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

   
Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts

Published as: Emma Hamilton in September 1978

Publisher: Coward, McCann and Geoghegan

Birth Name: Norah Robinson

Born: 27 August 1904 in Shipdham, Norfolk, England

Died: 10 September 1983 in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Canonical Name: Norah Lofts

Pseudonyms: Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis

Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts was the one hundred and second book that I read in 2012. I have had this book on my TBR bookshelf since April 16, 2012 although I didn't actually read it until November of 2012. It took me three days to read this book and it is definitely a keeper for me.  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Low Country

104. Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons (1998)
Length: 461 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 26 November 2012
Finished: 29 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 27 October 2012
Why do I have it? I like Anne Rivers Siddons as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Caroline Venable is the quintessential Southern Belle. Her southern heritage has also afforded her money, prestige, a powerful husband - and a predictable routine of country club luncheons, cocktail parties and dinners hosting her husband's wealthy friends, clients and associates in his successful land-developing conglomerate.

To escape her stifling routine, Caro drinks a little too much. But her true solace is found in Peacock's Island - the Lowcountry island her beloved Grandaddy left her - an oasis of breathtaking beauty that is home to a herd of wild ponies. When Caro learns that her husband must develop the island or lose his business, she is devastated. Peacock's Island and the Lowcountry is Caro's heritage - and what will happen to the ponies whose wild spirit and freedom have captivated her since childhood?

Saving the island could cost Caroline more than she ever imagined. To succeed, she must confront the part of herself numbed by alcohol and careful avoidance - and shatter long-held ideals about her role in society, her marriage, and ultimately, herself.

I have to say that while I did enjoy reading this book, it was not really as captivating as I hoped that it might be for me. I thought that the plot was a little too contrived for my liking. I still enjoyed this book enough to give it an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Luanne Rice - The Secret Hour

103. The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice (2003)
Length: 335 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 23 November 2012
Finished: 26 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like Luanne Rice as an author and have read and enjoyed a couple of books by this author in the past. 

Beneath his calm and controlled demeanor, attorney John O'Rourke is a man whose life is in turmoil. Since his wife's death, he has been juggling the rigors of a controversial capital murder case and the demands of raising two children. Eleven-year-old Maggie's crooked bangs and rumpled clothes eloquently reproach John's earnest but haphazard attempts at mothering. Teddy, John's stalwart fourteen-year-old, has quietly assumed responsibilities that are far too weighty for his young shoulders, as he longs for the way things used to be and studiously tries to ignore the hostility that swirls around his family since his father took on the defense of a killer whose crimes have rocked Connecticut.

A brick thrown through the window one autumn morning signals a dangerous new level of hatred. But a quieter event also takes place that day. A woman arrives on the O'Rourke doorstep to find a household on the brink of chaos but brimming with love - and, she hopes, answers.

Kate Harris is searching for the key to her own mystery. Six months ago her younger sister fled far from their beloved home following a devastating confrontation. After mailing a single postcard from the New England shore, Willa Harris vanished. With only a postmark to go on, Kate takes a leave of absence from her job as a marine biologist to come to the seaside Willa adored - and discovers the one man who may be able to help her.

I found that this book was just alright with me - not my favorite book, but quite well-written in my opinion. There were the usual dramatic plot twists throughout the story, with a few eyebrow-raising coincidences along the way. It was still a very nice reading experience for me. The mystery was not all that believable to me, but that may just mean that I have become an extremely hard-bitten reader of mysteries. I think that I definitely want to continue reading Luanne Rice, however, I give The Secret Hour an A! 

A! - (90-95%)    


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - Emma Hamilton

102. Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts (1978)
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 19 November 2012
Finished: 22 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 April 2012
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.

Emma Hamilton was lover and confidante to some of the greatest men of her time. Born Amy Lyon, she was the daughter of a blacksmith near Cheshire, England. Her father died when she was two months old, and young Amy was raised by her mother, Mary, with no formal education. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Emma Carew, in 1781 when Emma was just sixteen years old. She then became a model for the English artist George Romney in 1782 under the name Emma Hart.

A woman of immense charm, kindness and ambition, Emma became the wife of Sir William Hamilton, the British Ambassador to Naples in 1791. She was twenty-six, her husband was sixty. Two years later, she met and fell in love with the darling of Britain - Horatio Nelson. During their subsequent seven year love affair, she gave birth to a daughter, Horatia, whose birth she managed to keep secret from Sir William and London society. 

After Horatio Nelson's death in 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar, Emma fell into poverty, moved to France to escape her creditors, and later fell victim to alcoholism, dying of liver failure in 1815. Horatia Nelson eventually married a Reverend in 1822 and they had ten children. Although, Horatia acknowledged that she was the daughter of Horatio Nelson, she never publicly acknowledged being Emma Hamilton's daughter.

