Spring Reading Thing 2013

Yes, there is a Spring Reading Things in 2013.  But I won't be posting about it here.  Instead, you can read my intro post over at Carstairs Considers.

Happy Spring Everyone!!!!

Cruisin' Through the Cozies - 2013

How could I pass up the Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge for 2013?  With the number of cozies I read how could I pass it up?

Naturally, I'm signing up for level 3, which means I have to read 13+ in the next year.  That's going to be so hard.  :)

I will list the books and link to my reviews as I get them read.

1. Mr. Monk Gets Even by Lee Goldberg
2. The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton
3. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Suan Elia MacNeal
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Criminal Plots Reading Challenge III

It's January, so it's time to sign up for some reading challenges that run all year long.

Up first is the Criminal Plots Reading Challenge.  Each year, our hostess Jen comes up with some new categories to challenge us.  I've got to admit, I'm not sure what I'll be doing for some of these, but I may be finally getting some of the books off my shelves that have been sitting there for years.

Anyway, the categories this year are...

1. Novel with an Animal in the Title
2. Two Short Stories Written by Two Different Authors Who are New to You
3. Book Written by More than One Person
4. A YA Crime Novel
5. A Book from a Series Options for Television
6. A Novel that's been Nominated for an Edgar in the last 5 Years

Since I don't have to list the books until I read them, I won't.  But I will come back and post the books and link to the reviews when I've read them.

1.
2.
3.
4. Black Ice by Andrew Lane
5.
6. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

Fall Into Reading 2012 Wrap Up

Well, fall is over, although the weather here in LA has been telling me that for a week now.  That means it's time to wrap up Callapidder Day's Fall into Reading 2012 Challenge.

I did very well this time, getting through all the books on my list.  That means both times this year I made it through my list.  Pretty amazing since I've only done that three times period.  Granted, I started with a substantially smaller list than normal, which really helped.  I supplemented along the way just finishing my last book on the list last week.  So, while I'll break these down by those on my original list and the others I read, know this isn't in order.

If any of these titles catch your interest, please follow the link to my review at Epinions.

Books from My Original List Read:
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
Running Ransom Road by Caleb Daniloff
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Poster Art of the Disney Parks by Daniel Handke and Vanessa Hunt
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
The Chocolate Moose Motive by JoAnna Carl
Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Games by Ridley Pearson
Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau
Disneyland Through the Decades by Jeff Kurtti
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Additional Books I Read:
The Mystery of the Castaway Children by Kathryn Kenny
Popped Off by Jeffrey Allen
How to Dine on Killer Wine by Penny Warner
Alcatraz Versus the the Scrivener's Bones by Brandon Sanderson
Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime by Steve Hockensmith
Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle by Dorothy Gilman

Book in Progress:
Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet by Kirk Scroggs

So there you have it.  I'll see you in the Spring with a fresh collection of books to read.

Fall Into Reading 2012

Well, today is the first day of fall, which means it is time for Callapidder Day's 2012 Fall Into Reading.  Follow the link to read all about it and sign up yourself.

My list is very short, at least right now.  There are only 11 books on it, and that includes several books that are mostly pictures.  I guess I'll be adding to the list as I go along.  But for now, here is what I am starting with.

Current Read:
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle (just over a third of the way through this one)

Books held over from 2012 Spring Reading Thing:
None!!!! I love this, and I am hoping to repeat it, although I am probably going to have no problems if I keep my list this short.

Books on my Original to be read list:
Running Ransom Road by Caleb Daniloff
Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau
Poster Art of the Disney Parks by Daniel Handke and Vanessa Hunt
Disneyland Through the Decades by Jeff Kurtti
Kingdom Keepers V by Ridley Pearson
Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
The Chocolate Moose Motive by JoAnna Carl
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Books Added to my Original List:

Spring Reading Things 2012 Wrap-Up

As I sit here with the sliding glass door open freezing, it seems a little hard to believe that it is the first day of summer.  But so says the calendar, so that must mean it is time for my Spring Reading Thing 2012 Wrap Up Post.  You can read more of them here.

