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: 

Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler

Published as: Saint Maybe: A Novel in August 1991

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Birth Name: Anne Tyler

Born: 25 October 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Canonical Name: Anne Tyler

Pseudonyms: None

Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler was the twelfth book that I read in 2014. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since December 20, 2001 and read it about ten years ago. The reread took me two days to read. This book is a definite keeper for me!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Laura Caldwell - The Rome Affair

13. The Rome Affair by Laura Caldwell (2006)
Length: 378 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 30 January 2014
Finished: 31 January 2014
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 27 January 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Laura Caldwell is a new author for me.

Rachel Blakely lives a truly charmed life. She is a successful architectural software salesperson, married to an equally successful plastic surgeon on the fast track for promotion. Their life together seems blessed - until Rachel learns that Nick was unfaithful to her. Understandably shattered by this knowledge, Rachel is hurt and angered by Nick's betrayal. 

However, over time, Rachel is committed to giving her marriage a second chance. Then a business trip to sun-drenched Rome with her best girlfriend Kit leads to a passionate night with a stranger - a one-night stand meant to signify the end of a painful chapter in her life.

Rachel returns home determined to put the past behind her and start fresh. At first, life seems golden again. Nick is more loving than ever, and following his promotion to senior partner in a prestigious plastic surgery practice, the couple is welcomed into Chicago high society - where beautiful people live beautiful lives. But every golden life hides its dark side...that sends Rachel's life spiraling into a nightmare.

It's certainly clear everyone is guilty of something. But whose secrets will lead to murder?

I absolutely loved this book! In my opinion, it was a beautifully written book with a completely engrossing plot. I was captured from the first page and found the story to be filled with gripping cliffhangers that held my attention right to the end. I give this book an A+! The Rome Affair by Laura Caldwell was the first book that I've ever read by this author, but it most certainly will not be the last.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Tyler - Saint Maybe

12. Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler (1991)
Length: 373 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 28 January 2014
Finished: 30 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 December 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

It's 1965, and the Bedloes are just your average all-American family living an ideal, apple-pie existence in Baltimore, Maryland. Theirs are simple, loving, happy lives. Then, in the blink of an eye, a single tragic event occurs that will transform their lives forever - particularly that of seventeen-year-old Ian Bedloe, the youngest son, who blames himself for the sudden "accidental" death of his older brother Danny. 

Depressed and depleted, Ian is almost crushed under the weight of a nearly unbearable secret guilt. Then one crisp January evening, he catches sight of a window with a glowing yellow neon sign: the Church of the Second Chance. Ian enters and soon discovers that forgiveness must be earned, through a bit of sacrifice and a lot of love...

I absolutely loved this book - a definite A+++! In my opinion, Ms. Tyler has written a well-told, engrossing story once again. This story is filled with characters that the reader can truly care about, living through circumstances that are completely believable. I read Saint Maybe perhaps ten years ago, but could barely remember the plot when I read it again. I suppose that that makes this a 'new' book for me - one that is a definite keeper!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Adele and Cateau de Leeuw - Nurses Who Led the Way: Real Life Stories of Courageous Women in an Exciting Profession

11. Nurses Who Led the Way: Real Life Stories of Courageous Women in an Exciting Profession by Adele and Cateau de Leeuw (1961)
Length: 210 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started/Finished: 28 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 1988
Why do I have it? This book was originally one of Mareena's, but was stowed downstairs in a room we've nicknamed 'The Glory Hole' - a room beside the stairs where we generally store everything (mostly books) that we don't have room for upstairs. I like non-fiction and Adele and Cateau de Leeuw are new authors for me.

This is a book of true stories of nine courageous women who strove to heal the sick in times of need; when they were perhaps not taken as seriously as they would be now. These stories are primarily about women who lived from the nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century. They were nurses whose lives and accomplishments were not known to me until I read this book.

From Mary Ann Bickerdyke (1817-1901) - a hospital administrator for the Union during the Civil War, she earned the nickname 'Mother' Bickerdyke and worked tirelessly to improve conditions for veterans; to Lora Wood Hughes (1873-1960) - a contract nurse during the Spanish-American War, she tended to the sick during an epidemic of typhoid and wrote her autobiography, No Time For Tears in World War II.

In my opinion, this was an excellently written children's book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. As I've said before, I had no knowledge of these courageous women's lives before I read this book, and I appreciated that these true life stories were not as well known - at least to me - as say, Florence Nightingale or Clara Barton would be. I give this book an A+! and Mareena has reacquired it to read for herself at some point.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Andy Hoffman - Family Affairs

10. Family Affairs by Andy Hoffman (1992)
Length: 310 pages
Genre: True Crime
Started: 25 January 2014
Finished: 27 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 August 2008
Why do I have it? I like true crime and Andy Hoffman is a new author for me.

In Overland Park, Kansas on April 17, 1980, seventeen-year-old James Crumm and his sixteen-year-old friend Paul Sorentino picked up Jimmy's thirteen-year-old stepbrother, Christian Hobson and drove him out to the creek. The older teenagers, smoking dope and drinking, forced Chris to dig a shallow grave on the creek bank, told him to climb in and lie down, then proceeded to shoot the boy three times. Christian's body was found a month later by two boys digging for worms.

When Jimmy and Paul were arrested, they finally confessed to the crime, but also implicated the one person that police never suspected would want Chris dead - Jimmy's mother and Chris' stepmother - Sueanne Hobson. Promising her son and his friend a new car, as well as motorcycle repairs, Sueanne contracted the hit on Chris because she just plain disliked her stepson, seeing him as a rival for his father's - her new husband's - affections. Chris Hobson was also a special education student who had adjustment problems at school, and acted out at home.

It was one of the most notorious murders in Kansas history, as well as one of the most closely followed murder trials - when it was tried two years later. James Crumm was convicted of first-degree murder, Paul Sorrentino was convicted of aiding and abetting Jimmy. Both boys received life sentences, but were later paroled. Jimmy was paroled on January 4, 1999; Paul was paroled on April 21, 2000. 

