2012 Challenges: Series Challenges

Are you an avid series reader? Do you want to give a few new series a try? Then this is the reading challenge for you. Participants in the 1st In The Series Challenge decide to start a certain number of series in 2012 then share their reviews with the community. 
There are 4 levels for this challenge:

• Series Novice: Read 3 books that are first in a series
• Series Lover: Read 6 books that are first in a series
• Series Expert: Read 12 books that are first in a series
• Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are first in a series

For that challenge I will go with Series Lover, which means I will start 6 new series.

A Few More (Reading) Challenges  is also hosting a challenge for reading the second in a series books. You can also count the second time you’ve read an author as well. The levels are:

• Just a spoonful - Read 3 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author. 
• A few more bites - Read 6 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.
• A full plate - Read 12 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.
• All you can eat - Read 20 books (or more) that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.

For that challenge, I am going for the lowest level, Just a Spoonful. I have plenty of series that I have read the first book but not the second... and am eager to read the 2nd one. But, I don't know if I want to commit myself to more than three.

To sign up for either of these challenges, head over to A Few More (Reading) Challenges for all the details. At 1st in a Series Challenge 2012 or 2nds Challenge 2012.

There is another series challenge that I plan to join. I haven't yet worked out what level I would aspire to, so holding off for a few days. It is Finishing a Series Challenge 2012.

MY BOOKS AND REVIEWS

For the First in a Series Challenge

1. Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand
2. Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
3. A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
4. The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block
5. Cop Hater by Ed McBain
6. In the Woods by Tana French
7. The Guards by Ken Bruen
8. Whiskey Sour by J. A. Konrath 
9. The Suspect by L. R. Wright
10. Bullet for a Star by Stuart Kaminsky

 For the Seconds Challenge:

1. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
2. An Empty Death by Laura Wilson
3. The Sleeping Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot

Another 2012 Reading Challenge: the A - Z Book Challenge

Another 2012 Reading Challenge I plan to participate in: the A - Z Book Challenge 2012, hosted at Babies, Books, & Signs.

 

This is the only challenge I plan to sign up for with such stringent criteria: 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet. I don't know for sure I can finish it. But, it will be fun to try. And I have lots of ideas.

I am going to list all the letters and add titles as I read them (mostly).

A:  The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson

B:  Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton

C:  The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson
D:  Do One Thing Different by Bill O'Hanlon
E:  An Empty Death by Laura Wilson
F:  A Fall from Grace by Robert Barnard
G:  Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
H:  Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand 
I:   In the Woods by Tana French
J:  The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson
K:  Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
L:  The Light of Day by Eric Ambler

M: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
N: Nero Wolfe of West Thirty-fifth Street by William S. Baring-Gould
O: The One from the Other by Philip Kerr
P:  Political Suicide by Robert Barnard
Q:  A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr
R:  The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
S:  Second Violin by John Lawton

T:   The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block
U:  Under World by Reginald Hill
V:  The Vault by Ruth Rendell
W: Winter by Len Deighton

X:   XPD by Len Deighton

Y:   The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Z:   Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharon McCrumb

Today I join my first challenge(s): To Be Read Challenges

 Bev at My Reader's Block is hosting the 2012 Mt. TBR Challenge.  I am signing up at the Mt. Vancouver level: Read 25 books from your TBR pile/s.

I think that I can easily reach this amount in the next 10 months. I am curious to know if  I can count books that I have read between Jan. 1, 2012 and today, since I have read several of my TBR books since the beginning of the year. Doesn't matter really, because I really want to get through my own books and not buy a lot of new ones this year.

I am also joining the 2012 Read Your Own Books Reading Challenge at Tales From the Crypt.

I am partial to images of skulls or skeletons, and I love this image.

For this challenge I will attempt Level 4, 21 or more books. 

At the post where Bev describes her motivation for setting up the blog, she mentions that she read Susan Hill's book, Howard's End is on the Landing, where she describes reading only her own books for a year. I am currently reading that book, at a leisurely pace. A chapter at a time in between other reading.  I am a fan of Susan Hill's Simon Serailler series, which I devour as soon as the novels are available in the US.

I have no idea how many books I have in my TBR stacks, bookshelves, and boxes in the garage. I do have all of my fiction cataloged, but not all of the books have been accurately marked as read. If I read them many years ago and plan to read again, I don't mark as read. So it would take a while to get an accurate count (or even an estimate). But it is a lot. 