I was a very good boy this time around, as you'll see.

All links take you to my review at Epinions.

Books on my original list finished:

Hush Now, Don't You Cry by Rhys Bowen

Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

Royal Pains: Sick Rich by D. P. Lyle

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Riley Mack and the Other Known Trouble Makers by Chris Grabenstein

Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora McFarland

Twice Upon a Time by James Riley

The Council of Mirrors by Michael Buckley

Fun House by Chris Grabenstein

Murder on Monday by Ann Purser

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper

Swift Justice by Laura DiSilverio

Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark

Darkwing Duck: Campaign Carnage by Ian Brill et. al.

Books not on my original list finished:

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Trixie Belden: The Mystery off Old Telegraph Road by Kathryn Kenny

11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Book I Have Started but Not Yet Finished:

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Write by Cathy Wiley  (Okay, I'm only 20 pages into it, but it counts, right?)

Books on my original list not finished:

NONE!!!!!!!!!

Thoughts:

No, I didn't read those books not on my list at the end.  I read two of them at the beginning of April and one in mid-May.  But they were all fast reads, which really helps.

It also helped that I lost my job in mid-May, giving me more time to read (although I've been watching plenty of TV still, or the list would probably be longer.)

I've been doing these challenges for several years, and usually I list way too many books and I have no hope of finishing my list.  This is only the second time I've finished, so I'm thrilled.

Cruisin' Thru the Cozies

I really did mean it when I said I wasn't going to go overboard in joining reading challenges this year, but how can I not join Cruisin' Thru the Cozies?  Again, it's just an excuse to read cozy mysteries, which I already love to do.

I'll be signing up for the Super Sleuth level, which means I need to read at least 13 cozies between now and the end of the year.

The only ironic part of joining this month is that I've been reading kid's books instead of cozies.  Oh well, I'll make up for it in May and June, I'm sure, based on my Spring Reading Thing list.

I'll come back and fill in the list (and link to my reviews) as I read them.

1. Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora McFarland
2. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
3. Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper
4. Swift Justice by Laura DiSilverio
5. Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark
6. The Cat who Talked Turkey by Lillian Jackson Braun
7. Dead Man Waltzing by Ella Barrick
8. Deadly Shoals by Joan Druett
9. Going to the Bad by Nora McFarland
10. Hide and Snoop by Sue Ann Jaffarian
11. Death of a Neighborhood Witch by Laura Levine
12. The Chocolate Moose Motive by JoAnna Carl
13. Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbboneau
14. Popped Off by Jeffrey Allen
15. How to Dine on Killer Wine by Penny Warner
16. The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

Criminal Plots Reading Challenge II

I really can't believe I missed the announcement for the Criminal Plots Reading Challenge II.  I'm not sure if I would have signed up if the categories were the same as last year, but since they are different, I'm going to give it a whirl.  That means I only have 9 months to read them all, but I can do it.  And no, I'm not going back to count books I've already read this year (unless I get absolutely desperate.)

The categories are:

1. Novel with a weapon in the title
2. Book published at least 10 years ago
3. Book written by an author from the state where you live
4. Book written by an author using a pen name
5. Novel whose protagonist is the opposite gender of the author
6. Stand-alone novel by an author who writes at least one series

I've actually already plotted out most of these (and I just saw them yesterday).  #5 is the biggest challenge for me only because I'm having a hard time thinking of one outside the examples given.  Anyway, in case things change, I won't fill any in until I've read them, but when I do, they'll go here and the links will take you to my reviews on Epinions.

1. Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
2. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
3. Hide and Snoop by Sue Ann Jaffarian
4. Dead Man Waltzing by Ella Barrick
5. The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lillian Jackson Braun
6. The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Springs Reading Things 2012

Here we are on the first day of Spring, and that must mean it's time to start Spring Reading Thing 2012.

I have been thinking about what books I want to put on my list for the next few weeks.  I really want to try to keep the list to something managable like 12-14 so that I can actually complete my list this time.  I've only done that once (usually I list far more books that I know I'll be able to read).  Let's see how I do.

