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

   
Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts

Published as: Emma Hamilton in September 1978

Publisher: Coward, McCann and Geoghegan

Birth Name: Norah Robinson

Born: 27 August 1904 in Shipdham, Norfolk, England

Died: 10 September 1983 in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Canonical Name: Norah Lofts

Pseudonyms: Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis

Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts was the one hundred and second book that I read in 2012. I have had this book on my TBR bookshelf since April 16, 2012 although I didn't actually read it until November of 2012. It took me three days to read this book and it is definitely a keeper for me.  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Low Country

104. Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons (1998)
Length: 461 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 26 November 2012
Finished: 29 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 27 October 2012
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.

Caroline Venable is the quintessential Southern Belle. Her southern heritage has also afforded her money, prestige, a powerful husband - and a predictable routine of country club luncheons, cocktail parties and dinners hosting her husband's wealthy friends, clients and associates in his successful land-developing conglomerate.

To escape her stifling routine, Caro drinks a little too much. But her true solace is found in Peacock's Island - the Lowcountry island her beloved Grandaddy left her - an oasis of breathtaking beauty that is home to a herd of wild ponies. When Caro learns that her husband must develop the island or lose his business, she is devastated. Peacock's Island and the Lowcountry is Caro's heritage - and what will happen to the ponies whose wild spirit and freedom have captivated her since childhood?

Saving the island could cost Caroline more than she ever imagined. To succeed, she must confront the part of herself numbed by alcohol and careful avoidance - and shatter long-held ideals about her role in society, her marriage, and ultimately, herself.

I have to say that while I did enjoy reading this book, it was not really as captivating as I hoped that it might be for me. I thought that the plot was a little too contrived for my liking. I still enjoyed this book enough to give it an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Luanne Rice - The Secret Hour

103. The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice (2003)
Length: 335 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 23 November 2012
Finished: 26 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like Luanne Rice as an author and have read and enjoyed a couple of books by this author in the past. 

Beneath his calm and controlled demeanor, attorney John O'Rourke is a man whose life is in turmoil. Since his wife's death, he has been juggling the rigors of a controversial capital murder case and the demands of raising two children. Eleven-year-old Maggie's crooked bangs and rumpled clothes eloquently reproach John's earnest but haphazard attempts at mothering. Teddy, John's stalwart fourteen-year-old, has quietly assumed responsibilities that are far too weighty for his young shoulders, as he longs for the way things used to be and studiously tries to ignore the hostility that swirls around his family since his father took on the defense of a killer whose crimes have rocked Connecticut.

A brick thrown through the window one autumn morning signals a dangerous new level of hatred. But a quieter event also takes place that day. A woman arrives on the O'Rourke doorstep to find a household on the brink of chaos but brimming with love - and, she hopes, answers.

Kate Harris is searching for the key to her own mystery. Six months ago her younger sister fled far from their beloved home following a devastating confrontation. After mailing a single postcard from the New England shore, Willa Harris vanished. With only a postmark to go on, Kate takes a leave of absence from her job as a marine biologist to come to the seaside Willa adored - and discovers the one man who may be able to help her.

I found that this book was just alright with me - not my favorite book, but quite well-written in my opinion. There were the usual dramatic plot twists throughout the story, with a few eyebrow-raising coincidences along the way. It was still a very nice reading experience for me. The mystery was not all that believable to me, but that may just mean that I have become an extremely hard-bitten reader of mysteries. I think that I definitely want to continue reading Luanne Rice, however, I give The Secret Hour an A! 

A! - (90-95%)    


Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - Emma Hamilton

102. Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts (1978)
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 19 November 2012
Finished: 22 November 2012
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 April 2012
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.

Emma Hamilton was lover and confidante to some of the greatest men of her time. Born Amy Lyon, she was the daughter of a blacksmith near Cheshire, England. Her father died when she was two months old, and young Amy was raised by her mother, Mary, with no formal education. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Emma Carew, in 1781 when Emma was just sixteen years old. She then became a model for the English artist George Romney in 1782 under the name Emma Hart.

