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What Are You Reading Monday?

It’s been a long, strange year. Very little writing has occurred but I’ve read a ton. So today, I thought I would revisit

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Besure to check out the Book Date blog!

Basically for this post I tell you what I just read, what I’m reading now, and what’s up next. Easy Peasy.

Last week I read…

 

The Alcatraz Rose: A Lawrence Kingston Mystery

The Alcatraz Rose by Anthony Eglin

This is the second or third book I’ve read by Anthony Eglin in the Lawrence Kingston Mystery Series. Lawrence is a retired Botanist (I think?) who solves crimes on the side. This one surrounds a young mother who disappeared 10 years ago and the recent discovery of an extinct English rose on the grounds of Alcatraz.

It’s a short book and an enjoyable read. There were plenty of red herrings and a tangled web of gardening fanatics and criminals. Not to mention a decades old truck robbery that was never solved.  Lovely cover as well.

What I’m reading now…

I picked up this book at the used book store because I’ve never read a John LeCarre book. He’s supposed to be one of the best suspense/mystery writers around. We shall see. I’m only 60 pages in at the moment. From Goodreads:

 

A Most Wanted Man

“A half-starved young Russian man in a long black overcoat is smuggled into Hamburg at dead of night. He has an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse around his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he? He says his name is Issa.” “Annabel, an idealistic young German civil rights lawyer, determines to save Issa from deportation, Soon her client’s survival becomes more important to her than her own career – or safety. In pursuit of Issa’s mysterious past, she confronts the incongruous Tommy Brue, the sixty-year-old scion of Brue Freres, a failing British bank based in Hamburg.” Annabel, Issa and Brue form an unlikely alliance and a triangle of impossible loves is born. Meanwhile, scenting a sure kill in the “War on Terror,” the rival spies of Germany. England and America converge upon the innocents.

What’s up next…

Next, I will read a book by a local author.

Shades of BlueShades of Blue By Joyce Scarbrough

This small volume has been on my shelf for far too long. I believe it’s a YA romance. Joyce is a wonderful author and if you haven’t read one of hers, pick one up.

 

 

There you go. These are just a few of the books sitting on my TBR chair.

What are you reading?

-CK

 

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Travel Inspired Reading

Outer Banks Bound

The family vacation this year is a quick road trip through the outer Banks of North Carolina.

I’ve never been there and it sounds like fun.

If you don’t know, the Outer Banks includes famous places like: Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Cape Hatteras. So along we the required reading of guide books, I’ve accumulated a stack of North Carolina inspired reads.

We have a while before we leave, school is still in session 🙂 But it’s good to be prepared.

North Carolina Reading List

  • Black Beard by Angus Konstam- that’s right Black Beard in linked to the OBX. I can’t wait to see the well his head was thrown in after he was killed.
  • A Death in Duck by Mindy Quigley- Yes, there is a city called Duck! This is set at Christmas but I think I’ll still read it.
  • Reading Up a Storm by Eva Gates- set on Bodie Island with a lighthouse.

Those are the three I have at the moment. If you know of any good books, fiction or non-fiction set in the Outer Banks, please let me know there’s still room on my list 🙂

-CK

 

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What do you read?

I recently read an article about female writers are on the decline. With the current push for diverse books I’m a tad skeptical. I admit, most of the books I read are cozy mystery books. That genre seems to be mainly female authors and protagonists. Not always.

This year I have read 19: 2 books were written by men and 17 were by women, including 1 by a wife/husband team.

So I decided to take a look a the books I read in 2017.

In 2017 I read 96 books 🙂

Authors:

female- 66

male- 28

both authored same book- 1

Yes, I realize I my math doesn’t add up. I missed a book somewhere. It’s safe to say it was probably written by a woman.

Because I’m avoiding my WIP, let’s go one step further and look at the genres I read. This should be interesting.

Genres:

mystery- 38

fantasy/sci-fi- 11

non-fiction- 11

fiction- 7

YA- 21

children/middle grade- 6

romance- 1

WOW! I actually thought I read more fantasy than that. Well, YA is fantasy…mostly. Only 1 romance! Yeah, I don’t read romance.