Although Sueanne Hobson has always maintained her innocence, she was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. She was paroled on February 25, 2011. Despite having divorced Sueanne twice - and subsequently remarried her - her husband, Ed Hobson, has continued to stand by her.

I must say that I'd never heard of this murder before reading this book - which I give a definite A+! In my personal opinion, both James Crumm and Paul Sorrentino - while they committed a truly terrible murder - were ultimately pawns in Sueanne Hobson's plans. It seemed fitting to me that both 'boys' were paroled long before Sueanne Hobson. 

In this case, I believe there were many victims deeply affected by this murder: Christian Hobson, his father Ed, James Crumm and his sister Suzanne, and Paul Sorrentino - all were severely impacted by this murder - a murder that never would have occurred if Sueanne Hobson hadn't orchestrated it - using a twisted ploy against a son desperate for her love and approval.  

A+! - (96-100%) 

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tilly Bagshawe - Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark

9. Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe (2012)
Length: 293 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 23 January 2014
Finished: 25 January 2014
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 24 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and have read and enjoyed several books by Sidney Sheldon in the past, although Tilly Bagshawe is a new author for me.

It was his first major murder case - and one of the bloodiest and most violent crimes LAPD detective Danny McGuire would ever encounter. Andrew Jakes, an elderly multimillonaire art dealer, had been brutally murdered in his Hollywood home, his lifeless body tied to his naked young wife. Raped and beaten, the lovely Angela Jakes had barely survived the attack herself. Gazing into her fathomless, soulful eyes, Danny swore that he would find the psychopath responsible for such a barbarous act. However, the investigation didn't turn up a single solid lead, and within days of her release from hospital, the stunning young widow - Danny's only witness - had vanished.

For a decade, Danny McGuire could not forget the sweet face of Angela Jakes and the terrible crime that had shattered her life; his obsession with her had nearly cost him his sanity. Now living in France - thousands of miles from the past - Danny has a new life, a new job with Interpol, and a ravishing new wife - he's happier than he's ever been...until he meets Andrew Jakes' estranged son, Matt Daley.

Curious about his father's murder, Matt has been digging into the cold case - and he has made some shocking discoveries. Three killings nearly identical to his father's have taken place across the globe. The victims were elderly, newlywed millionaires, their young wives assaulted. And in each case the widow, the sole beneficiary of the will, donated her newfound wealth to children's charities and subsequently disappeared. Could it be true - could Andrew Jakes' murderer have struck again? If so, Danny knows he must tread carefully or risk losing everything for good.

All the evidence points to a single killer - a brilliant and ruthless criminal who travels across the globe under a string of assumed identities, always keeping one step ahead of the law. Joining forces, Danny and Matt pursue this intriguing shadow from Los Angeles to London, New York to Italy and the French Riviera, in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse against a formidable opponent. In an investigation filled with promising leads and frustrating dead ends, Danny and Matt match wits with a clever criminal. When another murder fitting the profile occurs, Matt heads to Hong Kong, hoping to get answers from the latest widow - Lisa Baring - and perhaps uncover the hard evidence they need to finally solve the case.

However, Matt becomes besotted with the irresistible beauty, nearly derailing the entire investigation, and Danny wonders if Lisa is truly a victim or something more sinister. When a break in the case sends Danny to Mumbai, he realizes he must act quickly, because the shrewd murderer is poised to kill again. In a fast-paced story, full of mystery, glamour, excitement, and spectacular twists that build to a stunning climax, Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark is quintessential Sidney Sheldon from the first page to the last.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It was certainly quite good - I just wasn't expecting the plot to be as convoluted or as intricate as it turned out. For me, solving this mystery took much more concentration than some other mysteries that I've read recently. I have to give this book an B+!

Ever since Sidney Sheldon passed away in 2007, Tilly Bagshawe has taken up his mantle so the legacy continues. I absolutely loved Sidney Sheldon as an author, but I have to say that this book was slightly disappointing for me to read. I just wasn't expecting to work so hard to solve such an intricate mystery.

B+! - (89-85%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Domini Taylor - Siege

8. Siege by Domini Taylor (1989)
Length: 218 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 20 January 2014
Finished: 22 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 July 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Domini Taylor is a new author for me.

The Kemp family is just your typical dysfunctional family with their own set of personal difficulties, and a motley collection of interests. They rent a fortified farmhouse in the French countryside and decide to spend the summer there. This is so Giles can dabble with his watercolors; Rob can recuperate from his mental breakdown; Step can indulge her passion for history - particularly for the Cathars - and the children can roam free. 

Everything is going well for their little family holiday - or so they think - until a near fatal accident stretches already fraying family relationships to the near breaking point. Meeting hostile villagers and experiencing several inexplicable incidents just adds to the Kemps' rapidly declining enjoyment of their lovely holiday. Having unknowingly triggered a series of events by their very arrival, with secrets held by the farmhouse playing a part, the Kemps walk into a dangerous situation that leads to death, devastation and terror...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - the plot was fast-paced and engaging, the writing was beautiful, and I was intrigued by the mystery so much, that I needed to know who was involved, and why. I give this book an A! and will certainly be keeping an eye open for more books by this author to read. I must say that I have never read any books by this particular author before. Domini Taylor is actually one of seven different pseudonyms used by a prolific British novelist known as Roger Erskine Longrigg, who passed away in February of 2000.

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Kelsey Grammer - So Far...

7. So Far... by Kelsey Grammer (1995)
Length: 238 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 18 January 2014
Finished: 20 January 2014
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 18 January 2014
Why do I have it? I like autobiographies and wanted to learn more about Kelsey Grammer's life.

Everyone who has ever watched television, probably knows of the series Cheers, and of its successful spin-off, Frasier, where the Emmy Award-winning actor Kelsey Grammer played the role of psychiatrist Frasier Crane. What may not be so well-known to the public is more about the star's personal life. In a story that is provocative, heartwarming and hysterical, Kelsey Grammer finally sets the record straight on his often painful yet always uplifting life. Behind-the-scenes stories from his professional life makes Kelsey Grammer's personal story both highly entertaining and supremely insightful.

