Book Purchases - 2016 - As of Feb 02, 2016

Since the start of 2016, I've been vetting my library. The main reason for this activity is that my database program, which kept track of all my books, where I purchased them, where they are located in the house, etc., crashed. So partly because I don't mind making lists and also to give an opportunity to try and make a bit more space on our bookshelves, I've been making a new database. Part of the process has been to review my books and see if I really, really, really want to keep them. Of course I do, but, having said that, I can afford to trade in a bunch and reorganise my shelves and make space for new arrivals.

So since the beginning of the year, I've managed to cull 60 books off the shelves in the den, plus sundry others that I've read since the year started and that I felt weren't really worth keeping. However, I've also managed to purchase a few new books. I can't just go to my used book store, Nearly New Books in Comox and drop off books. I do like to do a bit of a search while there as they do have a pretty regular turnover in their stock and I always manage to find something.

So since the beginning of the year, while I've culled 60 books, I have also purchased 18 books. I think that's not a bad exchange. Not all of the books have been purchased from Nearly New. I've ordered a few on line and also bought one from the New Book store in Courtenay, The Laughing Oyster.

Below are the first books obtained in 2016 -

Mysteries

Of the three books here, two are from series I've already started. P.D. James writes the Inspector Dalgliesh mystery series, one I've enjoyed so far very much. The stories have been intelligently written, with interesting characters and plots. A Taste for Death is the 5th book in the series and involves murders in St Matthew's Church, Paddington. Charles Todd is actually the pen name of American mother / son writers Caroline and Charles Todd. A Fearsome Doubt is the 6th book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series. The series is set post-World War 1, with Rutledge returned as a Scotland Yard police inspector. I've read the first book in the series so far and enjoyed very much. Dorothy Salisbury Davis is a new writer for me. Davis was born in 1916 and was a relatively prolific writer. The Pale Betrayer was written in 1965 and has a very interesting synopsis.

Gregg Olsen is an American author who has written both true crime novels and mysteries. Heart of Ice was written in 2009 and deals with the discovery of 3 bodies in 3 different towns. This is my first mystery by Olsen.

Akashic Books has produced a Noir mystery series featuring authors in various locales. The series started in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. In 2014, the series moved to Finland to feature stories by a variety of Finnish mystery writers, hence Helsinki noir. I've read quite a few of the Scandinavian mystery writers, but none as of yet from Finland. This should provide a nice preview of their best.

I do like a good Canadian mystery writer; L.R. Wright, Louise Penny and Giles Blunt are some of my favourites. I saw this series on the shelves at Nearly New Books and it seemed interesting. I thought I should at least try the first in the series by Stanley Evans, Seaweed on the Street. The series is set in British Columbia and features Coast Salish detective Silas Seaweed. The synopsis makes the story sound nice and gritty.

I don't know where I heard of Belinda Bauer, probably in the back of one of my other books, but her stories sounded quite interesting. Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and has written a number of crime novels, starting with 2010's Blacklands, which is set in the moors of a small English village and deals with a serial killer. Sounds quite interesting.

I have liked a number of mysteries set in the Far East; the Bangkok mysteries of John Burdett, the Cambodian coroner series of Colin Cotterill and the Inspector Zhang Fong mysteries of David Rotenberg. One of my Goodreads acquaintances recommended another series set in Tibet and featuring disgraced police inspector Shan Tao Yun. The Skull Mantra, written in 1999, is the first book in this series by American author, Eliot Pattison.

Joyce Carol Oates is an author I've looked at before but never been tempted to try her books. Until recently that is. In the past few months I've picked up a couple of her books to see if I like her writing style, as she has been a prolific, respected author. The Museum of Dr. Moses was originally published in 2007 and features 10 suspense stories. I guess I'll finally get a chance to experience her writing style.

Historical Fiction

I have read one book by C.C. Humphrey before, The French Executioner and enjoyed it a lot, a nice historical adventure. Shakespeare's Rebel is set in 1599 and features England's finest swordsman, John Lawley, who is responsible for staging the fight scenes at London's new theatre, the Globe. Remember now this is fiction.. :0)

Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Fantasy

Back in my high school days, I remember enjoying the Doc Savage series of adventures by author Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name for the Street & Smith publishers and many authors used the name while writing for the publisher. Lester Dent wrote most of the Doc Savage stories. There were a total of 181 Doc Savage stories, starting in 1933. The Hate Genius was originally published in 1945, The Devil Genghis in 1938 and Murder Mirage in 1936. Basically Doc Savage was a larger than life superhero; a scientist, super physically fit specimen and he had a team of experts who followed and assisted him faithfully as he fought many, many super villains. Great stuff.

Kushiel's Dart is the first book in Jacqueline Carey's Terre d'Ange fantasy series and follows the story of a courtesan in an alternate fantasy world. "Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal and deeply conspiracies." Sound like fun?.. I think it might be.

