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Reading Challenges
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2023 May Reading Challenge
Yay! Mysteries are what I read most so this should be easy lol.
Mod
Oh, excellent!
I just read Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney last month if anyone needs a good suggestion. It was really good. For the challenge this month I will be reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.
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For the challenge this month I will be reading [book:K..."
Ooh! I love Deanna Raybourn. I'm a bit behind though.
I have a few mystery's that that I am considering:Monkeewrench by P J Tracy
Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison
Rocky Road by Josi S Kilpack
Decked by Carol Higgins Clark
A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano
Catering to Nobody by Dianne Mott Davidson
Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck
The Starlite Drive-In by Marjorie Reynolds
Any advice on which one to read? I intend to read them all eventually, but which one would you say for me to read first?
My book group picked a mystery/thriller for May, so I can take care of this too if I get it read.
Highly recommended if you have not found these - Any in the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Or, the Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn. I will be reading Pirate King from another series that I really like, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. There are a few I haven't read in this series and it was checked in today! Happy reading everyone.
Mod
I also really love the Mary Russell Sherlock Holmes books too. There are a few I haven't read yet. I just looked it up on Kent District Library's What's Next Database, and it looks like I'm two books behind. I've read through Island of the Mad. It looks like there's 17 total. Of the 15 I've read, I think my favorites are O Jerusalem, The Game, Locked Rooms, and Pirate King.
I'm a sucker for historical fiction mystery. I also like Bruce Alexander, Candice Proctor (Under the pen name C.S. Harris), Jacqueline Winspear, and Rhys Bowen.
I have not read the Spencer Quinn books. I'll need to give them a try.
Deborah, I liked Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None better than any of her other books I've read. Out of your list I would pick that one :)
For this challenge I am thinking about reading The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang. It's about two sisters trying to solve the mystery of their missing mother, and there's some magical realism mixed in too.
Carolyn wrote: "I just read Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney last month if anyone needs a good suggestion. It was really good. For the challenge this month I will be reading [book:K..."
I adore Deanna Raybourn. I'm laughing my way through the Veronica Speedwells right now.
I discovered Deanna Raybourn through Reader's Choice!
Deborah wrote: "I have a few mystery's that that I am considering:Monkeewrench by P J Tracy
Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison
Rocky Road by Josi S Kilpack
[book:De..."
I really like the Monkeewrench books. High Tide was okay. The Josi Kilpacks are fun, but I haven't read that one. Haven't read Decked.
The Countess of Harleigh books should probably be read in order, so if you haven't read the earlier books.... that's number 5 I think, lol. I ADORE them. They're on my "must own" list. (A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder is first)
And Then There Were None is brilliant. Can't go wrong there. Not familiar with To Steal a Heart. The Goldy mysteries are fun (some better than others, but worth it). Read them in order though.
Not familiar with Glazed Murder but I'll probably add it to my list.
Starlite was a Readers' Choice and I gave it 5 stars, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember it! *facepalm*
Not that you asked for my opinion, but you get it anyway! lol
I STILL haven't read any of the Flavia books and I think I'm the only person ever who doesn't like the Chet and Bernies. Sigh.T Kingfisher is amazing. And hilarious. I love her books. They're so delightfully weird.
Tasha Alexander has fantastic mysteries. (Also a Readers' Choice discovery.)
Robin Paige's Victorian mysteries are really good (start with Death at Bishop's Keep).
Susan Wittig Albert (half of the writing duo that is Robin Paige) has the Darling Dahlias if you like mysteries set in the south during the depression; the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter if you like very gentle mysteries with talking animals (I ADORE these and I'm currently rereading them with my 7th grader); and a.... tea shop? I think? series that I haven't read.
Jenn McKinlay has the British Hat Shop series (so cute), the Cupcake Bakery series (very fun), and the Library Lovers series (possibly my favorite).
The Sorcery and Cecelia books could be considered mysteries. I reread those...well, a LOT. Patricia Wrede is amazing.
The Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn is fun (England in the... 1920s I believe).
The Jane Wunderly books by Erica Neubauer are great.
The Haunting Danielle series might not be the best writing ever but if you want some seriously fun fluff there are over 30 of them and they're so fun.
I've got more......
But I'll stop.
For this challenge, I’m going to read A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette. There are a couple others I want to try to get to but we’ll see how the month goes. 😁😁
Olivia wrote: "For this challenge, I’m going to read A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette. There are a couple others I want to try to get to but we’ll see how the month goes. 😁😁"Okay, how are you doing emojis?!? Because I always want to and I can't figure it out.
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Olivia wrote: "For this challenge, I’m going to read A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette. There are a couple others I want to try to get to but we’ll see how the month goes. 😁😁"Okay, how are..."
Mobile! Couldn't reply to someone directly, but I can add emojis! On windows you can do windows key+. and pull up an emoji keyboard and on mac you can do control+command+space. ✌️✌️
Dang it, I can't make them work in the app. Or do you mean the website in the phone browser?
