What was your favourite group read of the year? Poll and discussion

[Judy]

As we get into the festive season, just wondering which of our group reads of the past year people have enjoyed most? (Well, actually 13 months, since our first read was in December 2015!)

A poll is now up to vote for your favourite:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Also, please comment here about which titles you liked best and whether any of the books have led you to read more by the author.

There will also be a separate poll and discussion for the Sayers challenge. :)

[Leslie]

Well, for me it was a reread -- The Moving Toyshop. I love Crispen's sense of humor! My least favorite was Murder at the Brightwell (which I thought was more a parody of England in the 30s than a recreation) but none of them have been terrible.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I originally put my copy in the wrong place! I've deleted & will re-post here!

Death in the Stocks is a favourite of mine, but I didn't read it with the group! So I voted for the Paradise Mystery. I really enjoyed our discussion on that one!

[Abigail]

Sadly, I wasn’t able to read enough of the books this year to feel entitled to vote. I focused on the Dorothy Sayers reads because it had been so long since I’d read them, and my reading time is a bit limited.

[Susan]

I would say, "The Moving Toyshop," was a fave, along with, "A Man Lay Dead." I struggled with "Black Plumes," and "The Man in the Queue."

[Judy]

Looks like The Moving Toyshop is the most popular choice so far.

My favourite was probably A Man Lay Dead - I voted for that one and hope to go on to read a lot more of the Alleyn mysteries. I also liked Toyshop, The Paradise Mystery and The Red House Mystery - all very witty.

My least favourite was Murder at the Brightwell - it didn't appeal to me, but it was still interesting to hear other people's opinions on it during our group read.

[Everyman]

Judy wrote: "LMy least favourite was Murder at the Brightwell - it didn't appeal to me, but it was still interesting to hear other people's opinions on it during our group read. ."

I would split my least favorite vote between that and Mystery in White. Thought both were mediocre at best.

[Abigail]

Maybe we should do another Crispin in 2017!

[Susan]

I think my least favourite was Black Plumes. I enjoyed Murder at the Brightwell. Certainly, I would like to do another Crispin - I have only read a handful, so would enjoy reading more.

[LovesMysteries]

Susan wrote: "I think my least favourite was Black Plumes. I enjoyed Murder at the Brightwell. Certainly, I would like to do another Crispin - I have only read a handful, so would enjoy reading more."

I was thinking about reading Murder At the Brightwell and some books from the author since I've been looking for some books from modern writers who set their mysteries in the 1930s and has more of the traditional mystery Agatha Christie-like flavor to it.

[Susan]

Well, there are several to choose from, of course. There were a couple of 'authentic' GA novels I didn't really enjoy this year - I didn't really like The Man in the Queue either and I've never really managed to get on with Tey or Allingham, despite several attempts with both. It just shows you how individual taste is I suppose and, luckily, there are lots of different authors and books - more than we can ever read - and plenty that will appeal to everyone.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan wrote: "Well, there are several to choose from, of course. There were a couple of 'authentic' GA novels I didn't really enjoy this year - I didn't really like The Man in the Queue either and I've never rea..."

Tey is a "like or loathe" author for me. I read The Man in the Queue a couple of years ago & didn't like it.

[Judy]

I've been getting into Tey since finishing The Man in the Queue - I really liked the sequel, A Shilling for Candles, where Grant develops as a character, and also the standalone Miss Pym Disposes. Hoping to read more by her in future.

I've always liked Allingham and enjoyed revisiting Black Plumes, but for me her Campion books are her best.

[Sandy]

I voted for The Moving Toyshop as it introduced me to Prof Fen and his quirky humor. However this is not my favorite of the series.

My second choice is Death in the Stocks as it introduced me to Heyer's mysteries. I've since read others and plan to continue ... so many good intentions.