I saw Metro 2033 when I was looking through the Science Fiction section of the Laughing Oyster. Originally published for free on line by Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsk, it has since been followed by Metro 2034 and Metro 2035. Set in 2033, it features a world reduced to rubble where some survivors live on in the Moscow Metro system and must fight to maintain their lives. The synopsis just grabbed my attention and I had to give it a try.

China Mieville is an English fantasy writer from Norwich. I've been starting to check out more SciFi and Fantasy the past few years. It used to be my favourite genre, but was gradually supplanted by mysteries. However it's been nice to start delving into this genre again. I've discovered some great new writers and also have been trying some of the old favourites again. Once again, I saw China Mieville's name in one of my books and the story sounded interesting. I've read the synopsis a couple of times now and have no idea what the story will be like. It just sounds interesting. The best thing about Science Fiction and Fantasy are the new worlds and people you get to meet. I hope Perdido Street Station provides this adventure.

Robert Heinlein,1907 - 1988, and Theodore Sturgeon, 1918 - 1985, represent the old school of Science Fiction writers. I've read a few of Heinlein's works; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Puppet Masters, Starship Troopers, Friday, etc. He is one of the great story tellers. I've purchased some of his other works in the past few years and enjoyed them just as much. Sixth Column was originally published in 1949. Unlike Heinlein, I don't believe I've read any of Sturgeon's works, unless I previously read some of his short stories. I thought I should finally give him a try and found this book of his short stories, A Touch of Strange, originally published in 1958.

So there you go, my update is complete. I will definitely try to be good for awhile. Maybe I'll wait for the next Rotary Club Book Sale in March before I buy any more, but you never know.. Enjoy your week and check these books out.

First Post of 2016 - January Reading Summary

My goodness! It's already 31 Jan 2016 and this is the first time I've posted anything in 2016. I'm enjoying my retirement much too much. And I'm not complaining. So for my first post of 2016, I'm going to take this opportunity to how I've done in my first month of the year. Looking over my summary, I'm pretty satisfied so far, especially with the total number of books read. In my Goodread's Challenge, I put down 100 books as the number I had hoped to finish this year and I think I'm off to a pretty good start. So without further ado, here is my summary -

Goodread's Challenge - 11 of 100 completed

Total pages - (I'm including a book I haven't finished yet as I had anticipated it would take up to two or three months to finish, that being The Necronomicon by H.P. Lovecraft, which is 800+ pages. In Jan, I managed to read about half of the short stories to a total of 350 pages) Total 3,341 pages

Page Breakdown -
        < 250 - 6
250 - 350 -   4
351 - 450 -   1
451+ -          1

Author Gender (I won't include Lovecraft in this total as I haven't finished)
Male - 7
Female - 4

Genre
Mystery - 7
Travel - 1
Horror - 1
Fantasy - 1
Science Fiction - 1

My 5 - star read

Rating
3 star - 5
4 star - 5
5 star - 1

12 + 4 Reading Group Challenge (3 of 16 finished, one ongoing)

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong - 3.5 stars
"The second book in the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong, again featuring female werewolf, Elena Michaels. In this book we meet many other magical species; witches, demons, sorcerers, etc. Elena is captured by a group that are keeping a variety of species in an underground camp; to experiment and observe them. Throw in a psycho boss who also likes to hunt the various inmates and a doctor who craves the feeling of power that she thinks a werewolf might bring and you've got an interesting tale. Elena is a bit wimpy (weak anyway) in this story, but then again she is a prisoner. But when it comes to the crunch, she acts quickly and mercilessly, with the help of her the Pack and other magical beings. It wasn't perfect but I do think I'll continue to read this series. I have the next one on my bookshelf."

Until the Night by Giles Blunt - 4 stars
"I don't know if this is my favourite John Cardinal police mystery but it is still an excellent, tense, well-written mystery/ thriller. It is often very gritty and has excellent tension. I've liked the development of John Cardinal, a Canadian police detective from Algonquin (read North Bay) Bay, Ontario and of his partner Lise Delorme. Their relationship develops further in this story, with many ups and downs. The story is somewhat convoluted, alternating between two ongoing cases and with the thread of a story from the past, that seems unrelated to everything taking place in Algonquin Bay, but ultimately, these diverse threads intertwine very nicely and satisfyingly. Giles Blunt has proven himself to be an excellent mystery/ thriller writer. I highly recommend."

