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

My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira

Published as: My Name is Mary Sutter in January 2010

Publisher: Viking Adult

Birth Name: Robin Frazier Oliveira

Born: 1954 in Loudonville, Albany, New York

Canonical Name: Robin Oliveira
Pseudonyms: None

My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira was the sixty-seventh book that I read in 2014. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since November 21, 2013 and it took me three days to read. I sent this book off to another good home on August 5, 2014. 


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Eileen Goudge - Once in a Blue Moon

69. Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge (2009)
Length: 323 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 28 July 2014
Finished: 30 July 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 One Last Dance by this author in the past. 

Lindsay and Kerrie Ann have each known hardship from a very young age. Without proper parental guidance from their neglectful mother, the sisters only aid came from a most unlikely source - their neighbor - a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls' mother was arrested for selling drugs and subsequently sent to prison, Miss Honi fought to keep them from being separated and sent into the foster care system, but to no avail.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is now the owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay. Adopted by a loving couple - from whom she inherited the home she shares with the ever-feisty Miss Honi - Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her long-lost younger sister. Unbeknownst to Lindsay, Kerrie Ann has lived an entirely different life, bouncing from one foster home to the next. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of her little girl. 

When the sisters are finally reunited, the two very different women continually clash. Lindsay's entire childhood was spent caring and looking out for Kerrie Ann, but as she and Kerrie Ann engage in some of the fiercest battles of their lives - Lindsay soon despairs of her burgeoning relationship with her sister. However, as the women embark on their own personal journeys of the heart - each with the unlikeliest of men - the sisters find themselves drawn together, restoring their faith and belief in the unshakable and ever-enduring bond of family.

I thought that this book was absolutely excellent. I found myself really caring about what happened to these characters next; I was thoroughly immersed in the plot and found the story to be incredibly poignant. I give Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge an A+! and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

John Steinbeck - The Winter of Our Discontent

68. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (1961)
Length: 281 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 25 July 2014
Finished: 28 July 2014
Where did it com from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 22 August 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Ethan Allen Hawley is a former member of Long Island's aristocratic class. His family can trace its roots all the way back to the time of the Pilgrims; and he can count among his illustrious forebears sea-captains and men of property. He is an heir to the upright New England tradition.

Due to Ethan's late father losing the family fortune, Ethan now works as a grocery clerk in the same grocery store that his family once owned. With the decline in their social status, Ethan's wife, Mary, becomes restless, and his two teenage children are eager for the material comforts which Ethan can no longer provide. They resent their mediocre social and economic status, and do not value the honesty and integrity that Ethan struggles to maintain in the face of a morally corrupt society.

Growing increasingly jaded by what he views as the underhandedness, cheating and shady dealings that seems to permeate his town with regard to the acquisition of money and success, Ethan, in a moment of personal moral crisis, decides to take a holiday from his own scrupulous code of ethics - confident that he will not become corrupted by his actions.

I did enjoy reading this book, although I must admit that initially I found the character of Ethan Allen Hawley slightly annoying. I eventually got more used to his manner and by about halfway through the book I was caught up in the flow of the plot. Overall, I thought that this was an interesting story. In my opinion, it certainly deserves to be classified as a classic, although personally, I may have preferred reading some of John Steinbeck's other works. I give this book an A! 

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Robin Oliveira - My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel

67. My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira (2010)
Length: 364 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 22 July 2014
Finished: 25 July 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 historical fiction and Robin Oliveira is a new author for me.

Mary Sutter is a brilliant, headstrong midwife from Albany, New York, who has aspirations of becoming a surgeon. Determined to overcome the inherent prejudices against women in medicine - and eager to escape her recent heartbreak - Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D. C. to help tend to the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of William Stipp and James Blevins - two surgeons who unwittingly fall in love with Mary's courage, will, and stubbornness in the face of suffering - and resisting her mother's desperate pleas for her to come home and assist with the birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career in the desperately overwhelmed hospitals of Washington.

In this stunning debut novel, Robin Oliveira has created in the character of Mary Sutter, a truly unforgettable heroine whose unwavering determination and startling vulnerability will resonate with readers everywhere. My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira powerfully evokes the atmosphere of the period. Rich with historical detail - including marvelous depictions of such individuals as Abraham Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, General McClellan, and John Hay among others - as well as immersed in the tragedies and challenges of wartime, My Name is Mary Sutter is an exceptional novel.  

I must say that I found this to be an absolutely brilliant book. It really brought home to me not only the suffering and hopelessness of war, but also the immense courage and indomitable strength that human beings are capable of. This book resonated with me and I'm eagerly awaiting Ms. Oliveira's next book I Always Loved You, with baited breath. I give My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel an A+! - What a debut!