I must say that I knew little of Kelsey Grammer's life before I read his autobiography. I knew only of his substance abuse, and was vaguely aware of some of the loss he experienced. I had absolutely no idea that Kelsey Grammer had actually experienced such overwhelming tragedy in life.

Anyway, I found this book to be very well-written - very engaging, enlightening and humorous. I was quickly immersed in the author's story because of his easy writing style. I give this book an A+!

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

Mary Alice Monroe - Sweetgrass

6. Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (2005)
Length: 433 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 16 January 2014
Finished: 18 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and had read and enjoyed The Book Club by the same author in the past.

Sweetgrass is an historical tract of land that the Blakely family has called home for the past eight generations. But Sweetgrass - so named for the indigenous grass that grows in the area - is in trouble. Bulldozers are leveling the surrounding properties, and the Blakelys may be forced to sell the only thing that continues to hold their disintegrating family together. For some of Blakelys, the prospect of selling Sweetgrass is bittersweet - for others, it is completely unimaginable. But as the family finds the strength to stay and fight for their home, they slowly begin to realize that their bond as a family is truly all they need to stay together.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story captured my attention from the very first page, drew me in and held me until the very end. I give this book a definite A+! and have already placed several of Ms. Monroe's other books on my Wish List.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Margaret Maron - Shooting at Loons

5. Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron (1994)
The Judge Deborah Knott Mysteries Book 3
Length: 229 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 14 January 2014
Finished: 16 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Margaret Maron is a new author for me.

When Judge Deborah Knott is asked to substitute for a hospitalized judge in gracious old Beaufort, North Carolina, she is looking forward to spending a restful week at her cousin's cottage on nearby Harkers Island - relative peace and quiet is Deborah's plan for the entire week.  However, when her first clamming expedition turns up the corpse of a well-known fisherman in the shallow water, peace and quiet quickly flies out the window. Discovering the body puts her right in the middle of the contentious fight between the long-established locals who make their living from the sea and the more recent - and rising - tide of well-to-do "dingbatters": weekenders and land developers who view the coast as their personal playground and gold mine.  

Deborah soon realizes that the centuries-old way of life in this isolated part of the South is just as endangered as loons and sea turtles, and the fisherman's murder is somehow tied to the coming changes. In her time both on the bench as well as off, Deborah has certainly seen her share of change, and she's intensely aware of the rage and fear and greed such changes arouse. 

Even so, sipping her bourbon in the fresh salt air does wonders for Deborah's weary soul, and life at the beach takes a definite upswing when she meets a game warden who's hunting for loon poachers. Yes, in her mind, Deborah's short vacation certainly has proved to be beneficial. Not until a second murder occurs and a lover from her past is implicated does Deborah realize she's up to her own neck in intrigue - and dangerously close to a killer...

To be perfectly honest, I may not have been in the proper mood to read this book to begin with. It was very difficult for me to get into the flow of the story. I had such trouble keeping the characters straight in my mind, that it lessened my enjoyment of the book somewhat. Actually, it was only when the story picked up appreciably - about halfway though, I think - that I began to enjoy it more.

I have one other book by Margaret Maron on my bookshelf, the twelfth book in this series. I may read Winter's Child some time in the future, but I have to give this book - Shooting at Loons - a B!

B! - (80-88%)
   
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Burnt Mountain: A Novel

4. Burnt Mountain: A Novel by Anne Rivers Siddons (2011)
Length: 323 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 12 January 2014
Finished: 14 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Born into an affluent family in Middletown, Georgia, the only place that tomboy Thayer Wentworth ever truly felt at home as a child was at her summer camp in the North Carolina mountains. It was there that she came alive and where she met Nick Abrams, her first love...and first heartbreak. 

Years later, much to her family's dismay, Thayer marries Aengus O'Neill, an Irish professor. The couple moves into her deceased grandmother's house in Atlanta, only miles from Camp Edgewood on Burnt Mountain - where Thayer's father had died in a car accident. There, in the shadow of Burnt Mountain, Aengus and Thayer lead quiet and happy lives until the day Aengus is invited up to the boys' camp - Camp Forever - to tell old Irish tales to the campers.

As Aengus begins to spend less and less time at home - and becomes increasingly distant towards her - Thayer begins to realize that something is not quite right at Camp Forever. Thayer must eventually confront several dark secrets - about her own mother, her first love, and, most devastating of all, her husband - she must come to terms with the knowledge that the man she married is not the man she thought she knew.

I must say that, while I enjoyed reading this book for the most part, there were certain parts of the story that were slightly confusing to me. I found that the story was a little slow to get into - although it was definitely intriguing once I did - and the story held my attention through until the end. I absolutely needed to know how the story ended. However, in my opinion, the plot was more convoluted than I expected - elements of the story didn't quite mesh together all that well - at least for me. 

Overall, I give Burnt Mountain: A Novel by Anne Rivers Siddons a B+! It was perhaps not Ms. Siddons' best book, but still quite interesting to read. 

B+! - (89-85%)
       
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sue Miller - Family Pictures

3. Family Pictures by Sue Miller (1990)
Length: 500 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 4 January 2014
Finished: 11 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Whatever the world could throw at the Eberhardt family, circumstances could not have broken their strength or spirit. In 1948, the Eberhardts were the picture perfect family - Lainey is the wonderful, if slightly eccentric mother, David is a good father - sometimes sarcastic, always cool-tempered. Two wonderful and loving children - Lydia and Macklin - complete the family portrait. 

The lives of the Eberhardt family couldn't possibly get any better; until the birth of their third child, Randall. The subsequent discovery that their youngest son has certain unexpected challenges, highlights strains that will ultimately deeply affect their marriage. Over the next forty years, the Eberhardts struggle to survive a flood tide of upheaval and heartbreak, love and betrayal, passion and pain...hoping they can someday heal their hearts.

