Challenge: 50 Books discussion
2010
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Arlene's 2010 list
44 The Stargazey May 18, 2010Jury sees a woman in a sable coat on the bus. When she gets off the bus and walks a ways, then gets back on the bus, then gets off again, he follows her to the entrance to a public garden. The next day a woman is found dead in the garden wearing a sable coat. Is it the same woman? Then the coat on the dead woman is linked to a famous old movie star and the family of an art dealer. The case keeps Jury and his friend Plant puzzled. Another twisty English plot.
I didn't like this one as much as I have liked others of the series.
45 Fearless Fourteen May 20, 2010I love reading Stephanie Plum and all the fun things are here: 2 yummy men; Lulu, the large wonderful former 'ho; Bob the dog; Grandma Mazur; a few felons running about trying to find 9 million dollars; and Stephanie working security with Ranger for a former star. Throw in a stalker, a teen-age computer gamer and a few murders and it is just life as usual in 'the Burg'.
46 The Glass Flame May 26, 2010Karen travels to the Smokies in Tennessee to bury her husband who has died in an explosion while investigating a series of fires. In a letter a few weeks earlier, he had told her that if anything happens to him, it won't be an accident. She stays with his half-brother's family while there and gets caught up in a web of strange happenings. It kept me guessing till the end.
47 Pacific Avenue May 29, 2010The story starts with a young woman on a bus to Los Angeles. She is running away from her life in Louisiana. She ends up in San Pedro, CA at the end of the bus line on Pacific Avenue. Through her eyes, thoughts and flashbacks, and those of her friends, we learn why and what she is running from. This story takes place in the early 1970's when young soldiers were coming home to a country that has grown hostile to the war in Vietnam, before PTSD was a diagnosis for their nightmares and reactions to life. It also was a time when mixed race couples were not accepted, especially in the South. Kathy is struggling to find her way against these prejudices.
I am of the same generation, so I found the story compelling.
This book was a gift from the author. Thank you so much Anne!
48 Summer On Blossom Street May 31, 2010The continuing story of the characters found on Blossom Street. The latest story introduces new characters who are taking the "Knit to Quit" class at the yarn shop. I enjoy following the lives of the continuing characters in this "slice of life" series.
Total for May: 9 books, 2715 pages
50 Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine June 13, 2010I especially liked the story, "Space-Time for Springers".
51 The MacGregor Grooms June 17, 2010Daniel MacGregor can't stand to see his grandsons in an unmarried state, so he finds brides for them. They don't know what he has done until it is too late. This book tells the stories of three of them.
52 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2008 June 19, 2010I really liked the last story written by by prolific writer Edward D. Hoch. He was working on "Handel and Gretel" when he died and the story was actually completed by Joh L Breen. Edward D. Hoch had a story in every issue of Ellery Queen Magazine for decades. Among his many series characters were the ones in this story, Stanton and Ives, who managed to get into entanglements when they took jobs as couriers.
53 Homefront Murders June 23,2010The sheriff is an outsider and so cannot understand why the citizens of Crawford County, Texas won't talk about the body that is found in the basement of the courthouse. The murder happened 50 years ago but no one seems to be missing. Records turn up missing and some of the town's elderly occupants start acting strangely. A nice little book to entertain your mind.
54 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2009 June 26, 2010I think my favorite story in this issue was "The Mad Hatter's Riddle" which features an aging Ellery Queen in Hollywood.
55 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society June 29, 2010This is the best book I have read all year. It had me laughing, crying and holding my breath to see what happened. I fell in love with the characters just like Juliet did. I would recommend this to everyone.
56 Skeeter: A Cat Tale May 30, 2010I forgot to add this one. A cute story about a cat, Skeeter who is adopted by Lynne when she has just moved in. The story is told in the form of letters that Lynne writes to her friend Angie. I highly recommend this.
57 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo July 7, 2010Financial writer Mikael Blomkvist is sued for libel and is convicted. Lisbeth Salander is a somewhat dysfunctional genius hacker who is working for a security company. Their paths cross when he is hired to solve a 40 year old murder mystery under the guise of writing a family history of a retired corporation CEO. What they find is surprising and dangerous. A good read!
58 Morgan's Run July 14, 2010I really got caught up in this book about the first convict ships to transport felons to Botany Bay. This epic story about the first white people to settle Australia (not their choice) showed how awful the criminal justice system was in the late 18th century. Richard Morgan's story was heart breaking and inspirational.