Unread book from Fall Into Reading 2011:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (re-read) (Actually, I'm pretty happy about that right there)

Currently reading:
Hush Now, Don't You Cry by Rhys Bowen (80 pages left when I woke up today.  Plan to finish tonight.)

Mysteries:
Echos of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark
Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora MacFarland
Fun House by Chris Grabenstein
Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper
Swift Justice by Laura DiSilverio

Kids/Young Adult:
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Riley Mack and Other Known Trouble Makers by Chris Grabenstein
Twice Upon a Time by James Riley
The Sisters Grimm: The Council of Mirrors by Michael Buckley

Other:
Royal Pains: Sick Rich by D. P. Lyle
Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Darkwing Duck: Campaign Carnage


Well, that's 16, although I can already think of a few I wanted to include but aren't on here.  Granted, I've got a few short and easy books, like the Darkwing Duck graphic novel.  I should be okay, so hopefully my list of books read will be longer than this.

Signing Up for the Cozy Mystery Challenge

I'd almost forgotten it was that time of year again, but it's time to think about the Cozy Mystery Challenge.  You can find out all you want to know about it by going to the sign up page.

As always, I'm going for the 11+ level of the challenge.  Six would just be too easy for me.  But I'm not going to list the books I plan to read for it yet.  I'll figure those out as I go along, I'm sure.

Ready, set, lets' get reading come April 1st.

Books Read for the Challenge (link takes you to my review at Epinions):
1. Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora McFarland
2. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
3. Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper
4. Swift Justice by Laura DiSilverio
5. Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark
6. Mr. Monk is a Mess by Lee Goldberg (exclusive)
7. The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lillian Jackson Braun
8. Dead Man Waltzing by Ella Barrick
9. Deadly Shoals by Joan Druett
10. Some Like it Hawk by Donna Andrews (exclusive)
11. Going to the Bad by Nora McFarland
12. Hide and Snoop by Sue Ann Jaffarian
13. Death of a Neighborhood Witch by Laura Levine

My Fall Into Reading 2011 Wrap Up

I'm on Christmas vacation.  Can you tell by how little I've posted?  But today is the first day of winter, so it means it's time to wrap up this year's Fall Into Reading challenge.

So, here's what I got read during the fall.  The link takes you to my review of the book, although I haven't reviewed the last two books on the list yet.  (A * denotes a book not on my original list.)

Quickstep to Murder by Ella Barrick
Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook by Joanne Fluke*
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Heat Rises by Richard Castle
A Case of Hometown Blues by W. S. Gager
NERDS 3: The Cheerleaders of Doom by Michael Buckley
Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen
Darkwing Duck: F.O.W.L Disposition by Ian Brill
Dog on It by Spencer Quinn
No Place Like Holmes by Jason Lethcoe*
Thrown Out: Stories from Exeter by Jennie Coughlin*
Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play by Ridley Pearson
Formula for Murder by Diana Orgain
The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs
The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus
The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier
Hidden Mickey: Sometimes Dead Men Do Tell Tales by Nancy Temple Rodrigue and David W. Smith
Killer Routine by Alan Orloff
In Service to the Mouse by Jack Lindquist with Melinda J. Combs

Books from my list I did not read:
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Based on number of books, I hit my target exactly. However, I still have about 1200 pages I didn't get read, and those substitute books are maybe 250 pages combined, so it's not like I really read the correct number of pages. I saved all the big books for the end, didn't I?

However, I did finish up all the books from last fall and this spring, so that makes me happy. And I am 10 pages in the Peter Pan prequel, so I'm continuing on with my list even if Spring is over.

I think that's it for me this fall. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Fall Into Reading 2011

Is it already time for fall to start?  Can't believe it, especially since it's 100 degrees out today.  But the calendar says it is, and Callapidder Days is ready for people to sign up for her Fall Into Reading 2011 challenge, so let's get to it.

As always, I'm going to start off with books from previous challenges I still haven't read.