I loved this book. Before reading this book, I knew nothing about Lady Emma Hamilton's life, only that she was the mistress of Admiral Lord Nelson. I give Emma Hamilton an A+! and will put it on my keeper shelf to read again sometime soon.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Give Thanks For Your Many Blessings This Thanksgiving!

I hope that all my blog readers in the United States have a very happy Thanksgiving! May your Thanksgiving be filled with great food, wonderful friendship and all the family ties that you may wish for. :) I have to say that Mareena and I will not be having the usual Thanksgiving turkey today - it will be smoked ham for us all the way. After that, we will kick up our feet and read books for the entire day! :)

May all of you have a wonderfully safe and blessed Thanksgiving. Be sure to find some quiet time for yourselves and count your blessings today when and if you can. I know that I'm incredibly thankful for my continued health and happiness, my daughter's continued health and happiness, that we are both comfortable and love each other as much as we do, and that our family is as well as they are. We are also incredibly thankful for our three kitties - Ruby, Leila and Lollipop.

I also hope that everyone who is away from their families at this time, will know that they are sorely missed, truly loved and deeply appreciated by all! God bless all of you, may you have a very happy and wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Ira Levin - Sliver

101. Sliver by Ira Levin (1991)
Length: 261 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 15 November 2012
Finished: 17 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2007
Why do I have it? I like horror and have read and enjoyed Rosemary's Baby by the same author.

Kay Norris, a successful single lady of thirty-nine, moves into the posh Upper East Side district of Carnegie Hill in Manhattan. The building she moves into is a slender, silvery high rise full of exclusive apartments. The building's landlord is personable, if slightly obsessive, but very solicitous of his tenants' various comforts. Only after she moves in does Kay discover that the tabloids have nicknamed her building "The Horror High Rise". Four unexplained deaths have occurred during the building's construction, and a fifth one is about to happen...

I really enjoyed reading Silver by Ira Levin. It was a very intriguing story and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes horror. I think that I saw at least part of the movie that was made in 1993, and starred Sharon Stone and William Baldwin. In my opinion, the book was much better than the movie. I give Sliver by Ira Levin an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Up Island

100. Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons (1997)
Length: 342 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 12 November 2012
Finished: 15 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2012
Why do I have it? I like Anne Rivers Siddons as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Molly Bell Redwine has had the mantra 'family means everything' instilled in her from early childhood by her charismatic, demanding  mother. But in what seems like a single instant, Molly's world is tilted on its axis and she is shaken to her very core by the aftermath. When her husband of more than twenty years leaves her for a much younger woman, Molly's world crumbles around her. She is devastated to learn that the "Other Woman" has stepped in to Molly's life and essentially replaced her - moving into Molly's house, taking over her social position and earning the affection of Molly's son.

With the death of her domineering mother, Molly is truly set adrift in the world. Seeking refuge with a friend in Martha's Vineyard, Molly begins to search for her own identity. When her friend departs, she decides to stay in Martha's Vineyard by herself. Molly rents a small cottage, assuming the duties of caretaker for two cantankerous elderly women who share a haunting secret, the gravely ill and estranged son of one of those women, and a pair of territorial swans.

As Molly's stay on Martha's Vineyard widens the distance between her and her old life in Atlanta, she learns to let go of her outdated notions of family and becomes part of a different - but still very real - new family. As winter closes in on Martha's Vineyard, Molly struggles to nurture them and looks forward to a more hopeful future.

I really enjoyed reading Up Island. In my opinion, Anne Rivers Siddons is a truly great author - she really draws the reader into the story, and they are captured by a desire to know what happens next. I vaguely remember reading this book before several years ago, but  I couldn't really remember most of the plot, so it was like reading an entirely new book for me. I give Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons an A+! and will place it on my keeper shelf to read again.

A+! - (96-100%)
  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Patricia Gaffney - The Goodbye Summer

99. The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney (2004)
Length: 389 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 8 November 2012
Finished: 12 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2012
Why do I have it? I like Patricia Gaffney as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

How much can one summer change a person's life? For thirty-two year old Caddie Winger, one summer can make the whole world look different. A piano teacher who gives lessons to the neighborhood children, Caddie still lives with her grandmother and is extremely happy with her present life. 

Caddie's mother died when she was nine, and she was raised by her grandmother. Now, their roles are reversed, and it's Caddie who cares for her Nana. When her grandmother breaks her leg and insists on going into a convalescent home, Caddie finds herself being pulled out of her comfy, self-made nest. Living on her own for the first time since college, she uncovers some startling truths from her past.

Jolted, she looks at the world through new eyes and begins to take charge of her future. As she makes a new best friend, takes risks she never dreamed she could, and navigates the depths and shallows of true love and devastating heartbreak, Caddie learns how to trust other people and, ultimately, how to trust herself.