My goal this year (until September) is to only buy books written by authors that I have read previously. In other words, don't buy books for new authors (and preferably not new series, even by authors I have read). That still leaves a lot of books I could buy, but the preference is to work down the TBR piles.  In September I go to a yearly book sale where I can get books really cheap, and I don't plan to limit myself there.

Books I have read (with links to reviews):

1. Do One Thing Different by Bill O'Hanlon (03/01/2012)
2. Winter by Len Deighton (03/05/2012)
3. The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson
4. Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand 
5. Green for Danger by Christianna Brand 
6. Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton
7. Second Violin by John Lawton (04/04/2012)
8. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo 
9. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
10. A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
11. The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block
12. Cop Hater by Ed McBain
13. In the Woods by Tana French
14. A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler
15. Political Suicide by Robert Barnard
16. The Guards by Ken Bruen 
17. The Light of Day by Eric Ambler 
18. A Fall from Grace by Robert Barnard 
19. Nero Wolfe of West Thirty-fifth Street by William S. Baring-Gould 
20. Spy Hook by Len Deighton 
21. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 
22. An Empty Death by Laura Wilson 
23. Whiskey Sour by J. A. Konrath
24. The Information Officer by Mark Mills
25. The Sleeping-Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot 
26. Flesh Wounds by John Lawton 
27. Death of a Russian Priest by Stuart Kaminsky
28. The Suspect by L. R. Wright 
29. Under World by Reginald Hill 
30. Bullet for a Star by Stuart Kaminsky 
31. A Lily of the Field by John Lawton
32. Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh
33. The Property of a Lady by Anthony Oliver
34. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
35. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
36. The One from the Other by Philip Kerr
37. A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr
38. Lament for the Bride by Helen Reilly 
39. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 
40. A Touch of Frost by R. D. Wingfield
41. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb
42. Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb
43. The Affair of the Mutilated Mink by James Anderson
44. To Play the Fool by Laurie R. King
45. With Child by Laurie R. King
46. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
47. The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson
48. The Cape Code Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
49. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
50. The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell

Completion of Challenge: I completed this challenge on July 4, 2012, when I finished reading The Sleeping-Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot. I will continue recording novels I have read this year from my To Be Read stacks on this post.

Berlin Game: Len Deighton

Description from GoodReads:

"When a valuable agent behind the Iron Curtain signals he wants out, it's up to Bernard Samson, once active in the field but now anchored to a London desk, to undertake the crucial rescue. But soon, Samson is confronted with evidence that there is a traitor among his colleagues. And to find out who it is, he must sift through layers of lies and follow a web of treachery from London to Berlin until hero and traitor collide."

My thoughts:  

 A Cold War espionage novel, written in 1983.  Set in London and Berlin. I don't remember reading these when they came out, although I did read a lot of Le Carre (in the 60’s and the 70’s). I liked novels about the Cold War. When it ended, I did not read many spy novels. Maybe the new ones are too realistic, too close to home.

I recently read The Ipcress File, and I was disappointed. I got lost in the story, did not know what was going on in the first half of the book. I have read other reviews that said the same thing, so I don’t feel alone on this.  But I had several of the Bernard Samson novels so I tried Berlin Game, and I am very glad I did.

A lot of the book is dialog and I have a prejudice against books that are heavy on dialog. I enjoyed this one, so it may have to do with the overall style of writing. (Or maybe I should revisit my prejudice.) It helps that there is lots of humor and Bernard is aiming barbs at his bosses and at himself. And the story and background is told quite effortlessly through the dialog and Bernard's thoughts.

There are 9 books in the series. Three trilogies. I have read Mexico Set and London Match in the last two weeks and am currently reading Winter, which is not strictly in the series, but is a prequel (of sorts) to the series.

Welcome to my blog

I am starting a blog, mostly devoted to discussion of mystery novels and keeping a record of my reading. I have wanted to have a place to post book reviews and thoughts about books for years, but never got past my inertia to get it going. Recently, I have been motivated to join some reading challenges and having a blog seems the best way to be involved. So, here I am.

I read mainly mysteries. And have been since my late teens and twenties. I enjoy vintage mysteries and newer mystery series. I prefer more traditional mysteries, but there are thrillers I have enjoyed, and the line between mystery and thriller is ofter blurred. My favorite vintage mystery author is Rex Stout. Currently my favorite contemporary writer of mysteries is Elizabeth George. And I am often inspired by reading mystery blogs to try new authors and sub-genres.