Mt. TBR Challenge Quarterly Checkpoint

This quarter I have read only six books that count toward my goal of 25 books for the 2012 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge. (Actually, I have read 11 books from my TBR stacks, boxes, and bookcases, but I did not start the challenge until February 26th and thus am only counting those I read this month.)

Since my goal is 25 books from my TBR stacks, I still am on track to reach my goal. Every year I say I will read more books from my stacks and buy less, and every year I have a hard time doing that. And I really think joining this challenge has been a motivator to accomplish this goal.

Books I have read (with links to reviews):

1. Do One Thing Different by Bill O'Hanlon
2. Winter by Len Deighton 
3. The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson
4. Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand 
5. Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
6. Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton

In progress:  Second Violin by John Lawton

My goal this year (until September) is to limit my fiction purchases to books written by authors that I have read previously. Preferably, don't buy books in series that I have not started, even if I have read the authors. Even though that still leaves a lot of books I could buy, my preference is to work down the TBR piles. In September I go to a yearly book sale where I can get books really cheap and it benefits a charity, and I don't plan to limit myself there.

Based on my records (not complete), of that set of books, I have had The Company of Strangers the longest, about five and a half years, and bought the copy at the book sale in 2006.  It is the first book by Robert Wilson that I have read and I really enjoyed it. Which is a good thing, since I have six other books that he wrote in my TBR stacks.

Of these six books, the one I enjoyed the most was Bluffing Mr. Churchill, the fourth book in the Inspector Troy series. It was also my favorite book in the series.  Partly because of the subject matter (events in World War II) and setting (London), but really because it kept me interested the whole time and I cared about the characters and the outcomes.

Two More Challenges: New Authors and WWI

Two more reading challenges have grabbed me. I can't resist. They won't be easy to finish with what I already have planned ... but I plan to try:

 

For the new author challenge.

1. The challenge runs from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
2. Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels.  Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors can be from anthologies.
3. You can pick to do either 15, 25 or 50 new authors.  It all depends on how fast you read and how adventurous you want to be. 

I am setting my goal at 15 new authors.

I have at least 50 books by authors I have not read before. I always try to read books that I already own by as many new authors as possible before I go to a large book sale in late September, so I can buy more books by those authors if I like them. So it would be no problem to complete the challenge if I did not also have a lot of books by other authors I have read that are also beckoning to me, and other challenges going on.

I am tracking my list of books by authors new to me HERE.

A World War I reading challenge

1. This challenge is hosted by War Through the Generations. The challenge runs from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
2. This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the WWI as the primary or secondary theme. Books can take place before, during, or after the war, so long as the conflicts that led to the war or the war itself are important to the story. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.

Dip: Read 1-3 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Wade: Read 4-10 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Additionally, we’ve decided that since there are so many great movies out there about WWI, you can substitute or add a movie or two to your list this year and have it count toward your totals.

I am setting my goal at Wade: 4-10 books about WWI. (because of the option to include movies)

My favorite topic of the moment is World War II, but as you read more about World War II, you often end up going back to World War I to understand the history of Europe and the rest of the world leading up to World War I. Just this month I read Winter by Len Deighton, which covers the history of a family in Germany from 1900 - 1945 and the parts related to World War I were very interesting.

I have two series by Charles Todd, one in progress and one that I have not started yet, that fit the criteria. I have one unwatched movie set in World War I (The Fighting 69th (1940) starring James Cagney) and another I would love to see again (Paths of Glory (1957) starring Kirk Douglas). So I am sure I can complete at least 4 books or movies by the end of the year.

I am tracking my list of books or films related to World War I HERE. 

Green for Danger: Christianna Brand

Description from Goodreads:  "Set in a military hospital during the blitz, this novel is one of Brand's most intricately plotted detection puzzles, executed with her characteristic cleverness and gusto."

I recently finished reading and reviewing Heads You Lose, the first novel in the Inspector Cockrill series by Christianna Brand. I was disappointed in that book, but I expected to like this one much more and I did.

Per the bibliography at Fantastic Fiction, this was the 3rd book she published and it was published three years after Head You Lose. In that time, it appears that Brand developed her writing abilities a great deal, and the book has much more character development.  

