Luvamystery65/Roberta's 2013 Challenge part 3

Hello I am Roberta from right outside Houston TX (Missouri City, TX). I do love a mystery but hanging around LT has really exposed me to other genres.

This is me on the left with my guilty pleasure, Jussi Adler-Olsen. My friend Christy is on the right. He is the amazing author of my current favorite series, The Department Q mysteries!

Honestly, I am having trouble following the plan I set out. I blame it completely on my monkey brain and a little on the woes I've had in real life. If I get to every category then I'll consider it a victory.

I COUNT MY BLESSINGS DAILY

Category I: Huge Book (doorstop)

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Category II: Pro and Con (silver tongues and weapons of mass distraction)

My Life by Bill Clinton
Decision Points by George W. Bush

http://www.librarything.com/groups/uspresidentschalleng

Category III: Español (my grandmother would be proud)

El amor en los tiempos del cólera por Gabriel García Márquez

Category IV: Spiritual (food for my soul)

A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield

Category V: Medical (knowledge is power)

Stiff by Mary Roach
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

Category VI: Nominees and winners for book prizes

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Category VII: Themed and Group reads (yes if everyone is jumping off a bridge I will too)

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon - May
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - January it's March & I'm still slogging along with this one! I finally finished!
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - June
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim - April
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (reread) - September
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain - March
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - August
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Group_Reads_of_2013

Category VIII: ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes)

Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum

Category IX: Young Adult (because I need quick, fun or fast reads some days)

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene
Genesis by Bernard Beckett I loved it! (gifted by maggie1944) (recommended by jolerie)
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
Un Lun Dun by China Miéville - (also a group read for December)
Son by Lois Lowry completed
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Category X: Sandman by Neil Gaiman (checking this off my bucket list)

Preludes and Nocturnes
The Doll’s House
Dream Country
Season of Mists my favorite so far
A Game of You
Fables and Reflections
Brief Lives I really liked this volume
World’s End
The Kindly Ones
The Wake

http://www.librarything.com/groups/sandman

Category XI: Mysteries/Thriller/Crime (duh, I luvamystery)

The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
In the Darkness: An Inspector Sejer Novel by Karin Fossum
On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
Hard Magic by Larry Correia
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker
In the Woods by Tana French

Category XII: 1001 books to read (so I can die in peace)

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (reread)
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carré
The Handmaid’s Tail by Margaret Atwood (also a group read December)
The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Category XIII: Bullet Books or Whatever I Want! (wiggle room)

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (jolerie; msf59)
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (kidzdoc)
Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin plus Burmese Days by George Orwell (Crazymamie) Mamie recommends I read both
168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam
The Line by Olga Grushin (Ellen/EBT1002)
The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon (jnwelch) ONE OF THE BEST SO FAR!
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (drachenbraut23) audio version A FAVORITE!
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver (katiekrug) audio version
Cricket Explained by Robert Eastaway (all johnsimpson and paulcranswick's fault)
Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Currently Reading

A Conspiracy of Faith (Department Q) by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Women of the Frontier: 16 Tales of Trailblazing Homesteaders, Entrepreneurs, and Rabble-Rousers (Women of Action) by Brandon Marie Miller
Midnight Riot (Peter Grant) by Ben Aaronovitch

Plans for the Quarter always subject to change

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Warbound: Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia (no touchstone yet) Coming in August!
Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker
Cop Hater by Ed McBain
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Books I loved this year!

The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Stiff by Mary Roach
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Stiff is a great book. I have her Spook to read next, have you tried it?

Lovely new thread, Roberta and a belated Happy 4th of July to you!

Claire - I have only read Stiff. I am looking forward to reading more by her in the future. Mark (msf59) says her books work well in audio form so I may try one of them in that format.

Lori - Thank you!

Ooh, Midnight Riot and Cop Hater on deck for this quarter! Hope you like them. And if you like the Ed McBain there are plenty more where THAT came from ;)

Hi Roberta, I always get mixed up with which thread I have left messages on with those of us who are also members of the 75ers. I have yet to start the Jussi Adler-Olsen series but from what I've heard, I'm pretty sure that I am going to be a big fan.

Stopping in to see that you are making great progress on your challenge! Enjoy them all!

Hope that Mom is improving each day.

Have to drop a comment on the shiny new thread so I don't miss out. Love the picture (even though he managed to be in the US for the short time I was in Sweden...)! :)

Eva - We are still cross with him for not checking your itinerary first! LOL! How far are you in the series? I just finished book 3! Wow!

rabbitprincess - I am listening to Midnight Riot and so far I am loving it! Cop Hater is coming up very soon.

Judy - I am the same way as to which thread I left a message on, including my own two. Let me know when you start the Department Q series so I can initiate you into the fan club and make you a gold card member. ;-)

Chèli - Mom is doing very well right now. Her surgery went well and she now has a new knee. She is in skilled nursing for rehab. I hope to have her home soon. Thanks for the encouragement.

