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

   Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons

Published as: Outer Banks in August 1991

Publisher: Harpercollins

Birth Name: Sybil Anne Rivers

Born: 9 January 1936 in Atlanta, Georgia

Canonical Name: Anne Rivers Siddons

Pseudonyms: None

Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons was the twenty-seventh book that I read in 2012. I have had this book on my TBR bookshelf since April 1, 2009 although I didn't actually read it until March of 2012. It took me four days to read this book and it is definitely a keeper for me.  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Agatha Christie - Crooked House

35. Crooked House by Agatha Christie (1949) Length: 288 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 25 April 2012
Finished: 27 April 2012
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 March 2012
Why do I have it? Mareena's friend Katie called me up recently and we got to talking about books that she had liked in the past and she gave me an entire list of Agatha Christie novels that she thought I might like to read.

In a sprawling mansion in the English countryside, the extremely affluent but extremely elderly owner lies dead on the floor of suspected barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely when suspicion has already fallen on Aristide Leonides' luscious but grieving widow who is fifty years his junior and set to inherit his sizable fortune.

It is also rumored that the lovely Widow Leonides is having an affair with the strapping young tutor who just happens to live on the family's estate. But Criminologist Charles Howard has his doubts about the entire Leonides' clan. He knows them intimately and also knows that in a household as shaky as Three Gables, nobody is on the level.

I really enjoyed this book very much. I had actually never read it before but it was a very quick and absorbing read. I give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Agatha Christie - Crooked House

35. Crooked House by Agatha Christie (1949)

Length: 288 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 25 April 2012
Finished: 27 April 2012
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 March 2012
Why do I have it? Mareena's friend Katie called me up recently and we got to talking about books that she had liked in the past and she gave me an entire list of Agatha Christie novels that she thought I might like to read.

In a sprawling mansion in the English countryside, the extremely affluent but extremely elderly owner lies dead on the floor of suspected barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely when suspicion has already fallen on Aristide Leonides' luscious but grieving widow who is fifty years his junior and set to inherit his sizable fortune. It is also rumored that the lovely Widow Leonides is having an affair with the strapping young tutor who just happens to live on the family's estate. But Criminologist Charles Howard has his doubts about the entire Leonides' clan. He knows them intimately and also knows that in a household as shaky as Three Gables, nobody is on the level.

I really enjoyed this book very much. I had actually never read it before but it was a very quick and absorbing read. I give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Cynthia Victor - Only You

34. Only You by Cynthia Victor (1995)

Length: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 20 April 2012
Finished: 24 April 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 29 January 2011
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Cynthia Victor is a new author for me.

Carlin Squire seemingly had it all: she was a Harvard graduate with a fulfilling career in the NYPD and a handsome, charmingly perfect lover in Derek Kingsley - a successful photographer. Then, back into her life came Ben, an adored old high school flame until one hideous night shattered their romance. Ben, now a prominent surgeon, is the one man whom Carlin can't seem to forget - even as a shocking murder brings to light secrets of past betrayals that threaten to destroy their lives, even as it kindles passions that refuse to die.

I have to say that Cynthia Victor is a relatively new author for me, even though I do have several of her books on my shelf at the moment, and I actually cannot remember if I read her books before or not. She is quite a good writer and although this book was slightly more focused on romance than I would have liked; I would still highly recommend this book to others with an A! I would love to read more of Ms. Victor's work at some point.

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Steve Gannon - A Song For the Asking

33. A Song For the Asking by Steve Gannon (1997)
Kane Series Book 1
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 18 April 2012
Finished: 20 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Steve Gannon is a new author for me.

Dan Kane is the self-proclaimed "king of his castle" - his beachfront California home - and rules his subjects with a loving but undisputed will. His wife, Cathryn fears him; as do his four children, Tommy, Travis, Allison and Nate. Hardened by his years in law enforcement, he is determined to toughen his children up in order to prepare them to face a violent and unforgiving world. This leads to each member of the family paying both a physical and psychic price for Dan's unwitting cruelty towards them.

Catheryn, who loves her husband, must defend her children against him. Tommy, the oldest child, suffers the most for being his father's "chosen one". Favored for his physical strength and football prowess, Tommy, meets with tragedy for defying Dan's authority. Allison, the only girl and a budding writer, abandons all hope of ever gaining her father's approval and so is deprived of his protection. Nate, the baby at only nine years old must keep a terrible secret or risk his father's wrath. And Travis, the second son, must suffer his father's ridicule for his love of music and other such "weak" pursuits until he finally has to stand up and face down the father he loves dearly but has grown to hate.