A woman of immense charm, kindness and ambition, Emma became the wife of Sir William Hamilton, the British Ambassador to Naples in 1791. She was twenty-six, her husband was sixty. Two years later, she met and fell in love with the darling of Britain - Horatio Nelson. During their subsequent seven year love affair, she gave birth to a daughter, Horatia, whose birth she managed to keep secret from Sir William and London society. 

After Horatio Nelson's death in 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar, Emma fell into poverty, moved to France to escape her creditors, and later fell victim to alcoholism, dying of liver failure in 1815. Horatia Nelson eventually married a Reverend in 1822 and they had ten children. Although, Horatia acknowledged that she was the daughter of Horatio Nelson, she never publicly acknowledged being Emma Hamilton's daughter.

I loved this book. Before reading this book, I knew nothing about Lady Emma Hamilton's life, only that she was the mistress of Admiral Lord Nelson. I give Emma Hamilton an A+! and will put it on my keeper shelf to read again sometime soon.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Give Thanks For Your Many Blessings This Thanksgiving!

I hope that all my blog readers in the United States have a very happy Thanksgiving! May your Thanksgiving be filled with great food, wonderful friendship and all the family ties that you may wish for. :) I have to say that Mareena and I will not be having the usual Thanksgiving turkey today - it will be smoked ham for us all the way. After that, we will kick up our feet and read books for the entire day! :)

May all of you have a wonderfully safe and blessed Thanksgiving. Be sure to find some quiet time for yourselves and count your blessings today when and if you can. I know that I'm incredibly thankful for my continued health and happiness, my daughter's continued health and happiness, that we are both comfortable and love each other as much as we do, and that our family is as well as they are. We are also incredibly thankful for our three kitties - Ruby, Leila and Lollipop.

I also hope that everyone who is away from their families at this time, will know that they are sorely missed, truly loved and deeply appreciated by all! God bless all of you, may you have a very happy and wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Give Thanks For Your Many Blessings This Thanksgiving!

I hope that all my blog readers in the United States have a very happy Thanksgiving! May your Thanksgiving be filled with great food, wonderful friendship and all the family ties that you may wish for. :) I have to say that Mareena and I will not be having the usual Thanksgiving turkey today - it will be smoked ham for us all the way. After that, we will kick up our feet and read books for the entire day! :)

May all of you have a wonderfully safe and blessed Thanksgiving. Be sure to find some quiet time for yourselves and count your blessings today when and if you can. I know that I'm incredibly thankful for my continued health and happiness, my daughter's continued health and happiness, that we are both comfortable and love each other as much as we do, and that our family is as well as they are. We are also incredibly thankful for our three kitties - Ruby, Leila and Lollipop.

I also hope that everyone who is away from their families at this time, will know that they are sorely missed, truly loved and deeply appreciated by all! God bless all of you, may you have a very happy and wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Ira Levin - Sliver

101. Sliver by Ira Levin (1991)
Length: 261 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 15 November 2012
Finished: 17 November 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2007
Why do I have it? I like horror and have read and enjoyed Rosemary's Baby by the same author.

Kay Norris, a successful single lady of thirty-nine, moves into the posh Upper East Side district of Carnegie Hill in Manhattan. The building she moves into is a slender, silvery high rise full of exclusive apartments. The building's landlord is personable, if slightly obsessive, but very solicitous of his tenants' various comforts. Only after she moves in does Kay discover that the tabloids have nicknamed her building "The Horror High Rise". Four unexplained deaths have occurred during the building's construction, and a fifth one is about to happen...

I really enjoyed reading Silver by Ira Levin. It was a very intriguing story and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes horror. I think that I saw at least part of the movie that was made in 1993, and starred Sharon Stone and William Baldwin. In my opinion, the book was much better than the movie. I give Sliver by Ira Levin an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight