Friday, May 31, 2013

May'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. May's Book of the Month is: 



His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford
Published as: His Other Wife: A Novel in February 2011
Publisher: Faith Words



Birth Name: Deborah Bedford
Born: in Texas

Canonical Name: Deborah Bedford
Pseudonyms: Debbi Bedford

His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford was the fortieth book that I read in 2013. I have had this book on my TBR shelf since April 20, 2013 although I didn't actually read it until May of 2013. This book took me one day to read and was sent off to another good home on May 21, 2013.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Noel Hynd - A Room For the Dead

44. A Room For the Dead by Noel Hynd (1994)
Length: 412 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 27 May 2013
Finished: 30 May 2013
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 May 2013
Why do I have it? I like horror and Noel Hynd is a new author for me. 

It is the winter of 1993. With only a few months to go before his retirement, Detective Sergeant Frank O'Hara faces the most impossible challenge of his career: a serial killer who can't possibly exist...not in this world, anyway. 

Several years before, Detective Sergeant O'Hara helped send Gary Ledbetter, an angelically-faced blue-eyed psychopath, to the electric chair. Now Gary Ledbetter's grisly signature is apparent on a string of fresh murders that sicken even veteran cops... Is this just a hideous re-enactment of Gary Ledbetter's crimes? Or...is Frank O'Hara completely losing his mind?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was incredibly eerie, very mysterious, and I just had to find out how the story ended. I give this book an A! Noel Hynd is a new author for me, and he certainly is an author I would like to read more from in the future. 

A! - (90-95%)  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, May 24, 2013

Elizabeth Flock - Everything Must Go

43. Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock (2006)
Length: 376 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 21 May 2013
Finished: 24 May 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 April 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Elizabeth Flock is a new author for me.

To everyone on the outside, the Powells are a happy family, but then a devastating accident destroys their fragile facade. When seven-year-old Henry is blamed for the tragedy, he tries desperately to make his parents happy again. As Henry grows up, he is full of potential - a talented sportsman with an academic mind and a thirst for adventure. However, Henry soon begins to question if the guilt his parents have burdened him with since childhood has left him ultimately unable to escape his anguished family and their painful past. 

Most people might not enjoy reading books with depressing plots, but I am not one of them. I enjoyed this book very much and found it to be very well written. It was perhaps a little slower to get into than I would have liked, however in my opinion, the plot picked up appreciably about halfway through. I will say that I felt intensely sorry for Henry and all that he went through in his life. I give Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock an A! and will certainly be on the lookout for more books by this author to read.

A! - (90-95%)
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, May 20, 2013

Jack Olsen - Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through the Violent American Landscape

42. Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through the Violent American Landscape by Jack Olsen (1996)
Length: 376 pages
Genre: True Crime
Started: 16 May 2013
Finished: 20 May 2013
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 13 May 2013
Why do I have it? I like true crime and had read and enjoyed Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love by the same author in the past. I have never actually heard of the Brenda Sue Gere case.

One day in September of 1985, 12-year-old Brenda Sue Gere was abducted from her family's home in Clearview, Washington. Her parents, Joe and Elaine Gere, were understandably devastated by the little girl's disappearance, and Joe said he effectively died on the day that Brenda was taken. It was left to Brenda's mother, Elaine to sustain her stricken family, search for her missing child, and pressure the authorities for justice.

From the first minutes of the investigation, suspicion fell on Michael Kay Green - a steroid-abusing "Mr. Universe" hopeful - but there was no proof of a crime, leaving police and prosecutors stymied. Tips and sightings poured in as lawmen and volunteers commenced searching the Cascade forest in a search which would become the largest in Northwest history. Years passed with no sign of blue-eyed Brenda or the bright clothing she had worn on the day she had disappeared. Yet Elaine remained undaunted in her quest.

Salt of the Earth: One Family's Journey Through a Violent American Landscape by Jack Olsen, tells the true story of a simple family thrust into overwhelming grief and the unyielding spotlight by a senseless crime. This story traces the background of the Gere family, the seven-year long crime drama and the effects of tragedy on a family.