And yes, I’m still missing a book somewhere… **sigh**

Anyway. For even more fun let’s see how these books were published.

Publication:

traditional- 75

indie- 21

That time my math works!

What does all this mean? It means I read a lot of books by and about women knee deep in dead bodies!

Take away:

I don’t know if there is a decline in women writer’s. I don’t have a problem finding new books by female authors. When choosing a book, I don’t look at gender or skin color of the writer or protagonist. I didn’t break down race because I’m pretty sure it’s overwhelmingly white.  And I would have to think really hard about each book and that’s too much work this morning.  If you went with me to the book store/library, you would see me walk down the aisles, picking books up to gaze at the cover and title. I might look at the author but I can guarantee I never read the back blurb. I apologize to all the authors. I know how hard those back blurbs are to write.

So, my reading isn’t very diverse. I lean toward southern mysteries centering around a female protagonist. If you happen to know about a mystery featuring a non-white protagonist let me know.

All this talk of books makes me want to go to the library.

Catch you later,

-CK

 

 

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Down The TBR Hole #3

Down the TBR Hole

This meme was started by Lost in a Story (not sure why the link is odd)

Here are the rules:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

I have a serious book problem. My Goodreads TBR is out of hand because I love the giveaways. I’m also easily disractedby new books.

Product Details

Fish Nets The Second Guppy Anthology by Ramona DeFelice Long

I own this on my kindle. I’ve read one or two stories. I need to finish it. The stories are mysteries by Sisters in Crime members.

 

 

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlise

I’ve read several in this series but never the first book. *sigh* I should do that soon. I enjoy the characters and the setting. There’s no reason for this to still be on my TBR!

 

Guilty by David Baldacci

I tried to read this and didn’t make it past the first chapter. The way the southern accent is written drove me mad!

 

 

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Seriously! Look at that cover. And the title. Hold on…*tap,tap,tap*… My library has this and I just put it on hold. This book looks like all kinds of fun!

 

In Times Like These by Nathan Van Coops

This is a time-travel story with lots of great reviews! It’s also free on kindle. *tap,tap,tap* just what I needed another book on my kindle 🙂

 

 

The Take Away

I deleted 1 book from my Goodreads list.

Placed 2 books on my IGTIBID List. (I’ll get to it before I die)

I need to finish reading 1 book and Ireserved 1 from the library with hopes of reading it before Valentine’s Day!

That brings my Goodreads TBR shelf to 941 books!

-CK

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Read the Books You Have

If you’ve read this blog for long, you know I have a problem with books. I love to read. A few years ago (2014) I bought a paperwhite kindle. In the years since I have aquired around 537 books . Those are only the books I haven’t read. That’s a lot of books. There’s also around 20 books on my bookshelf I need to read!

Most of these books were free or spur of the moment purchases. Some I started and hated. A few are classics I know I will never read.

I’m going to look at the 5 oldest books on my Kindle. Then decide if it’s a book I will read. Then I will chose one to read this month. Similar to the TBR hole.

The Books:

Water Dance: The Story of a Were-Mermaid (The Sisterhood of the Ring Book 1) by [Greenstein, Jay]

Water Dance: The Story of a Were-Mermaid (The Sisterhood of the Ring Book 1) By Jay Greenstein

Aug. 2014, It was free and there is a mermaid. It was actually one of the 4 books I purchased when I bought my kindle. The blurb sounds familair, I think I may have started reading it but didn’t finish.

The Summer I Learned to Dive by [McCrimmon, Shannon]

The Summer I Learned to Dive by Shannon McCrimmon

Sept. 2014, This sounds like a YA book. It has pretty good reviews. I don’t know why I haven’t read it. I do see a theme with these books. Do you?

Secret Adversary by [Christie, Agatha]

Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

Sept. 2014, Somethinf I’ve learned about these public domain books. The formatting can be crap. The formatting is weird in this one. There dosne’t seem to be page breaks between sections. The pages just run into each other. I haven’t read this and I’m leaning to just deleting all of the public domain books I have. *sigh*

 

The Turn of the Screw by [James, Henry]

Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Oct. 2014, Another public domain book. Flipping through the first few pages the formatting looks okay.  I think I tried to read this once and gave up. I should probably keep these. I need a book with an ugly/boring cover for a reading challenge.

