Year End Summary AKA What I Read in 2014.

So here it is, the 28th of December. Our Xmas celebrations (which were relaxing and just what we wanted) are over. Xmas Day was excellent; we lounged around all day, chatted with family, had an excellent Xmas dinner, watched some excellent TV (the BBC Xmas day shows). Since then we've talked about leaving the house, but other than walking the dogs, really haven't done all that much. I've enjoyed the Xmas footie season, the full days worth of games, with New Year's day still to come. I'm off until the 4th so I get to read and enjoy spending time at home. The weather has been excellent, fresh, cool, sunny for the most part. I've managed a couple of runs in the a.m. Last night, Jo and I watched two entertaining movies; Captain America: The Winter Soldier (I had already seen and enjoyed) and The Judge, a drama starring Robert Downey and Robert Duvall. Different movies but we enjoyed both.

So I've been trying to organise some of my books for the start of 2015, but am taking a break today to do my year end review of what I managed to accomplish this past year. Overall, I'm very happy with my selections this past year and with how much I managed to complete. So let's start with some totals -

Total Books read - 104 (plus the one I'm currently reading and which I plan to finish by year end - 105 books)
Total Pages read - 34, 795 (Plus the one I'm reading, which will add another 217 pages)
Total Books purchased - 147 (I fell behind somewhat as you can see, will have to behave a bit better in 2015)

Star Ratings - (Check out my previous BLog for my Top Ten list of the year)
5***** - 7
4****   - 50
3***     - 46
2**       - 1

Favourite Book - Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford (published 1924 - 28)
Biggest Disappointment - Mimic Men by V.S. Naipaul (published 1967)

Male/ Female Author breakdown

Male - 62/ Female - 42 (this will increase by one when I finish The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie.)

Genres
Fiction (Classic - my judgement) - 4
Fiction (Modern) - 7
Western - 1
Graphic Novels - 3
Horror - 4
Poetry - 1
Fantasy - 6
Humour - 1
SciFi - 2
Mystery (this was by far my favoured genre, so I've tried to break it down somewhat)
- Historical settings - 10
- Classics (e.g. Christie, Marsh) - 10
- Forensic - 3
- Psychological - 3
- Thriller (Child, etc) - 18
- Police (mostly British) - 17
- Scandinavian - 6
- Spy/ War - 2

So that is basically it, but one more breakdown. Below were some of the challenges I decided to try out this past year and how I did with them -

12+4 Reading Group Challenge

I managed to complete this challenge, finishing the 16th book on the 30th of Nov. My favourite book and my least favourite came from this list. I had a reasonable mix, that was my intent at the beginning of the year; 3 Classics - 1 - 5 star and 2 - 4 star; 2 Fiction - 1 - 4star, 1 - 2 star; 4 Non-Fiction - 4 - 3 star; 4 Mystery - 1 - 5 star and 3 - 4 star; 3 SciFi/ Fantasy - 1 5 star, 2 4 - Star

 Alphabetical Mystery Author Challenge

I renewed this challenge from my 2013 challenges, starting at the 'H' and alternating from there with the end of the alphabet. I ended up reading 19 books in this challenge, with my favourite being Black Diamond by Martin Walker. There were no real disappointments in this challenge and it introduced me to a few new authors who had been residing on my TBR shelves for awhile; Charles Todd of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries and Peter James of the DS Roy Grace mysteries. There were, of course, others. It did help me become more acquainted with the many varieties of mysteries/ thrillers out there. It's a great genre.

Bed-Time Authors

This was a new challenge, the purpose to try and make a dent in some of the many series that I've started. The plan was to read two books by each author selected. It was definitely a satisfactory plan. I managed to read 38 books in this challenge (well, it'll be 40 when I finish this year as I will have finished how I started, with two Agatha Christie mysteries). So many excellent series on my shelf, from MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth books through Lee Child's Jack Reacher series to the classics, like Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey and Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn. There were a lot of 3 star reads in this grouping, but I wasn't dissatisfied with any of them.

A - Z Challenge

I've tried this challenge a few times in some of my groups so this year I used a variation that I kind of borrowed from other folks. I chose authors whose last name spelled out the names of our puppies; Bonnie and Clyde. 'Y' was the most difficult letter but fortunately I had a couple books written by Chic Young, based on his Dagwood and Blondie comic strip. It wasn't a classic but it was a fun selection.

Anyway, there you have it. As I mentioned previously, I have one final book to complete before 31 Dec, that being Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery, which was originally published in 1929. This particular Bantam edition, which is the one I'm reading came out in Oct 19, 1980. It is a standalone mystery, not featuring her more famous sleuths, Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. I'm getting into it now and enjoying very much. One of the nice things about the past year has been taking the opportunity to read more of these classics and I've enjoyed very much.

So as the year winds down, I'm also looking at the challenges I've made for next year and have been setting aside some of the books on my list. I'll probably reorganise my bookshelves again before year end. What fun!

I want to take the time to thank anyone who takes the time to read this BLog. I hope you enjoy and that it gives you some reading ideas as well. Enjoy the rest of 2014 and I wish you happiness in the new year. Happy 2015!!

October Update

Hmmm, interesting, when I logged in I got error messages saying my browser isn't supporting this. Well, we'll see what happens; I seem to be able to type this. Anyway, on with the show. It's one of the first days in awhile that we haven't had lots of rain, I'm going to write this entry and if it's still reasonable out, the doggies and I are going to go outside while I rake some leaves.. Sounds like fun, eh?



It's an old picture but you get the idea...

Update on my October books

My Favourite Oct Book

I've had a reasonably successful month of October so far. I've read 9 books so far, although I have to say that 3 of them were graphic novels, so not many pages. My favourite book so far has been A Deeper Darkness, the first Samantha Owens mystery, by J.T. Ellison. It was my introduction to Ellison; I needed a book with an author whose last name starts with 'E' and this looked interesting. Samantha Owens is a city pathologist out of Tennessee. She is dealing with issues from her past; as it slowly comes out, it involves the death of her husband and children. That does take the whole story to actually be explained. I'm not ruining anything I don't think as it is included in the synopsis of the book I bought. She has many issues, including an OCD habit of washing and rewashing her hands any time she gets stressed and she has lost interest in her job and many other issues. This did grate on my nerves somewhat at the beginning as it did seem to preoccupy the writer for the first 50 or so pages. Samantha receives a request from the mother of her ex-lover, her first love, who is murdered in Washington DC in what seems to be an apparent drive-by car grab. His mother thinks there is more to this murder and asks Samantha to come in and perform a second autopsy to see if she can find out something that the original investigation couldn't. Eddie Donovan is an ex Army Ranger and his mother thinks he may have been murdered for other reasons. So Samantha reluctantly goes to Washington and soon finds herself immersed in other murders, threats to her life, interest from the police detective working the case and so much else. It is a taut, well-paced, exciting thriller once it gets going. I didn't particularly like, or maybe more appropriately, wasn't satisfied with the ending, but that was only because I hoped for a somewhat different result. However, that is a minor detail. The book was pleasantly surprising and I enjoyed it very much and now will have to find the other books in this series and maybe even try Ellison's Taylor Jackson series. (4 stars)

Currently Reading

A Deeper Darkness was the last book of the group I had started last weekend so I'm now in the process of starting three new books.

A new series - DS Grace

Dead Simple by Peter James - Dead Simple is the first book in another new series for me. I've had 4 or 5 of the books on my book shelf for at least the past year or longer so I think it's time for me to dust off the first book and see what I think of it. This is the synopsis "It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gain - more than anyone realizes. For one man's disaster is another man's fortune... Dead simple.."

A comforting series - Superintendent Wycliffe

Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat by W.J. Burley - I've read about 3 of this series over the past couple of years; I dust one off every year and settle down to enjoy another Wycliffe mystery. I still have another ten or so on my bookshelf so have decided to read the next two in the series as part of my bed time challenge. This is the second book in the series and this is the synopsis - "The woman was young and slim, with auburn hair arranged on her pillow. When Superintendent Wycliffe saw her, he could almost believe she was asleep - that is, until he looked at her face. Although she had been killed by strangulation, someone had mutilated her face after she was dead. As Wycliffe investigates, he finds more questions than answers. Why did a girl with expensive clothing and make-up end up in such a seedy hotel down by the docks? Why was there a thousand pounds hidden near her, beneath a pile of clothing? And why was someone apparently trying to hide her identity?"