I must say that I enjoyed this book very much. It was well-written, easy to follow and the plot had a poignancy about it that I appreciated. I give this book an A+! and look forward to reading more books by Jack Olsen in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Stephen King - Just After Sunset: Stories

41. Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King (2008)
Length: 528 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 10 May 2013
Finished: 16 May 2013
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 8 May 2013
Why do I have it? I like horror and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King features 13 short stories which were written in fairly quick succession over a two year period, according to the author's note in the back of the book. This book is not the typical Stephen King fare - there are a couple of horror stories here, but for the most part, Stephen King focuses on themes of the post-9/11 world, grief, loss and the afterlife in this collection. 

In 'Willa', the first story in this book, David and Willa, a young couple traveling to San Francisco, are waiting at a train depot after their train derails. They become separated from each other while waiting for another train to arrive, but there is just something eerie and unexplained about the situation in which they find themselves. To be completely honest, I needed to give myself a slight refresher course in this particular story as I had momentarily forgot the plot.

'The Gingerbread Girl' focuses on Emily, a young woman who takes up running after her baby daughter, Amy dies. What initially begins as Emily's best way of escaping her grief, becomes the motive behind Emily's worst nightmare. This was actually a very good story - very suspenseful for me to read.

'Harvey's Dream' is about Harvey - a man on the brink of retirement - telling his wife about a terribly disturbing dream that he's had the night before. This was also quite a good story - very enjoyable. According to the author's note in the back of the book, this story was entirely based on a dream that Stephen King himself had.

In 'Rest Stop', a late night drive through the area causes a mild-mannered mystery writer to question his most appropriate course of action, when he overhears an argument between an obviously angry couple. In my opinion, this story was just okay.

'Stationary Bike' focuses on a man who receives the results of his most recent physical - not so good results. Forced by his doctor to go on a strict exercise regimen, he creates more than he thinks when he paints himself a picture to help him pass the time on his stationary bike. This was also a very good story for me to read - in my opinion, this story was incredibly eerie.

'The Things They Left Behind' is about Scott Staley, a man who should have died along with his co-workers on September 11, 2001, but curiously did not. Scott is not necessarily the 'Good Samaritan' type, but in August of 2002, while returning to his apartment after fixing his neighbor's air conditioner, Scott begins to find objects in his apartment that he had always associated with his now deceased co-workers. Scott does everything he can to get rid of each object, but no matter what he does, the objects always return to him. This was another very good story that I really enjoyed.

In Graduation Afternoon, the unthinkable strikes New York City. In my opinion, this particular story was just alright. Definitely not my favorite of this collection, but then, I don't really enjoy reading stories with 'end-of-the-world', apocalyptic themes.

In 'N.', a psychiatrist leaves behind notes on his delusional patient. N. is a troubled man who becomes increasingly suicidal throughout his sessions. When a mysterious key that once belonged to N. comes into the psychiatrist's possession, events are set in motion that can't be stopped. I really enjoyed this particular story. In my opinion, this one was perhaps the best one of the collection.

'The Cat From Hell' is about Halston, a hitman paid to perform a peculiar task - one that ultimately isn't part of his job description. This story was well-written, but if you didn't actually like cats, 'The Cat From Hell' might scare you off owning one for life.

'The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates' focuses on Annie - a recent widow who receives a phone call from her husband...on the day of his funeral. I have to say that I couldn't really understand the ending of this story very well.

'Mute' is about a man whose life has just fallen apart around him. He is driving along one night and picks up a deaf/mute hitchhiker to whom he feels safe confessing all his troubles. In my opinion, this particular story was sort of middle of the road for me. Not really my cup of tea, I suppose, but just alright.

'Ayana' is about terminally ill little girl who can heal others with a kiss. Her miraculous abilities are then passed on to those whom she has cured. This story was really very good - I enjoyed it.