This is actually a re-read for me. I don't actually remember when I read this book for the first time, but I was delighted to learn that not only is Steve Gannon still writing, but that his second book Kane can either be bought in Kindle format or as a paperback. I am definitely reserving my copy today! :) I give this book an A+! and am currently also placing Glow on my wishlist as well.


A+! - (96-100%)    

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Andrew Klavan - True Crime

32. True Crime by Andrew Klavan (1995)
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 15 April 2012
Finished: 18 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Andrew Klavan is a new author for me.


Reporter Steve Everett is not usually the type to turn into an heroic do-gooder overnight - he drinks too much, makes love to his boss' wife, and has just stumbled upon a shocking truth that has him literally fighting the clock. He has just discovered that a convicted killer is about to be executed for a crime he didn't commit. Now an imperfect defender must find a way to stall the ultimate end-game.


In the cold confines of Death Row, Frank Beachum is preparing himself for the end. He's ready to say goodbye to the wife and child he loves and greet the God he still believes in. He knows that he will go into Eternity with a clear conscience, heart and soul; filled with the knowledge that he did not commit the murder of a convenience store clerk six years ago.


But in the interest of justice - unless Steve Everett can find the evidence to halt his execution - Frank Beachum will die by lethal injection. The killing machine is primed; the executioner is waiting and now the battle is on - between the reporter with all his inner demons, and a system with lethal flaws. The prize at the end of this fight will be the life of an innocent man.


I really enjoyed this book so much. I have never seen the movie adaptation of the book, I don't usually like Clint Eastwood, but I would definitely be curious to see how the book is interpreted. True Crime is Grade A+! material to my mind and I can't wait to find more of Andrew Klavan's work to read.


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Christina Crawford - Survivor

31. Survivor by Christina Crawford (1988)
Length: 268 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 13 April 2012
Finished: 15 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like autobiographies and I had also read Mommie Dearest several years ago and wanted to read the sequel.

In this sequel to the ground-breaking and shocking Mommie Dearest, Christina Crawford dissects her first book and the public outcry that it caused; the subsequent movie adaptation of that book; her debilitating stroke and struggle for recovery and the breakup of her marriage. Mommie Dearest was the first celebrity "tell-all" book, and garnered quite a lot of attention - both positive and negative - for Christina Crawford.

I have to say that while I truly admire Christina's fervor to bring to light the until that time unspoken horror of child abuse, I found her sequel to be somewhat self-obsessed and too wrapped up in placing blame for all her present problems at her mother's feet. I understand that many adult child abuse survivors must overcome many obstacles to become productive citizens of the world, but surely, just because a person has been horribly abused as a child doesn't mean that everything that they have ever experienced or will potentially experience during their lifetimes can always be traced back to how they were raised?

Joan Crawford quite possibly shouldn't have been a mother, both because of her personal problems or her psychological state, but is she entirely to blame for the breakup of her daughter's marriage? I just found it so sad that Joan Crawford's surviving children have a non-existent relationship with each other. I give this book a B!

B!- (80-88%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Christina Crawford - Survivor

31. Survivor by Christina Crawford (1988)
Length: 268 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 13 April 2012
Finished: 15 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like autobiographies and I had also read Mommie Dearest several years ago and wanted to read the sequel.


In this sequel to the ground-breaking and shocking Mommie Dearest, Christina Crawford dissects her first book and the public outcry that it caused; the subsequent movie adaptation of that book; her debilitating stroke and struggle for recovery and the breakup of her marriage. Mommie Dearest was the first celebrity "tell-all" book, and garnered quite a lot of attention - both positive and negative - for Christina Crawford. 


I have to say that while I truly admire Christina's fervor to bring to light the until that time unspoken horror of child abuse, I found her sequel to be somewhat self-obsessed and too wrapped up in placing blame for all her present problems at her mother's feet. I understand that many adult child abuse survivors must overcome many obstacles to become productive citizens of the world, but surely, just because a person has been horribly abused as a child doesn't mean that everything that they have ever experienced or will potentially experience during their lifetimes can always be traced back to how they were raised?


Joan Crawford quite possibly shouldn't have been a mother, both because of her personal problems or her psychological state, but is she entirely to blame for the breakup of her daughter's marriage? I just found it so sad that Joan Crawford's surviving children have a non-existent relationship with each other. I give this book a B!


B!- (80-88%)

 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Agatha Christie - Endless Night

30. Endless Night by Agatha Christie (1967)
Length: 215 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 11 April 2012
Finished: 13 April 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 April 2012
Why do I have it? Mareena's friend Katie gave me a whole list of Agatha Christie titles to read and this was one of the titles she had mentioned.