->19 luvamystery65:

Well, I managed to get 4 books in the series when I was at home, but I haven't gotten around to reading any of them yet. Thanks for that reminder, though - I am just about finished with my current book and was looking around for what to read next: Disgrace / The Absent One is on deck!!

Or as the Swedish version is called, Fasanjägarna=The Pheasant Hunters, which is slightly closer to the original Fasandræberne=The Pheasant Killers. I think the translators went berserk when it comes to his novels - different titles in each country, and even the UK and US titles have nothing in common.

Eva - He did talk about the titles and covers when he was at his book signing. He prefers his original titles which are loosely The Woman in the Cage for the first Keeper of Lost Causes (Mercy in UK) and The Pheasant Killers for The Absent One because of the type of people he was writing about. He said the title describes them perfectly, and it really does.

He dislikes the American titles more than the UK ones but he really doesn't have too much control over the titles or the covers. The US ones are horrid! His words and I agree. What he does demand control over is the content translations. He has final approval over the translators. I think he picks his battles wisely.

The Absent One is a little darker but then you do get to meet Rose. The third book is great!

I'll always cut the second in a series a lot of slack - it's normally the one that stumbles a little. It's such a shame about the titles - his original titles are just fine! I checked the other books in the series and it looks like the Swedish titles are direct translations from the Danish, which makes sense since, in writing, the languages are very similar. I'm very happy about that. :) I'm not sure why they would change them so much - it would make sense if the titles contained untranslatable puns or something like that, but they don't. Too weird.

#49


I wanted more out of this book but it delivered what it promised. It is YA Woman of Action series that gives you 16 tales of frontier women. It is a quick, somewhat shallow read. Personally, I would like to read more on Cynthia Ann Parker and Elizabeth Bacon Custer.

Roberta, I read a book about Cynthia Ann Parker a year or so ago that was excellent, Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. This was a ficionalized account of her life. This year I gave 5 stars to Empire of the Summer Moon which is a non-fiction book about the Comanche, and it details Cynthia Ann Parker's life and more particularly, her son, Quannah Parker.

#50


I am really loving this series! There is a lot going on here. First, there is the crime, then there are the characters and finally there is a whole background story that is slowly unfolding in the series.
I think for me it is not about the crime. We know right from the start what the crime is and who is behind the crimes. We get a little bit about why the "poor criminal" has become such a monster. Boo hoo! For me the meat of the crime portion of the story is how Carl and team are going to end up finding out what EXACTLY the crime is, who did it and how to catch him. Luck and intuition play as much a part of solving this as does police procedure.
Next up is the characters and this is where this series has me sold. Carl thinks he is a simple man who just wants a worry free day and a nice woman. Fortunately for us he is anything but. Carl is a trouble magnet, loyal to his own and is hiding secrets even from himself. I suppose that is why Carl is tolerant of Assad who very obviously is hiding secrets and identity. Assad's attention to detail has helped in every case so far, including this one. Rose, OMG that Rose! She was a thorn in Carl's side in book two and here it is no different. Rose could be a case study for the DSM-5 but once again Carl surprises me by his acceptance of her. He even pushes her out of her comfort zone and she helps gain key evidence needed to capture the criminal. Hardy is the key to Carl's past and possibly the future.
Finally, the nail gun murders have been mentioned in every book. Last book we learn that Hardy gave in his statement that Carl knew more about the case than the other two partners did. This is brought up again. Carl confronts Hardy about this. Hardy doesn't deny it and is surprised that Carl is denying knowing more than they did. Carl is forced to examine himself. Does he have a secret so dark that he is keeping it even from himself? There are also questions about Carl having a relationship with Hardy's wife in the past. Is it just in the past? This case is going to drag out.
I loved this book. I kept turning the page to see how Carl and team were going to catch on and catch the bad guy. I laughed out loud so many times. My geeky fan love of Department Q was not disappointed!

Judy - My library has Empire of the Summer Moon so I'll start with that book.

#51


This book is an excellent beginning of a series. The actual mystery gets a little lost in all introductions of characters and rules of magic. I suppose this is necessary when starting out. I listened to the audio. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith does an wonderful job narrating the book.

When the author, Ben Aaronovitch, on his blog has a blurb about a live event stating, "It's WRITER versus ACTOR in a no holds barred knock out conversation death match! Plus exclusive reading of extracts of the upcoming BROKEN HOMES by a man who can actually do all the accent (ie: Kobna)!", well you know the man has brought the characters truly to life.

I like Peter. He rings true. His mistakes are the honest mistakes of 20 something trying to learn and do the right thing. He knows when to swallow his pride and humble himself.

