February'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. February's Book of the Month is: 

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

Published as: Whitethorn Woods in August 2006

Publisher: McArthur and Company

Birth Name: Maeve Binchy

Born: 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland

Canonical Name: Maeve Binchy

Pseudonyms: None

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy was the ninth book that I read in 2010. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since November 20, 2009 although I finally read it in February of 2010. It took me seven days to read this book, which was a book I actually had never read before. I sent this book off to another good home on September 15, 2010.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Michael Falconer Anderson - The Unholy

14. The Unholy by Michael Falconer Anderson (1987)
Length: 223 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 24 February 2010
Finished: 27 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like horror and Michael Falconer Anderson is a new author for me.


A train wreck in a small English village leads to a series of gruesome murders. Newspaper reporter Jon Hammond is investigating the murders as well as horrific visions that he and others are experiencing. These murders and visions have unleashed a supernatural force which Jon Hammond must ultimately battle in the end. I give this story an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Belva Plain - Homecoming

13. Homecoming by Belva Plain (1997)
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 22 February 2010
Finished: 23 February 2010
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 22 February 2010
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.

A woman's children are at odds with each other and she tries to trick them and her grandchildren to come home for the last time. What she can't control is their reaction to each other when they come home.

I thought this book was a very easy read and I loved it. I give it an A+! I would recommend to readers who like books about families.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Whitley Strieber - The Forbidden Zone

12. The Forbidden Zone by Whitley Strieber (1993)
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 20 February 2010
Finished: 22 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like horror and Whitley Strieber is a new author for me.

Every town has a place like the mound - a place where lovers go to meet, picnic and sleigh ride. But for Oscala, New York, the mound has become a place of terror. I found that this story started out very scary, but then turned very much science fiction. I don't really like science fiction too much. I give it a B+!

B+! - (89-85%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jere Cunningham - The Visitor

11. The Visitor by Jere Cunningham (1978)
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 17 February 2010
Finished: 19 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like horror and Jere Cunningham is a new author for me.

It escapes, screaming, from the tortured souls caged in the exclusive sanitarium where Frank Merritt works. It travels to the new home that Ginny Merritt lives in, chilling her with a feeling of unspeakable evil. It heads straight for Bobby Merritt; it loves children. I give this story an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Luanne Rice - The Perfect Summer

10. The Perfect Summer by Luanne Rice (2003)
Hubbard's Point/Black Hall Series Book 4
Length: 301 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 10 February 2010
Finished: 16 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Luanne Rice is a new author for me.

Bay McCabe had always kept the advice of her Irish granny close to heart. The closeness of family, friends and the joy of hard work. Bay and her husband Sean had weathered storms, but had finally come to their beach house to work together on their problems.

Sean is charming and ambitious, splitting his time between the town bank, his fishing boat and the family he seems to adore - until he forgets to pick up his daughter from school. As troubling old memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season which will change everything.

As a door closes to all Bay cherishes, another opens and an old love steps through. Now, Bay will discover who she is and what love is, embraced by strong friendships that will teach her that the most enduring mysteries are the ones close to home. I give this story a B+! - it was charming in parts.


B+! - (89-85%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Maeve Binchy - Whitethorn Woods

9. Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy (2006)
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 2 February 2010
Finished: 9 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like Maeve Binchy as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

A proposed highway through the quiet Irish town of Rossmore will mean the destruction of St. Ann's Well - a shrine supposed to deliver healing, husbands and other miracles - located in Whitethorn Woods. The shrine is located in Father Brian Flynn's parish, St Augustine's.

As a fracas erupts between the people who want the highway and believers who want the shrine preserved, Fr. Flynn finds himself in the middle of the issue not sure where he stands in an increasingly secular Ireland. He goes to the shrine to pray to God to show him what position is right. What follows are the stories of Neddy Nolan, a not so simple mentally challenged man, 60-something Vera who finds love on a trip meant for much younger people and James, whose wife of 26 years is dying.

Linked into these stories are stories of mental illness, alcoholism, incest, greed, the joys of being single and struggles of career women. The good and bad sides of people are shown. I really liked this book although it was a simple plot. It was sweet and endearing anyway. I give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Rosie O'Donnell - Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game)

8. Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game) by Rosie O'Donnell (2007)
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 30 January 2010
Finished: 1 February 2010
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I've always been really curious about Rosie O'Donnell's life


This story is about Rosie O'Donnell's life. It covers everything from her mother's death to the feud on The View. I thought this book was a bit ho-hum for me. I didn't really like all the blogging breaks that she took in the story and she had quite a number of hang ups in the book. I give it a C!

C! - (70-75%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for January 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 January with 651 books lying around the house and ended the month with 644 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 :))
- Blessings by Anna Quindlen
- The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
- Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline
- The Sweet Taste of Burning: A Novel of the Occult by Paul Andreota
- Woman Vanishes by Caroline Crane
- The Stars Shine Down by Sidney Sheldon
- Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away With Murder by James B. Stewart

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- The Servant by Robin Maugham
- Doll's Eyes by Bari Wood

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
- The Fury by John Farris
- Small Sacrifices: A True Story of Passion and Murder by Ann Rule
- Flesh Wounds by Mick Cochrane
- No More Dying Then by Ruth Rendell
- The Widows of Broome by Arthur W. Upfield

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

Books Read: 7
Pages Read: 1,909
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

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