I absolutely loved this book. In my opinion, reading it was just like observing family dynamics - up close and personal - and experiencing their trials and tribulations first hand. I give this book an A+! and will certainly be looking for more to read by this author in the future.

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

Debbie Macomber - 204 Rosewood Lane

2. 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber (2002)
The Cedar Cove Series Book 2
Length: 379 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 2 January 2014
Finished: 4 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed The Shop on Blossom Street by the same author in the past.

Residents of the close-knit community of Cedar Cove, Washington, have always assumed that Grace Sherman, the town librarian, is as demure as she appears - but they couldn't be more wrong. Underneath Grace's demure exterior, is a spine of steel that quickly surfaces when she must face the strange and sudden disappearance of her husband, Dan. 

So, Cedar Cove bands together around one of its own, and Grace's family and friends bring great comfort to her during such a difficult time. But Grace is reminded that life can and does move on - and, amid the various weddings and births, and other major life events that occur in Cedar Cove - she must be strong enough to help her family deal with their own confusion and devastation at Dan's absence. However, will Grace's love, devotion, and dedication to her family in the face of such a personal tragedy, ultimately prove sufficient to keep them all together?

I must say that I haven't read that many books by Debbie Macomber before. The Shop on Blossom Street was my first one - and that was on a recommendation from my sister who lives in Australia. I'm usually not that much of a romance fan, but this book was a fast-paced and engaging story that I really enjoyed. Dan's disappearance certainly played an important role in the story - however, the romantic elements of the story weren't overwhelming; which is also something that I appreciated. I give this book a definite A! 

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jim Lehrer - White Widow

1. White Widow by Jim Lehrer (1996)
Length: 211 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 31 December 2013
Finished: 2 January 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Jim Lehrer is a new author for me. 

Some bus drivers can go their whole careers and never cross paths with the type of woman known as a 'White Widow'. A White Widow is a wild card; a woman traveling alone who can change the course of a driver's life, and not always for the best.

Jack T. Oliver has a solid marriage, a cozy home in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a job he loves - driving the Houston to Corpus Christi route - for the Great Western Trailways bus line. In a few weeks, Jack will be promoted to Master Operator in recognition of his many years of perfect service and punctual driving record. It may not be everyone's idea of the most exciting life - but it's comfortable, it's good, and it's Jack's. 

That is until a White Widow boards his bus, on a one-way ticket from Victoria to Corpus Christi. Suddenly, Jack Oliver's otherwise orderly life is turned completely upside down. Within weeks, without ever even learning her name, the White Widow's passage through Jack's life has been as unforgettable as it has been irrevocable. His unstoppable, ruinous passion for a complete stranger will ultimately cost him dearly: in ways that Jack T. Oliver could never have predicted - not even in his wildest dreams.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure if I would have chosen this book to read for myself. It's not that I would have dismissed it, it's just that I never actually saw it until Mareena brought it to my attention. It was an unusual premise to begin with, so I was drawn into the story for that reason. The story was also extremely well-written and poignant, and it held my attention right up until the end.

Now, Jim Lehrer is a very successful journalist as well as an author; although in the past, both his father and himself worked as bus drivers. This novel is loosely based on the author's true experiences during his brief time spent as a bus driver. While the story was certainly interesting overall, the author's appreciable and, at times, intricate knowledge of bus transportation was sometimes lost on me. However, I would give this book a B+! 

B+! - (89-85%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Barnes and Noble Here we Come! - Our Bookstore Visit For January

Hello Everyone! First of all, I hope that you all have a very happy and much blessed New Year! :) Mareena and I had actually planned on going to Barnes and Noble this Saturday to spend $75 worth of giftcards that she had received for her birthday and Christmas - actually an accumulation of three - one from June, and two were separate Christmas gifts from friends! So, a post-Christmas book blowout was bound to happen! :)

But the first major snowstorm of 2014 was forecast to hit this Friday, and continue straight through the weekend! :) Slight change of plans, and the post-Christmas book blowout has been rescheduled.

So, today from 1:30 P. M. to 3:30 P. M., Mareena and I went off on our little jaunt - and had a great time! Between us we bought 6 books and 3 CDs - and brought home Chinese food from the food court as a treat! :) Oh, and the snow started early - surprise, surprise - LOL! Oh well :)

I'm currently reading White Widow by Jim Lehrer. I've been reading this book since Tuesday and it's pretty good, but I really want to start reading my 'new and shiny' books as soon as possible!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

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 656 unread books lying around the house and ended December with 985 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this year came from authors, Price Chopper, Netgalley, 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
- Whispers by Belva Plain
- Trade-Off by Harrison Arnston
- A Rose For Virtue: The Very Private Life of Hortense, Stepdaughter of Napoleon I, Mother of Napoleon III by Norah Lofts
- The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston
- Life Lines by Jill Ireland
- The Day of the Storm by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Nethergate by Norah Lofts