A thrilling book and TV series

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin - This is the fifth and so far most recent book int he Song of Fire and Ice fantasy series, that has been also made into the successful TV series, A Game of Thrones. I've been avoiding reading this fifth book as I don't know when the sixth book will come out. But now that the next iteration of the TV series will be starting in the new year, I felt I should get caught up with the happenings in Westeros and surrounding kingdoms. This book moves along in synch with the 4th book, following different characters until later on when they all catch up with each other.  This is the synopsis "In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east - with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night's Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skin-changers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all.".. now you know why this is such an exciting series..

Well, the rains have started, I think I'll focus on laundry instead of yard work.. lol...


August 2014 Review

Ah well, the end of another month and the time to review my past month's reading.  For August I finished 11 books. It brings my total for the year to 70 out of my Goodread's challenge total of 90. That leaves me 20 books or 5 per month; a rate I should definitely be able to complete. Of my 11 books in August, these are my basic stats -

Gender
Male authors - 5
Female authors - 6

Genres
Science Fiction - 1
Horror (also short story) - 1
Mystery - 6
Classic (Non-Fiction) - 1
Biography - 2

Ratings
3 star - 5
4 star - 6

There were no really outstanding reads this past month. I do wonder if maybe I'm being too harsh with my ratings as the year goes on, but I don't think so. If I look over the whole year, this has been my ratings -

2 star - 1
3 star - 31
4 star - 32
5 star - 6

(seems pretty average)

Favourite Book

Overall, my favourite book of the month was my introduction to Lord Peter Wimsey, the first in the series by Dorothy L. Sayers. It took me a few minutes to get into it, but the story moved along very nicely and was quite thoughtful and well-written. This was my review -

"I was very pleasantly surprised by my introduction to the world of Lord Peter Wimsey. I was expecting a cozy-type mystery, but it was so much more than that. Peter Wimsey is a detective, works at it sort of in his spare time, although he has solved some important cases, from some of the comments made during this first of the Wimsey mysteries. But he is much more than that; he is an officer who fought in WWI and suffers from a sort of post - traumatic stress disorder, which crops up when he is physically and mentally tired from working cases. He has doubts about what he does, whether he should make this a past-time when there is the potential for affecting people's lives with his investigations. The story, itself, grew on me as I delved deeper into it. I liked many of the characters; his butler, ex-Sgt Bunter, his wonderful, common-sense mother and Scotland Yard inspector and friend, Parker. I enjoyed this very much and look forward to the next one, which is next on my list; Clouds of Witness. It's always a nice surprise when a book exceeds your expectations."

I am currently enjoying the second in the series very much. Excellent series so far.

So there you have my August summary. I'll do a more detailed review of the year at the end of September as it will be the 3/4 point. Enjoy September!

Looking ahead for the rest of 2014 plus general stuff

Today is Jo and my 12th wedding anniversary. She's downtown today, but we had a nice morning and will spend the evening relaxing, watching Doctor Who and a Kate Bush special that we found on line. I got Jo the painting above. I found a lady in Victoria who paints animals and sent her pictures of Nikki and Norman, our previous dogs and of Bonnie and Clyde, our current puppies and this is what she cam up with. I thought it was perfect. Clyde and Bonnie on the outside and Nikki and Norman in the middle.. Lovely, eh?

Looking at books, I've realised that we're 2/3rds of the way through 2014 so I've been thinking a bit about some of the books I'll read for the next four months.

Currently Reading

1. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers - This is the second Lord Peter Wimsey book. I mentioned it in my last Blog as I tried to sort out some of my future Challenge books; my Bed-time reads. I'm enjoying the Peter Wimsey books very much so far and if this one continues to grab my attention, then I'll be getting all the rest of the books in the series, I'm sure. This is the synopsis of this book "The Duke of Denver, accused of murder, stands trial for his life in the House of Lords. Naturally, his brother Lord Peter Wimsey is investigating the crime - this is a family affair. The murder took place at the duke's hunting lodge and Lord Peter's sister was engaged to marry the dead man. But why does the duke refuse to co-operate with the investigation? Can he really be guilty, or is he covering up for someone?" I'm about 40 pages into the story so far and enjoying so very much.

2. The Bookwoman's Last Fling by John Dunning - This is the fifth and final Cliff Janeway mystery, a favourite series of mine. I like the fact that Janeway is a book seller and hunter and that hunting for old books features in his mysteries. And the stories are just very well-written and interesting to read. The synopsis "When wealthy horse trainer H.R. Geiger dies, Denver bookman Cliff Janeway encounters the legacy of the man's wife, Candice, a true bookwoman who left behind an assortment of rare first-edition children's books. Sent to assess the collection, Janeway soon finds that several titles are missing, replaced by cheap reprints - while other hugely expensive pieces remain. Why would a thief take one priceless book and leave an equally valuable volume on the shelf? Suspecting foul play, Janeway follows the trail of Candice's shadowy past to California's Golden Gate and Santa Anita racetracks, where he signs on as a racehorse hot walker. Eavesdropping on the chatter among the hands, he doesn't like what he hears. And when he goes to the house where Candice died to look for answers, Janeway finds much more than he bargained for."

3. Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson - This is the third in the Gaslight mystery series, set in New York City. I'm reading this book as part of my alphabetical Mystery author's challenge, in fact, I put that challenge aside until this book arrived in the mail on Friday. The first two books in the series were both excellent, the second better than the first so I'm hoping the trend continues with this book. I'm enjoying the introduction so far. "At a summons from Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, Sarah Brandt arrives at the elegant home of famed magnetic healer Edmund Blackwell to find his wife in labour - and the good doctor dead from an apparent suicide. Only Malloy sees what no one else wants to: that Blackwell was murdered in his own home. After a successful delivery, the Blackwell baby falls mysteriously ill. Relying on her nurses' training and woman's intuition, Sarah discovers the source of the baby's sickness - and discovers a scandal that leads Malloy's investigation down a gilded path paved with greed, deception and desire.. "

So there you have the first three books of the rest of the year. I figure I can read at a minimum 7 books per month, so a total of 28. I have some challenge to finish off. I have two more books left in my 12 + 4 Reading Group challenge; My Week With Marilyn/ The Prince, the Showgirl and Me by Colin Clark and A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester. I plan to finish those before the end of the year. As well, my September genre challenge is Westerns and I plan to satisfy that challenge with Colorado by Louis Bromfield, a book that's been on my shelf for ages. Not even sure where we got it; I think as a book in a box of books we bought at a local auction a few years back. So that's six books and if I manage to read the books I mentioned in my previous Blog for my Bed-time table challenge, that will be maybe another 14 books; 20. That leaves me with at least another 8 books. I can satisfy my Alphabetical Mystery Author's challenge with another 4 books; 2 from the beginning of the alphabet and two from the end. Let's see, I'm into the J's at the beginning of the alphabet, so a P.D. James would be next, probably  Original Sin, the 9th in the Inspector Adam Dalgleish series and then the first in Peter James' Inspector Grace series, Dead Simple. At the end of the alphabet, I'm in the T's, so working back, I'll start with a book by Josephine Tey, maybe The Franchise Affair and then Andrew Taylor's An America Boy or The Scent of Death. I need 20 books to finish my Goodread's challenge of 90 books this year. I'm sure I'll make that challenge.

It's been a great reading year so far and a great year overall. In November or December, I'll start looking at 2015.. Oh the excitement!!

For now, off to walk the dogs. The much - needed rain has stopped and there is a nice cool breeze.

Enjoy your weekend. I'll try and sum up my August reading sometime this weekend.