A Judgment of Dragons by Phyllis Gotlieb - 4 stars
"Canadian writer/ poet, Phyllis Gotlieb has written some of my favourite SciFi stories, especially Sunburst. A Judgment of Dragons contains four short stories featuring the giant red cats from the planet Ungruwarkh, the male, Kreng and his telepathic mate, Prandra. Unfortunately, the first story, Son of Morning, was also contained in another book of short stories I'd already read, Son of Morning and Other Stories, but it was still nice to be reintroduced to Prandra and Kreng with that story and then to continue with three other stories featuring the irrepressible pair; The King's Dogs, Nebuchadnezzar and A Judgment of Dragons. The four stories could just as easily have been one novel as the stories follow on one after the other as the two cats go to Gal Three (AKA Earth) so Prandra can learn to use her esp powers better and they can obtain assistance from the Federation in helping the planet Ungruwarkh become more self sufficient. Prandra and Kreng are wonderful characters, grumpy, loving and just fun to read about. Each story is almost a mystery, as the two find themselves in situations that need resolution. The supporting cast; Espinoza, an esp brain who accompanies the in the first story, Kinnear, a blunt security official in the 2nd and 4th stories and others, are all excellent as well. The stories were very enjoyable and just added to my love of Gotlieb's writing. Check her out."

I currently part way through my 4th book in this challenge and should finish early in February, that being The Moche Warrior by Lyn Hamilton, the 3rd Lara McClintoch archaeological mystery.

2016 Individual Challenges

SciFi/ Fantasy/ Dystopia/ Horror - I'm hoping to read 12 books in this challenge. I haven't completed any yet, but am about half way through the Necronomicon and will be starting Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry in February.

Classics (Pre-1900) - I hope to finish 4 books in this challenge and, once again, haven't finished any yet. However I have started The Monk, a Gothic romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis. It was originally published in 1796.

Ongoing Series - I'm hoping to read between 40 - 50 books in this category as I've got so very many series on the go and still to start. So far I've read 4 books in this category so I'm well on the way.

The Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin #4) (3 stars)
"This is the fourth Agatha Raisin mystery and it was a nice, light, fun read, as were the others. Agatha returns to her cottage in the Cotswolds after spending a joyless time back in the city working as a PR agent. Even though successful, she realises that being in London brings out the worst in her and she is happy to return to Carsley. Immediately she is caught up in trying to help solve a murder of an obnoxious Rambler from a nearby town, Dembley. Her neighbour, James, agrees to help her and they head off to Dembley, pretending to be a married couple who want to join the Walkers of Dembley. Poor Agatha is a bundle of mixed emotions; does she love James, does he love her, all the time trying to figure out who the murderer is. A comfort, easy read, but as always very entertaining. 3 stars."

Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdette (Sonchai Jitpleecheep #2) (4 stars)
"This is the 2nd book in the Sonchai Jitpleecheep police series, set in Bangkok, Thailand. The first book, Bangkok 8 was excellent and this follow-up was just as good. The story is a rambling mystery, starting off with the discovery of the body of a CIA agent, who has been mutilated. Sonchai and his boss, Colonel Vikorn, work to protect the prostitute who was with the body. The story wanders through the underworld of Thailand, with Sonchai meeting with CIA agents, Muslim 'terrorists', the Yakuza and many others as he tries to solve the murder. There were nice surprises throughout and the story and the characters and the locale are all so interesting. Well worth following Sonchai on his journey to solve this case."

Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley (Phillip Trent #1) (4 stars)
"Trent's Last Case was the first book by EC Bentley in the Trent series, which only consisted of 3 books, the other two being Trent's Own Case and a book of short stories. The book is dedicated to his friend, GK Chesterton, who wrote The Man Who Was Thursday. Trent is an artist and sometime contributor to The Record, when requested by the owner. In this instance he is asked to investigate an interesting murder/ suicide of a rich American living in England to see if he can ascertain the culprit. The books moves along at a somewhat sedate pace, taking the time to introduce characters and the outline of the case; the victim, his associates, including his wife and others and to allow Trent the opportunity to conduct his investigation. I liked the pace, the writing style and the investigation. There were nice little surprises, both in solving the case and the ultimate ending. Written in 1913, it still seems valid and not at all outdated. I enjoyed very much."

Death on the Downs by Simon Brett (Fethering #2) (3.5 stars)
"This is the 2nd book in Simon Brett's Fethering mysteries, featuring amateur sleuths, Carole Seddon and her neighbour, Jude. I liked this one more than the first; Brett has found his way now that he's got over the introduction phase of the series. The characters are familiar and interesting and the case was also enjoyable. Carole finds a cache of human remains while taking shelter from a walk on the Sussex Downs. This starts an investigation into possible suspects by the two friends, which ultimately leads to threats on Carole's life. Well-paced and most entertaining and I'm looking forward to reading more in the Fethering series and also giving a start to Brett's Charles Paris and Mrs. Pargeter series as well."

Non-Fiction - I hope to read about 6 books in this category; travel, biography, history. So far I've completed one of six.

