2017 Reading Challenges Mini-Update (Feb 6, 2017)

An Amazing Start on My 2017 Reading Challenges

Ok so I do believe that I would be hard pressed to find two months in the last 15 years where I have read more books than January and February of 2017. In January I read  books and so far in February I have read three more! Bringing 2017’s total of books read to 11! In order to achieve my 2017 Reading Challenge goal of 60 books, I need to average 5 books per month.  I am already above that average in the first week of February!! Goodreads says that right now I am 5 books ahead of schedule! Woo Hoo! Read More

The Lazarus War : Artefact -Jamie Sawyer

Lazarus War - Jamie Sawyer

The Lazarus War: Artefact – (Lazarus War #1) – Jamie Sawyer

The Background

Back in the 70s and early 80s I read a fair amount of science fiction. I read several books by Robert Heinlein, some Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, James P Hogan, Orson Scott Card and others. Since then I’ve read the odd science fiction book here and there.  Among my favorites were the books of John Scalzi,, particularly the Old Man’s War series! In 2015  I added a Science Fiction Challenge to my other Reading Challenges. My goal was to read 12 science fiction books. I made it 3/4 of the way there, reading 9 books. Last year I reduced the number of sci-fi books to 6 i guess I figured I could make that goal easily! Wrong! I only read 1 book! Read More

In the Midst of Death – Matthew Scudder #3 – Lawrence Block

Book 2  of 2017 – A Return to the World of Matthew Scudder….thanks to Lawrence Block

One of my Reading Challenges for 2017 is to catch up on a few of the mystery and thriller series that I am behind on. The series that I had in mind include: Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon series, Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone  or maybe Alex Berenson’s John Wells series. What I didn’t envision was going back to a series whose last book I read in, oh, 1994!  Anyway, that’s what I did this week when I read In the Midst of Death – book number 3 in Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder series. I really didn’t set out to read the book. It just happened to be sitting out on a pile of books in the basement, when I was looking for something. Anyway, I picked it up, and didn’t put it down until I finished it!  Lucky for me it was only 246 pages long!!! Read More

The Critic – Enzo Files # 2 – Peter May

The Critic – (Enzo Files #2) Another Winner from Peter May

So over the last few days I’ve spent a lot of time looking forward to what I want to read and back at what I’ve read. What I have actually missed though is to write about the book that I just finished. Actually, I read the majority of the book in 2016, but I didn’t finish it until New Year’s Day! So it is Book #1 of 2017!  Anyway the book was The Critic by Peter May. It is the second book in May’s Enzo Files series featuring Scottish exile and former forensic specialist Enzo Macleod. Read More

Thoughts about Books Returned to the Library

Two Books Go Back to the Library Unread, Replaced by Two of My Proposed January Reads!

Ok, so who amongst you has ever  encountered this problem. It is actually something that happens to me quite often. You go to the library, either to pick something up or return something. While you’re there you know you have to look through the new releases shelves. Of course , as you scan the books several look interesting and maybe even a book you had seen, say in a book store . So you end up leaving the library with not only the books you came for but a few that you really didn’t need! Yes I always think I can read just a little bit more than I can!! Read More