This is the third book by Patricia Gaffney that I've ever read, and I have truly enjoyed all three books that I've read. I loved the portrayal of the characters in The Goodbye Summer and have to say that this book was lovely to read. The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney is a definite five star read for me, and I'm certainly going to put it on my keeper bookshelf. Definitely an A+! book for me and I look forward to reading more from Patricia Gaffney very soon! :)

A+! - (96-100%)

   Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Agatha Christie and Charles Osborne - Black Coffee

98. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie (1930) and Charles Osborne (1997)
(Adapted from Agatha Christie's play of the same name)
The Hercule Poirot Series Book 6.5 
Length: 221 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 7 November 2012
Finished: 8 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2012
Why do I have it? Mareena's friend Katie called me up some time in February of this year and we got to talking about Agatha Christie. Katie had me write down a whole long list of Agatha Christie books that she had read and enjoyed. Black Coffee was one title that Katie mentioned during our conversation. :) 

Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot and his friend and detecting partner Captain Arthur Hastings receive an urgent call for help from renowned physicist Sir Claud Amory. Sir Claud is absolutely convinced that a member of his own household is attempting to steal a secret formula created by Sir Claud, and destined for use by the Ministry of Defense. Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings travel to Sir Claud's sprawling mansion,  only to discover that the famed physicist has been poisoned by his after-dinner coffee. The formula is also missing.

Now, the renowned private detective must discover who among the mansion's occupants has become desperate enough to kill Sir Claud. Hercule Poirot uncovers a potent brew of despair, treachery, and deception as he tries to identify the murderer and locate the missing formula. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie was very good and I give it an A+! However, for the first time in reading an Agatha Christie mystery, I knew who the murderer was before I had finished reading the book. :)

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jack Olsen - Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love

97. Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love by Jack Olsen (1987)
Length: 391 pages
Genre: True Crime
Started: 4 November 2012
Finished: 7 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2007
Why do I have it? I like true crime but had never heard of the Cindy Campbell Ray and David West murder case.

In June of 1982, wealthy Houston attorney, James Campbell, and his wife Virginia were shot to death in their bed while their grandsons, ages seven and eight, camped out in sleeping bags at the foot of the Campbells' bed. The frustrated police shelve the case after about 30 months of investigation, claiming the case has gone cold. The murder victims' daughter and her husband hire a private investigator to continue the investigation.

Kim Paris, a young, free-spirited private investigator on her first major case, opens up a whole new area of investigation into the formerly cold case - turning up the heat on the prime suspect, Cindy Campbell Ray, James and Virginia's younger daughter. Close to two years after the murders, Kim locates and befriends David West, an ex-Marine and Cindy Campbell Ray's lover. He confesses to shooting Cindy's parents at her behest, mistakenly believing that James Campbell had been sexually molesting Cindy throughout her childhood, and that Virginia Campbell was physically abusing Cindy as well.

Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love by Jack Olsen is a somewhat unusual true-crime study, not because the case is ultimately solved by a private detective rather than the police, and not because the final disposition of the case is not included, but, rather, because of its searching psychological depiction of the killers. I also have Daddy's Girl: The Campbell Murder Case by Clifford Irving, which is another book about this case which covers the murder trial. However, I give Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love by Jack Olsen an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)
 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sidney Sheldon - Nothing Lasts Forever

96. Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon (1994)
Length: 398 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 3 November 2012
Finished: 4 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Three female doctors begin five years in training at Embarcadero County Hospital in San Francisco. The story, set against hospital and courtroom, chronicles their lives together and their struggle against those who are determined to see that they don't succeed.

Dr. Paige Taylor - After she inherited a million dollars from a patient whom she 'helped to die' at their request, the District Attorney charged her with murder.

Dr. Kat Hunter - She vowed never to allow a man to get too close to her again...until she accepted the challenge of a deadly bet.

Dr. Honey Taft - To make it in medicine, she knew that she'd need something more then the brains God gave her.

From the life-and-death decisions faced in the operating room to the tension-packed fireworks of a murder trial, Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon lays bare the ambitions and fears of healers and killers, lovers and betrayers.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful page-turner that I couldn't put down! I do so enjoy Sidney Sheldon as an author, even though I have just recently got back into reading his books after an hiatus of several years. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Paul Henry Johnson - Scrolls of Darkness

95. Scrolls of Darkness by Paul Henry Johnson (2012)
Sons of Darkness Series Book 1
Length: 207 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 1 November 2012
Finished: 3 November 2012
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Paul for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 17 October 2012
Why do I have it? I like horror and Paul Henry Johnson is a new author for me.