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Island: A Novel of Terror by Will Overby
- Heartwood: A Novel by Belva Plain
- The Summer I Dared: A Novel by Barbara Delinsky
- City of Bones by Michael Connelly
- Evidence of Blood by Thomas H. Cook
- The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden
- So Happy Together by Maryann McFadden
- Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel by Joe Hill
- Green Calder Grass by Janet Dailey
- Heat by Arthur Herzog
- Every Last One: A Novel by Anna Quindlen
- Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy
- Upstairs, Downstairs III: The Years of Change by Mollie Hardwick
- The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul 
- Miami, It's Murder by Edna Buchanan
- The Strange Ones by Warren Smith
- Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy
- Cemetery Girl by David Bell
- Going All the Way by Dan Wakefield
- The Hanging Tree: A Novella by Michael Phillip Cash
- Belonging: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer
- The Hiding Place by David Bell
- The House by Bentley Little
- Summer House: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- The Resort by Bentley Little
- The Sands of Time by Sidney Sheldon 
- The Weight of Silence: A Novel by Heather Gudenkauf
- Summer Breeze: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- Returning: A Spiritual Journey by Dan Wakefield
- The Summer Visitors by Brooke Leimas
- Rescue: A Novel by Anita Shreve
- The Doctor's Wife by Brian Moore
- The Way we Were: A Novel by Marcia Willett
- All the Numbers: A Novel by Judy Merrill Larsen
- From a Buick 8: A Novel by Stephen King
- Exceptional Acrostics to Keep You Sharp by Charles Preston 
- Sweetwater Creek by Anne Rivers Siddons
- The Sky is Falling: A Novel by Sidney Sheldon
- Brood X: A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion by Michael Phillip Cash
- A Patchwork Planet: A Novel by Anne Tyler
- Deviltry Afoot by Carol Pritt
- The Red Scream: A Novel of Suspense by Mary Willis Walker
- A Ship Made of Paper: A Novel by Scott Spencer
- Mindbend by Robin Cook
- Bloodroot by Amy Greene 
- The Wheat Field by Steve Thayer
- Island Murders by Wanda Canada
- Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell
- A Crime of Honor by Giovanni Arpino
- Twins by Roxanne Pulitzer 
- A Friend of the Family: A Novel by Lauren Grodstein 
- Best Friends Forever: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
- The Magdalena Curse by F. G. Cottam
- McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders
- Hauntings: Is Anybody There? by Norah Lofts
- Hunter's Blood by Jere Cunningham
- After the Fire by Belva Plain
- Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island by Michael Phillip Cash
- The Fireman's Wife and Other Stories by Richard Bausch 
- The Glenna Powers Case by Hillary Waugh
- Moon Shell Beach: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- Guilt by Association by Susan R. Sloan
- The Last Time They Met: A Novel by Anita Shreve 
- The Eighth Day by Brooke Leimas
- Beachcombers: A Novel by Nancy Thayer 
- In the Night Season: A Novel by Richard Bausch
- Last Kiss by Luanne Rice
- Blood Brother: 33 Reasons Why my Brother Scott Peterson is Guilty by Anne Bird
- 11 Great Horror Stories Including "The Oblong Box" and "The Dunwich Horror" by Betty M. Owen 
- First Things First by Barbara Delinsky
- Cypress Point by Diane Chamberlain
- A Room For the Dead by Noel Hynd
- Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock
- Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through the Violent American Landscape by Jack Olsen
- Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King
- His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford
- Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty
- One Last Dance by Eileen Goudge
- Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart 
- Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
- Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
- The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher 
- The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
- My Best Friend by Laura Wilson
- Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons
- A Little Death by Laura Wilson
- Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart
- Beneath by Kit Tinsley
- The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors, the Story of Three Sisters by Juliet Barker
- House Rules by Jodi Picoult
- The Best of Dear Abby by Abigail Van Buren
- Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters
- Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Quinn by Iris Johansen
- Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons
- My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
- "They Always Call us Ladies": Stories From Prison by Jean Harris
- The Gathering by Anne Enright
- The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon
- Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
- The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill 
- As Max Saw It by Louis Begley
- Temporary Sanity: A Crime Novel by Rose Connors
- A Ruling Passion: Volume 1 by Judith Michael
- The Wicked Wives: A Novel Based on a True Story by Gus Pelagatti
- Tell me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon
- Rose by Martin Cruz Smith
- Shock Talk: The Exorcist Files by Bob Larson
- Downtown by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington by Mary Higgins Clark
- An Isolated Incident by Susan R. Sloan