Statistics and 2014 Challenges

I've spent an hour climbing up and down a ladder cleaning out the gutters on the second floor; well, at least the one at the back of the house. So half the house is done now, will finish the rest over the long weekend, weather permitting. The dogs have had their walk and both are tuckered and resting on the floor beside my chair, so I think I'll write up a quick Blog entry before I head downtown. I spent an hour this morning going through my To-Be-Read (TBR) book list in Goodreads and thought I'd provide some info on genres, numbers, etc that are there. According to my goodreads page, I've got 580 books on my TBR shelves. As a point of fact, when I add a book to my TBR list, it actually resides on one of the book shelves in the house. So I've got a good 6 years worth of reading available; shouldn't need a kindle or such for awhile then.. Woo hoooo!

Now the numbers which follow might not add up to 580, but it gives a general picture of the types of books I've got on my shelves. Firstly, I've got approx. 330 books written by male authors and 250 by female authors, so a fairly equal representation. Now next, let's look at genres. You'll note that the majority are mysteries. I didn't break down by sub-genres, mystery, thriller, spy, etc but I will say there is a fair mix of those sub-genres. So let's see what type of mix I've got -

Mystery - 385
Humour - 10
Fantasy - 20
Classic - 35
SciFi - 20
Fiction - 40
Horror - 10
Poetry - 5
Travel - 5
War - 10
Biography - 15
History - 5
Adventure - 15
Sport - 5

I guess that's a fair mix. In my next Blog it'll be 2/3 of the way through the year.. (Wow! Already??) I'll provide a bit of a look at how my reading has been going on this year and maybe look ahead to the next 4 months. But for now, I want to take a look at one of my challenges for 2014; my Bed-Time Authors challenge. Basically these are the books that I choose as my bed-time reading. The plan this year was to read two books by each author in order to try and make a dent in some of the many series that I've got lining the book shelves. So far, I've completed 26 books, or 13 different authors:

1. Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (4 stars) and N or M? (4 stars)
2. Jefferson Bass - Carved in Bone (3 stars) and Flesh and Bone (3 stars)
3. Margery Allingham - Death of a Ghost (3 stars) and Dancers in Mourning (3 stars)
4. Lee Child - Killing Floor (3.5 stars) and Die Trying (3.5 stars)
5. Kate Ellis - Playing with Bones (4 stars) and Seeking the Dead (4 stars)
6. Nevada Barr - Endangered Species (3 stars) and Blind Descent (3 stars)
7. Victoria Thompson - Murder on Astor Place (3 stars) and Murder on St. Mark's Place (4 stars)
8. Peter O'Donnell - Sabre-Tooth (3 stars) and I, Lucifer (3 stars)
9. Karen Irving - Pluto Rising (3.5 stars) and Mars Eclipsed (4 stars)
10. R.D. Wingfield - Night Frost (4 stars) and Hard Frost (4 stars)
11. John P. Marquand - Your Turn Mr. Moto (3 stars) and Mr. Moto is So Sorry (3 stars)
12. Jo Nesbo - Nemesis (3.5 stars) and Cockroaches (3.5 stars)
13. Julie Smith - The Axeman's Jazz (3.5 stars) and Death Turns a Trick (3.5 stars)

My current author is Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series. Whose Body is the first in the series and so far I'm enjoying very much. I also have the 2nd book in the series, Clouds of Witness, and that will be my next Bed-time book. All things being equal I should be able to read at least 8 more authors by the end of December, if I can manage two per month. I think I'll focus on those authors who have the most books on my shelves, even if it means that I might repeat the odd author. If I can manage 8 more authors (16 books), these will be the ones I plan to read.

1. MC Beaton (author of two series, Agatha Raisin mysteries and Hamish Macbeth series.) I have 13 books on my TBR shelf. I'll read one of each; Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, the first Agatha Raisin mystery. I have read one previously, but want to be properly introduced. Death of a Gossip is the first book in the Hamish Macbeth series and I've not read any of this series.

2. Ngaio Marsh (author of the Inspector Alleyn mysteries) I have 13 books in this series on my shelves. Last year I did a month's focus on this series and read 4 books. The two I will read in 2014 as part of this challenge will be - Enter a Murder (Book 2) and Death in a White Tie (Book 7)

3. Ellis Peters (Author of the Cadfael books). I've read quite a few books in this series, but there still remain 10 unread. I'll read The Sanctuary Sparrow (Book 7) and An Excellent Mystery (Book 11)

4. WJ Burley (Author of the Wycliffe mysteries) This is another series in which I've read 3 or 4, but there are still at least 10 others on my book shelves. I'll start with the 2nd book in the series, Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat and finish with Book 3, Wycliffe and the Guilt-Edged Alibi.

5. Ian Rankin (author of the Rebus books, plus others) - I have the complete Rebus series and have worked my way about half through it, so will continue with Inspector Rebus, starting with Book 12, The Falls and continuing with Book 13, Resurrection Men.

6. John D. MacDonald (author of the Travis McGee mysteries) I read four books in this series last year and enjoyed very much. There are 10 more awaiting my perusal so I'll try two more, starting with Book 6, Bright Orange for the Shroud and Book 7, Darker Than Amber.

I'm not sure which other authors I'll read. It will depend on where I am in 2014 when I finish Mr. MacDonald's books. I'm leaning towards Agatha Christie, it would be nice to finish with the author that I started out the year reading. We'll see. Anyway, lots of good reading ahead. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.

Decisions/ Decisions - What to read in June?

So here we are, 9 days into June 2014. It's a lovely cool day and I'm presently avoiding doing housework or yard work. However after this short Blog, I plan to do some laundry (darks) and then if I don't work on my continued efforts to wash down the outside of the house, I think I'll cut down a few more dead trees out back.. The dogs have had their walk and are now resting awaiting my next step.

So back to my initial subject, what to read in June? I've managed to finish three books so far, all started just at the end of May and finished fairly quickly. All most enjoyable. What were they, you ask impatiently?

1. Morality Play by Barry Unsworth (4 stars) - "Definitely an interesting, different story. It deals with a group of 'players', a travelling acting troupe, travelling around England in the 14th Century. Running out of money, they decide to perform a true play, a play dealing with the murder of a young boy. Normally their plays are based on the liturgy, but when they performed one in the village, it wasn't well received. Doing a true play, they hope will bring in the crowds as the play deals with happenings in their town. Little do they know that the play will also bring the troupe to the attention of those involved in the killing. The story was interesting, I think it needed a bit more oomph, but I still enjoyed very much. If you like historical mysteries, you'll probably enjoy this."

2. A Murderous Procession (Book 4 in the Mistress of the Art of Death series) by Ariana Franklin (4 stars) - (Note, this was also published as The Assassin's Prayer) "I've mixed emotions about this one. I love the series and wanted it to go on, but with the death of Ariana Franklin a few years back, this is the last book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series. I'm so glad I discovered the books, each one was better than the previous one. I've grown to feel a sentimental, personal attachment to the characters; the lovely, independent Adelia Aguilar, the Mistress of the art of death, who is confined to England by the King Henry II; her lover, Bishop Rowley, grumpy, irascible but always loving Adelia and their child; the aloof Mansur, the Arab eunuch who accompanied Adelia to England as her bodyguard and companion in the first book and has remained loyally by her side ever since and the others, an interesting assortment of well-crafted personalities who all enhance every story. Added in this story is the Irish Sea Captain, the O'Donnell, who also loves Adelia and you've got a fantastic mix. In this story, Henry assigns Adelia, Mansur and Rowley to escort his daughter, Princess Joanna, to Sicily to marry the Sicilian King as an alliance measure. An evil character from the previous story accompanies the party, with dangerous intent. A great story and mystery, as always, and a story filled with historical facts. Loved it. Try the series, you'll be hooked."