Michael Rogers dreams of having a rich, beautiful wife that he can live "happily ever after" with in a wonderful house in the country. Marriage to the fabulously wealthy and gorgeous American heiress, Ellie Guteman, brings Michael as close to his wildest dreams as he can possibly want to get. Michael and Ellie happily purchase Gipsy's Acre and start to build their dream house together. Michael studiously ignores the country gossips who whisper that Gipsy's Acre is a cursed tract of land. That's until a mysterious murderer strikes much too close to Michael's ultimate dream life for his liking.

I really enjoyed this story. It was the first time that I had read this book and I give it an A+! It was quite interesting to receive this particular book in the mail - I received it directly from Ireland and opened the package to discover the back cover was written in Chinese. The book was written in English but the synopsis on the back cover was written in Chinese! :) I asked my daughter to "translate" for me and she burst out laughing when she saw it.

A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Erica Spindler - Dead Run

29. Dead Run by Erica Spindler (2002)
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 9 April 2012
Finished: 11 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Erica Spindler is a new author for me.


When Rachel Ames - a pastor living in Key West, Florida - mysteriously disappears after leaving a desperate phone message on her sister's answering machine - Liz Ames travels to Key West to search for her. Within a few days of Liz's arrival, the area is rocked by the suicide of a successful businessman, another disappearance and the ritualistic murder of a teenage girl who Rachel was counselling. Frightened for her sister's safety and well-being, Liz teams up with a former Miami cop - Rick Wells - to uncover the dark and deadly secrets that are poisoning paradise.


This is the first book of Erica Spindler's that I've read and I must say that I really enjoyed it very much. I will certainly keep her in mind as an author for me to read again sometime. I give this book an A!


A! - (90-95%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Helen Stancey - Common Ground

28. Common Ground by Helen Stancey (1986)
Length: 236 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 4 April 2012
Finished: 9 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Helen Stancey is a new author for me.


Clovis lives a life of self-imposed exile and isolation as a result of his wife's tragic death. In his mind, his obsessive ambition was responsible for her death and he has retreated into himself to escape the painful memories of the past. However, a chance encounter with a young black woman, Pearl Thomas, brings Clovis into contact with a whole new circle of friends: Duncan, his wife Roz and Philip. Duncan is preoccupied with his academic studies and is selfishly oblivious to Roz's needs who finds herself stretched to her breaking point with the demands of her career and marriage. Philip is an unemployed actor whose manipulations touch on all their lives. 


I really enjoyed this book with its frank look at interpersonal relationships. Helen Stancey is a totally new author for me and I already have her debut book Words and a book of short stories called The Madonna of the Pool on my TBR pile. I give this book an A+! 


A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Outer Banks

27. Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons (1991)
Length: 565 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 31 March 2012
Finished: 3 April 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 April 2009
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.


Elegant Kate, walking a tightrope over an abyss of lies; Cecie, self-contained, sensitive and sensible; Ginger, the sexy, vibrant, richer-than-sin heiress and poor, hopeless, brilliant Georgina, nicknamed Fig - came together as sorority sisters on a Southern campus in the 1960s. Four  women bound by rare, blinding and early friendship. They spend two idyllic spring breaks at Nag's Head, North Carolina, the isolated strip of barrier islands where grand old weather beaten houses perch defiantly on the edge of rugged cliffs overlooking a storm tossed sea. Now, thirty years later, they are coming back - back to recapture the magical memories of those early years, to experience again the love, the enthusiasm, the passion, pain and cruel betrayal that shaped these four young girls into vibrant young women and set them off on the courses of their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. I think that Anne Rivers Siddons is perhaps one of my favorite authors and I give this book an A+! A definite 5 and a half actually! :)

A+! - (96-100%)


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for March 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 March with 650 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 643 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Bookmooch and Paperback Swap.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Re-reads
- Saving Face and Other Stories by Norah Lofts
- Bad Desire by Gary Devon
- The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Crescent City by Belva Plain
- Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
- Loose Change: Three Women of the Sixties by Sara Davidson
- The Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders 

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))

- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- Impulse: Three Complete Novels by Barbara Delinsky, Tess Gerritsen and Linda Howard
- Lost by Gary Devon
- Crooked House by Agatha Christie

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))

- The Serpent's Mark by Robert L. Duncan
- Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz
- Tell me no Secrets by Joy Fielding
- The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere
- The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Gruesome Deaths by John Glatt
- Goldilocks by Andrew Coburn

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: 2,339

Grade Range: A+! to A! 

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