand day the next day - Friday, April 14th - I decided to treat myself to a box of ten jigsaw puzzles.

I'm actually still working through an amazing backlog of crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles from the newspaper. So far, I've done approximately 181 sudoku and crossword puzzles from the newspaper, although I have also done some sum-doku puzzles from my puzzle books, too! Actually, I've finished three jigsaw puzzles from my collection - the most recent one was a 500-piece puzzle of four large cats playing on the desk in someone's study, which I finished on Sunday evening, April 30th!

As for watching intriguing movies, Mareena and I have watched several movies dealing with historical events. While I love watching movies about history, I don't think I have watched as many movies as I have over the past two months. The most recent one was Thirteen Days - a movie that was released in 2000 and starred Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Culp and Kevin Costner. It was about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which actually took place over thirteen days in October of 1962 - from October 16th, to October 28th - and the movie was broadcast on Friday night, April 28th!

As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Errands: A Novel by Judith Guest which I finished on Thursday May 4th! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book again, but I also made sure to rewrite my review as well. I have just chosen my next book that I want to read: Indignation: A Novel by Philip Roth. This book has been on my TBR pile for about five months or so. It was actually one of Mareena's 'just because' gifts for December of 2016.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Judith Guest - Errands: A Novel

Reread. Errands: A Novel by Judith Guest (1997)
Length: 335 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Originally Read: 13 December 2009
Reread Finished: 4 May 2017
Where did it come from? Originally from a Library Book Sale, then from my "keeper" shelf.

So, as I have said before, Mareena actually chose this book for me. Well, I guess that I actually chose the book for myself, but Mareena had dug around on my bookshelf and grabbed four books that she knew I hadn't read in a long while. Both books that I had chosen to read again were too recent in my memory; at least once I had read the synopsis of each book. So, after some deliberation over the titles that Mareena offered me, I eventually chose this book to read.

I had originally acquired this book from a Library Book Sale that Mareena and I went to in November of 2009 and read it for the first time over one day in December of 2009 - from December 12th, to December 13th! My reread of the book took place almost eight years later, over a week in April of 2017 - from April 27th, to May 4th! Since I have read this book at least twice, I have put the book back on my bookshelf and will probably read it one more time.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, May 1, 2017

Reading Wrap-up For April 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 April with 1,059 books lying around the house and ended the month with 1,058 books unread. Also, it would appear that for the second time this year, I didn't receive any new books! Oh, my goodness! - :)

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
The Vanishing: A Novel by Wendy Webb

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Charming Billy: A Novel by Alice McDermott
- Changes by Danielle Steel
- Three Junes: A Novel by Julia Glass

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

Books Read: 1
Pages Read: 290
Grade Range: A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was April. 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