3. Mars Eclipsed by Karen Irving (4 stars) - "I've quite liked this series. I do still have to read the middle book, as many of Katy Klein's issues that crop up regularly in Mars Eclipsed are a result of tragic events that appear to have taken place in the third book. However, not having read it yet, didn't detract from this story at all. Katy, her daughter Dawn and her Internet friend, Flavia, are to spend a weekend at an island retreat with other astrologers, but the trip is cut short due to a murder. A very complex plot unwinds through the rest of the story, involving Russian mobsters, multiple suspects, Katy's issues, and on and on. But ultimately, it ties all together very nicely and the story is enjoyable, especially because of the family relationships, which are the core of her stories. I do hope that there will be more books in this series, it's grown on me. I've ordered book 2, Jupiter's Daughter, and am looking forward to reading it as well." When I looked up this series to see if there was a plan for follow-on books, it stated that "Following Raincoast Books' 2005 decision, the Katy Klein series has been put on hold indefinitely." Checking into this, it appears that Raincoast ceased its publishing arm at that time due to the rise in the Canadian dollar. While interesting, it's unfortunate that Karen Irving hasn't found another publisher; although I do like the quality of the books published by Raincoast.

Currently Reading

I've currently got three books on the go; two downstairs books and one bedtime book.

1. What's Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies -  This is the second book in the Cornish trilogy by Canadian writer, Robertson Davies. I read the first book, this being the first time I'd picked up one of his books in about 30 years or so. I had originally read the Deptford Trilogy (Fifth Business, The Manticore and World of Wonders) back in my university days and enjoyed very much. Last year I read the first book in the Cornish trilogy, The Rebel Angels and was once again very impressed by the intelligence with which Davies writes. I've started the second book and am enjoying even after only the first 50 pages or so. (This is one of my 12 + 4 Reading Challenge selections for 2014) This is the synopsis. "Francis Cornish was always good at keeping secrets. From the well-hidden family secret of his childhood to his mysterious encounters with a small-town embalmer, a master art restorer, a Bavarian countess and various masters of espionage, the events of Francis's life were not always what they seemed. In this wonderfully ingenious portrait of an art expert and collector of international renown, Robertson Davies has created a spellbinding tale of artistic triumph and heroic deceit."

2. Night Frost by R. D. Wingfield (Inspector Jack Frost #3) - I have read the first book in the Jack Frost series and have also enjoyed the TV series very much. As part of my Bedtime Reading Challenge, I plan to read books 3 and 4 in this series next. "A nasty flu bug is going around the town of Denton leaving the police department woefully understaffed and overworked. That's not the only nasty thing making the rounds; a rash of poison-pen letters has broken out, prompting one recipient to commit suicide and another to make an attempt. Another of Denton's fine citizens is taking a more direct approach, picking off vulnerable senior citizens in a series of brutal murders. Reeling from too many bodies and too little sleep, Jack Frost is praying he'll find a clue - or succumb to the flu - before the Granny Ripper strikes again."

3. Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks - I have read comedian Tony Hawks's A Piano in the Pyrenees before and I liked his light gentle sense of humour and his story - telling. When the genre challenge for June was Humour, I had an easy choice to make in selecting another of his books, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis. I'm enjoying already. "It doesn't take much - 100 pounds is usually sufficient - to persuade Tony Hawks to take off on notoriously bizarre and hilarious adventures in response to a bet. And so it is, a pointless argument with a friend concludes in a bet - that Tony can't beat all eleven members of the Moldovan soccer team at tennis. And with the loser of the bet agreeing to strip naked on Balham High Road and sing the Moldovan national anthem, this one was just too good to resist. The ensuing unpredictable and often hilarious adventure sees him being taken in by Moldovan gypsies and narrowly avoiding kidnap in Transnistria. It sees him smuggle his way onto the Moldovan National Team coach in Coleraine and witness (almost) divine intervention in the Holy Land." Sound interesting? :)

New Books

While I was wandering around Courtenay High Street, AKA 5th Street, on Saturday, I visited both The Laughing Oyster Book Shop and the Used book store. I was very good, only bought two books. The missus was very pleased at my restraint.

1. The Wives of Los Alamos by Tarashea Nesbit - It caught my eye as I walked into the store and when I read the synopsis, I thought it was definitely worth giving it a try. "They arrived in New Mexico ready for adventure, or at least resigned to it. But hope quickly turned to hardship as they were forced to adapt to a rugged military town where everything was a secret - including what their husbands were doing at the lab. Though they were strangers, they joined together - adapting to a landscape as fierce as it was absorbing, full of the banalities of everyday life and the drama of scientific discovery. While the bomb was being invented, babies were born, friendships were forged, children grew up and Los Alamos gradually transformed into a real community: one that was strained by what they couldn't say out loud or in letters, and by the freedom they didn't have. But the end of the war would bring even bigger challenges, as the scientists and their families struggled with the burden of their contribution to the most destructive force in the history of mankind."

2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - I have previously read Neverwhere by Gaiman and enjoyed very much. I've been keeping my eyes open for any others of his writing; managed to find Stardust at the local book fair back in May and this time I saw a copy of American Gods. If it's as interesting as Neverwhere, I will not be disappointed. "Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident. Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible. He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same.. "

Possible Next 3 Reads

So what's next on the table. I'm sure about two of them at least. I will be following up my Bed-time reading challenge book with the next in the series. And also I plan to get back to my Alphabetical Mystery Author challenge. My third choice might be one of my 12 + 4 challenge books. We'll see. Anyway, these are the possibilities -

1. The Ladies' Paradise by Emile Zola - The missus has been watching the excellent BBC series based on Emile Zola's classic and enjoying very much. I decided to get a copy of the book for Xmas 2013 and also added it to my Reading Group Challenge choices for this year. "The Ladies' Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames) recounts the spectacular development of the modern department store in late nineteenth-century Paris. The store is a symbol of capitalism, of the modern city, and of the bourgeois family; it is emblematic of consumer culture and the changes in sexual attitudes and class relations taking place at the time. Octave Mouret, the store's owner-manager, masterfully exploits the desires of his female customers. In his private life too, he is the great seducer. But when he falls in love with the innocent Denise Baudu, he discovers she is the only one of the salesgirls who refuses to be commodified."

2. Hard Frost by R. D. Wingfield (Frost #4) - It's a high price to pay for a pack of smokes when Frost interrupts his vacation to filch some of Commander Mullett's cigarettes and finds himself pressed into emergency duty. Denton Division is shorthanded after a car crash involving several tipsy high-ranking cops, and on Guy Fawkes night there's more mischief abroad than just a few children making the rounds begging pennies and lighting firecrackers. In the next few days, Frost will deal with a parade of miscreants, including a blackmailer, a shifty business man, a not-so-grieving widow, a sexual pervert or two, a crazed housewife, and a cold-blooded kidnapper. The clock is ticking and Frost is perilously short of clues..." It's unfortunate that Wingfield only ever wrote six Frost mysteries. I've enjoyed them very much so far. I'll have to find the other 3 books to complete my library.

3. Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason - I've enjoyed my exposure to Scandinavian mystery writers for the most part. I've had this book by Icelandic author Indridason for awhile and am looking forward to finally giving it a try. "A man is found murdered in his Reykjavik flat. There are no obvious clues apart from a cryptic note left on the body and a photograph of a young girl's grave. Detective Erlendur is forced to use all the forensic resources available to find any leads at all. Delving into the dead man's life, he discovers that forty years ago he was accused of an appalling crime. Did his past come back to haunt him? Finally, Erlendur's search leads him to Iceland's Genetic Research Centre in order to find the disturbing answers to the mystery."

So there you go, a recap of the latest reads, currently reading and a forecast of the future.. Now off to saw some branches.. Have a great day!

Another month, May 2014 Review

Jun 2nd already. I spent the day with the puppies while the missus was out. Read a bit, climbed up and down ladders cleaning another portion of the siding. At this rate, I'll finish in August.. ;0).. But that's OK. Relaxing with Jo and the dogs on a nice cool breezy evening. Longmire has started up again, one of our favourite series. I do have to start reading the books and see if they are as interesting. I've got the first one on my book shelf waiting my attention. But, for now, while the missus catches up on Coronation Street and I do from the other room, time to look back at May and see how I'm doing so far this year.

As of the end of May, I've completed 42 books, approximately 15,000 pages. My goodreads challenge was up'd to 90 books this year. I think I'm well on the way to completing that challenge. Looking at some of my other challenges;

12 + 4 Challenge. I've completed 8 of the books so far, two of them this month. Both of the books I read this month were 5 star reads, I thought they were both excellent.

1. Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford - "This was a challenging, but ultimately, an enjoyable, but interesting read. The book is made of four separate books, Some Do Not, No More Parades, A Man Could Stand Up and, The Last Post. It is set in England and France, before, during and after WWI. It deals with Christopher Tietjens, his wife Sylvia and Valentine Wannop, a young woman who has captured Christopher's heart. Around these people are family members, Christopher's brother, Mark; friends, associates and many others. Christopher's relationship with his wife is bitter and harsh, she goes out of her way to destroy his life, even though she won't grant him a divorce. At the same time, Christopher has fallen in love with the young woman, Valentine, who he met as a result of his father's friendship with her mother. Amidst these personal issues is the war, life in the trenches, all these matters. The story is detailed, it takes time to get used to the flow of the story, but when you do, it is most enthralling. The second and third books, which deal more with the War itself, I personally found the most interesting. Critics have said that there needn't have been a fourth book, that Christopher, himself, isn't really even present, but ultimately, I found that it wrapped up so many of the unresolved issues very nicely. Definitely worth reading, if you want to try a classic."

2. The Keeper of Lost Causes  by Jussi Adler Olsen - This was the first in the Department Q mysteries from Denmark. "What a surprisingly excellent mystery and story. I've had it on my bookshelf for awhile and am so glad that I finally pulled it down to read. The mystery, the cold case involving the disappearance of Merete, was different from any I've read before. The main characters, Carl Morck, head of new Division Q and his assistant, Assad, were so well crafted. Carl is a police detective just coming back to work after he and his two partners were ambushed, one killed, one a cripple still in hospital and Carl, recovered, now trying to get back to work. His boss assigns him to a newly created unit as its chief, partly to keep him away from the other detectives. Carl avoids work until his new assistant, Assad brings him the cold case involving Merete, who became missing, presumed dead, five years ago on a ferry to Germany. The story weaves between Carl and Assad, working their way through the old case and Merete, working from the past, 5 years before, until the present as she tries to adjust and sort out where she is and why she was abducted in the first place. Carl is an interesting character, his personal life also slowly being developed and his investigating talents becoming more visible. All in all, it was an excellent story, witty, but also with a great deal of tension as the story winds up to its climax. Loved it and am looking forward to reading more Department Q mysteries."

Alphabetical Mystery Author Challenge - I finished two books in this challenge in May, one five star read and one 4 star.

3. Black Diamond by Martin Walker - This has definitely become one of my favourite mystery series. I love the characters and the locale and the stories, which get better and better. "There is something about this series that I love. I picked up the first book, Bruno, Chief Of Police, because I was firstly attracted to the cover. And then when I read the synopsis, I had to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed, quickly falling in love with Bruno's life, his village and friends. I've since read the second book, The Dark Vineyard|, which was even better, further developing Bruno's character and letting us know more about his friends and his village. I finished this third book this morning; I had to find out how it would end. I have to give this a five-star rating. I find that Martin Walker writes the story in such a way that I find myself drawn into the life of the community of St Denis in the district of Perigord. I find myself caring for Bruno, worrying about his future, his personal life and the lives of his close friends; the Baron, Pamela (the English resident), the lovely Fabiola (the doctor) and all of the others. This story is filled with action, from illegal truffle activities, illegal Asian immigrants, gang wars and political intrigue. But even with all that, there is time to delve into the community that Bruno patrols and into Bruno's life. He loves his community and will do anything to protect it. The people are colourful and different from my own experiences and Walker describes them gently and lovingly. And the food... ah, the food, my mouth waters as I watch Bruno prepare his repasts. At any rate, it's an excellent series and I'm happy to discover that there are at least three follow-on books for me to find and see what will happen next? Will Bruno settle down with Pamela? Or someone else? :) Enjoy!"

4. Malice Aforethought  by Francis Iles - I had previously read one of his mysteries, under his true name, Anthony Berkeley Cox and enjoyed. I also thought this was quite excellent. "I quite enjoyed this mystery. It develops very nicely, with Dr Bickleigh, unhappily married, a man who falls in love with and has romantic liaisons with other women. His wife is sharp, bossy, but tolerates these affairs until one particular. Dr Bickleigh now has to decide to do something so he can realise this love; there is murder, further attempted murders, a trial, with a surprising outcome. It's well-written, the personalities well-developed and the story is interesting and entertaining. I liked it much more than I thought I would. Excellent."

Bed-time Authors - This month I finished my second Victoria Thompson, Gaslight mystery, two Peter O'Donnell, Modesty Blaise mysteries and the first in the Karen Irving, Katy Klein mysteries. All were interesting reads, none rated 5 stars but I enjoyed them all.

5. Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson - This was my second Gaslight mystery and I enjoyed it even more than the first. Victoria Thompson has provided more details into her characters and the story was quite interesting. "I enjoyed the first Gaslight series mystery earlier and must say I liked this one even more. I like both of the main characters, Sarah Brandt, the midwife who also gets involved solving mysteries, and Police detective, Frank Malloy. They make a very nice team and the mysteries they work on are well-crafted and well-paced. I like reading about the time frame the stories are set in, turn-of-the- century New York City. I like how both characters personal stories are developing and I like their relationship, which is developing into a very nice friendship. I also like that Sarah's neighbour, Mrs. Ellsworth is taking shape and becoming more three-dimensional, not just a busy-body neighbour. Victoria Thompson has moved the series to a new level with this second story and I hope the others continue to develop her characters and her writing style. Excellent and most enjoyable. And an interesting, tensely crafted mystery to boot."

6. Sabre Tooth by Peter O'Donnell, and
7. I, Lucifer by Peter O'Donnell. These were the 2nd and 3rd Modesty Blaise thriller adventures. I've been collecting the series, but haven't been able to get my hands on the first of the series, yet. I will though, especially now that I've read books 2 and 3. Interesting, James Bondish, thrillers set in exotic locales and with interesting villains. Modesty is a lovely, smart, athletic woman who can handle most anyone. And with her partner Willie Garvin is more than capable of coming out on top. Very enjoyable stories.

8. Pluto Rising by Karen Irving - This is the first in the Katy Klein mystery trilogy. Katy Klein is an ex-psychiatrist, who has switched to a career as an astrologist and finds herself entwined in a murder and suspenseful mystery. I particularly enjoyed that the books was set in Ottawa, Canada as I lived there for a good 18 years. It's always nice to know where the events are taking place. "A solid 3.5 star rating. It reminds me somewhat of a mystery series set in Niagara Falls, the Benny Cooperman books. Katy Klein is a Jewish/ Canadian ex-psychologist who has made a drastic career change and now works as a professional astrologer in Ottawa, Canada. She lives with her teenage daughter, Dawn and her ex-husband lives in the upstairs flat. Adding to the mix is her friend, Greg, a psychologist. The four make a nice, friendly team who find themselves caught up in the 'suspicious' death of a client of Katy's, Adam, who also had previously been treated by Greg for serious issues. Adam ends up dead and almost against their wills, Katy and friends get caught up in trying to solve what happened and what, in Adam's past, led to his killing. It was fun being in Ottawa again, a city I spent about 20 years in, over various periods, and it was nice to read an easy, interesting story as well. I wish more had been made up about the astrological aspects of the story as the bits that were provided added to the interest. I especially wish Karen had explained the header of the various chapters and how they related to what was going on; For example, Chap one starts off Sun opposition Uranus, Moon opposition Mars, Mars in conjunct Uranus. What does it mean?? All in all, entertaining story, with interesting characters."

Miscellaneous

9. The Collector by John Fowles (a four star read) - "A strange, interesting story about Frederick, a butterfly collector, who comes into a large sum of money. Frederick has been in love, from a distance, with Miranda, but had no hope of her falling in love with him. He is a strange, withdrawn man with no social skills and she is a young, beautiful art student. Frederick prepares his house (bought with is new found money) and then captures Miranda and installs her in his cellar. Thus begins a strange relationship, he the collector, she his butterfly. The story is told in two parts, first from his perspective then, from hers, in diary form. A very interesting, but also depressing story. Worth reading and also worth trying to find the movie and seeing it. I don't know which I preferred."