'A Very Tight Place' features two feuding neighbors locked in a bitter, continuous battle over a piece of land in the Florida Keys. One of them decides to finish the feud once and for all. I have to say that in my opinion, this final story was really rather disgusting - quite the note to end on, I suppose. :)

Overall, Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King was really quite good. In general, I give this book an A+! Stephen King is an author who has an incredibly fertile imagination. The plot of each story was entirely different, but I do believe that his short stories tend to be stronger than many of his novels. I will certainly be keeping Just After Sunset: Stories on my bookshelf for the time being.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Sunday, May 12, 2013

It's my Fourth Blogiversary!

party comments, party graphics

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful day for yourselves! :) Yes, today is my Fourth Blogiversary! Four Years?!?! Whoo Hoo. Party time! :)

I checked on an anniversary website and found out that the traditional gifts to celebrate four years together is to give your partner fruit, flowers or books. The more modern gift is to give your partner anything having to do with electrical appliances. The fourth anniversary gemstone is either amethyst or topaz, the anniversary color is blue or green and the flower that you usually give your partner on your fourth anniversary together is the Geranium which can stand for stupidity of folly, but perhaps more positively can stand for comfort and gentility.

There are currently almost 422 recognized species of Geranium. The name Geranium is derived from the Greek word for 'crane', and is more commonly known in English as 'cranesbills' or 'storksbills'. Geraniums are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. The genus was successfully separated into two by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800) who was a French botanist and magistrate.

Born into an upper-class affluent Parisian family, connections with the French Royal Court secured for Charles his first position as Superintendent of Parisian Waters and Forests at the age of twenty-six. In this capacity, Charles conducted various studies of native trees and shrubs, also gaining an interest in exotic flora. After taking up the superintendency, he appears to have been self-taught in botany.

In 1775, Charles was appointed as the magistrate of a court that dealt with tax offenses. Under the court's president at that time, Malesherbes, the Cour des Aides in Paris became perhaps the only French government institution to protect ordinary citizens against a corrupt state. Malesherbes himself was a keen botanist, but by 1775 had been forced out of office because he published a scheme to reform the tax system.

Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle married Thérèse-Valère Doré in 1775. They had five children in the nineteen years before Thérèse-Valère died in 1794. With his private wealth and public income, Charles was able to pursue his botanical interests as a wealthy amateur. He was a strict follower of the Linnaen system of plant classification. The most influential French botanists of the time - Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, Michel Adanson and others - advocated a more natural system of classification. Charles, however, was friends with such scholars as Georges Cuvier, Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet and André Thouin - all noted botanists and naturalists, themselves.

Charles soon clashed with certain French botanists who espoused more modern systems of classification. When the French Revolution began in 1789, Charles continued to publish botanical papers. As a magistrate of a respected court, and holding liberal political ideas himself, Charles was at first not at risk when the French Revolution began. In fact, he was one of the few former magistrates to be appointed judge of a revolutionary tribunal. 

In October 1789, he was even appointed commander of his district's National Guard. Acting under his orders, his troops prevented the massacre of the King's bodyguard when the Parisian mob removed the King from Versailles to Paris. In 1790, despite Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, Michel Adanson and Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck voting against his induction, he was actually elected as an associate member of the Academy of Sciences. When the Reign of Terror began in late 1792, it is said that Charles was imprisoned for a time, in danger of being executed, until some of his botanist friends managed to get him released. There is no independent confirmation of this, although Charles' former patron, Malesherbes, certainly went to the guillotine on April 23, 1794 for his defense of the King before the National Convention.

About the time that the Reign of Terror ended in 1794, Charles' wife Thérèse-Valère died. His eldest son, Jacques, left home and seems to have become estranged from his father; the eldest daughter went to live with another family, while Charles and his servants cared for the three youngest children. (Rose, the youngest, was only two years old at this time although she lived to be 99 years old.) Charles himself never remarried.

Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle was ruined by the Revolution, and had to take a low-paying job at the Ministry of Justice, although he was also a member of the Commission on Agriculture and the Arts and was involved in the publication of several agricultural reports. In 1795 the Academy of Sciences was reborn as the National Institute of Sciences and Arts, and Charles was elected to full membership, which came with a decent salary. He still owned an herbarium of approximately 8,000 species as well as an extensive botanical library which he allowed young botanists to use freely.