The Lawless Roads by Graham Greene (3.5 stars)
"I've been exploring more of Graham Greene's work the past few years and I enjoy his writing very much. This book is the second of his non-fiction works that I've read. Written originally in 1939, the story follows Greene as he explores Mexico, especially the Chiapas and Tabasco regions, in the wake of the destruction of the Catholic churches and teachings by the Mexican rulers. At the time of this visit, the Mexican government is also in the process of nationalising the petroleum industry, making life uncomfortable for gringos. Greene travels through a primitive, backward region by plane and donkey. I enjoy his observations of the people and life and admire his spirit. I found the memoir kind of lost its way as he came to the end and headed back to England, but overall found the story quite interesting."

One Book Per Decade Challenge - I've started this challenge at 1900, continuing on to the present, which ends up being 12 books. So far I've completed 3.

1900 - 1909 - The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker (3 stars)
"I bought this because one of my Goodread club members had read it and not really being aware of any others of Bram Stoker's books, besides Dracula, I got a copy to try it out. I was a bit underwhelmed. The story is supposedly the inspiration for today's Mummy movies. Basically, it deals with the acquisition of a number of articles, including a sarcophagus, ancient jewels and many other items from a crypt in The Valley of the Sorcerers in Egypt. The story starts in London with an attack on the man who possesses the articles, one Abel Trelawny, that leaves him in a coma. A group of people, including Trelawny's daughter, Mr. Ross, her beau and others gather to find the cause and to help if at all possible. The story is a Gothic horror but at times the horror is so nebulous as to be unidentifiable. There is a bit too much theorising and discussion for me, at times, and the ending is a bit sudden. Still, to read a story from Bram Stoker that I was totally unaware of until a couple of years ago and to experience his style was worth the read. (3.5 stars)"

1930 - 1939 - An Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer (5 stars)
"A most enjoyable mystery, my first by Heyer and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a cozy mystery, involving the murder of a cantankerous man, unloved by pretty well everybody associated with him. Inspector Harding is called down from Scotland Yard to investigate and ultimately solves the crime. I liked his character very much and also that of his plodding Sgt. There were also other characters I liked very much, especially Miss Fawcett. No reliance on fancy CSI-type technology, basically interviews and following up on questions, but so totally satisfying of a story. The ending was also satisfying and had a little twist I didn't really see coming. Not a book I'll think about for years to come, but just a perfect, enjoyable read. Always nice to discover a new author that you want to read more of."

1940 - 1949 - The Trojan Horse by Hammond Innes (4 stars)
"This was my first Hammond Innes thriller and I enjoyed very much. In some ways it reminded me of John Buchan's John Hannay thrillers. In this story, a barrister, Andrew Kilmartin, becomes involved in espionage/ intrigue that has the potential to give the Nazis a technological advantage that might help them win the war in the skies over Britain. Trying to help an Austrian scientist avoid Nazi spies who are seeking his designs for a new, improved aircraft engine, he finds himself travelling across Britain and seeking to escape from imprisonment by these same spies. There is political intrigue in the highest levels of the English government and industry, non-stop, well-paced action and a super ending. I enjoyed this very much."

So there you have it, my January 2016 summary. I hope the rest of the year is as productive. Yard work might have to suffer.. Have a great February!

A Look Ahead - 2016 Reading Group Challenges

It's been a rainy old day today. At least the wind finally let up. We've been very lazy, watching Season 2 of The Librarians and now Taken 2. Sunday is one of our favourite TV evenings for watching the tube. Tonight we've got the early episodes of Morse and after that the Swedish version of Wallander, which have really taken to.

The missus is warming up our Sunday dinner, mashed potatoes and left over turkey. That should just about be perfect. While that is taking place, I'm going to work on this BLog, today's entry will be to go through my 2016 Challenge Lists. I'm hoping to read 100 books in 2016. This past year I completed 98 and that was while working until November. So the odds are reasonably good that I will be able to achieve that total.

12 + 4 Challenge

I've done this challenge for the past 3 years. I have two planned for 2016, one for my regular reading group, the Book Addicts and a semi-related one for my Mystery Reading Group. In my Book Addicts Group, I've selected 16 books by Canadian authors. Some of these also happen to be mysteries so will also apply to that challenge. Between these two challenges, I will read 27 out of my total of 100 books. These are the books I've listed for these two challenges.

Book Addicts 12 + 4
1. Until the Night by Giles Blunt (Mys) (also in my Mystery challenge)
2. The Moche Warrior by Lyn Hamilton (Mys) (also in my Mystery challenge)
3. Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (Fan)
4. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (SciFi)
5. The Deep by Nick Cutter (Hor)
6. The Lyre of Orpheus by Robertson Davies (Fic)
7. Hitman by David Foster (Bio)
8. A Judgment of Dragons by Phyllis Gotlieb (SciFi)
9. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by W.P. Kinsella (Fic)
10. The Crime of Ovide Plouffe by Roger Lemelin (Fic)
11. Hooked on Canadian Books by T.J. Rigelfhof (Non-Fic)
12. Station Eleven by Emily St. Mandel (SciFi)
Alt 1. The Beat in View by Margaret Millar (Mys) (also in my Mystery challenge)
Alt 2. The Shanghai Murders by David Rotenberg (Mys) (also in my Mystery challenge)
Alt 3. Dead Cold by Louise Penny (Mys) (also in my Mystery challenge)
Alt 4. Lost Girls by Andrew Pyper (Fic)