10. Perfume; The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind - Probably the most disappointing book I read in May. I had quite high expectations of it, but it just never lived up to them. "I'm afraid I was disappointed with this story. The write up sounded intriguing and the story started off very interesting but ultimately I don't think it really went anywhere. There was enough in it to hold my interest, but that was about it. Not what I expected I guess but it ended up only being average to me. Sad to say."

So there you have it, my May reads. All in all, I enjoyed everything I read. Some interesting new authors and series and some old reliables. A nice mix.

Enjoy your June!

Latest Update - Parade's End and others (May 2014)

It's been a nice spring so far, the lawn is growing well, as good as it's ever been. Getting a sprinkler system installed has been one of the best decisions we've made here. Everything is pretty lush and it looks so nice. Still stuff to do around the outside, but we'll work on that in bits and pieces. A rainy day today and the past couple, truth be told, but that's what Spring is all about, eh? The dogs are doing well, had their spring clean up a couple of weeks ago. Bonnie gave us a bit of a scare, she reacted quite seriously to her booster shots, had to be given anti-histamines and spend a couple of unplanned hours at the vet so they could keep an eye on her. But all seems pretty good now, she's eating well and spending lots of spare time in the backyard playing with Clyde.

So let's see, what am I reading currently. I just finished The Collector by English writer, John Fowles, this morning. The missus and I had seen the movie a couple of years ago. It was released in 1965 and starred Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar. We both liked it very much, it was a different, creepy but engrossing movie. I found the book only in April at my local used book store and couldn't resist picking it up. I don't usually read books I buy quite so quickly as I've got a few hundred unread books on my shelves at the moment. But one of my book clubs was focusing on madness/ psychiatry as the genre for May and I thought this might fit in. So there you go. Like the movie, it was a very interesting book. It's laid out in two parts, the first from the perspective of Frederick (called Caliban by Miranda), as he stalks, falls in love (so he thinks) with Miranda, and then prepares his house for her. She is kidnapped by Frederick and then spends the next months in his basement cellar, his butterfly, basically. The story is from his perspective, then halfway through, switches to Miranda's perspective, told in diary format. We relive the incidents that Frederick has previously described, plus get into Miranda's mind as she looks at her life. Quite a different story. I believe I have previously read Fowles' The Magus as well, but it was many years ago so I'd have to reread to see what I think of it. At any rate, The Collector is highly recommended.

Currently Reading

I've been working through Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford since mid-April. It's been a challenging read but the more I get into it, the more I've enjoyed. It was originally written as four separate books, Some Do Not... in 1924, No More Parades.. in 1925, A Man Could Stand Up... in 1926 and The Last Post... in 1928. The book focuses on three people; Christopher Tietjens, a second son, facing personal dilemmas and dealing with after-effects of World War I, Sylvia Tietjens, his wayward wife, selfish and a woman who loves Christopher, but at the same time, makes every effort to drive him to distraction, with various affairs and by telling lies about him, and, finally, Valentine Wannop, a young woman who has captured Christopher's heart, but lives a life, for the most part, distant from Tietjens, even though she is the subject of much negative speculation about possible relations with Tietjens. As of today, I've finished the first three books. I have to say that it has taken some time to get my frame of mind into the writing style of Ford, but I now find it difficult to put the book down. I do limit myself to reading during quiet periods, early morning when the TV isn't on, that sort of thing as it is always necessary to focus just on the book. The most recent book, A Man Could Stand Up has been particularly interesting as it deals with the war at the Front and the Armistice and Tietjen's reactions to the life in the trenches. Fascinating stuff. It seems as though many critics feel that the book should only have been three stories, that the fourth doesn't really fit in. I'll let you know. All that I know is that it's a great story.

I'm also reading the first Katy Klein mystery by Karen Irving, Pluto Rising. It is a trilogy, the other books being Jupiter's Daughter and Mars Eclipsed. The reason I picked the book originally is because it is set in Ottawa, Ontario, a place I lived for at least 18 years of my life. So it is always interesting reading about familiar locations and trying to picture it in my mind. I'm enjoying the story so far, have read about half of it. Katy Klein is an ex-psychiatrist who has changed professions and is now an astrologer, making her living preparing star charts for clients and using them to explain their lives, paths, etc. She meets Adam, a man with hidden issues who wants her to help divine his problems (I'm putting it much to simply). Adam ends up dead and where we go from there, I don't know yet, but I'm looking forward to finding out. :). I have the third book in the series so far, still have yet to find the second. But I shall persevere! The story is interesting enough to make me want to read the complete trilogy.

Just Starting

Having finished The Collector, I'm going back to my Alphabetical Mystery Author's Challenge. I am currently working on the letter 'I', so I've dusted off a book by Frances Iles, Malice Aforethought. Just reading about Francis Iles, I've discovered that he is actually a pen-name for British mystery writer Anthony Berkeley Cox. I have read The Poisoned Chocolate's Case by Cox previously and enjoyed very much. The synopsis for Malice Aforethought reads as follows, "Crafty D. Bickleigh coolly murders his detestable wife. Murder becomes a mania with the good doctor, until he is brought to trial - a magnificent trial, full of wit and drama - and the climax of his story provides a superb piece of ironic and clever humour. This is a murder without a mystery, where the readers are told all and yet are kept guessing." Looks interesting.

What to read next?

From my basic challenges, these are possible options for next books -

Alphabetical Mystery Author's Challenge - When I finish Malice Aforethought, I move back to the end of the alphabet. That will mean the letter 'U' as I look at my books to read list and one by Barry Unsworth, either Morality Play or Pascalis Island.

Bed-time Authors Challenge - This will be the second Karen Irving mystery as I read two of each author for this challenge. If I don't find the second in the trilogy, I'll be reading Mars Eclipsed.

12 + 4 Reading Group Challenge - I've read 7 books in the challenge so far and when I finish Parade's End, that will be 8 of course. I think I might try one of my lighter selections from this list next, probably A Murderous Procession (or The Assassin's Prayer) by Ariana Franklin, the last book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series. Such an excellent series; it's so unfortunate that Ariana Franklin passed away so soon in her life.

Finally, my UK Book Club will either have humour or travel as the genre for June and I figure I could cover either genre with a Tony Hawks book, either Playing the Moldovans at Tennis or Around Ireland with a Fridge. Then again, for straight travel, there is Bill Bryson's Neither Here nor There or Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm.. so many excellent choices.. :)

So there you have it... latest update complete. Now off to do some laundry.. woooo hoooo!

April 2014 Review and Currently Reading, plus whatever.. :0)

It's not quite the end of April, but I don't think I'll finish any of the books I'm currently reading by end month, so let's take a look back at the past month. Overall, I've completed 8 books this past month, making a total for the year of 32. So I'm well on my way to meeting my goodreads challenge total for the year of 90 books. I've currently got 3 on the go and should finish at least two of them early in May. I'm pretty happy overall with what I've picked and with my pace. I've also completed 11,500 pages so far, that's purely for interest sake.

Looking back over the month, six books were mysteries, 1 was an adventure and the 8th was a biography. One five - star read, one four - star and six three - star selections. These are the books I completed this month:

1. The Long Run: A New York Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete (Biography) by Matt Long. This was a three star read. "A very interesting story. Matt Long was a NY fire fighter who ran the New York Marathon and was training for the Boston Marathon. While riding his bike for training he was run over by a bus, sustaining severe, life-threatening injuries. The story is about his struggle to regain his body and try to get his life back a semblance of normalcy. It also goes into his past, his relationship with his family and friends."

2. Endangered Species (Mystery) by Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon #5). 3 - star read. "The Anna Pigeon books are comfort food. I always enjoy entering Anna's life and finding out about which National Park she will be working at. In this story she is in Cumberland Island Park in Georgia as a Fire fighter, there with other Park Service employees just in case. Also in the mix are the Loggerhead turtles, coming ashore during their annual migration to lay their eggs and as well, a plane crash and possible murder. The story meanders through the mystery, Anna is lovely as ever. I also liked the bits involving Frederick, her FBI friend in Chicago, and her sister in New York who is receiving threatening letters and phone calls. All in all, I enjoyed very much and look forward to my next Anna Pigeon mystery, Blind Descent, set in Carlsbad Caverns, NM."