As in Heads You Lose, Inspector Cockrill has a limited set of suspects who could have committed the murder. And again all of the suspects seem to be fine, upstanding members of society (in this case, working at a military hospital during the war, many of them volunteering for the assignment). Granted, some have their flaws or secrets, but not any that point towards the inclination towards murder.  In this book, however, I found the suspects more fleshed out and more interesting. The plot moves more slowly, but there is more depth.

One thing of interest... The character of Inspector Cockrill is not developed in detail. You get a description, you get hints of what he is like, but very little back story. In both of the books I have read, he knows some of the suspects (which would seem to be a problem), but that is about all we know. The emphasis is on the suspects and what they are going through. This is not necessarily a negative. In other reviews I have read, there are indications that you can read the books in any order, so I can concentrate on the ones I can find and not worry about getting them in order. (This is an obsession with me in most cases.) On the other hand, most mystery writers of this time that I like a lot do have detectives (amateur or otherwise) that are more developed, more interesting. Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Dorothy Sayers.

Another plus for me is the time period and setting.  This novel was set in World War II in England, during the Blitz, near London. I enjoy mysteries set in the period leading up, including and following World War II. Since this one was written during the period, it is from the point of someone actually living the experience.

My copy of this book (cover shown above), a paperback published by Carroll & Graf in 1989, has four illustrations, which was a pleasant surprise and did help in picturing the characters. I tried to find out some background on the illustrations, to no avail.

There is a very good movie based on this book, also titled Green for Danger. I did see it a while back, but want to watch it again now that I have read the book. We like old movies and this one was very enjoyable.

I like to include other reviews that I have enjoyed:
I have recently enjoyed many reviews at In So Many Words. Also includes a link to her post about the movie.
At a blog new to me: A Work in Progress.  She also had a post on cozy mysteries that I enjoyed.

This counts as one of my books for the following challenges:
Mt. TBR Challenge
Read Your Own Books Challenge
A-Z Challenge
Vintage Mystery Challenge
Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge
Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

Heads You Lose: Christianna Brand

About Christianna Brand. From the author description at Goodreads.

"She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.

Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories."


I was surprised to find out that Christianna Brand had only written seven mysteries featuring Inspector Cockrill. With that few, I could easily read them all. But after reading this one, I am not so sure I want to.  I have read some of her novels in the distant past I am sure, but it is long enough ago that I don't remember which ones.

Most of the action takes place in a mansion outside a small village. The owner of Pigeonsford Estate has five friends currently visiting when the murder takes place. Inspector Cockrill has known most of this group for years. It appears that one of them must be the murderer but he can't believe it is any of them.

What are my issues with this book? I am not sure. I felt the pacing was good, and read the book in less than two days ... fast for me. I did not have to force myself to finish it. I love the country house mystery sub-genre. But I think the characters were a bit shallow for me and I could not get to like them.

The revelation of the culprit was also a disappointment. I had considered that this character was the most likely suspect, but the explanation left me cold.  On the other hand, I know that mystery writer's essentially are creating fantasy situations that the reader must accept. Had I enjoyed the journey to the end more, I would have ignored my disappointment.

This is the first book in the series, and only the second novel published by Brand. I have read that Green for Danger, the second book in the series, is much better, and I am reading that next. I hope to find that I like it. I have seen the movie based on the book (also titled Green for Danger), and enjoyed it a lot. I know that the movie is a bit different, and I have (conveniently) forgotten the ending, so that won't be a problem.

Other reviews:
At a lovely site featuring Vintage Penguin paperbacks: A Penguin a week

Full of information: at the Golden Age of Detection Wiki

In-depth, and with great comments: at Mystery*File

This counts as one of my books for the following challenges:
Mt. TBR Challenge
Read Your Own Books Challenge
A-Z Challenge
Vintage Mystery Challenge
Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Challenge
1st in a Series Challenge
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge
Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

The Company of Strangers: Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson's description of The Company of Strangers in an article at the Crime Time website:

"The Company of Strangers is a spy thriller / love story which is set primarily in Lisbon in the July of 1944, has its continuation in East Berlin of early 1971 and a denouement in England in the early 1990s." 

A quote: 

     Cardew's conversation drifted toward work.

     "Yes, the fifties were terrific once we go rid of bugger boys Burgess and Maclean. Thought we were right on top of the game, only to find it was a complete bloody farce…

Khrushchev said to Kennedy once that we should give each other a list of all our spies and we'd probably find they read the same. Too bloody right."

