Tuesday - It's Tuesday!

Hey!  So maybe it's Wednesday but I seem to be making it a point recently to be late to everything, so...why not be late for Tuesday as well?  Now that we've decided it's Tuesday AND it's the first Tuesday of January   -   It's time for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by Adrienne of Some of a Kind!  Yipeee! Time to tell you all what I've been reading the last month and for you to tell the rest of us what adventures your reading has taken you on.

I read some fantastic books in December but am going to stick to telling you about just two of them so this post doesn't get to long and out of control. 

The Winter Sea was a wonderful novel that I didn't want to end. Even now, over a couple of weeks after finishing, my mind keeps going back to Sophia and wondering what she is up to now. In the Winter Sea, author Susanna Kearsley takes us on a journey of another author, Carrie McClelland, as she settles into a charming cabin on the Scottish cliffs. Carrie is writing a historical novel set at Slains Castle and gives the heroine the name of one of her own ancestors, Sophia Paterson. As Carrie writes and explores the ruins of Slains Castle, her characters become quite chatty and the story just seems to come alive as Carrie types.

The year is 1708 and the Jacobites are trying hard to help the young King James to reclaim his crown. Slains Castle is a very busy place, full of Stewart supporters and is the perfect cover for both French and Scottish fleets who support the cause as well. With some well-hidden coves, the ships can slip in and out quietly when needed. Sophia lost both of her parents young and her and her sister were sent to live with her uncle, John Drummond. Her sister has now passed away as well, in terrible circumstances and her uncle is deceased also. Sophia has arrived at Slains as the guest of the Countess of Erroll, a distance relation to John Drummond. In her research, Carrie begins to see startling similarities between what she has written and what actually took place at Slains during the time of her story. A retired Scottish doctor that is helping Carrie with her research suggests the possibility of ancestorial memory. Could this be what is happening? Is it even possible?


I really loved this book and the possibility of ancestorial memory. Our brains work in so many mysterious ways that are yet untapped and unknown. The author did a wonderful job of weaving both the past and present into her story; such wonderful history and just the perfect touch of romance.

For the new year, Adrienne has challenged us all to continue to dust off those books that have been lingering too long on our shelves, but to also read books from series that we have started.  Christmas with Anne covered both of those catergories for me this past month.  I loved the Anne of Green Gables series and always like a good Christmas read every year, so when I saw this at Goodwill months and months ago, I just had to bring it home.

Many of the short stories in this book were written as magazine stories by L.M. Montgomery and they are all either Christmas or New Years stories with sweet lessons to be learned. A couple of the stories are actually taken from the Anne series, so they were like visiting with familiar friends.  I very much enjoyed this one; it was the perfect light read for the week before Christmas and will go on my shelf with my other L.M. Montgomery books. 
 
Tell me, where did reading take you in December?  I hope you had some down time with a good book and a hot cup of tea. 
 
Speaking of that....please scroll down to my last post and enter the giveaway in celebration of my Mom's birthday!