Corporate attorney Brent Michaels has a good life in Century City - he's successful, good-looking, and well-respected. But he is also getting a little bored with the same old routine, and after a recent breakup, his personal life is in transition. Little does he know how drastically his life will change when he receives a letter from David Baumann, an old friend and former colleague of Brent's deceased - and estranged - father, who had been engaged in a mysterious and urgent archaeological search at the time of his death. From David, Brent learns about the Scrolls of Darkness - ancient satanic scripts written many millenniums ago, and now sought by the Sons of Darkness, an organization controlled by Evil itself.

Along with the beautiful Melauni Sherwood, an archaeologist familiar with the area where the scrolls are hidden, Brent is drawn into a deadly game that takes him from the streets of Paris to the beaches of New Zealand and Rio de Janeiro, and finally to the desert of the Middle East, where Brent and his companions will have a final showdown to determine who will get the ancient texts.

Mareena told me about this book and I was totally intrigued by the plot as she read it to me. When the book arrived in the mail, I was unable to start reading right away, but am so happy that I was able to read it in the rather short period of time that I did. I have to say that I probably wouldn't have chosen to read Scrolls of Darkness by Paul Henry Johnson for myself. Usually, I don't enjoy reading books that seem to be of the espionage-thriller type genre (as I had falsely assumed that this book fell into that genre), but Mareena chose well - as she usually does! :)

I really enjoyed Scrolls of Darkness by Paul Henry Johnson. It was a totally gripping plot and I was drawn into the book right from the first page. I believe that this book is the first in a series, and I am incredibly interested to find out where the story will go in future books. I give Scrolls of Darkness by Paul Henry Johnson an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Ross Berliner - The Manhood Ceremony

94. The Manhood Ceremony by Ross Berliner (1978)
Length: 282 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 31 October 2012
Finished: 1 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 15 December 2007
Why do I have it? I like horror and Ross Berliner is a new author for me.

Ricky Stern is a sweet, bright, happy, Jewish, handsomely blond 12-year-old when he is lured into the woods, abducted and raped by Arvis Moore, an homicidal, bearded, psychotic pervert  As the kidnapper and his victim travel from Virginia to Philadelphia, something changes inside Ricky - he begins to enjoy Arvis Moore's continuous molestation of him and passes up every chance of escape that comes his way. Because Ricky has become too pliant in his molestation, Arvis must kidnap another boy. 

Ricky turns from innocent victim to active participant, by acting as the lure in the kidnapping of another little boy. As the police close in on Arvis Moore, Ricky has turned into the person with all the power in this twisted relationship. He has become incredibly devious, manipulating Arvis and others around him in such a way, that it becomes increasingly more difficult to tell who is the victim and who is the perpetrator.

I have to say that while I enjoyed reading this book, I found The Manhood Ceremony by Ross Berliner to be incredibly devastating and disturbing to read because of the reality of the plot. This is a situation that could, and does happen to millions of children throughout America each year. I thought that the story was perhaps extremely dated in terms of the writing, however the plot was incredibly current in my opinion. This was a reread for me from many years ago, and I gave this book an A+! 

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for October 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 October with 647 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 637 books unread. All the books that I acquired this month came from authors, Paperback Swap and Bookmooch.

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 President's Lady: A Novel About Rachel and Andrew Jackson by Irving Stone
- Duplicate Keys by Jane Smiley
- The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
- Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
- At Paradise Gate by Jane Smiley
- Margaret Trudeau: The Prime Minister's Runaway Wife by Felicity Cochrane
- Islands by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Spectre Nightmares and Visitations by Pamela K. Kinney
- Coroner by Thomas T. Noguchi, M. D. and Joseph DiMona
- Disobedience by Jane Hamilton

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- My Soul to Keep by Judith Hawkes
- Scrolls of Darkness by Paul Henry Johnson
- Haunted Richmond II by Pamela K. Kinney
- Haunted Virginia: Legends, Myths and True Tales by Pamela K. Kinney
- The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King by James Patterson and Martin Dugard
- Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- A Whisper in the Attic by Gloria Murphy
- Scare Tactics by John Farris
- The Uncanny by Andrew Klavan
- 13 by Philip Loraine
- Shades of Souls Passed: True Accounts of Ghostly Encounters in Madison County, New York by Teresa R. Andrews
- Hawaii by James A. Michener
- Quentins by Maeve Binchy
- The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy
- My Beloved Son by Catherine Cookson
- The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
- Sweet Everlasting by Patricia Gaffney
- Everlasting by Nancy Thayer
- The Secrets of Lake Success by Janet Quin-Harkin
- Inheritance by Judith Michael
- The President's Lady: A Novel About Rachel and Andrew Jackson by Irving Stone
- Where or When by Anita Shreve
- Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
- Master Builders of the Middle Ages by David Jacobs
- The Juror by George Dawes Green
- Blood Will Tell by Gary Cartwright
- Lullaby and Good Night by Vincent Bugliosi and William Stadiem
- Man With a Gun by Robert Daley

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

Books Read: 10
Pages Read: 2,684
Grade Range: A+! to A!

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