Fall 2010 Unread Book:
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Spring 2011 Unread Books:
Formula for Murder by Diana Orgain
Killer Routine by Alan Orloff
The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus

I'm very tempted to just leave the list there and make sure I got through those, but I'm not going to do that (although I do want to make it through these books).  I'm trying not to get too carried away with the rest of my list, but I have a feeling that won't happen.

Fall also coincides with a reviewing challenge I host every year at Epinions, the website where I write reviews, so you'll see some Disney titles in the list.  (Here's my profile page on Epinions.  As you can see, I review lots of stuff other than books.)

Other books I want to read this Fall:
Quickstep to Murder by Ella Barrick (about half way through this one right now)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Naught in Nice by Rhys Bowen
Heat Rises by Richard Castle
NERDS: The Cheerleader of Doom by Michael Buckley
Darkwing Duck: F.O.W.L. Disposition
The Last Muskiteer by Stuart Gibbs
Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play by Ridley Pearson
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
The Chocolate Castle Clue by JoAnna Carl
A Case of Hometown Blues by W. S. Gager
In Service to the Mouse by Jack Lindquist
The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier
Hidden Mickey by Nancy Temple Rodrigue and David W. Smith
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowlings (a reread)

I do reserve the right to add a couple more titles to this list once I get home and look at my shelves.  I know there is something I planned to include that I'm forgetting.

Which is very scary.  I was going to cut down on the number of books I included in the challenge so I could finish my list for a change.  Instead, I've got 20 listed.  Okay, one is a comic book, so that I can read in an hour.  But the kid's books on here are relatively long and will still take some time to read and enjoy.

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me.

Spring Reading 2011 Wrap Up

According to most calendars, Spring ended yesterday.  (Although I do have one that says today is the first day of summer.)  So I need to post the results from Spring Reading 2011.  All the links will take you to my review at Epinions.

Books from My Original List Read:
The KenKen Killings by Parnell Hall
The Resurrection by Mike Duran
The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Burn Notice: The Reformed by Tod Goldberg
Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
Twice as Dead by Sue Ann Jaffarian
To the Maner Dead by Sebastian Stuart
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
10th Anniversary by James Patterson
Meaning at the Movies by Grant Horner
psych: Mind-Altering Murder by William Rabkin (Okay, finished this one today, but I'm counting it.)

Books Not on My List Read:
Dear Mr. Holmes: Seven Holmes on the Range Stories by Steve Hockensmith
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
Half Upon a Time by James Riley
"The Rabbit Died" by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Okay, that's 15 books and one short story.  But only 12 of those books were on the list I started with.  Here are the books I didn't get to.

Unread Books from Fall 2010 List:
Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Unread Books from Spring 2011 List:
Formula for Murder by Diana Orgain
Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg
Killer Routine by Alan Orloff
The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus

So there you have it.  I actually did get further with my list then I thought I would, especially when I started reading books not on the list.  However, if I want to finish my list again during one of these, I'll have to make a shorter list.

Spring Into Reading 2011 List

Despite the cold, rain, and wind outside my window right now, the calendar says it is the first day of Spring.  And that means it's time to put together a list for Spring Into Reading 2011.  I have a feeling this list will be much more "in progress" than previous lists because I haven't really given it much thought over the last couple of weeks.  But here goes.

I'll start with the books from Fall Reading thing 2010 that I still haven't read:

Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark
Meaning at the Movies by Grant Horner
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
To the Manner Dead by Sebastian Suart

And here are some books I hope to get read over the next couple of months.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Formula for Murder by Diana Orgain
Mind Altering Murder by William Rabkin
The Resurrection by Mike Duran
Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz
10th Anniversary by James Patterson
Twice as Dead by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg
The Reformed by Tod Goldberg
Killer Routine by Alan Orloff
The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus
The KenKen Killings by Parnell Hall
The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson

Well, that gives me 18 books, and it will probably be impressive if I get that much read.  So we'll leave the list here for today, but I will probably make a few additions as books I forgot creap back into my brain.