There are two main protagonists, Karl Voss, a young intelligence officer in the German Army and Andrea Aspinall, who becomes a spy for the British during World War II in Lisbon at a very young age. The complications of their family relationships and their affair mold the rest of the story.

It is a love story, but I would not call it romantic. It is more about the harsh realities of life. It is about families, and relationships, and maturing. It seems like a lot of books I have read lately have had a theme of family relationships and how they affect us. Or maybe I am just focused on that topic right now.

Did I like this book? Yes, very much. I enjoyed the author’s storytelling and the characterizations. It did take me a long time to read. It was a big thick book but I don’t think that was the problem. There was a section in the middle where it slowed down and I would have like more explanation of that period of Andrea’s life, but then it would have been even longer. At the end, I felt that the author had set the stage well for the final events. 

This book also appealed to me because of the time period and subject matter. World War II and spy intrigue. And then it transitions into a Cold War novel and double agents. Was the depiction of spies and their double crosses and cynicism realistic? I don’t know, but I was convinced. It was real for me.

This counts as one of my books for the following challenges:
Mt. TBR Challenge
Read Your Own Books Challenge
A-Z Challenge
Chunkster Challenge
European Challenge
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge
Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

A Challenge Full of Cozies

This challenge, Cruisin' thru the Cozies, is also hosted by Socrates Book Reviews. (I also signed up for her Finishing a Series Challenge.) Between a quarter to a third of my reading in a year is often Cozy mysteries, because I like vintage mysteries and I read a lot of contemporary authors who are considered cozy authors.

A Summary of the Guidelines

(There are others, go here to check them out.)

 1) Cozy mysteries qualify. Check out Cozy-Mystery.com for definition and suggestions.
2) The qualification period is January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
 
There are three levels. I am joining at the Investigator Level - Read 7-12 books. I figure I can complete that easily because I am also in the Vintage Book Challenge, and many of those will be cozy mysteries.

I will list the books I read here... with links to reviews.

1.  Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand
2.  Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
3.  A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
4.  A Fall from Grace by Robert Barnard
5.  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
6.  With a Bare Bodkin by Cyril Hare
7.  An English Murder by Cyril Hare 
8.  Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
9.  Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
10. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
11. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb
12. Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb
13. The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson
14. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
15. The Property of a Lady by Anthony Oliver
16. Lament for the Bride by Helen Reilly
17. The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
  
Completion of Challenge: I completed this challenge on July 5, 2012, when I finished reading An English Murder by Cyril Hare. I will continue recording cozy novels I have read this year on this post. I may reach 12 or even more.

Finishing a Series Challenge

This challenge, hosted by Socrates Book Reviews, is the 11th reading challenge I have joined since February 26th and I was intending it to be the last.  However, I see two more challenges hosted by that same blog which I might want to participate in. It never ends.

A Summary of the Guidelines

(There are others, go here to check them out.)

 1) All books that are part of a continuing series qualify.
2) It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 10 books in a series to complete it, it qualifies. The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.
 3) The qualification period is January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Books must be read during this time frame to count.
 
There are three levels. I am joining at the Level 3 - Complete 3 or more series.


These are the series I hope to complete for this challenge. I am choosing a couple of really easy ones (1 or 2 books left) and some others that will take more effort to complete. Trying to stay mostly with those series that I have books on hand for.

S. J. Rozan (Bill Smith, Lydia Chin Series) (one to finish)

11. Ghost Hero (2011)

Ruth Rendell (Chief Inspector Wexford Series) (2 remain)

22. The Monster in the Box (2009)
23. The Vault (2011)

 

Laurie R. King (Kate Martinelli series) (4 remain)
2. To Play the Fool (1995)
3. With Child (1996)
4. Night Work (2000)
5. The Art of Detection (2006) 

John Lawton (Frederick Troy Series) (4 remain)

4. Bluffing Mr. Churchill [US title] (2001)
5. Flesh Wounds [US title] (2005)
6. Second Violin (2007)
7. A Lily of the Field (2010)

[Addendum, 04/08/2012: Note that I read the 6th book before the 5th one in the series. I comment on reading order for this series in the review of Second Violin.]

Len Deighton (Bernard Samson Series) (6 remain)
4. Spy Hook (1988)
5. Spy Line (1989)
6. Spy Sinker (1990)
7. Faith (1994)
8. Hope (1995)
9. Charity (1996)

The Bernard Samson series will be the most difficult series to finish because of the number of books and I only have Spy Hook so far. But I know I want to finish it this year, so I am listing it here.