Mystery 12 + 4 (only those books not already listed)
1. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth (John Madden #5)
2. Bones of Betrayal by Jefferson Bass (The Bone Farm #4)
3. Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley (Trent #1)
4. The Cat Who ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun (The Cat Who #2)
5. The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion)
6. Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse #1)
7. The Dragon Man by Gary Disher (Challis and Destry #1)
Alt 1. For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming (James Bond)
Alt 2. China Lake by Meg Gardiner (Delaney #1)
Alt 3. Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman (Navaho Tribal Police #2)
Alt 4. A Mind to Murder by P.D. James (Inspector Dalgleish #2)

Decades Challenge -  The aim of this challenge is to read a book from each decade starting with 1900. I have a few books in mind for this challenge but it remains flexible. This will make another 12 books toward my 100
1900 - 1909 The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker (1903)
1910 - 1919
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939
1940 - 1949
1950 - 1959
1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979
1980 - 1989
1990 - 1999
2000 - 2009
2010 - Present

Science Fiction Challenge - I hope to read 8 books in this challenge. It will include, SciFi, Dystopian future, Horror, Fantasy, etc.
1. Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry (Hor)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Classic Challenge - Once again, I hope to read 4 books in this challenge. The stories will consist of stories written before 1900. I still have quite a few on our bookshelves and I've enjoyed this challenge very much the past couple of years.
1. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1848)
2.
3.
4.

Series Challenge - I have so many series on the go, not just mysteries and I hope to read books in another 45. This will barely make a dent in them, but it's always nice to revisit ongoing series and maybe even finish one or two off.
1. Quietly in their Sleep by Donna Leon (Inspector Brunetti #6)
2.
3.
4.
5........

45.

Non - Fiction Challenge - Once again, I hope to read 4 books in this challenge, either history, biography, travel, etc.
1. The War that Ended the Peace by Margaret MacMillan (His)
2.
3.
4.

If I manage to complete all of the above challenges, I will succeed in reading 100 books in 2016. I'm really looking forward to it. I've identified the first three books I will read. They are -

1.  Until the Night by Giles Blunt - This fits into my Canadian 12 + 4 challenge and also my Mystery 12 + 4 challenge. It is the 6th book in the John Cardinal mystery series. What I especially like about this series is that it is set in my home town of North Bay. It's a gritty, well-crafted series.

2. The Trojan Horse by Hammond Innes - This fits into my decades challenge, the period 1940 - 1949 as it was written in 1940. It's my first book by Innes but it looks like a nice little thriller.

3. The Lawless Roads by Graham Greene (Non-Fic) - This fits into my Non-Fiction challenge. I have been collecting quite a few Graham Greene stories and I enjoyed his previous memoir of his trip through Liberia. In this memoir, he travels the roads of Mexico. This was originally published in 1939.

So there you go, my 2016 intentions. I have 100 books settled in my night stand.. well, 90 or so. The others are still scattered around the house, but I know where they are.. Enjoy your 2016 reading.

2015 Reading Challenges - A Review

Boxing Day today and after yesterday's lovely, fresh, bright Christmas Day, today has been gloomy, windy and rainy. So today I spent the morning reading and watching Boxing Day footie, then the rest of the day relaxing with the missus and puppies. At the moment, it's 7 p.m. and we've had our supper, finishing off left-overs and are watching the last Harry Potter movie. I also watched three or four episodes of Season 1 of The Librarians on Space. It's very entertaining. Tomorrow is a Season 2 stack.

For the past 10 days, I've gone through my Top Ten lists for 2015, books, songs, movies, TV shows and actors/ actresses. Before I spend time writing a BLog on what I plan for my 2016 Reading Group Challenges, I'm going to write this entry, summarising the results of my 2015 Reading Group Challenges. So here we go  -

12 + 4 Reading Group Challenge

I did two of these challenges this year. I chose to read the first book in a series, which means that I had at least 32 series on my bookshelves (scary, I know) that I hadn't started yet, but have now. I finished both of these challenges.