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- The Great Potato Cookbook: 250 Sensational Recipes For the World's Favorite Vegetable by Reader's Digest Editors
- Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason
- The Burning Air by Erin Kelly
- Act of God by Susan R. Sloan
- The Accomplice by Elizabeth Ironside
- Adam and Evil by Gillian Roberts
- The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge
- Beauty Beyond the Ashes: Choosing Hope After Crisis by Cheryl McGuinness and Lois Rabey
- The Broken Cord by Michael Dorris
- Child of my Heart by Alice McDermott
- Dracula in Love by Karen Essex
- Earthquake at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory and Mary Exa Atkins Campbell
- The Edge of the Sky by Drusilla Campbell
- A Happy Marriage by Raphael Yglesias
- Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
- I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass
- Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
- More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay
- Night Whispers by Judith McNaught
- Presumption of Death by Perri O'Shaughnessy
- The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
- The Prince of Darkness by P. C. Doherty
- The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
- See Jane Die: A Novel by Erica Spindler
- Solomon's Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson
- Winter's Child by Margaret Maron
- Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
- The Ladies' Lending Library by Janice Kulyk Keefer
- Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage
- The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- A Family Affair by Mary Campisi
- From the Shadows + Snapped by C. J. Johnson
- Identity by Ted Dekker
- All For Anna by Nicole Desse
- A Ruling Passion by Judith Michael
- September by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Sleeping Tiger by Rosamunde Pilcher
- A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity: A Memoir by Bill O'Reilly
- The Grey Woman and Other Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Life of Charlotte Bronte Volume 1 by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Life of Charlotte Bronte Volume 2 by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Pinned: A Kentucky True Crime by Charles Massie
- Kinsley Circle by Kevin Cowan
- Lynnwood by Thomas Brown
- And Justice For Some: An Expose of the Lawyers and Judges Who Let Dangerous Criminals go Free by Wendy Murphy
- The Longings of Wayward Girls by Karen Brown
- Amity and Sorrow by Peggy Riley
- Dying Voices by Laura Wilson
- Answered Prayers by Danielle Steel
- Blind to the Bones by Stephen Booth
- Dark Harbor by Stuart Woods
- The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish
- The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan
- The Eyrie by Stevie Davies
- Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
- The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
- In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprin
- In the Dark: The True Story of the Blackout Ripper by Simon Read
- Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
- Joshua by Joseph F. Girzone
- Last Wish by Betty Rollin
- Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
- Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
- Lost in the Forest by Sue Miller
- Mercy by Julie Garwood
- Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross
- Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
- Pearls by Colin Falconer
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework: The Stitch-by-Stitch Guide to Practical and Creative Needlecraft by Editors of Reader's Digest
- The Real Mother by Judith Michael
- Refined by Fire: A Family's Triumph of Love and Faith by Brian and Mel Birdwell and Ginger Kolbaba
- Remembered Laughter: The Life of Noel Coward by Cole Lesley
- The Restless Sleep: Inside New York City's Cold Case Squad by Stacy Horn
- Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig and Margaret Mitchell
- River, Cross my Heart by Breena Clarke
- Secrets Unveiled by Sheshena Pledger
- The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks
- Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey
- Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton
- When the Wind Blows by James Patterson
- The Whole Truth by David Baldacci
- The World is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Release From Captivity in North Korea...A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness by Euna Lee and Lisa Dickey
- You Are the Love of my Life by Susan Richards Shreve
- The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic
- The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Stephen Marlowe
- Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke
- 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense by Al Sarrantonio
- Blood Beast by Don D'Ammassa
- Dos Santos: A Novel by Fernando de Aragon
- Swimming to Elba: A Novel by Sylvia Avallone
- Chickadee by Deborah Bedford
- Family Matters by Deborah Bedford
- Two Moons: A Novel by Thomas Mallon
- Deadly Impulse by Olga Bicos
- Dying Cheek to Cheek by Diane K. Shah
- Night Terrors by Dennis Palumbo
- Don't Say a Word by Andrew Klavan
- Kiss and Kill by Karen Young
- Daddy's Girl by Lisa Scottoline
- All Through the Night by Jayne Ann Krentz
- The Collected Stories by John McGahern
- Dance With Me by Luanne Rice
- Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
- First Offense by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
- Gap Creek: The Story of a Marriage by Robert Morgan
- How to Clean Practically Anything by Edward Kippel
- The Mill by Tracy Lamphere
- My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
- Silent Witness: The Karla Brown Murder Case by Don W. Weber and Charles Bosworth, Jr.
- A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy
- Stranger in Paradise by Eileen Goudge
- Summer of Roses by Luanne Rice
- Taker by Alma Katsu
- A Time For Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
- Big Girl: A Novel by Danielle Steel
- The Confession by John Grisham
- Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe
- Rand McNally Student's World Atlas by Rand McNally
- Candles Burning by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell
- Deadly Evidence by Harrison Arnston
- The Landlord by Ken Merrell
- Light Source by Bari Wood
- The Right Wrong Number: A Short Story by Barbara Delinsky
- Every Word: Crossings by Amazon Digital Services
- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
- The Grey Woman and Other Tales by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
- Curious, if True: Strange Tales by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
- Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon
- The Thing From the Lake by Eleanor M. Ingram
- The Thames Valley Catastrophe by Grant Allen
- The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker
- The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
- The Haunted House by Charles Dickens
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens
- Ice Trap: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell
- Horn Pattern by Gretta Hines
- The 228 Legacy by Jennifer J. Chow
- Pray For us Sinners by Peter S. Fischer
- The Paradise Trees by Linda Huber
- Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend
- The Back Road by Rachel Abbott
- Preservation Hall by Scott Spencer
- The Rich Man's Table by Scott Spencer
- The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
- Bound by Blood and Brimstone by D. L. Dunaway
- Two Sides of a Heartbeat by DeLaine Roberts
- Black Cross by Greg Isles
- Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin
- Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble
- Don't Tell by Karen Rose
- Friend of the Devil by Peter Robinson
- The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice
- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
- In the Kitchen: A Novel by Monica Ali
- The Loop by Nicholas Evans
- Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
- A New Song by Jan Karon
- Sandcastles by Luanne Rice
- The Sea by John Banville
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
- Willing by Scott Spencer
- Swim: An eShort Story by Jennifer Weiner
- The Sea Glass Sisters: Prelude to the Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe: Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe
- James Connelly: 'A Full Life' by Donal Nevin
- Lindbergh: The Crime by Noel Behn
- Needful Things by Stephen King
- The Dead Zone by Stephen King
- The Shadow Hunter by Michael Prescott
- The Black Book by Ian Rankin
- The Children's Hour by Douglas Clegg
- Lonely Planet Ireland by Tom Smallman, Steve Fallon and Pat Yale
- Penny Press/Dell Variety Puzzles Magazine: 24 Pack by Penny Press/Dell Magazine Publications
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 1 by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 3 by Edgar Allan Poe
- Superb Crosswords Magazine Jumbo Issue: Volume 125 by Kappa Press
- Penny Press On the Go Sudoku Magazine: October 2013 by Penny Press
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 4 by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 5 by Edgar Allan Poe
- Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
- Edgar Allan Poe's Complete Poetical Works by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson
- The Haunted by Bentley Little
- Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock
- Freddy's House by David Jester
- Welcome to Moon Hill by Anthony J. Rapino
- Tortured Memory by Lawrence Gold
- Five, Six...Grab Your Crucifix by Willow Rose
- The Spook House by Paul Emil
- The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little
- The Druggist by Todd Croak-Falen
- Great Kitchen Secrets: As Seen on TV by Chef Tony Notaro
- The Park by Shane Jeffery
- Where the Teddy Bears Have Their Picnic by C. M. Adams
- No Cure For Murder by Lawrence Gold
- Ghosts by John Banville
- Chain of Souls: Salem VI by Jack Heath and John Thompson
- The Demon Signet by Shawn Hopkins
- The White Door by G. J. Owens
- Scars on the Face of God: The Devil's Bible by C. G. Bauer
- They Only Come Out at Night by F. Kearney
- Bad Apple by Clay Held