59 Old Maid's Puzzle July 17, 2010Dewey is struggling with life: being the boss of the quilt shop she inherited from her Mom; working with her sister-in-law; the upcoming 20th anniversary sale at the shop; a celibate relationship with her cop boyfriend; and the most disturbing, a dead body in the alley behind the store. The way she deals with all of this makes an entertaining, quick read.
60 New Beginnings July 20, 2010This story is of the younger generation of the family that is profiled in some of Maisie Mosco's other stories. This book centers around cousins, AP and Jeremy who have both come into inheritances.
62 Finger Lickin' Fifteen July 29, 2010Stephanie Plum gets into it again when her side-kick, Lula, sees someone "whack" the head off from a TV food chef. Then the inept killers try to "off" her. Of course Grandma Mazur gets involved when Lula decides to enter a local BBQ contest to try to capture the killers. The side stories of problems with Ranger's security business, her job working for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, and her on-again, off-again romance with her cop boyfriend, Morelli keep the plot moving. Fun and quick as usual.
63 Off Season August 2, 2010Lilly is trying to work thru the loss of her soul-mate, husband and lover. So she returns to Maine where they spent many wonderful times and lives her life again thru flash-backs. A very poignant story full of ghosts of the past.
64 Mayhem in Maryland: Murder in the Milk Case/Band Room Bash/Kitty Litter Killer August 12, 2010Trish Cunningham is a mom who lives in a small town in Maryland. Finding a body in the milk case just complicates her life with her blended family. How she investigates the murder and keeps it all together is the first of these three related novels. In the second story she finds another body, this time in the high school band room. Her sleuthing irritates the local police detective, Eric Scott, but she persists because her teen-age step-son is a suspect. In the third story, Trish's mom finds the body of her best friend's ex-husband. Of course Trish has to get involved to save Abbie from going to jail for the murder.
A satisfying set that was perfect to have while traveling.
Arlene, was Trish's best friend's ex-husband found in Kitty Litter?
No but kitty litter was found near the body.
65 Shelter Me August 16, 2010This book follows the story of a young widow who is struggling to survive the year after her husband is killed in a tragic accident. She gets help from some unexpected sources as she is forced to live.
66 Seven Sisters August 20, 2010I always love reading these Benni Harper mysteries. The small town California life is infused with the murder of a member of the local rich family. Add a wine tasting and wedding planning and the plot thickens.
67 A Drunkard's Path: A Someday Quilts Mystery August 22, 2010Neil Fitzgerald is a timid young woman who goes to live with her grandmother after her broken engagement. She is also working part time in Grandma Eleanor's quilt shop. Life in small town New York gets complicated when the body of a young woman is found in the river. Nell was supposed to be on her first date with the police chief but he is working on this suspicious death. The next complication is when Nell starts attending an art class with a famous artist. The twists and turns match the title "Drunkard's Path" which is also a quilt pattern.
Arlene wrote: A Drunkard's Path: A Someday Quilts Mystery August 22, 2010..."Oooh, a mystery with quilting! Was it any good?
I liked it - 4 stars. I belong to my local quilt guild (more of a wanna-be than anything) and I borrowed this one and the previous one from their library.
68 The Quiche of Death August 24, 2010This was a quick read. I have read several other books in this series but it was good seeing where Agatha came from and how she ended up in the small village of Carsley in the Cotswolds of England. Agatha has a hard time fitting into village life where even her neighbor, who has lived there for 20 years, was considered an incomer. In an attempt to fit in she enters a local baking contest, doesn't matter that she doesn't know how to cook, so she just buys a quiche from her favorite Greek restraint in London and enters it. When the judge keels over after having ingested some of it, some people accuse her of murder. What follows is a story of intrigue, suffused with several bad guys and an introduction to the local characters. Some of them will show up in books as the series continues.
Arlene wrote: "I liked it - 4 stars. I belong to my local quilt guild (more of a wanna-be than anything) and I borrowed this one and the previous one from their library."Thanks! I'll have to pick it up as, coincidently, my guild has a drunkard's path challenge going. Funny how that happens.
Arlene, I'm a big fan of Agatha Raisin...she is so endearing, although it took me awhile before I could stomach her co-dependence. I notice you are also a reader of Ellery Queen. I've read the first 6 full-length books by the creator-cousins, they were so prolific, and then they started branching out into anthologies, and eventually the magazine, so it got kind of hard to keep track of the chronology. Still a big fan, tho.
Thanks Carol, I like to keep one of my EQ magazines in my bag for those minutes when I am standing in line or waiting at a train crossing. I also figure that the anthology magazines are like reading a short book so I decided to count them in my total. I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that way. As for Agatha, I am a fan of characters and she is definitely one.