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

Ronald L. Leonard - The Merry-Hearted Boys: Liam Clancy, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

66. The Merry-Hearted Boys: Liam Clancy, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem by Ronald L. Leonard (2014)

Length: 267 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 12 July 2014
Finished: 19 July 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Ronald L. Leonard for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 12 May 2014
Why do I have it? I like non-fiction and Ron Leonard is a new author for me. We play the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem quite often on 'Proud to be Irish' and a listener - himself a singer/songwriter and an artist - let us know that Ron Leonard had written this book. 

Ronald L. Leonard was a friend of Liam Clancy's for forty years. This book is a collection of the author's personal memories and reminiscences of that lasting friendship. This is a story which is also steeped in the history, culture, and the traditions of Ireland. Ireland's songs and stories also play a prominent role as do the centuries of hardship that have withstood various invasions and the many years of living under foreign rule. 

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's popularity in the 1960s was the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl were popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit; although they would still give mournful ballads due reverence.

I must say that I don't usually read much poetry, but the author is also a poet and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his pieces. We actually interviewed Ron Leonard and his wife Peggy on 'Proud to be Irish' about The Merry-Hearted Boys: Liam Clancy, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, and two more delightful people you couldn't hope to meet. I give this book a definite A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Philippa Gregory - The Boleyn Inheritance

65. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (2006)
The Tudor Court Series Book 3
Length: 518 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 1 July 2014
Finished: 10 July 2014
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 December 2011
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and had read and enjoyed The White Queen by the same author in the past.

The court of King Henry VIII was a court ruled by fear and abject horror at the time that the German princess, Anne of Cleves arrived to become the fourth wife of the King. Having escaped living life under the thumb of her abusive brother and cold, domineering mother, Anne arrived in England, relieved but hopeful in her marriage to Henry, that she would have a much better life.

Instead of the tall, majestic personage of King Henry VIII - an image which was continually fostered abroad - Anne of Cleves encountered a man for whom she could only feel intense pity and no small measure of revulsion. This was the infamous King Henry VIII - a man whose volatile temper was legendary at court and a man whom Anne of Cleves feared above all others. A King who would eventually come to despise her when she proved unable to conceive a son and heir. Anne of Cleves bore Henry's bitter recriminations, accusations and false witness with as much quiet grace as she could - finally agreeing to grant Henry a divorce.

Katherine Howard was a woman in love - but certainly not with the diseased old man who made her his queen and bedded her night after night. In desperation, and to avoid the constant threat of the axe, Katherine Howard turns for help to Jane Rochford - otherwise known as Jane Boleyn - the Boleyn wife whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. In an effort to save their lives, a dangerous and treasonous plan is concocted, but to no avail. Throughout Europe, the name Jane Rochford is synonymous with malice, jealousy and twisted lust - however, her ultimate Boleyn inheritance was a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

I absolutely loved this book. I've always been fascinated by the reign of Henry VIII, and especially the lives of his six wives. The setting of The Boleyn Inheritance really highlighted for me the fear that Henry's subjects lived with constantly and how tyrannical Henry's rule had become. I give this book an A+! Philippa Gregory is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up For June 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 June with 949 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 942 books unread. All the books that I acquired this month came from Paperback Swap and an author.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Nell by Nancy Thayer
- The Flip by Michael Phillip Cash
- Who Killed my Daughter? by Lois Duncan
- The Man Who Died Twice by Lois Paxton
- Dream Country by Luanne Rice
- The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
- The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- The Murderer Next Door by Rafael Yglesias
- Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island by Michael Phillip Cash
- Just Ask the Universe: A No-Nonsense Guide to Manifesting Your Dreams by Michael Samuels

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))  
- Dead by Sunset: Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer? by Ann Rule
- Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe
- The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe
- Custody: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
- The Chancellor Manuscript by Robert Ludlum
- Thinner by Stephen King
- The Visitor by Jere Cunningham
- The Select by F. Paul Wilson
- Spirit Lost: A Ghost Novel by Nancy Thayer
- Watson's Apology: A Novel by Beryl Bainbridge
- Black Lightning by John Saul
- Sleepwalk by John Saul
- More Natural Cures Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease by Kevin Trudeau
- Christmas Cross-Stitch by Better Homes and Gardens
- Magic by William Goldman
- The Flip by Michael Phillip Cash
- The Man Who Died Twice by Lois Paxton
- Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul
- Hellfire by John Saul
- Cry For the Strangers by John Saul
- When the Wind Blows by John Saul

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: 2,341
Grade Range: A+! to A!

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