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge

The Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 is hosted by Musings of a Bookish Kitty.

Description:
"The focus of this challenge is to explore the different types of crime fiction out there. If you are new to the crime fiction genre, want to step outside your comfort zone and try another kind of mystery or are a mystery lover needing an excuse to join another crime fiction related challenge, here's your chance!"

There are two possible levels for this challenge.

Down on Her/His Luck Gumshoe - Read two or more books falling into any of the twelve sub-genres specified by the challenge (listed below). Each book can be from the same sub-genre or can be varied among the different sub-genres. You pick the combination and the number of books.

Shamus Who Has Seen It All - Read at least one book from each of the sub-genres (listed below) for a total of 12 books. If you are feeling ambitious, read more than one book from each sub-genre.

I am signing up for the Shamus Who Has Seen It All level.  At first I considered that level too much of a stretch for me, because several of the genres are not that appealing to me. Then I found that have at least three possible books in my TBR stacks for the Locked Room Mystery genre, and figured I should just make the effort to read the others too. That is what a challenge is all about, right?

Below I will list books I read with links to reviews...

The Whodunit: Political Suicide by Robert Barnard

Locked Room Mystery:  The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi

Cozy: Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand

Hard-Boiled/Noir:  Dying Light by Stuart MacBride

The Inverted Detective Story: The Suspect by L. R. Wright

The Historical Whodunnit: Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton

The Police Procedural:  The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo

The Professional Thriller: With a Bare Bodkin by Cyril Hare

The Spy Novel:  The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson

Caper Stories:  The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block

The Psychological Suspense: A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd

Spoofs and Parodies:  The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson

Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

I am joining another reading challenge. It seemed like a logical one for me because I read mostly mystery novels.

Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge 2012

Organized by: Book Chick City

From January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012

Goal: Choose from two levels for the challenge:

• Read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2012
• Read TWENTY FOUR (24) mystery & suspense novels in 2012

The Level I am choosing is TWENTY FOUR (24) mystery & suspense novels in 2012.

My favorite thing about this challenge is...All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up. So I already have 8 books completed for this year. I don't have reviews written for all of them but I may add them as I have time.

My list of mystery or suspense books read in 2012:

1. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton
2. Murder on Cue by Jane Dentinger
3. First Hit of the Season by Jane Dentinger
4. The Cambridge Theorem by Tony Cape 
5. Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
6. Berlin Game by Len Deighton
7. Mexico Set by Len Deighton
8. London Match by Len Deighton
9. The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson
10. Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand
11. Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
12. Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton
13. Second Violin by John Lawton
14. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
15. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
16. A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
17. The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block
18. Cop Hater by Ed McBain
19. In the Woods by Tana French
20. A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler 
21. Political Suicide by Robert Barnard
22. The Guards by Ken Bruen 
23. The Light of Day by Eric Ambler 
24. A Fall from Grace by Robert Barnard 
25. Spy Hook by Len Deighton
26. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
27. An Empty Death by Laura Wilson
28. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
29. The Information Officer by Mark Mills
30. Whiskey Sour by J. A. Konrath
31. With a Bare Bodkin by Cyril Hare
32. The Sleeping Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot
33. An English Murder by Cyril Hare 
34. Flesh Wounds by John Lawton
35. Spy Line by Len Deighton
36. Death of a Russian Priest by Stuart Kaminsky
37. The Suspect by L. R. Wright
38. Under World by Reginald Hill
39. Bullet for a Star by Stuart Kaminsky
40. A Lily of the Field by John Lawton
41. Spy Sinker by Len Deighton
42. The Miernik Dossier by Charles McCarry 
43. Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh
44. The Property of a Lady by Anthony Oliver
45. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
46. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
47. The One from the Other by Philip Kerr
48. A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr
49. Lament for the Bride by Helen Reilly 
50. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
51. The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi
52. The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers
53. The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine
54. A Touch of Frost by R. D. Wingfield
55. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb
56. Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb
57. XPD by Len Deighton
58. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
59. The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson
60. To Play the Fool by Laurie R. King
61. The Dead Can Tell by Helen Reilly
62. With Child by Laurie R. King
63. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
64. The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson
65. A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell
66. The Cape Code Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
67. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
68. The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell
69. A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell
70. The Vault by Ruth Rendell
71. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
72. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy by W. J. Burley 
73. One Coffee With by Margaret Maron

Completion of Challenge: I completed this challenge on May 28, 2012, when I finished reading A Fall from Grace by Robert Barnard. I will continue recording Mystery and Suspense novels I have read this year on this post.

