March 2016 Reading Challenge Update

March 2016 Reading Challenge Reads and My Proposed April Reads…..

March Reads

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To meet my 2016 Reading Challenge of 60 books, I need to average five books per month. I fell one book short of that this month reading only four books. Overall though, I am two off the pace needed to reach my 60 book goal. Three of the four books that I read were either mysteries or thrillers,and were written by a favorite author. The fourth book was a mini-memoir. The three books written by favorites  were: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter,The Forgotten Room from Lincoln Child and Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Read More

Ordinary Grace – William Kent Krueger

Ordinary Grace – William Kent Krueger – Not an Ordinary book – an extraordinary book!

So while I have not posted much over the last few days, I have finished three books. Finished first was William Kent Krueger’s Ordinary Grace, which was closely followed up by The Forgotten Room from Lincoln Child. Then today, I finished The Toaster Oven Mocks Me by Steve Margolis. Two novels and a personal memoir, all very good. In this post I will write about the first book Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. William Kent Krueger is the author of the Cork O’Connor series set in northern Minnesota. I am a big fan of those novels. Read More

Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter

Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter – One of her best!! *****

So it seems that I oftentimes avoid reading stand alone books written by authors whose series are among my favorites. This was the case with Karin Slaughter’s stand alone novel Pretty Girls, which was released in September of 2015. But when I saw that the Kindle Edition was on sale for $3.99 the other day, I thought now is the time! All I can say is Wow! What a fool I am!! And bring on William Kent Krueger‘s Ordinary Grace! I guess one of the reasons that I avoid stand alone novels is that I’m afraid that they won’t measure up to the series that I love! In the case of Karin Slaughter that series is the Grant County/ Will Trent Atlanta series. Hmm, let’s see Pretty Girls not only measured up it may be the best book that Karin Slaughter has written, and at least one of my top favorites of her books. Read More

Orphan X – Gregg Hurwitz – Book 9 of 2016

Gregg Hurwitz – New Evan Smoak series is off to a great start with Orphan X ****

Gregg Hurwitz is one of those authors whose books I read sporadically and when I  do read one of his books, after I finish it I usually say “Can You Tell me Edward, why you don’t read every Hurwitz book when it comes out?? To which I answer simply no – which is better than omitting I am a fool!! So when I recently saw that Hurwitz had started a new series and the first book Orphan X would be released soon, I knew I’d be a fool again not to read it!! Having just finished it the other day – I can say I am thankful I am not an old fool and bring on book 2 of the Evan Smoak series!! Read More

The Death Relic – Chris Kuzneski

The Death Relic - Chris Kuzneski

The Death Relic by Chris Kuzneski helps me pleasantly procrastinate! 

So yesterday morning I was all set to write a nice post about how it was the first day that I had done my Kundalini, Weights and Band morning exercise routine in about a month. I was going to writing about how I made it through the routine with a minimal amount of coughing and even was able to end with a nice 15 minute meditation. Then I’d write how I was able to make a nice strawberry, blueberry, banana smoothie and sit down and read with no grandchildren to babysit! The reading part was what did me in The Death Relic  by Chris Kuzneski took over and wouldn’t let me breakaway. Even though the pages were flying by time was still marching on, and I was not writing!! I finished just before lunch and I still hadn’t written anything….I’d done some laundry and the dishes, but no writing!! Then it was afternoon and I rationalized that I shouldn’t really write about the morning now! Before I knew it, it was four o’clock and time to go pickup up Oliver at the sitters and take him to his mommy, who works in Cherry Hill.  Bottom line was that I had successfully put off writing all day and I continued to procrastinate all night until it was time to turn in. So while I am not going to write any more about the exercising or meditation from yesterday morning, I will tell you a little about The Death Relic. Read More

Preparation for the Next Life, by Atticus Lish

Preparation for the Next Life – Atticus Lish (****)

One of the Reading Challenges that I created for 2016 was to read more literature the goal I set was 24 books. The challenge includes books classified as general fiction, along with classics that I should have read, New York Time Bestsellers and Award-Winning books.   Since there are four subcategories I made it six books for each subcategory!  Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish is the seventh book I’ve finished in 2016 and it’s the first in the subcategory of award-winning books. The book won the 2015 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction. In addition to that award the book was also among the …. Read More

Life or Death – Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham’s Life Or Death – (Book 5 of 2016)

Yesterday I finished book 5 for 2016 Life or Death from Michael Robotham and I certainly support its nomination for the 2016 Edgar Award for Best Novel. I have been a fan of Michael Robotham’s Joe O’Loughlin series for a long time now. The series is one of my favorites, but this is the first stand alone novel by Robotham that I have read. What surprised me most about the book’s Texas’ setting. The setting for the O’Loughlin series is England, which is surprising in an of its self considering Robotham is Australian, but Texas! Well, Robotham makes it work and he seems right at home with the setting! Read More

Peter James – You Are Dead

Peter James – You Are Dead – Roy Grace # 11  ****

Book 50 of 2015

Peter JamesPeter James  has written eleven police procedural novels featuring Brighton Detective Superintendent (DS) Roy Grace. The eleventh installment in this series is You Are Dead and the first book that I have read in the series. I can tell you it won’t be the last!! You Are Dead is the 50th book that I have read in 2015. I am now one book away from my goal!! Read More