69 Summer Brides August 26, 2010I needed something light to read and I picked up this from a borrowers table at work. It is a group of three short novels about summer weddings with a twist.
70 Water for Elephants August 29, 2010An old man is lost in the memories of his worst and best year. It was during the 30's at the start of the depression, when Jacob Jankowski is finishing his degree at Cornell, planning on joining his father in his practice. Then his parents are killed in a car accident and his world falls apart. He returns to school but is unable to complete his exams and ends up running away. The boxcar he jumps on is part of a circus, and that makes all the difference. The book tells about what happens behind the scenes on these traveling circuses in those days when one show can mean the difference between continuing and collapsing. It is a love story with a boy, a girl, horses and yes, an elephant. Compelling.
71 The Secret of Annexe 3: An Inspector Morse Mystery September 1, 2010Inspector Morse investigates a murder on New Year's Eve. Who is the victim? Trying to identify him and discover how the killer got away without leaving footprints in the snow occupies Morse and his side-kick, Sergeant Lewis as they trace the few clues that were left in the hotel's annexe. A good English story.
72 Barefoot September 9, 2010Three women land on Nantucket. They bring two small children and each has her own problems. One has cancer, one has left her husband without telling him she is pregnant and the third has lost her job. They hire a young island college student to help with the kids and muddle through the summer. This is a gripping story.
73 Tubby and the Lantern September 8, 2010I read this book to my granddaughter. I liked it. She liked the picture of the elephant flying thru the air.
Arlene wrote: "72 Barefoot ..."I've been driving around with this on the backseat for a couple months. Guess it'll have to be my next traffic jam read.
74 Ford County: Stories September 14, 2010This definitely is different from other Grisham books. He takes us to Ford County, Mississippi where we find some ordinary residents (well not really ordinary). One husband finds unexpected talent after his wife leaves him. A mother and her sons travel to visit the third brother for the last time. A trio of young men get into trouble when they drive to the big city to donate blood. A lawyer is fed-up with his life and decides to escape from it all. A worker finds friends in retirement homes while he also finds ways to punish inept workers. Another lawyer is put on trial by the family that he has kept from justice. And a young man comes home to die as a final revenge to his close-minded family. I don't know if these people are real but they could be, they are the stories you could find in almost any small town.
75 A Summer Life September 15, 2010Gary Soto takes us back to his childhood in Fresno, California from about age 5 till he reached 17. These stories are short vignettes about life in the summer time there.
76 The Tooth of Time: A Maxine and Stretch Mystery September 17, 2010Sue Henry was a new author for me. I really enjoyed her Winnebago driving Maxie McNabb, the Alaskan who is driving around with her companion, Stretch, her little mini-dachshund, and stopping where she wants. This trip takes her to Taos where she is quickly immersed in a dangerous mystery that involves murder and weaving. Somehow the murderer thinks that a woman she briefly befriended has given her something.
I will have to find some more of this author.
77 Kisser September 20, 2010Stone Barrington is seemingly irresistible to women. In this book he meets a beautiful young actress who is being stalked by her ex-husband. Then he is asked to somehow extricate another young woman from the clutches of a slimy artist before she comes into a fortune on her 25th birthday. He enlists the help of his former cop friends and department and things get complicated from there.
78 Exclusive September 25, 2010The First Lady calls journalist Barrie Travis out of the blue to join her for tea. Barrie follows up with a formal interview about the death of the First couple's baby from SIDS. What follows is shocking and suspenseful with an undercurrent of romance thrown in for good measure.
79 Nursery Crimes September 27, 2010Juliet Applebaum is a former Public Defender who is currently very pregnant with her second child. She shares the child raising duties for Ruby who is 2 1/2 with her husband who is a screenwriter. The day after they apply to a very prestigious pre-school, the director of the school is killed in a hit-and-run. Juliet thinks it is murder and sets out to prove it.
Total for September: 9 books, 2585 pages
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Her Fearful Symmetry (other topics)Dead Over Heels (other topics)
The Empty Chair (other topics)
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The Julius House (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Maisie Mosco (other topics)Janet Evanovich (other topics)
Dr. Seuss (other topics)
Carrie Fisher (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
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I always read the stories by the late Edward D. Hoch first. "Day for a Picnic" is an early one of his stories that doesn't involve one of his many series characters. It is a memoir of a day a boy spends with his grandfather at a town picnic that is spoiled by a murder. Classic!