On the evening of August 16, 1800 as he was walking home after working late at the Institute, Charles was attacked and murdered in the street by an unknown assailant. One rumor was that the assassin was his eldest son, Jacques. Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle was described by Swiss botanist, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle as being: 
"A dry man, cold in appearance but actually quite passionate, acrimonious and sarcastic in conversation, given to small intrigues, a declared enemy of de Jussieu, de Lamarck and even of the new methods, but always doing for me acts of kindness for which I was grateful."
According to his friend, Georges Cuvier:
"His works were superb, but his table frugal and his clothes simple. He spent 20,000 francs a year on botany, but went about on foot."
Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle always refused to have any portraits made.


I just started reading Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King on 10 May 2013. 
"The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out." - Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born on 21 September 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 500 million copies and have been made into several movies. He is known for novels such as Carrie, The Shining, The Stand, It, Misery and the seven-novel series The Dark Tower, which he wrote over a period of 27 years. As of 2010, Stephen King has written and published 49 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, five non-fiction books, and nine collections of short stories including Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, and Everything's Eventual. Many of his stories are set in his home state of Maine.

Stephen King and his wife Tabitha have three children - Naomi, Joe and Owen - and three grandchildren. Tabitha King is herself a social activist and a successful author, having written eight books. Naomi is a Unitarian Universalist Church minister in Plantation, Florida, Joe is an author and comic book writer, perhaps better known by his pen name Joe Hill. Joe Hill is the author of three novels - Heart-Shaped Box, Horns and NOS4A2 - a collection of short stories titled 20th Century Ghosts and the comic book series Locke and Key. Owen King is also a published short story author, himself.

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Deborah Bedford - His Other Wife: A Novel

40. His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford (2011)
Length: 296 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 8 May 2013
Finished: 9 May 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 April 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Deborah Bedford is a new author for me.

Ever since her divorce from her husband Eric, Hilary Myers has done everything within her power to control life for herself and her son, Seth. Beneath a calm facade, she is terrified of in some way failing Seth. She has struggled hard to raise him on her own, and she has succeeded - Seth is now set to graduate from high school and enroll at the University of Illinois with a full scholarship.

But Hilary's worst fears are realized when there is a rock-climbing accident at a post-graduation campout. A young girl is hurt, and Seth is arrested. Pamela, Eric's new wife and Seth's stepmother, blames Hilary for allowing Seth to go on the campout in the first place. With Seth's college scholarship now just a distant memory and his entire future at stake, the women must come together for Seth's sake.

Will Hilary's love for her son be strong enough for her to put aside her anger and bitterness against Pamela and ultimately entrust Seth to her ex-husband's other wife? I really do enjoy books dealing with family dynamics, especially families in crisis. This is contemporary fiction with a somewhat Christian theme - not overbearingly so, in my opinion - but still strongly evident to me. I give this book an A+! and will certainly be searching for more books by this author to read in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

William Peter Blatty - Elsewhere

39. Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty (1999)
Length: 222 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started: 6 May 2013
Finished: 7 May 2013
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 6 May 2013
Why do I have it? I like horror and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

'Elsewhere' is a mansion built in the 1930s and situated on Craven's Cove, a tiny isolated island in Manhattan. Realtor Joan Freeboard - in an effort to dispel the mansion's eerie reputation, obviously fueled by decades of persistent rumors of unexplained activity in the house - arranges for a psychic, a parapsychologist and a noted author to move into 'Elsewhere' with her and ultimately declare it ghost-free. Isolated from civilization by a storm, and stranded on Craven's Cove, the four would-be researchers become absorbed by the house and its growing sense of strangeness. Inevitably, exploring the house's secrets exposes their own - 'Elsewhere' forces them to accept the individual realities that they have created for themselves.

Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty was really very good. In my opinion, the author builds the tension very admirably throughout the book, so it was a quick and easy read for me, filled with many satisfactory instances of thrills and chills. Elsewhere was perhaps not up to the caliber of The Exorcist, when it comes to the 'fainting in my seat, rushing back into my Church' level of horror, but Elsewhere was still very good and I give it an A! 

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Monday, May 6, 2013

Velda Johnston - The People From the Sea

Reread. The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston (1981)
Length: 180 pages
Genre: Horror 
Originally Read: 12 March 2011
Re-read Finished: 6 May 2013
Where did it come from? Originally from a Library Book Sale, then from my "posted" shelf.