3. The Lost World (Adventure) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 3 stars. "A good solid adventure from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Professor Challenger and a team of associates head to South America to prove that his original discovery of a plateau where creatures from the deep past still live. A well-written and interesting story. I've seen the movie adaptation and also enjoyed. Doyle writes with a nice flow and creates interesting heroic characters. I enjoyed the story very much. Supposedly there are others in the Professor Challenger series. I will definitely look them up."

4. Blind Descent (Mystery) by Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon #6). 3 - star read. "Another solid Anna Pigeon mystery, this one is set in Carlsbad Caverns. Almost a parlour mystery in its inception as Anna's friend Frieda is injured in a closed cavern with limited people about to have committed the murder attempt. There are many claustrophobic periods as Anna crawls through narrow tunnels with other cavers trying to extricate Frieda. A totally new experience for me, this caver's world, both exciting and terrifying. The mystery broadens once the group is above surface, with many suspects. Excellent mystery all round and most enjoyable read."

5. Gently Down the Stream (Mystery) by Alan Hunter (Inspector George Gently #3). 3 stars. "This was my first attempt at a George Gently mystery. It is the third in the series. I've watched and enjoyed the British TV series based on the books very much. Having said that, this book had a totally different feel than the TV series; most of the characters, other than Gently, were different and I believe even the setting is a different part of England. I still enjoyed the story mind you. It had a nice feel and pace to it and I liked Gently and his partner, Dutt. I will say that fairly early on, I had it basically figured out and found myself silently shouting at Gently as he worked methodically to come to his solution. All in all, I enjoyed and will read more of the series."

6. Murder on Astor Place (Mystery) by Victoria Thompson (Gaslight Mystery #1). 3 stars. "A new author for me, this is the first book in the Gaslight mystery series. I enjoyed this very much. I liked the setting, New York city when Teddy Roosevelt was trying to improve the police force. The story resolves around mid-wife, Sarah Brandt, a widow, and Police Sgt Frank Malloy. Malloy asks her help to go through the effects of a young woman murdered in a flat in a house where Sarah has gone to perform her mid-wife duties. Almost against his will, Frank finds himself getting more assistance from Sarah in investigating the case. With her background with the rich of New York, she can gain ready access to the people involved. The story was interesting, well-paced and well-written. I'm looking forward to starting the second book, Murder on St Mark's Place."

7. The House of Silk (Mystery) by Anthony Horowitz. 4 stars. "Pleasantly surprised by this story. This was a new author for me, trying for a new twist on a classic character, Sherlock Holmes. Mr Horowitz didn't disappoint. The story was well-written and had a very interesting plot. I will say I had a reasonable idea of what the House of Silk was, I also didn't know what the House of Silk was involved with and I also didn't know how the original story line linked up with the House of Silk story line. Very pleased that I enjoyed it so much. Worth anybody trying."

8. Disordered Minds (Mystery) by Minette Walters. 5 stars. "Excellent 'mystery' by Minette Walters. I think she is one of the unique mystery writers I've ever read. Each story I've read is unique in its own right and covers different aspects of human behaviour. In this story, two investigators, one a university professor and the other a town councillor, Jonathan and George, delve into the past to try and prove that a convicted murderer, a young man with mental difficulties, who committed suicide in prison, was, in fact, innocent of the murder. The trail of their investigation is an interesting one, involving many twists and turns, potential suspects, deceit, etc. As well, they both must deal with their own issues, that many or man not colour their investigation. Walters has a unique style of writing, this story is partly written in emails, case transcripts, etc. I liked both Jonathan and George and their book editor, Andrew Spicer and the other characters are interesting and full of mystery. Excellent story and highly recommended."

Currently Reading.

1. Parade's End (Classic) by Ford Madox Ford. This is one of my 12 + 4 Reading Group challenge selections. I have previously enjoyed the BBC mini-series. The book is challenging, but I'm enjoying so far. "In four volumes (Some Do Not..., No More Parades, A Man Could Stand and the Last Post), Parade's End traces the psychological damage inflicted by battle, the collapse of England's secure Edwardian values and the new age, embodied by Christopher Tietjen's beautiful, selfish wife, Sylvia. It is an elegy for the war dead and the passing of a way of life, and a work of amazing subtlety and profundity."

2. Murder on St. Mark's Place (Gaslight Mystery #2) by Victoria Thompson. I enjoyed the first book very much. This is in aid of my Bedside Table challenge. "Thinking she has been summoned by German immigrant Agnes Otto to usher a new life into the world, Sarah Brandt is greeted by the news of an untimely death instead. It seems that Agnes's beautiful younger sister, Gerda, had fallen into the life of a 'Charity Girl'. Caught up in the false glamour of the city's nightlife, she would trade her company - and her favours - not for money, but for lavish gifts and an evening's entertainment. And now she was dead, victim, no doubt, of one of her 'gentlemen friends.' No one cares much about the fate of girls like Gerda; but Sarah does. And she vows to find her killer. To do so, she turns to Sergeant Frank Malloy. As the two pursue an investigation that leads from the bright lights of Coney Island to the stately homes of Fifth Avenue, the find that their shared passion for justice may cost them dearly.."

3. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Mystery/ Horror) by Patrick Suskind. "In the slums of 18th-century Paris a baby is born. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille clings to life with an iron will, growing into a dark and sinister young man who, although he has no scent of his own, possesses an incomparable sense of smell. He apprentices himself to a perfumer and quickly masters the ancient art of mixing flowers, herbs, and oils. But his quest to create the 'ultimate perfume' leads him to commit a series of brutal murders until no woman can feel safe as his final horrifying secret is revealed."

Newest Purchases

1. Stardust (Fantasy) by Neil Gaiman. I've seen the movie previously and enjoyed very much. "What happens when you make a promise to bring back a fallen star? Teenager Tristran Thorn is about to find out, as he ventures beyond the wall of his English countryside town. After falling in love with the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester, he sets out on a quest to fulfil his promise to his beloved--and stumbles into the magical realm that lies beyond. "

2. The Armada Boy (Mystery) (Wesley Peterson #2) by Kate Ellis. I've read other Kate Ellis series, the Joe Plantagenet mysteries, and enjoyed very much. I'm looking forward to trying her other series featuring Wesley Peterson. "An American veteran of the D-Day landings on a sentimental journey with his old unit to their base is the last body archaeologist Neil Watson expects to find in the ruins of an old chapel. Neil turns to his old friend from student days, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, for help. Ironically, both men are looking at an invading force—Wesley the World War II American veterans, and Neil a group of shipwrecked Spaniards reputed to have met a sticky end at the hands of outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the great Armada in 1588. Local memories prove retentive and Wesley is soon caught up in 50 year-old accusations, resentments, and romances. Wesley's case grows more perplexing, while Neil uncovers a tragic story from the distant past. More than 400 years apart, two strangers in a strange land have died violently. Wesley is running out of time to find out why."

3. Sanctuary (Mystery) (Jack Taylor #7). The missus and I have watched the first two episodes of the TV series based on the books. It's gritty but well worth watching. When I discovered that Ken Bruen wrote the books, I started looking for them. This is the first one I've found so far. "When a letter containing a list of victims arrives in the post, PI Jack Taylor is sickened, but tells himself the list has nothing to do with him. He has enough to do just staying sane. His close friend Ridge is recovering from surgery and alcohol’s siren song is calling to him ever more insistently. A guard and then a judge die in mysterious circumstances. But it is not until a child is added to the list that Taylor determines to find the identity of the killer, and put a stop to the killings at any cost. What he doesn’t know is that his relationship with the killer is far closer than he thinks, and that it’s about to become deeply personal. Spiked with dark humour, seasoned with acute insights into the perils of urbanisation, and fuelled by rage at man’s inhumanity to man, this is crime-writing at its darkest and most original."