Cozy Mystery Challenge

Once again, I am signing up for the Cozy Mystery Challenge.  I know, I know, I'm already doing the Cruisin' Through the Cozies challenge.  Since I can overlap all but two books, that won't be a problem at all.

I'm signing up for the 11+ level, which means I need to average two cozies a month between April and October.  Shouldn't be a problem at all.  At least I hope it won't be a problem at all since I do plan to keep working out a few days a week on my lunch hour.

I'm not going to select my books now.  I'll post them as I finish them and link up to my reviews at Epinions.

Books Read:
1. The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
2. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
3. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
4. Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
5. Twice as Dead by Sue Ann Jaffarian
6. To the Manor Dead by Sebastian Stuart
7. Mind-Altering Murder by William Rabkin
8. Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark
9. Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg
10. Royal Pains: First Do No Harm by D. P. Lyle
11. Pampered to Death by Laura Levine
12. The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews
13. Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick
14. A Bad Day's Work by Nora McFarland
15. A Case of Accidental Intersection by W. S. Gager
16. Quickstep to Murder by Ella Barrick

Fall Into Reading 2010 Wrap Up

Wow, hard to believe that Fall is behind us.  Guess that means it is time for the Fall into Reading 2010 Wrap Up post.  So let's get to it.

Here's what I got read in the last three months.  (All links take you to my review at Epinions.)

Tide Water Talisman by Glynn Marsh Alam
Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, & Leslie Meier
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis
Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen
Naked Heat by Richard Castle
Murder in Vein by Sue Ann Jaffarian
NERDS: M is for Mama's Boy by Michael Buckley
Nightmare by Robin Parrish
Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow by Ridley Pearson
Psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind by William Rabkin
The Silver Chair by CS Lewis
The Chocolate Pirate Plot by JoAnna Carl
The Inside Story by Michael Buckley
They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain
The Last Battle by CS Lewis
A Truth for a Truth by Emilie Richards

Currently Reading:
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

On the List but Not Read:
Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark
Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst
Meaning at the Movies by Grant Horner
Walt Disney by Neal Gabler
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
To the Manner Dead by Sebastian Suart
Book to be named later (I was going to borrow from the Church library)

Thoughts:

I really did think I had a list that was way too long.  Granted, I didn't finish like I did in the Spring, but I'm happy with the number of books I did get read.  Okay, so it helped that a lot of them were aimed at kids and young adults, but I enjoyed many of those books and hope to include more kids' books in my reading in 2011.

I really need to read more books for the Church library since I've said I would.  The fact that we are now three months later and I haven't done that is rather embarrassing.  Heck, I don't even have a name for the book yet.

As usual, the non-fiction on my reading list got pushed to the back burner.  Oh well.

Look for any of these books I don't read in the next three months to appear on my list for Spring 11.

Criminal Plots Reading Challenge

I swore I wasn't going to do any more reading challenge.  And now, for the second day in a row, I'm signing up for one.  And this one will take a bit more doing.  It's the Criminal Plots Reading Challenge, and I'll copy the details from the site.

So, what's involved in this challenge you ask? It isn't too difficult. It involves reading six books throughout 2011 (January 1 through December 31, 2011). One book should be read that fits into each of the following categories:


1.A book by a new to you author who's blurbed a book you enjoyed. So check out the cover of a crime fiction book you've enjoyed and see who blurbed that book and is also an author you've never read before.

2.A book that has been made into a movie. It doesn't have to be a movie you've seen but it can be. The book, however, should be one you haven't read before. (Examples: MYSTIC RIVER, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, LONDON BOULEVARD, HOSTAGE, etc.)

3.A book with a protagonist opposite your own gender. So if you're female, the protagonist should be male; if you're male the protagonist should be female.

4.A book set outside the country in which you live.

5.A book that's the first in a new-to-you series.

6.A book by a 2011 debut author.

Okay, a few of those will be easy.  After all, I read mostly cozies, and those have mostly female protagonists.  And there are already a couple of 2011 debut authors and a new series I'm planning on starting.  The movie one is stumping me, although maybe it's time to read some more Agatha Christie.