I hadn't read this book in roughly two years and actually wanted to reread it for some time. I have this book already posted on several swapping sites, but a recent misplacement of it caused me to go looking for it and reignited my desire for a reread. The book is back in its proper place and I'm currently on the hunt for my next book to read.   

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Friday, May 3, 2013

Jill Ireland - Life Lines

Re-read. Life Lines by Jill Ireland (1989)
Length: 358 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Originally Read: 20 March 2010
Re-read Finished: 3 May 2013
Where did it come from? Originally from a Library Book Sale, then from my "posted" shelf.

I hadn't read this book in a little over three years, and felt that I needed to refresh my memory about Jill Ireland's life and her struggles. I have to admit that rereading this book was not as good as the first time. This was still a very good book, just a little more repetitive than I remember. 

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Eileen Goudge - One Last Dance

36. One Last Dance by Eileen Goudge (1999)
Length: 422 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 26 April 2013
Finished: 1 May 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 April 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and despite having several books by this author on my bookshelf, Eileen Goudge is a new author for me.

The Seagraves are among the most enviable couples living in Miramonte, California. On the eve of their fortieth wedding anniversary, and just as much in love with each other today as they were on the day they married - until the night Lydia Seagrave picks up a gun and shoots her husband. Novelist Daphne - the couple's oldest daughter - returns home and is forced to contend not only with her father's murder but also with her undeniable feelings for the only man she has ever loved - the District Attorney who is prosecuting her mother.

The Seagraves' youngest daughter Alex's loyalty lies with her father, and she is determined to vindicate him no matter what the cost to her relationships with her sisters and her mother. Alex is convinced that her mother is a murderess, and that Lydia deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Kitty - the middle daughter - sets out to vindicate her mother and enters headlong into a passionate love affair with a younger man.

As the devastated sisters come together to unravel the truth about their family, they must also confront the lies and betrayals they have unwittingly taken part in. They must rebuild from their shattered illusions a life that is honest...even at the risk of being painful for them all. 

I actually have two copies of Blessing in Disguise by Eileen Goudge on my bookshelf already, although One Last Dance is the first book that I've read by this author. I really enjoyed this book because I do enjoy reading books with family relationships - generally dysfunctional families - at the heart of the story. I give this book an A! and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Eileen Goudge in the future. 

A! - (90-95%)
     
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up For April 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 April with 653 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 642 books unread. All the books that I acquired this month came from BookmoochBooks Should be Free, authors, Paperback SwapNetgalley and a Library Book Sale that we went to on the 20th.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors, the Story of Three Sisters by Juliet Barker
- Beneath by Kit Tinsley
- Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart
- A Little Death by Laura Wilson
- Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons
- My Best Friend by Laura Wilson
- The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
- The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
- Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
- Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart 

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- 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
- Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock
- 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
- Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel by Joe Hill
- His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford
- 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
- One Last Dance by Eileen Goudge
- Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
- Pearls by Colin Falconer
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- A Place Called Home by Deborah Smith
- 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
- The Sands of Time by Sidney Sheldon
- Secrets Unveiled by Sheshena Pledger
- So Happy Together by Maryann McFadden
- 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 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

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

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

Books Read: 11
Pages Read: 3,974
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

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

Reading Wrap-up For April 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 April with 678 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 667 books unread. All the books that I acquired this month came from BookmoochBooks Should be Free, authors, Paperback SwapNetgalley and a Library Book Sale that we went to on the 20th.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors, the Story of Three Sisters by Juliet Barker
- Beneath by Kit Tinsley
- Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart
- A Little Death by Laura Wilson
- Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons
- My Best Friend by Laura Wilson
- The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
- The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
- Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
- Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart 

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! Not too bad though, I suppose:))
- 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
- Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock
- 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
- Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
- His Other Wife: A Novel by Deborah Bedford
- 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
- One Last Dance by Eileen Goudge
- Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
- Pearls by Colin Falconer
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- A Place Called Home by Deborah Smith
- 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
- The Sands of Time by Sidney Sheldon
- Secrets Unveiled by Sheshena Pledger
- So Happy Together by Maryann McFadden
- 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 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

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

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

Books Read: 11
Pages Read: 3,974
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

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