4. The Hanging in the Hotel (Mystery) (Fethering #5). I have slowly been buying Simon Brett mysteries for awhile, but have yet to read one. He writes various series; Charles Paris, Mrs. Pargeter and the Fethering series. I plan to start at least one in the next month or so.. " The Hopwicke Country House Hotel, owned by Jude's glamorous friend Suzy Longthorne, is to host an event for the all-male society, The Pillars of Sussex. On the night, Jude helps Suzy serve dinner, and in the early hours of the morning they watch with relief as the guests drag themselves to their beds. The next morning, one young solicitor does not come down for breakfast. Jude heads for Nigel Ackford's room, presuming he is feeling the effects of the night before. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Nigel has been spared his hangover. For Jude finds him hanging from the beams of his four-poster bed . . . Convinced it was not suicide, Carole and Jude must now find out the truth behind an elaborate attempt to cover up a simple, cold-blooded murder . . ."

So there you go, another month updated. I'm enjoying my selections so much this year and I do like the focus that the various challenges has given me, as well as letting me read such a great variety of books. More in the coming weeks.

Spring has Sprung... woooo hoooo!

It's been a pretty good April. The sprinkler system has been successfully installed, the missus and I have done a fair bit of yard work, enjoying the sunny break and I've even done some grass seeding and stuff like that. Still some big chores, once the fella comes around (hoping this week) to do some de-thatching of the front yard and aerating of the back, then we can get around to seeding and fertilising the whole yard and I can get up on my ladders and do a spring cleaning of the gutters and maybe this year get all the windows and siding scrubbed down. Oh I do love yard work.. ;0). Mind you, we're supposed to be in for a few days of rain. Feels like that a bit today, a cool breeze, cloudy skies. Well, I can always settle down and just read.

Speaking of which, April has been a bit slow reading-wise, but I've finished my first three books and have made a good stab at the next three. I'm currently reading the following books and enjoying them all as well.

1. Disordered Minds by Minette Walters. I've read a few of Minette Walters' mysteries; The Scold's Bridle, The Ice House, The Tinder Box and Acid Row to name a few. I quite enjoy her style. Each story stands alone, well, they have so far anyway and she focuses on the individuals, their personalities, issues and such. I'm currently enjoying Disordered Minds very much. It flows so nicely; I sit down for a quick read and find I've gone through 50 pages. This is the synopsis, "In 1970 Howard Stamp, a retarded twenty-year-old, was convicted on disputed evidence of brutally murdering his grandmother in her Dorset home. Less than three years alter he was dead, driven to suicide by self-hatred and relentless bullying by other prisoners. When anthropologist Dr Jonathan Hughes re-examines Stamp's case for a book on injustice, his research into the written evidence leads him to believe that Stamp was wrongly convicted. But is the forgotten story of one friendless young man compelling enough to persuade Jonathan to confront the real murderer? One person believes it is. George Gardener has been trying to bring Stamp's case to public attention for years and has unearthed new evidence that might exonerate him. But Gardener needs Jonathan on board if it is to be used to maximum effect... and Jonathan is too consumed by his own demons to expose a dangerous killer who may still be at large." It's an excellent story so far (I'm about 1/3 of the way through) and I like that it displays many misconceptions; I sure had mine. Excellent writer.

2. The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A classic from the pen of AC Doyle, also known for his Sherlock Holmes series. The pictured book is the edition I have. I do like it when I can find the book cover of my edition (I guess I could just photograph mine, eh? I have done that before to be fair). The book was first published in 1912, the first of the Professor Challenger series. This edition was published in 1964 by John Murray as a reprint. I'm enjoying it very much. I've seen the movie before and enjoyed, but it's always good to read it in its original format. This is the synopsis, "On a high plateau in South America a group of explorer-scientists led by the famous Professor Challenger discover a huge tropical marsh surviving from prehistoric times inhabited by gigantic reptiles and the grotesque half-ape forerunners of man. In the face of fantastic dangers they capture one of the flying reptiles and bring it back to London, where it escapes and causes havoc. The Lost World was the first of the full-length novels of this kind, and its breathtaking combination of science and fiction and real characters keeps it without a rival."

3. Blind Descent by Nevada Barr. I do enjoy the Anna Pigeon series very much. I've read 8 books in the series over the past 3 or 4 years. Anna is National Park Service ranger and finds herself at different National Parks in pretty well each story and also finds herself enmeshed in some sort of mystery. I can only think of one that I didn't enjoy all that much and even that was just some minor complaints, to do with a more supernatural element. I prefer the more straight-forward mystery. I read Endangered Species (Book # 5) previously and am now half way through Book # 6. This story finds Anna in Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico, deep underground with a rescue team trying to bring out her friend Frieda who has been injured. An interesting place for a mystery you might ask? It sure seems to be. I can totally relate to Anna's feelings of claustrophobia as she works to extricate her friend, alive and well. For a further synopsis, this is the summary on the book back, "Anna Pigeon, the intrepid National Park Service ranger in Nevada Barr's superb wilderness mysteries, has had some perilous experiences in the five novels that preceded Blind Descent, but none compares with this thrilling subterranean adventure in the underground caverns of Lechuguilla, 'a monster man-eating cave; in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns. When a fellow ranger is injured in a caving accident, Anna chokes back the willies of claustrophobia and joins the rescue team. Burrowing 800 feet below ground, she negotiates airless tunnels, gaping pits, vaulting caverns and silently flowing rivers, each hazard with a daunting name like Razor Blade Run or the Wormhole. At the end of the dangerous descent, she reaches her friend and hears her say, 'It wasn't an accident'." :0)

Newest Purchases - I went for some classics this time in my weekend visit to return some books I don't want to keep. I'm looking forward to reading them in the near future.

1. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. I've only ever read one du Maurier novel up to now, that being The House on the Strand, a novel I've enjoyed a few times. Quite a few members of my goodreads book club, the Book Addicts, have been choosing others of du Maurier's novels this year as challenge reads and have enjoyed. I found this one on Saturday so thought I should try something else by du Maurier. "Ambrose married Rachel, Countess Sangalletti in Italy and never returned home. His letters to his cousin Philip hinted that he was being poisoned, and when Philip arrive in Italy, Ambrose was dead. Rachel comes to England, and soon Philip is torn between love and suspicion. Is she the angel she seems or a scheming murderess?"

2. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. My UK book group is running through the centuries, a new century each quarter. April to June is the 18th Century, so when I saw this book, set in 1757, I thought it would be a perfect fit. The book was originally written in 1826 and is the second of five novels in the 'Leather Stockings Tales'. I have seen a movie version, with Madeline Stowe and also remember reading the Classics comic back when I was much, much younger. I'm quite looking forward to reading this. Who knows, I may decide to read the others in the series. "It is 1757. Across north-eastern America the armies of Britain and France struggle for ascendancy. Their conflict, however, overlays older struggles between nations of native Americans for possession of the same lands and between the native peoples and white colonisers. Through these layers of conflict Cooper threads a thrilling narrative, in which Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of a British commander on the front line of the colonial war, attempt to join their father. Thwarted by Magua, the sinister 'Indian runner', they find help in the persons of Hawk-eye, the white woodsman, and his companions, the Mohicans Chingachgook and Uncas, his son, the last of  his tribe."

3. The Collector by John Fowles. I've read The Magus by Mr. Fowles a few years or more ago (I hate to say it, but I don't remember it very much). A couple of years ago, TCM showed the movie version of this book, starring Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar. We both were very pleasantly surprised. It was excellent, strange and weird, but excellent. When I saw the book, I had to get it, to see if it is similar to and if it is as good as the movie. "Withdrawn, uneducated and unloved, Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs. A chance pools win enables him to capture the art student Miranda and keep her in the cellar of the Sussex house he has bought with his windfall. The situation is seen first from the collector's point of view: he thinks the chloroform pad no more vicious than his butterfly net, and patiently waits for the barriers of class and taste that inhibit their love to break down in the limbo of their isolation. She, the creator, desperate for her freedom, tried to be understanding but cannot banish her contempt for everything anti-life the collector stands for."

So there you have it, my mid-month update. I'm looking forward to finishing off my current reads and seeing what I might pull out of the hat next.