Winter: A Berlin Family 1899-1945 by Len Deighton

This novel by Len Deighton was written following the first Bernard Samson trilogy, Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match (reviews here and here). In a sense, it is a prequel to those books. It provides some background information on a few of the characters that are prominent in the trilogy. That was a major motivator in my decision to read it. And I did enjoy it from that point of view, as a look back at what came before. The Game, Set, and Match trilogy takes place in the 1980’s in London and Berlin (primarily); Winter is set in the first half of that century. But this novel stood well on its own.

 Winter is the story of two German brothers, both born around the beginning of the twentieth century. Both grow up in Germany, and both fight on the German side in World War I.  By the end of World War II, the brothers end up on different sides, one a member of the Nazi party, the other working for the Allies. This is believable in part because they are half American by birth. Their mother is from a wealthy American family, the father is a well-to-do German industrialist.

Deighton uses this story of family and friends to show the rise of the Nazi party in Germany and how it affected Germans and how they dealt with the changes in their society. There are some limitations. The story focuses on the wealthy family and does not spend much time on how Germans of lower classes were affected. Because the novel covers events over such a long span of time (1900 - 1945), characters were not always fully fleshed out, some periods and events were glossed over. Even at 571 pages, the author could not cover everything. The book ends at the Nuremberg trials.

What did I like about Winter?

The topic of World War II and Germany is a favorite of mine; thus, I found it very interesting and illuminating. Reading the book gave me a better perspective of the events in Germany's history and broadened my knowledge in that area. From what I have read, the author did a lot of research on this book. The limitations I note above are not criticisms. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.

Reading this book makes me want to read other books on the subject. I am currently reading The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson (a spy novel which begins in the early 1940’s and continues into the Cold War). My husband has a lot of non-fiction books about this time period. I would like to read In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larsen, and Richard J. Evan's Third Reich trilogy, especially The Coming of the Third Reich.

This counts as one of my books for the following challenges:
Mt. TBR Challenge
Read Your Own Books Challenge
A-Z Challenge
Chunkster Challenge
European Challenge

The Chunkster Challenge

Another 2012 Reading Challenge I plan to participate in: the 2012 Chunkster Challenge. I really like the name of this challenge.

I recently realized that the book I am currently reading would count in this challenge, so why not go for more long books?

I will be signing up for the Chubby Chunkster level (4 BOOKS).


 
Each book has to be 450 pages or more in length and must be adult literature. I guess that rules out the last Harry Potter book that I hope to read some day, but I have plenty of other books on my shelves (or in stacks) of that length that I want to read this year anyway.

No audio books or e-books (some exceptions) but I have never read either, so not a problem for me.

Some possibilities, according to my book cataloging system:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Blackout by Connie Willis
A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley
A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson

The last two are barely over 450 and I would like to include a non-fiction book, but we will see.

My choices... reviews will be linked when written

1. Winter by Len Deighton (571 pages)
2. A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
3. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
4. The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2012

This challenge is the one that motivated me to get involved with reading challenges.  I love mysteries from the 30's, 40's and 50's. My favorite author, period, is Rex Stout. I have read all the mysteries by  Sayers, Allingham, and Tey and still have a lot of authors I want to read or re-read.

 

Vintage Mystery Reading challenge 2012

Organized by: My Reader's Block

From January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012
Goal: Read 8 books in one or more themes. Books must have been written before 1960 and be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.).

 Check this link for rules: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/10/vintage-mystery-reading-challenge-2012.html



I am going to go for two themes, Golden Age Girls (8 books by a female author) and Cherchez l'Homme (8 books by a male author). I have a few authors in mind but in most cases don't have specific books chosen.