I love all of the suggestions so far. I was going to listen to Persuader by Lee Child, but the holds list is too long - added myself to that list. So then I looked up Free Fire by C. J. Box - 6 holds on 3 copies, so I might not get it on time, but added that hold.James Patterson. Okay, I know he gets a lot of flack. I don't think his books are great literature, but they're easy for ME to listen to, and the eaudio is available, so I'll listen to Double Cross from the Alex Cross series.
I read today, that he has published his 100 millionth print book! That's amazing! I do enjoy reading about all the support he gives to libraries and bookstores.
The very first Reader's Choice book I ever read was The Baby Game, which is still my favorite mystery ever. It is so hilarious.I also really gel with T. Kingfisher's sense of humor.
Deborah wrote: "I have a few mystery's that that I am considering:Monkeewrench by P J Tracy
Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison
Rocky Road by Josi S Kilpack
[book:De..."
I have read 3 of the Diane Freeman book and have really enjoyed them.
Deborah wrote: "I have a few mystery's that that I am considering:Monkeewrench by P J Tracy
Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison
Rocky Road by Josi S Kilpack
[book:De..."
I would start with And Then Tbere Were None. If you like movies, follow up with a watch of Identity, with John Cusack, Ray Liota, and Alfred Molina. A very interesting re-work of the book that is a double pronged psychological thriller.
I'm working on The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates. Fingers crossed I'll finnish it in time. I love the Lighthouse Mystery series.
Mod
She's loving Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide. (Additional fun fact, the author has won 2 Tony Awards!)
Mod
I can't quite get into T Kingfisher's books. Which is weird, because she's also Ursula Vernon, and I LOVE Ursula Vernon.
Maybe, I just like kids books better.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is a kid's book by Kingfisher; maybe that one?I think I am going to go with Lock Every Door.
The Agatha Awards were posted, that's a good list to choose from.
Mod
I think I am going to go with Lock Every Door."
You know what, I've tried that one, and I couldn't get into it. So, maybe I just like how she writes as Ursula Vernon. Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood.
I loved Home Before Dark. I've sort of been in a horror mood lately.
I listened to "Lady Violet Finds a Bridegroom," which was often annoying (although I did stay up way too late to finish it). Too much time spent on lusting after the French doctor.
Due to lots of yardwork yesterday, I finished listening to Double Cross by James Patterson. Not the best book ever, but I enjoyed it.Currently waiting to move up in the queue for these mysteries:
Free Fire by Box
Persuader by Child
Glory in Death by Robb
Perhaps I'll get another one listened to before the end of the month!
Mysteries I've finished so far this month:The Plot and the Pendulum
Dark Torte
Dead in the Water
Thursday's Child
The Tale of Applebeck Orchard
Also The Invention of Murder, which is a nonfiction but talks about how the Victorians dealt with violent death and the development of detective novels. It was interesting.
Sorry, Dark Tort. (The app won't let me edit my previous comment. )
I finished reading Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things by Rachelle J Christensen Last night. While I had suspicions throughout the book the ending did surprise me.
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Sorry, Dark Tort. (The app won't let me edit my previous comment. )"Golly! lots of difference between a torte and a tort! (silly app)
The story dealt with both the legal kind and the dessert, so....
I have finished The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates ( Review ) . And it's not even a picture book, And it's on time!
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "The story dealt with both the legal kind and the dessert, so...."Hmmmm. I may have to take a taste of this one! I enjoy both of these types of mysteries! And the cover of the book shown on goodreads is yummy yummy!
I just finished reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. This was a really fast paced book that was hard to put down. I can't wait to read more books by the same author. Such amazing characters and I did not predict who was behind it all.
Well, golly, I've read two! Something Read, Something Dead by Eva Gates ( Review ) was so good I could not put it down. Who would be killed was a mystery, forget about who was the killer. Once the killing occurred, whether it was intentional or an accident became a key mystery, too.
I listened to a little over half of How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano. It’s about female identical triplets who are serial murderers. It was pretty good, but I think I was just a tiny bit uncomfortable with it. Still, interesting concept.
I set aside my original choice, but I have read something else I think I will count for this month: Off the Hook (the third in the "InvestiGators" series). I read the first book in this series when considering it last winter as a gift for a nephew. Now I read them to connect with him and because I like the series also. That nephew loved first two installments and I am sure will be happy to get his hands on this one sometime.
Darin wrote: "I listened to a little over half of How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano. It’s about female identical triplets who are serial murderers. It was pretty good, but I think I was just a tiny bit uncomfor..."Sounds like a variation of the 1988 Jeremy Irons film Dead Ringers which was really disturbing. I see Rachel Weisz stars in a 6 part mini-series (I forget the current term) by the same name on Prime Video. Irons played identical twin gynecologists, the same as Rache Weisz. Both are horror. Iron's portrayal was so disturbing I've never been tempted to watch it again. But I don't regret having seen it, it was so well done.
This is offered for folks, like me, who are also movie junkies, not just book junkies!
Mod
I love the InvestiGators!
Mod
I recall liking this one. What did you think?
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Secret Adversary (other topics)Lock Every Door (other topics)
Lock Every Door (other topics)
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (other topics)
The Paris Apartment (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Agatha Christie (other topics)Jostein Gaarder (other topics)
Jostein Gaarder (other topics)
Deanna Raybourn (other topics)
Eva Gates (other topics)
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