June'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. June's Book of the Month is: 

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

Published as: A Wedding in December: A Novel in October 2005

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Birth Name: Anita Shreve

Born: 1946 in Dedham, Massachusetts

Canonical Name: Anita Shreve

Pseudonyms: None

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve was the ninth book that I read in 2009. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since June 13, 2009 and it took me four days to read. This book is a definite keeper for me!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anita Shreve - A Wedding in December

9. A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve (2005)
Length: 325 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 20 June 2009
Finished: 24 June 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 13 June 2009
Why do I have it? I like Anita Shreve as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Bridget and Bill were high school sweethearts who rekindle their romance after 25 years. When they meet again, it is under bittersweet circumstances. Bridget has breast cancer and is not expected to live long. Bridget and Bill decide to get married, and seven of their high school friends assemble at a quaint Berkshire inn in Massachusetts to celebrate the wedding.

These seven friends had suffered a profound tragedy at the end of high school, and how they each deal with the aftermath of that tragedy forms the basis of A Wedding in December. I loved this book and I thought it had brilliant writing. I give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Nina Bawden - The Ice House

8. The Ice House by Nina Bawden (1983)
Length: 236 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 15 June 2009
Finished: 19 June 2009
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Nina Bawden is a new author for me.


This is the story of Daisy and Ruth, two women who have been the best of friends for over thirty years. When Daisy's husband dies, the revelation of a romantic secret may threaten Daisy and Ruth's friendship. I liked this story very much, but in my opinion it was a slightly anticlimactic finish. I give it an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - To See a Fine Lady

7. To See a Fine Lady by Norah Lofts (1946)
Length: 223 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 12 June 2009
Finished: 14 June 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 8 June 2009
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.


This is the story of Araminta Glover, an eighteenth-century English dairy maid who falls in love with day laborer Jan. Although she loves Jan deeply, she can not picture herself living a happy life with him. She believes that falling in love with Jan will lead to the type of life her mother has led. Araminta moves on to work at another dairy farm and attracts the attention of a member of the local gentry. She also attracts the attention of Mrs. Stancy - a devilishly psychotic employer. Steeped in period detail and class conflicts, this is a rags-to-riches story set in eighteenth-century England. I loved this story and give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Mary Stewart - The Ivy Tree

6. The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart (1961)
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 2 June 2009
Finished: 11 June 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 22 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like Mary Stewart as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.


Mary Grey had come from Canada to find her relatives in Northlumberland, England. The lonely young woman was facing an uncertain future when she decided on a lark to impersonate missing heiress Annabel Winslow. However, Mary Grey's life doesn't turn out happily ever after as someone wants Annabel Winslow to disappear permanently. I thought this plot was convoluted and unbelievable. I give this story a C+!

C+! - (76-79%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - The Brittle Glass

5. The Brittle Glass by Norah Lofts (1942)
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 29 May 2009
Finished: 1 June 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? 27 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Sorrel Kingaby took over her father's business in the 1800's - unheard of in those days. She is idolized by her dependents who also harbor much jealousy toward Sorrel as well. Sorrel falls in with a band of smugglers and falls in love with one of them, the resulting pregnancy leading to her being blackmailed by one of her family members.

I loved this story and give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for May 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 May with about 618 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 614 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Paperback Swap.

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 Legacy by Jere Cunningham
- Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart
- The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon
- Duma Key by Stephen King


Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- The Town House: The Building of the House by Norah Lofts
- The History Channel: History's Mysteries: Dead, Doomed and Buried by Jane Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens
- Dubliners by James Joyce
- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
- Sweet Everlasting by Patricia Gaffney
- Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
- The Truth About the Irish by Terry Eagleton

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Watercolour Painting: The Ron Ranson Technique by Ron Ranson
- Rockport's Colors For Living: Baths by Jennie L. Pugh and Sandra Ragan
- Painting in Watercolor by Kate Gwynn

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

Books Read: 4
Pages Read: 1,489
Grade Range: A+! to C+!

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