Margaret James - The Haunting of Sara Lessingham

34. The Haunting of Sara Lessingham by Margaret James (1978)
Length: 337 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Started/Finished: 14 December 2009
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like historical mysteries and Margaret James is a new author to me


Someone is out to drive 17-year-old Sara Lessingham mad. Sara is now living with her relatives in Victorian England after she lost her parents in a fire that she might have set. I read this in one day and it was very good if a little silly in parts. I give this story a B+!

B+! - (89-94%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Judith Guest - Errands

33. Errands by Judith Guest (1997)
Length: 335 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 12 December 2009
Finished: 13 December 2009
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like Judith Guest as an author and have several books by this author on my TBR pile.


I just finished Errands by Judith Guest. When Keith Browner succumbs to cancer, his wife Anne faces life raising their three children amidst grief and loneliness. 12-year-old Harry is rebellious and guilt-ridden in his role of man of the house, 11-year-old Jimmy is a loner, Nine-year-old Julie keeps a journal, trying to cope with her grief and the grief of those around her. Jess, Anne's sister, tries to help, but she is saddled with problems of her own - including a relationship with a married man. Anne resists Jess's help as her life spirals out of control. I thought this book was excellent, the characters were well-developed and really drew you into the plot. I give this story an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Stephen Piziks - Exorcist: The Beginning

32. Exorcist: The Beginning by Stephen Piziks (2003)
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 9 December 2009
Finished: 11 December 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 9 December 2009
Why do I have it? I like horror and Mareena was nice enough to let me read this book first, before her.

I just finished reading Exorcist: The Beginning (call it a pre-reading) last night. My daughter received it from Paperback Swap. Lancaster Merrin comes back from World War II physically and spiritually drained. He decides to take a sabbatical from the priesthood and goes far from his native Holland to Africa to excavate a Byzantine Church found buried in pristine condition on the day it was completed.

Directly beneath the Church, Merrin finds an ancient crypt and also finds himself face-to-face with Evil. As madness descends on the natives and a British contingent of soldiers sent to guard the excavation site, Merrin watches helplessly as atrocities of the war are repeated on another village - atrocities that he hoped to never see again. And the horror has only just begun. I give this novel an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Stephen Piziks - Exorcist: The Beginning

32. Exorcist: The Beginning by Stephen Piziks (2003)
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 9 December 2009
Finished: 11 December 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 9 December 2009
Why do I have it? I like horror and Mareena was nice enough to let me read this book first, before her.

I just finished reading Exorcist: The Beginning (call it a pre-reading) last night. My daughter received it from Paperback Swap. Lancaster Merrin comes back from World War II physically and spiritually drained. He decides to take a sabbatical from the priesthood and goes far from his native Holland to Africa to excavate a Byzantine Church found buried in pristine condition on the day it was completed.

Directly beneath the Church, Merrin finds an ancient crypt and also finds himself face-to-face with Evil. As madness descends on the natives and a British contingent of soldiers sent to guard the excavation site, Merrin watches helplessly as atrocities of the war are repeated on another village - atrocities that he hoped to never see again. And the horror has only just begun. I give this novel an A+!

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

Jerry Oppenheimer - Martha Stewart Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography

31. Martha Stewart Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography by Jerry Oppenheimer (1997)
Length: 399 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 3 December 2009
Finished: 9 December 2009
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 November 2009
Why do I have it? I like unauthorized biographies and have always been curious about Martha Stewart's life.


I just finished Martha Stewart Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography by Jerry Oppenheimer. I thought that this book was great; it is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the 'dirt' on Martha Stewart. I give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - The Lost Queen

30. The Lost Queen by Norah Lofts (1969)
Length: 302 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 28 November 2009
Finished: 2 December 2009
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

This is the story of Queen Caroline of Denmark and her love affair with Doctor Struensee. Princess Caroline-Matilda was King George III's sister and married King Christian of Denmark. This historical novel is based on fact and brings to life eighteenth century Denmark. I love Norah Lofts as a writer and give this story an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Reading Wrap-up for November 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 November with 631 unread books lying around the house and ended the month with 628 books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Paperback Swap 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 Magic Cottage by James Herbert
- One Pair of Feet by Monica Dickens
- The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Dear Doctor Lily by Monica Dickens
- The Unholy by Michael Falconer Anderson
- The Sweet Taste of Burning: A Novel of the Occult by Paul Andreota
- Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
- The Hampton Sisters by Bernard F. Conners
- Wife Found Slain by Caroline Crane
- Woman Vanishes by Caroline Crane
- The Visitor by Jere Cunningham
- Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
- The Haunting of Sara Lessingham by Margaret James
- Hollywood's Greatest Love Stories by Dick Kliener
- Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game) by Rosie O'Donnell
- Martha Stewart Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography by Jerry Oppenheimer
- Ruin Creek by David Payne
- Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Blessings by Anna Quindlen
- The Perfect Summer by Luanne Rice
- Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline
- Demon Summer by Elaine Booth Selig
- The Stars Shine Down by Sidney Sheldon
- Change Baby by June Spence
- Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away With Murder by James B. Stewart
- The Forbidden Zone by Whitley Strieber
- False Witness by Dorothy Uhnak
- Blood Sisters by Judith Henry Wall
- Painting the Darkness by Robert Goddard

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Spartina by John Casey
- The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth
- Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, not a very good reading month for me. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 797
Grade Range: A! to B+!

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