- The Mummifier's Daughter: A Novel in Ancient Egypt by Nathaniel Burns
- Morehouse Farm Critter Knits: 20 Easy Patterns & Designs for Animal Scarves, Hats & Mittens by Margrit Lohrer
- Hidden Lives by Douglas Adamson
- A Light in Dark Places by Jennifer Graves and Emily Clawson
- True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders by Dina Di Mambro
- Who Knew? The Best of Volumes 1 and 2 by Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina Lubin
- Who Knew? Volume 3 by Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina Lubin
- The Descent: Book 3 of the Taker Trilogy by Alma Katsu
- The Meaning of Children by Beverly Akerman
- Cedar Hollow by Tracey Smith
- The Woman in the Photograph by Mani Feniger
- Once More From the Top by Nan Reinhardt
- 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber
- The Affair: A Novel by Alicia Clifford
- All the Colors of Darkness by Peter Robinson
- Alma Rose by Edith Forbes
- The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
- Another City, Not my Own: A Novel in the Form of a Memoir by Dominick Dunne
- Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon
- At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
- Barefoot in the Sun by Roxanne St. Claire
- Best Friends by Martha Moody
- A Bigamist's Daughter by Alice McDermott
- The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
- Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino
- Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
- Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman
- The Decline and Fall of the House of Windsor by Donald Spoto
- The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon
- Evenfall by Liz Michalski
- Family Pictures by Sue Miller
- Fergie Confidential: The Real Story by Chris Hutchins and Peter Thompson
- Fire on Ice: The Exclusive Inside Story of Tonya Harding by J. E. Vader and Abby Haight
- Genie: A Scientific Tragedy by Russ Rymer
- Headhunters by Jo Nesbo
- The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
- Little Bee by Chris Cleave
- A Matter of Justice by Charles Todd
- The Memory Collector by Meg Gardiner
- The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
- My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira
- My Sergei: A Love Story by Ekaterina Gordeeva and E. M. Swift
- Neighborhood Watch by Cammie McGovern
- Nightwoods by Charles Frazier
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- Nobody Believes Me by Molly Katz
- The Office of Desire by Martha Moody
- Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge
- The Other Side of the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes on the Judy Garland Television Series by Mel Torme
- Pearl by Mary Gordon
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
- A Ride Into Morning: The Story of Tempe Wick by Ann Rinaldi
- The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
- Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron
- Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
- Sister by Rosamund Lupton
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
- The Summer we Fell Apart by Robin Antalek
- Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe
- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
- To Trust a Stranger by Karen Robards
- The Touch by Colleen McCullough
- True Evil: A Novel by Greg Iles
- Truth and Consequence by Angela Britnell
- Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
- What Matters Most: A Novel by Luanne Rice
- White Doves at Morning by James Lee Burke
- White Widow by Jim Lehrer
- The World Below by Sue Miller
- The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr
- Pride and Honour: The Battle For Saxony by Nathaniel Burns
- Four Letters of Love: The Profundity of Love by Vivek Sharma
- The Ultimate Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set by Taylor Lee, J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrisey and David Weisman
- So What! Stories or Whatever! by G. J. Griffiths
- Siren on the Square by Augustine Tagaste
- Memory Scents: A Psychological Thriller by Gayle Eileen Curtis
- The Turtle Boy by Kealan Patrick Burke
- A First-Name Basis by Patricia Traxler
- Even More Ketchup than Salsa: The Final Dollop by Joe Cawley
- Roaring Mountain: A True Story by Shirley Gray
- The Bracelet: A Novel of Life, Sorrow, and Love by C. A. Deslauries
- Broken Wing by Anna Klay
- Quail Crossings by Jennifer McMurrain
- That Kind of Girl by Christy Ogilvie
- Therapy For Ghosts by Eric Praschan
- Chasing the Demons by Eamon Moroney
- Edgewise by Jan Stites
- Welcome to Our Home - Knit and Crochet Ideas from Red Heart by Editors of FaveCrafts
- Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson
- For Love of Words by Dacia Wilkinson
- Surface Children: A Book of Short Stories by Dean Blake
- God Said Woof by Rick Gatzby
- Wink by Eric Trant
- The Basement by Chad P. Brown
- Viral House by Joe Sharp
- Daphne Du Maurier: The Secret Life of the Renowned Storyteller by Margaret Forster
- The Keeper by R. L. Mosz
- The Accidental Exorcist by Joshua Graham
- The Clinic by David Jester
- Long Time Coming by Edie Claire
- The Dartmouth Murders by Eric Francis
- Killing Faith by Eric Meyer
- American Crow by Jack Lacey
- Persona: A Psychological Thriller by Marc Horn
- Stark Warning by James Raven
- Dark Eros: A Novel of Suspense by H. Raven Rose
- Sense Memory by Brion J. Humphey
- A Christmas House by Mary Miller
- The Good Lawyer: A Novel by Thomas Benigno
- Blood and Gasoline by Elias Anderson
- The Monster Man of Horror House by Danny King
- Floor Four by A. Lopez, Jr.
- Mouse: A Psychological Thriller and Murder Mystery by D. M. Mitchell
- All the Talk is Dead by Michael Ebner
- Pawnbroker by Jerry Hatchett
- Escape, a New Life by David Antocci
- Untogether Lives: Short Stories by Andy P. Jones
- Abacus by Josh Burton