Too Close to Home (Women of Justice Book #1): A Novel by [Eason, Lynette]

Too Close to Home (Women of Justice Book #1): A Novel by Lynette Eason

Nov. 2014, I read book 3 in this series which is why I bought book 1. There tend to be full of tension and suspense.

 

Take Away:

Delete: 2 books deleted- they were free so it’s okay.

TBR: 1 book moved to the top of my TBR list, Too Close to Home

That brings the grand total of unread books on my Kindle to 537!

-CK

 

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Down The TBR Hole #2

It’s been a while since I participated with this meme. Click here for the 1st post. Progress: I read Spelled by Betsy Schow and loved it 🙂

This meme was started by Lost in a Story (not sure why the link is odd).

Here are the rules:

  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5, or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous, books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

The Books

 

Dishing the Dirt (Agatha Raisin, #26)Dishing the Dirt by M.C.Beaton*

This is book 26 in the Agatha Raisin series. That’s right 26! Now I prefer to start a series at the beginning, even when it’s not necessary. Sometimes it’s not possible because there are so many books. And then I forget which I have read. As is the case with these. I don’t think I’ve read this one. But I want to.

 

 

Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, #1)Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty*

It’s set in the historic Biltmore Estate…and there’s a ghost. At least I think there’s a ghost. Look at that cover. It’s gorgeous. I’ll have to get this one at the library. Reading the blurb I noticed the accent. Mixed feelings.

 

 

A Batter of Life and Death (A Bakeshop Mystery, #2)A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander

Book 2 in a series. Murder, baking, and chocolate mixed with a reality TV show. Sign me up.

 

 

 

NeverwhereNeverwhere by Neil Gaiman

I own this one and have for some time. I’ve never read one of his books. In all honesty- he scares me just a little. I shall move this to my Fall TBR. I will read it.

 

 

The Friends of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury                   The Friends of Jesus (Heart of the Story, #2)

Giveaway. The blurb interests me but not enough to read the book

 

 

 

Sea Lovers: Selected Stories by Valerie Martin

Sea Lovers: Selected Stories

I want to read this for two reasons. 1- the cover is beautiful. 2- the short stories sound fascinating.

 

 

Louisiana Saves the LibraryLouisiana Saves the Library by Emily Beck Cogburn

It sounds like a quirky story but … not interesting enough and maybe a touch cliche.

 

 

 

*These two were recently spotted on clearence at BAM. I guess I should have bought them.

The Take Away

Goal: Read Nevermore by Febrary 1st! It’s on my Kindle I have no excuse.

I deleted 2 books from my Goodreads list.

Placed 4 books on my  IGTIBID List. (I’ll get to it before I die)

I’m undecided on 1 book. I probably will not read it.

That brings my Goodreads TBR shelf to 942 books!

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Mother-Daughter Reading Challenge 2018

We have quite a challenge set up for this year. 35 books! I had a hard time with a few categories last year. Several of these look interesting– especially number 22. Number 30 was my idea 🙂

  1. A book you’ve had on your shelf for the longest time and haven’t read
  2. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen
  3. The next book in a series you’ve already started
  4. A book with a map in it
  5. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
  6. A book by two authors
  7. A book by an author you’ve never read
  8. A picture book
  9. A classic
  10. A book based on a fairytale
  11. A childhood classic you’ve never read
  12. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
  13. An “old” book in your favorite genre
  14. A book of short stories
  15. A play
  16. A book you got for Christmas
  17. A book with illustrations
  18. A book you wouldn’t normally read
  19. A book set on another continent
  20. A first in a series
  21. A book with a one word title
  22. A book of mythology
  23. A murder mystery
  24. A book you can finish in one weekend
  25. A New York Times #1 bestseller
  26. An obscure book by a well-known author
  27. A book set in your favorite season
  28. A book about an animal
  29. Close your eyes and point to a random book on your shelf to read
  30. A book with a boring cover
  31. A book you heard about online
  32. A book set in the future
  33. A comedy
  34. A sci-fi made into a TV show
  35. A time travel book