In my first 12 + 4, I read the following books -

1. Simon Brett - The Body on the Beach (Fethering)
2. Ann Cleeves - Raven Black (Shetland)
3. Cara Black - Murder in the Marais (Cara Black)
4. David Downing - Zoo Station (John Russell)
5. Kate Ellis - The Merchant's House (Wesley Peterson)
6. Jasper Fforde - The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next)
7. Charles Finch - A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox)
8. Malla Nunn - A Beautiful Place to Die (Emmanuel Cooper)
9. Craig Johnson - The Cold Dish (Longmire)
10. Henning Mankell - Faceless Killers (Wallander)
11. D.A. Mishani - The Missing File (Avraham Avraham)
12. Robin Paige - Death at Bishop's Keep (Kathryn Ardleigh)
Alt 1 - Louise Penny - Still Life (Inspector Gamache)
Alt 2 - C.C. Humphreys - The French Executioner (French Executioner)
Alt 3 - Peter Robinson - Gallows View (Inspector Banks)
Alt 4 - Maj Sjowall - Roseanna (Martin Beck)

My favourites of this group were Mall Nunn, David Downing, Jasper Fforde and Peter Robinson. Least favourite were Cara Black and Charles Finch.

I started my second 12 + 4 grouping in Jun. They included the following books:

1. Jacqueline Winspear - Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs)
2. Ruth Rendell - From Doon with Death (Inspector Wexford)
3. Thomas Perry - The Butcher's Boy (Butcher Boy)
4. Adrian McKinty - The Cold, Cold Ground (Sean Duffy)
5. P.D. James - Cover Her Face (Inspector Dalgleish)
6. John Harvey - Lonely Hearts (Charles Resnick)
7. Tony Hillerman - The Blessing Way (Navaho mysteries)
8. David Baldacci - Split Second (King & Maxwell)
9. Lillian Jackson Braun - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who)
10. Jeffery Deaver - The Sleeping Doll (Kathryn Dance)
11. James Ellroy - The Black Dahlia (LA Quartet)
12. Peter O'Connell - Modesty Blaise (Modesty Blaise)
Alt 1 - Kyril Bonfiglioli - Don't Point That Thing at Me (Charlie Mortdecai)
Alt 2 - Camilla Lackberg - The Ice Princess (Patrick Hedstrom)
Alt 3 - Agatha Christie - The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple)
Alt 4 - Meg Gardiner - The Dirty Secret's Club (Jo Beckett)

My favourites in this group were PD James, Agatha Chrisie and Ruth Rendell. My least favourite was James Ellroy.

Individual Challenges

 To fill out my overall challenge of 95 books, I also had a variety of individual challenges. My first was to try and read 4 Classics, Books written before 1900. I finished this challenge and enjoyed every book I read. Two of my top five books were from this particular challenge.

The Classics
1. Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone (1868) (4 stars)
2. George Eliot - The Mill on the Floss (1860) (5 stars)
3. Thomas Hardy - Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) (5 stars)
4. William Thackeray - Vanity Fair (1848) (4 stars)

I also planned to read 4 Non-Fiction books, either History, Biography or Travel, etc). I succeeded with this challenge as well. Overall I enjoyed this challenge. There were no duff books, but no favourites either, just enjoyable reads.

Non-Fiction
1. Lynne Olson - Citizens of London (4 stars)
2. Mark Logue - The King's Speech (4 stars)
3. Miranda Hart - Is It Just Me? (3.5 stars)
4. Bill Bryson - Neither Here nor There (4 stars)

I actually exceeded my planned quota for my next challenge. I had planned to read 6 Science Fiction novels and I read 7. Well, to be specific, I started 7 but only finished 6. This category contained the one book I just could not get into or finish, that being Mark Helprin's Winter Tale.

Science Fiction
1. J.G. Ballard - Crash (3.5 stars)
2. Iain M. Banks - Excession (5 stars)
3. Jim Butcher - Grave Peril (4 stars)
4. Jose Saramago - Blindness (3.5 stars)
5. John Brunner - Manshape (3.5 stars)
6. Mark Helprin - Winter's Tale (1 star)
7. Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games (3.5 stars)

I also managed to finish my next category, Fiction (books written after 1900). Some more of my favourites were in this category. I finished 10 books.

Fiction
1. Grace Metallious - Peyton Place (5 stars)
2. Bernard Cornwell - Sharpe's Fury (3.5 stars)
3. C.S. Forester - Lord Hornblower (3.5 stars)
4. W. Somerset Maugham - The Moon and Sixpence (5 stars)
5. Nevil Shute - So Disdained (4 stars)
6. Jean Rhys - After Leaving Mr. MacKenzie (3.5 stars)
7. Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca (5 stars)
8. Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited (4 stars)
9. P.G. Wodehouse - Joy in the Morning (4 stars)
10. Valentine Davies - Miracle on 34th street (3.5 stars)

My next challenge was to focus on mystery series that I had already started. I didn't succeed with this challenge, mainly because of my second 12 + 4 challenge. I had planned to try and read 25 books in this category, but I completed only 16. When I finish the one that I am currently reading, it will make 17 of 25. It was nice to try and focus on series that I've neglected for awhile.