[Jill]

I have voted for A Man Lay Dead , but a book I really did enjoy this year was Information Received which came second in the April poll I believe.
It has certainly been a good year for me discovering new authors

[Susan]

I quite often enjoy nominations which don't win the vote more than the winner. That is why nominations are always welcome, as they can introduce you to a new author/series.

[Susan]

Interesting to see more votes for the Wimsey books than for the general monthly read - I thought it would be the other way round...

[Judy]

I was a bit surprised by this too. Maybe it's easier to decide which of the Wimsey books you like best than to pick a favourite out of the group read books, which were very different?

[Judy]

This poll will close tomorrow, though the discussion thread will stay open - so if anyone else wants to cast a vote, please do so now!

[Jay-me (Janet)]

I didn't read all of the books for this year, but have voted for the one that I liked enough to read more books by the same author.

I've not counted ones that I had read previously just ones new to me when making my decision.

I hadn't read the most popular book in the poll as it was part way through a series and I prefer to read in order if at all possible (which explains why there are some books hanging around on my kindle and the fact that I have an Amazon wishlist called "Gaps, Middles & Ends" )

[Susan]

I am the same, Jay-me, and dislike reading books out of order. I had already read the earlier Gervais Fen novels, so I felt able to read "The Moving Toyshop," but I sympathise completely!

[Sandy]

I also read strictly in order, but I took the path of reading the earlier Fen's before our group read. That only works when the book is early in the series.

[Jill]

I'm the same. I much prefer to read in order, so I tended to go for the ones that were the first in the series. Possibly some of the following books will be nominated in the future

[Susan]

Yes, I particularly want to read the second Roderick Alleyn and why I nominated the first Gervais Fen this month.

[Judy]

I like reading in order, especially if the detective develops and has a personal story, but I don't always worry about it - sometimes it is easier to read whatever is easily available at the library in the first instance, and if I love the series I will go back and read it from the beginning.

For instance I've just picked up a Martin Beck book from the library, The Man Who Went Up in Smoke, although it isn't the first in the series - I admit an extra temptation was that this one is set in Budapest so it will fill in the Hungary spot in my personal challenge to read books set in each European country. Not that I'm getting obsessed or anything. ;)

[Jill]

I read the Martin Beck books over 10 years ago now, and have to say I learnt a lot about Sweden that I didn't know beforehand

[Judy]

Jill, I haven't started the Beck book yet but hoping to get to it soon - I will probably go on to the Swedish ones if I enjoy it.

[Judy]

The poll for favourite group read of the year is now closed and we have a winner - The Moving Toyshop, with A Man Lay Dead close behind!

Thanks to all who voted, and to those who helped me when I had a technical problem with closing the poll!

Full results are as follows:

The Moving Toyshop (Gervase Fen, #3) 5 votes, 33.3%
A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn, #1) 4 votes, 26.7%
Death in the Stocks (Inspector Hannasyde, #1) 3 votes, 20.0%
The Paradise Mystery 2 votes, 13.3%
The Cornish Coast Murder 1 vote, 6.7%
The Man in the Queue (Inspector Alan Grant, #1) 0 votes, 0.0%
Black Plumes 0 votes, 0.0%
Missing or Murdered 0 votes, 0.0%
The Red House Mystery 0 votes, 0.0%
The Santa Klaus Murder 0 votes, 0.0%
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot, #36) 0 votes, 0.0%
Murder at the Brightwell (Amory Ames Mystery, #1) 0 votes, 0.0%
Mystery in White 0 votes, 0.0%

[Susan]

I think the first two in that list were my favourite reads too.

[Sandy]

The Moving Toyshop was my favorite, but The Red House Mystery introduced me to Milne's other writing. I've acquired several collections of his magazine stories, for free in US, and intersperse them in other reading. They are amusing in small doses.

[Susan]

Yes, I read the biography of A A Milne after reading The Red House Mystery and found it fascinating (one of my top ten non-fiction books of last year). I love the way book choices send you in different directions.