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- The House of Thunder by Dean R. Koontz
- Blind Love: The True Story of the Texas Cadet Murders by Peter Meyer
- Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love by Jack Olsen
- To Die is Not Enough: A True Account of Murder and Retribution by Donald Delano Wright
- Blood Red Roses by Margaret Lawrence
- A Passion For Life: The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by Donald Spoto
- Two-Minute Mysteries Collection by Donald J. Sobel
- Nora, Nora by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Devil's Gate by Elizabeth Ergas
- A Cold Mind by David L. Lindsay
- Demon Summer by Elaine Booth Selig
- The Carousel by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Change Baby by June Spence
- Convictions: My Journey From Convent to Courtroom by Arlene Violet
- Windswept by Mary Ellen Chase
- Islands by Anne Rivers Siddons
- The Wicked Wives: A Novel Based on a True Story by Gus Pelagatti
- Dead Air by Bob Larson
- The First Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders
- Temporary Sanity: A Crime Novel by Rose Connors
- Wife Found Slain by Caroline Crane
- The Ryer Avenue Story by Dorothy Uhnak
- Mila 18 by Leon Uris
- The Hampton Sisters by Bernard F. Conners
- Eyes of a Child by Richard North Patterson
- Manhattan by Neal Travis
- Lines and Shadows by Joseph Wambaugh
- Survivor by Christina Crawford
- What Your Birthday Reveals About You: 366 Days of Astonishingly Accurate Revelations About Your Future, Your Secrets, and Your Strengths by Phyllis Vega
- The Books of Rachel by Joel Gross
- Mazes and Monsters by Rona Jaffe
- Kat's Cradle by Karen Kijewski
- Possessions by Judith Michael
- Quinn by Iris Johansen
- The Gathering by Anne Enright
- Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
- The Good Mother by Sue Miller
- Fling by Pamela Beck and Patti Massman
- Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- House Rules by Jodi Picoult
- Breaking the Trust by Lucy Clare
- The Servants of Twilight by Dean R. Koontz
- The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors, the Story of Three Sisters by Juliet Barker
- Margaret Trudeau: The Prime Minister's Runaway Wife by Felicity Cochrane
- Beneath by Kit Tinsley
- The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney
- Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters
- Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart
- Full Circle by Danielle Steel
- Theirs Was the Kingdom by R. F. Delderfield
- The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher
- My Best Friend by Laura Wilson
- Life Wish by Jill Ireland
- Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
- Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
- The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
- Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty
- His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford
- The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon
- The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice
- Everlasting by Nancy Thayer
- Downtown by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Hill Towns by Anne Rivers Siddons
- Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through the Violent American Landscape by Jack Olsen
- The Dark Fantastic by Stanley Ellin
- Chameleon by William Diehl
- First Things First by Barbara Delinsky
- The Man With the Candy: The Story of the Houston Mass Murders by Jack Olsen
- A Room For the Dead by Noel Hynd
- Blood Dreams by Jack MacLane
- Memories of Another Day by Harold Robbins
- 11 Great Horror Stories Including "The Oblong Box" and "The Dunwich Horror" by Betty M. Owen
- Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum
- In the Night Season: A Novel by Richard Bausch
- The Glenna Powers Case by Hillary Waugh
- Blood of the Impaler by Jeffrey Sackett
- The Fireman's Wife and Other Stories by Richard Bausch
- Hauntings: Is Anybody There? by Norah Lofts
- To Dance With Kings by Rosalind Laker
- The Settlers by Vilhelm Moberg
- A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith
- Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods
- The Big War by Anton Myrer
- The Magdalena Curse by F. G. Cottam
- Deadly Sleep by John Applegate
- 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
- Moon Shell Beach: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- Darkness by John Saul
- Nathaniel by John Saul
- Second Child by John Saul
- Shock Talk: The Exorcist Files by Bob Larson
- Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell
- Nightshade by John Saul
- Mindbend by Robin Cook
- Kitchen Candlecrafting by Ruth Monroe
- Bloodroot by Amy Greene
- Coroner at Large by Thomas T. Noguchi, M. D. and Joseph DiMona
- North From Rome by Helen MacInnes
- Island Murders by Wanda Canada
- Brood X: A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion by Michael Phillip Cash
- The Eighth Day by Brooke Leimas
- Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
- Neither Five Nor Three by Helen MacInnes
- Dreams and Miracles: How God Speaks Through Your Dreams by Ann Spangler
- A Place Called Saturday by Mary Astor
- One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity by Debbie Macomber
- Crossroads by Belva Plain
- Right Next Door by Debbie Macomber
- Hunter's Moon by Carole Mortimer
- The Stone Bull by Phyllis A. Whitney
- The Glass Flame by Phyllis A. Whitney
- Kept in the Dark by Nina Bawden
- The Way we Were: A Novel by Marcia Willett
- The Summer Visitors by Brooke Leimas
- All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell
- Summer Breeze: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
- Cypress Point by Diane Chamberlain
- Over the Edge by Jonathan Kellerman
- Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell
- Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul
- Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock
- A Rose For Virtue: The Very Private Life of Hortense, Stepdaughter of Napoleon I, Mother of Napoleon III by Norah Lofts
- Ghost Story by Peter Straub
- The Resort by Bentley Little
- Blood Brother: 33 Reasons my Brother Scott Peterson is Guilty by Anne Bird
- Blind Faith by Joe McGinniss
- Down to a Sunless Sea by David Poyer
- The House by Bentley Little (2 copies)
- Lightning by Danielle Steel
- Best Friends Forever: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
- The Hiding Place by David Bell
- From a Buick 8: A Novel by Stephen King
- The Search For the Girl With the Blue Eyes: An Unforgettable Venture Into the Shadowy World of Reincarnation by Jess Stearns
- A Little Death by Laura Wilson
- The Doctor's Wife by Brian Moore
- Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy
- The Strange Ones by Warren Smith
- Moths: A Novel by Rosalind Ashe
- The Hanging Tree: A Novel by Michael Phillip Cash
- The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston
- Summer House: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- Inventing Memory: A Novel of Mothers and Daughters by Erica Jong
- Expensive People by Joyce Carol Oates
- Echoes by Maeve Binchy
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 
- Cemetery Girl by David Bell
- Friends in High Places by Donna Leon
- The Walker in Shadows by Barbara Michaels
- Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel by Joe Hill
- Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell 
- So Happy Together by Maryann McFadden
- The Human Factor by Graham Greene
- For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
- The Pardon by James Grippando
- Only You by Cynthia Victor
- Dreams of Terror and Death: The Dream Cycle of H. P. Lovecraft by H. P. Lovecraft
- Ceremony of the Innocent by Taylor Caldwell
- Upstairs, Downstairs III: The Years of Change by Mollie Hardwick
- The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver
- Death in Venice and Seven Other Stories by Thomas Mann
- All Souls: A Family Story From Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald
- Evidence of Blood by Thomas H. Cook
- Eternal Fire by Calder Willingham
- The Island: A Novel of Terror by Will Overby

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

Books Read: 119
Pages Read: 38,710
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

So, there you go! The reading year that was 2013! 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