Mystery Series
1. Jussi Adler-Olsen - (Dept Q #2) The Absent One (4 stars)
2. Rennie Airth - (John Madden #3) The Dead of Winter (4 stars)
3. Kate Atkinson - (Jackson Brodie #2) One Good Turn (4 stars)
4. Nevada Barr - (Anna Pigeon #7) Liberty Falls (3.5 stars)
5. Jefferson Bass - (The Body Farm #3) The Devil's Bones (3 stars)
6. M.C. Beaton - (Agatha Raisin #2) The Vicious Vet (3 stars)
7. Mark Billingham - (Tom Thorne #2) Scaredy Cat (4 stars)
8. John Buchan - (John Hannay #3) Mr. Standfast (4 stars)
9. Lee Child - (Jack Reacher #3) Tripwire (3.5 stars)
10. Barbara Cleverly - (Joe Sandilands #4) The Palace Tiger (3.5 stars)
11. Colin Cotterill - (Siri Paiboun #2) - Thirty-Three Teeth (4 stars)
12. Jeffery Deaver - (Lincoln Rhyme #7) The Cold Moon (4 stars)
13. Janet Evanovich - (Stephanie Plum #8) Hard Eight (3 stars)
14. Ian Fleming - (James Bond) - Diamonds are Forever (3.5 stars)
15. Alan Furst - (Night Soldiers #3) - The Polish Officer (4 stars)
16. Sue Grafton - (Kinsey Milhone) R is for Ricochet (3.5 stars)
17. Caroline Graham - (Midsomers #3) Death in Disguise (not yet finished)

I had quite a few mystery specific challenges as that is my favourite genre at the moment. My next challenge was to read 10 Stand-alone mysteries and I completed this challenge.

Mysteries (Stand-alones)
1. Karin Alvtegen - Shame (4 stars)
2. John le Carre - A Small Town in Germany (3.5 stars)
3. Len Deighton - Funeral in Berlin (3 stars)
4. James Kennaway - Mind Benders (3 stars)
5. Margaret Millar - The Soft Talkers (5 stars)
6. Wilbur Smith - The Dark of the Sun (3.5 stars)
7. Hillary Waugh - A Death in a Town (5 stars)
8. Michelle Spring - The Night Lawyer (3 stars)
9. Patricia Highsmith - This Sweet Sickness (3.5 stars)
10. Alistair MacLean - The Last Frontier (3 stars)

My penultimate challenge was to reread some old favourites. They were all Science Fiction. I hoped to read 5, but only managed to read 3 of these books. It was definitely nice to refresh my memories of these books.

Rereads
1. John Wyndham - The Chrysalids (5 stars)
2. Michael de Larrabeiti - The Borribles (3 stars)
3. Robert Heinlein - Friday (4 stars)

My final category was to read books that I had actually purchased in 2015. I managed to finish 10 of 15 in this challenge and currently have one more on the go, which I will finish before year end

Freebies
1. Kelley Armstrong - (Fantasy) Bitten (3.5 stars)
2. Paul J. Bartusiak - (Spy/ Thriller) Cool Jazz Spy ( 3.5 stars)
3. Ann Cleeves - (Mystery) White Nights (4 stars)
4. T.S. Eliot - (Poetry) Selected Poems (4 stars)
5. Graham Greene - (Memoir) Journey without Maps (3.5 stars)
6. Harper Lee - (Fiction) Go Set a Watchman (3.5 stars)
7. George Revelli - (Erotica) Amanda in Spain (3 stars)
8. Shirley Jackson - (Hor) We Have Always Lived in the Castle (4 stars)
9. Nick Cutter - (Hor) The Troop (4 stars)
10. Leif GW Persson - (Mys) Backstrom; He Who Kills the Dragon (3 stars)
11. Vince Flynn - (Thriller) Transfer of Power (not yet finished)

So there you have it, my year in review. I finished my 95+ books for my Goodreads challenge of 95 books. I'm looking forward to next year. Now I must dash as the puppies are demanding a walk.. Have a great Sunday!

Bill's 2015 Top Ten Lists - The Number One's

Our Lovely Tree

It's been a lovely, relaxing Christmas Eve so far. Last night we got some snow and there is a bit still on the ground. Jo and I watched old movies last night, finishing off with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in Robin and His Seven Hoods. Jo also made a yummy strawberry lemon/ lime cheesecake, which I hope we'll break in tonight. This morning we went out early, got some fresh ciabatta, fresh bread and OJ. I made a batch of chocolate chip and butterscotch chip cookies while watching a Dr. Who marathon and Jo is about to make more chicken liver paté and then will wrap my prezzies... :0). We even had a couple of parcels delivered, including a personal delivery from our local Home & Garden Gate store, the owner, the lovely Jodie, delivering a prezzie from sis-in-law Susan. And to top it off, it's a lovely bright, sunny day today, so pretty well darn perfect.

Moving on now, it's time to finish off my Top Tens for 2015. Today, it's the Number Ones. Enjoy.