I'll come back and fill in the titles as I read them, posting links to my reviews at Epinions.  And heck, maybe I'll even start writing some reviews on my blog again.

Books Read:
1. Pipsqueak by Brian M. Wiprud
2. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
3. Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian
4. The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
5. Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst 
6. Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick

September 19th Update:

And there you have it.  All six books read.  All but one of the books I would have read anyway, but all told this was a mixed bag.  Three books were very good, three were average at best.

Crusin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge

I swore I wasn't going to try a new reading challenge this year.  But then I saw this one and couldn't resist.

See, Socrates' Book Reviews is hosting the Crusin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge.  With the number of cozies I read, it only makes sense to sign up, doesn't it?

Granted, I also intend to read more kids' books this year because I have a bunch I want to read but haven't yet.  But I think this will be doable.

There are multiple levels to the challenge, and I will be signing up for Super Sleuth, which means 13+ cozies.  Fortunately, I don't have to pick them yet because I'm not sure what they will be, although I can think of many books by favorite authors already that I will be reading next year.

Once I get them read, I will start listing them here and link to my review at Epinions.

Books read:
1. Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst
2. Mr. Monk on the Road by Lee Goldberg
3. How to Survive a Killer Seance by Penny Warner
4. Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
5. Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian
6. Deadly Currents by Beth Groundwater
7. Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen
8. The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson
9. The KenKen Killings by Parnell Hall
10. The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
11. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
12. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
13. Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
14. Twice as Dead by Sue Ann Jaffarian

That's my 13+, so I'm going to say this is my list.  I do feel a little guilty calling this a challenge since I love cozies so much, but here you go.

Fall Into Reading 2010 List

It's definitely cooler here. High will be lucky to get to 70 today.  Guess I can't say too much since it is the first day of Fall.

And since it is the first day of Fall, that means it is time to start making lists for Fall Into Reading.  This reading challenge is designed to be fun.  You just list the books you want to read or any other reading goals over the next three months, then work toward them.

Last Spring, I actually did something different.  I didn't list as many books as I thought I would get through, figuring I would actually finish my list for once.  And you know what?  It worked!  I usually start out my list with any carryover books, but I've got none to start with.

So, here is a fresh list of books I'm hoping to get through this fall.

Tide Water Talisman by Glynn Marsh Alam (My current Read)
Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meirer
Naked Heat by Richard Castle
Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen
A Truth for a Truth by Emilie Richards
Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney
Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark
Chocolate Pirate Plot by JoAnna Carl
Murder in Vein by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst
NERDS: M is for Momma's Boy by Michael Buckley
The Inside Story by Michael Buckley
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis
psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind by William Rabkin
Meaning at the Movies by Grant Horner
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow by Ridley Pearson
Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain
Nightmare by Robin Parrish
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
To the Manner Dead by Sebastin Stuart
They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz
Book to be named later (one I've agreed to read and review for my church library.)

Obviously, I learned from my experience in the Spring to keep my list managable, right?  :)  That's 27 books.  My reading seems to have slowed down a little at the moment, so we'll see how many I can get through in the next three months.  Honestly, it's just a matter of how many I'll have left.  This is being overly optimistic.

And yet, I reserve the right to add books if I forgot them or if something comes up I need to add in over the Fall.

Guess I'd better get reading.

Accepting the Narnia Reading Challenge

A couple weeks ago, about the time the trailer for the next Narnia movie came out, I was hit with a burning desire to reread the Chronicles of Narnia.  This time I am going to read them in chronological order instead of the order published.  This will be a first for me.

Anyone, just after I finished reading the first book, I saw that Reading to Know would be hosting a reading challenge for the books in July.  So, instead of spreading them out a little more, I am going to try to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  and The Horse and His Boy this month.

It's been several years since I read the books, although I did enjoy the Focus on the Family radio drama versions a few years ago.

Depending on how my month goes (it's already insanely busy), I may try to watch the LWW movie again as well.

I should finish my current read tonight, so I will start LWW tomorrow.  It's my favorite in the series, so I am looking forward to diving back in and enjoying the magic.