October 2017 Reading Summary

I made an effort to finish one more book this morning after my early run but I kept dozing off. I'm sure that I won't complete anymore in October. So here you go then, here is my October 2017 Reading Summary.

October 2017 Reading Summary

General Summary

                                                            October           Total
Books Read                                            11                   100
Pages Read                                           3,400              38,300

Pages Breakdown
      < 250                                                  3                     45
250 - 350                                                  5                     33
351 - 450                                                  2                     14
      > 450                                                  1                       8

Ratings
5 - star                                                      0                      10
4 - star                                                      5                      50
3 - star                                                      6                      37
2 - star                                                      0                       3

Gender
Female                                                     2                       25
Male                                                        9                       75

Genres
Fiction                                                     5                       26
Mystery                                                   4                       46
SciFi                                                        1                       24
Non-Fiction                                             1                        2
Classics                                                   0                        2

2017 Reading Challenges
I won't mention my 12 + 4 challenges anymore as I completed the last one in September. I'll just go on with my Individual Goals

Canadian Literature (4 of 5)
Nights Below Station Street by David Adams Richard (3 stars)

The Classics (Pre-1900) (2 of 4)
None read in October.

Mysteries (Cops) (18 of 25)
The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes (4 stars)

Mysteries (Sleuths) (18 of 25)
The Crossword Murder by Nero Blanc (3 stars)
The Blue Edge of Midnight (4 stars)

Fantasy (4 of 5)
None read in October.

Horror (5 of 5)
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz (3 stars)
The Bad Seed by William March (4 stars)

Fiction (6 of 10)
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (4 stars)

SciFi (2 of 5)
None read in October.

Spies / Thrillers / Adventures (7 of 10)
A Taste for Death by Peter O'Donnell (3.5 stars)
The Car Bomb by T.V. LoCicero (4 stars)
The Wrecker by Clive Cussler (3.5 stars)

Non-Fiction (2 of 4)
Dear Fatty by Dawn French (3.5 stars)

Top Three Books in October
There were no 5-star reads in October. These were my 3 favourite. (Reviews follow the photo)

1. The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes.












"The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes is the first book in the Inspector Richard Jury mystery series. I've previously read 5 other books in the series but that was 3 or 4 years ago. I was glad to finally read the first book, especially glad as it introduced the core of characters who appear in many of the other books in the series (at least those that I've read)
Chief Inspector Jury of Scotland Yard has been assigned to a case in the town of Long Piddleton, where  two murders are being investigated. Both bodies have been discovered in local pubs, The Man with a Load of Mischief and The Jack and Hammer. During the course of his investigation, Jury is accompanied by his hypochondriac Sgt. Wiggins, more bodies are discovered. Jury's investigation introduces an intriguing cast of witnesses / suspects; from wealthy Melrose Plant, his precocious aunt Lady Agatha, antique dealer Marshall Trueblood, lovely poetess Vivian Rivington, and many others. I particularly enjoyed Jury's interactions with the Double children; they added a nice gentle touch to this murder mystery.
Set during the Xmas period, we get a nice feel for Jury's nature, personality and his manner of investigation. The case was intriguing and we continue to be fed new clues and information. Was the murder perpetrated by a stranger or someone local? The journey makes the solution even more enjoyable and satisfying. Having read some of the other books previously, but still many years ago, it was nice to meet those characters who appear in future books and often assist Jury with his investigations. Excellent story and mystery. Now to find book 2. The Old Fox Deceiv'd. (As an aside, if you are not aware of this, the titles of each book refer to pubs in the area of the particular mystery.) (4 stars)"

2. Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.













"I've never seen either of the movies based on The Phantom of the Opera by French writer, Gaston Leroux. Well, in fact, I guess I've seen one, a very loose remake starring Paul Williams, The Phantom of the Paradise, but I don't know if that counts. I've once seen the musical and enjoyed it immensely.
Having said all that, I was interested in finally trying to read the book. I had found an interesting edition published in 1985 by the Dorset Press and decided to buy it.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the story when I started it. It was a bit of a slow burn at first, with a mite of difficulty getting into the flow of the translation. But once I got going and more in depth into the story, I found the story increasingly interesting. The last half moved along at breakneck pace and there was considerable tension and excitement.
The narrator of the story is researching the stories of the 'Opera Ghost' who had haunted the Paris Opera House. He persuaded the managers to maintain Box 5 for him, demanded a payment of 20,000 francs a month for his use. (why would a ghost need money, you ask? Good question). Deaths are attributed to him, an soprano in the opera loses her voice during a show and is replaced by Christine Daae, who the 'ghost' fancies. The owners sell the opera to two new managers and ensure they are aware of the conditions of keeping the 'ghost' happy. Of course, they don't believe the stories, with consequences.
Christine has another admirer, Viscount de Changy, who tries to save her from the ghost, Erik. Along with the Persian, an old acquaintance of Erik, they two must make a mad race through the cellars of the Opera in a last ditch attempt to save Christine from the ghost / Phantom of the opera. I enjoyed the story more and more as it moved along and as we discovered more about Erik and where he came from. All in all, after a bit of a slow start, it was a most enjoyable story. (4 stars)"

3. The Bad Seed by William March. "I've been reading The Bad Seed by William March as part of my October Hallowe'en horror selections. It's a book I'd not heard of. There was a movie based on the book and when I read the intro, I discovered that there was also a play. The Bad Seed was March's most well-known book and he died shortly after its publication.
Basically the story is about Rhoda Penmark and her mother Christine. They live in a town in Alabama while Richard, Christine's husband, is away in South America on business. Rhoda is a strange girl, acquisitive, seemingly without emotion. One of her schoolmates, a young boy, who won a penmanship pin that Rhoda felt she should have received, dies while the class is on a school picnic. This is the incident that starts Christine on a journey of doubt and suspicion towards her daughter. Did Rhoda kill the boy?
We also meet Christine's friends her landlady, Mrs. Breedlove, and Leroy, the irritating janitor / handyman, who has an ongoing battle of wills with Rhoda. The people surrounding Christine are all somewhat strange in their own right. Christine's voyage of discovery includes research into serial killers and she finds out things about her own past that further disturb her.
While the story is not terrifying in any right, it still has an overriding creepiness and uneasiness. It is difficult to put down as you want to discover further about Rhoda and Christine and also to find out how the story will be resolved. Very interesting and spooky. Appropriate for Hallowe'en month. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

I'm finishing October and coincidentally starting November with the following books.

1. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
2. A Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson.
3. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
4. Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser.

It's just about the start of November but one of my Goodread's groups has already started to look at the 2018 Reading Challenges. I've made some tentative lists and will do a BLog entry in the next couple of weeks probably looking at my possible challenges.

For now, enjoy the rest of your week and for those that take part, Happy Halloween!!