BOOKS

1. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (Classic) - The Mill on the Floss was originally published in 1860 and it's the 2nd book by George Eliot that I've read, after Daniel Deronda. I liked both equally and gained a new appreciation about what a great writer George Eliot was. This was my review of the book -

"Such an excellent classic. I had read George Eliot's Daniel Deronda last year and loved her writing style. She writes with intelligence and emotion. The Mill on the Floss tells the story of Maggie Tulliver and her family, father and mother and brother Tom. Her father owns the mill of the title. It has been in his family for generations. Due to various dealings, a lost court case and debts, he loses the mill and ends up working for the lawyer, Wakem, against whom he had the court case.

Maggie is a beautiful, head strong girl, a difficult way to be in the time of this story. She loves Wakem's son, Phillip, a disabled young man, but due to her father's strong feelings against that family, they must meet in secret. There are many tragedies in this story, the family's bankruptcy, the father's illness as a result of losing the court case, his death, Maggie's tragic loves, etc. The story is told in seven sub-stories, as Maggie and Tom grow up.

Tom is her brother, she loves him dearly and craves his returned love. It is his intransigence, that keeps her and Phillip apart and leads to other tragedies. I liked many of the characters, especially Maggie's cousin, Lucy, who loves and cares for Maggie dearly. The story moves easily through Maggie's life and as you get used to the language of the day, and this isn't a hard prospect as Eliot writes so well, you will get into the flow of the story. The ending left me feeling very sad and bereft, especially that it took this final event to bring brother and sister back together. Excellent story..."

SONG

1. Zedd w/ Foxes - Clarity - Zedd is a Russian/ German DJ/ producer and has delivered some of my favourite songs this past year, including I Want You to Know with Selena Gomez and Beautiful Now with Jon Bellion. This a beautiful song and well-deserving of being my Number 1. The featured vocalist, Foxes, is Louisa Rose Allen from Southampton. I've got a few of her songs on my usb and will feature her later on my Facebook page.

 TV SHOW

1. Penny Dreadful (Season 2) - This Number 1 was a close race with Orphan Black. But I think that Penny Dreadful, starring Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Rory Kinnear and so many other excellent actors, really came into its own during this second season. In the first season, Timothy Dalton, with the help of Eva Green, searches for his lost daughter, Mina, who is with a group of vampires. Season 2 deals with a coven of witches, led by the truly scary Helen McCrory, as Evelyn Poole. The regular cast returns; Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray, Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm Murray, Eva Green as Vanessa Ives, Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler, Rory Kinnear as The Creature and Harry Treadaway as Victor Frankenstein. Season 2 has so many truly scary moments and is a fantastic Gothic horror story. The missus and I were often held breathless with anticipation as the group battle the witches coven. So many other plot developments; the creation of another creature, by Victor Frankenstein, as a bride for The Creature and, as well, The Creatures capture by the owner of the Wax Museum, for his House of Horrors. Just writing this, I'm already looking forward to the upcoming Season 3, which advertises the addition of Doctor Jekyll, amongst other new characters.

MOVIE

1. Interstellar - Interstellar came out in 2014 and was directed by Christopher Nolan. I saw it first on a flight back home this Fall and was astounded by it. When I got home, I told the missus we had to watch again so she would get an opportunity to see it. Needless to say, she thought it was pretty darn good too. Christopher Nolan is pretty well a genius. Movies like Memento, The Prestige and Inception are all so imaginative. Interstellar, with an excellent cast of Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine make this an even better movie. The basic premise it that the Earth is dying and Matthew and a crew of scientists are the last hope of mankind. Great special effects, but also very interesting story line. I loved it.

ACTRESS

1. Tatiana Maslany - Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany is my choice for Number 1 for 2015. Her role(s) as the clones in Orphan Black continues to be a tour de force. Her ability to juggle the characteristics of each character, in each and every episode of the show, is testament to her acting abilities. Each character is an individual and totally believable. While this scene was in the previous season, if you click on the link, you will see the dance sequence where all the clones are together. It's truly amazing. I look forward to the upcoming season of Orphan Black to follow the ongoing character development and to see what will happen next. Tatiana was also in Woman in Gold this past year. Unfortunately, I haven't seen yet, but the missus says she was excellent in that as well.

ACTOR

1. Matthew McConaughey - I especially liked Matthew McConaughey's role in Interstellar, this past year. It was excellent and displayed his talents so very well. I had lost track of him for many years, but his recent roles in Dallas Buyer's Club, The Lincoln Lawyer and The Wolf of Wall Street, plus his starring role in the first season of True Detectives, has rekindled my interest in his work. He's got a busy schedule the next while so I'll be sure to check out The Free State of Jones, Sing, and Gold.

So there you have it. My Top Ten Lists for 2015 are now completed. I hope you've enjoyed. Have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Next I'll be getting back to my Reminiscences of a Military Brat, my review of the last year's worth of reading and also take a look at my 2016 Reading challenges, 'Til then.