Golden Age Girls

1. Christianna Brand: Heads You Lose
2. Christianna Brand: Green for Danger
3. Ngaio Marsh: Night at the Vulcan
4. Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery
5. Helen Reilly: Lament for the Bride
6. Helen Reilly: The Dead Can Tell
7. Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express
8. Agatha Christie: The Secret Adversary

 Cherchez l'Homme

1. Eric Ambler: A Coffin for Dimitrios
2. Akimitsu Takagi: The Tattoo Murder Case
3. S.  S. Van Dine: The Greene Murder Case
4. Earl Derr Biggers: The House Without a Key
5. Cyril Hare: With a Bare Bodkin
6. Cyril Hare: An English Murder
7. Rex Stout: Fer-de-Lance
8. Ed McBain: Cop Hater

European Reading Challenge

This is the 6th reading challenge I have entered since February 26th. Many will overlap, but this one does pose some additional challenges.

European Reading challenge 2012

Organized by: Rose City Reader

From January 1st 2012 to January 31st 2013
Goal: To read books by European authors or books set in European countries. The books can be fiction or non-fiction. However, each book must be by a different author and set in a different country.




I am joining at the Five Star (Deluxe Entourage) level: Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

I am currently reading a book set in Germany, and I am listing others I hope to read this year.

Winter by Len Deighton (Germany)
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo (Norway)
The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg (Sweden)
Murder In Belleville by Cara Black (France)
The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson (Portugal)

Actual books read and reviewed:
Winter by Len Deighton (Germany)
The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson (Portugal)
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo (Norway)
Dying Light by Stuart MacBride (Scotland, UK)
The Guards by Ken Bruen (Ireland)
The Light of Day by Eric Ambler (Turkey)
The Information Officer by Mark Mills (Malta)
Death of a Russian Priest by Stuart Kaminsky (Russia)
The Sleeping-Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot (France) 

Do One Thing Different: Bill O'Hanlon

From time to time I throw a non-fiction book into my reading queue. I like to read mystery reference books, books about World War II, and some self-help books.And books about health. I am real sucker for the "Health, Fitness, and Dieting" category of books.

I had purchased this book, Do One Thing Different, years ago. Don't remember why, other than it is an intriguing idea. The subtitle is "... And Other Uncommonly Sensible Solutions to Life's Persistent Problems." The author proposes that one can solve problems better by finding solutions, rather than looking for why they are happening or blaming others. Sounds reasonable and obvious, but it is a different approach than most therapists use.

I enjoyed reading the book because I have experienced such occurrences in my own life, where I made a change and that change caused other improvements. Now to be able to do that in the future, intentionally. The author also suggests looking for other similar situations where you have found a solution that worked, and trying to adapt that solution to the current problem.

At times I found the format of the book frustrating. Some reviews I read said the content was repetitive. I felt like the summaries for each type of problem solution to be a waste of space. Perhaps I will appreciate that more when I go back and re-read the book, looking for a way to work on a particular problem. And if I don't go back and try a few, what was the point of reading it in the first place?

Actually, starting this blog was "doing one thing different." I had thought for years about a way to share book reviews, track my reading, and have a creative outlet. Yet I never felt ready or that I would do it well enough to please myself. Just recently I got interested in reading challenges and thought it would be fun and a way to motivate and direct my reading. I just bit the bullet and said "now is the time to take a chance." And that feels good.

This counts as one of my books for the Mt. TBR Challenge and also the Read Your Own Books Challenge. Also a choice for the A-Z Challenge.

Mexico Set and London Match: Len Deighton

These books are the 2^nd and 3^rd in a trilogy. The first of the trilogy was Berlin Game (my review here). They tell the story of a middle-class member of the intelligence service in London in the early 1980’s.  They were first published in 1984 and 1985.

Description of the trilogy at Goodreads: “all exemplify the author's typical themes of corruption, espionage, and double agents.”

It is hard to say much more about these books without spoiling the impact of the first book. Thus I will keep my comments to generalities.

The books in this series subtly examine family and relationships without rubbing your face in it. There is Bernard Samson's immediate family and memories of his childhood relationship with his father. Also relationships with co-workers and superiors, exploring differences in class and upbringing. 

One of the things I enjoy about reading this series is that Bernard's office doesn't seem that much different from any workplace. When he ends up going out in the field, there is more danger, of course, but it makes spy work seem as mundane as most jobs.

I have read 3 books of the nine book series, and I enjoyed them all. The books are part of a series of nine books and I will be reading the rest of them.

I recommend reading the series in order. Each book takes up where the last one left off and the enjoyment would be less without the background of the previous books.