The book Midnight Riot US/Canada or Rivers of London UK is a fun book. Be careful it is addicting. I've already started book 2 Moon over Soho

I found I wasn't frightened. Instead, I was embarrassed. That this nice family of Von Trapp impersonators had come to my city and instead of being gently relieved of their money they were facing violence, injury and bad manners at the hands of Londoners. It pissed me off no end.

If you're interested there is a blog post gushing about this book. What I found very intriguing is the point made about how this series is "VERY RESPECTFUL OF WOMEN". There is a whole discussion of this point in the comments section so don't skip it.

blog is here

Hurray! Thanks for the link to the blog post -- she articulates pretty much why I like the series too :) Might have to hunt down the audio as well!

I have Midnight Riot on my Kindle, sounds like another one I need to nudge up the list a little!

Enjoy Empire of the Summer Moon, Roberta, so far this book is in among my top five reads of the year.

I too can recommend Ride the Wind - a very vivid description of life on the Plains. I just finished Conspiracy of Faith as well - they are a lot of fun, that group, aren't they!

Glad to see another positive review for Midnight Riot even if I do prefer the UK title.

@32 That is a bit of a name change isn't it! I do wonder why they get changed sometimes.. although the whole US title/cover make it look like a completely different book. I haven't read it so I can't comment which feels more accurate!

rabbitprincess - I highly recommend the audio for reread. It is very entertaining. If even features a jazz soundtrack in between chapters.

Judy - Midnight Riot would be perfect for September Series and Sequels. ;-)

Eva - I will try to track down a copy of Ride the Wind.

Dave - The UK title of Midnight Riot is perfect isn't it? I know there was a riot but really the book is very much about the *rivers* of London.

Claire - The US covers of the Peter Grant series are ghastly! They look like a Bruce Willis movie poster. I love the UK covers that feature London. London is one of the main characters of this series. It should be featured prominently.

UK cover



US cover



For me there is no contest. UK title and cover wins hands down.

#34 - I prefer the UK cover as well. And I will keep it in mind for September Series and Sequels. :)

The UK cover is a thing of beauty! Incidentally, when I was in London a couple of months ago I walked by a bunch of landmarks featured in the book, including the Actors' Church in Covent Garden where everything kicks off. That was really neat :)

rabbitprincess - I love all the UK covers in this series. The artist did a wonderful job. How lucky you are that you got to go to London.

wow - talk about judging a book by it's cover (and title) - I read rivers of london partly based on the cool cover, I think I would have just skipped over it if it had the US cover & title!

Wow, like Pete said - Midnight Riot and the cover design tells me this is the type of suspense/thriller book that I usually avoid and I would never pick up a copy to read.

Pete - The UK covers in this series are works of art in themselves. I love the maps of London. If discussion on Bianca's thread had not clued me in on the US title I also would have skipped it. Midnight riot describes one scene in the book and Rivers of London really describes the book and beyond.

Lori - I agree. I said somewhere above that the US cover looks like an action movie poster from the 90s. It's very macho. :)

When I went to Jussi Adler-Olsen's book signing he said he thought his US book titles were terrible and the covers atrocious! He is so right.

US cover and title A Conspiracy of Faith



UK cover and title (Redemption)



Scandinavian cover and title (Message in a Bottle)



I don't fully understand this except that it is probably different publishing houses and there are other books in English that are better known by these titles.

I also don't understand printing series out of order in the US. I am very happy the Peter Grant series and the Department Q mysteries are not suffering that fate.

I know, right?! I don't get the different covers and titles, either. And the publishing the series out of order, like they are doing with the Nesbo books boggles the mind. Why? *stamps foot*

wow a different order? um. I cannot think of one good reason!

Look at that, the Danish Adler-Olsen cover and title actually has something to do with the story, whereas the other, well, don't. Too funny!

With Nesbø, they skipped the two first when they started translating (probably because the third one won some prize(s) or other) and they've just recently translated books 1 and 2 after a lot of people have been complaining about that very fact.

A Conspiracy of Faith makes it sound like a Dan Brown novel.

I was speaking to an author recently who was saying that there was a 2 year gap between his 2nd and 3rd books coming out in the US (they had been available in the UK for some time) which was down to a change in editors which meant that his US publisher dropped him (new editor decided to drop old editors list) and he is now republishing all 3 books with a new publisher but now with different covers again. The publishing industry does appear to be a bit odd sometimes

I can think of no good reason to publish books out of order!

Dave - It does sound like a Dan Brown novel doesn't it, but at least the Dan Brown book covers don't sear your corneas.

Pete - I cannot even begin to imagine the nightmare of publishing internationally. I'm sure for a very few there is no problems but for most it must be like navigating a minefield.

There is no good reason to publish out of order!

Per the fabulous rabbitprincess I have the most exciting news!

*quote* FANTASTIC NEWS for those who liked the recent BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Neverwhere: Audiogo are releasing it in September! Saw it on their Twitter feed. It also seems to be available for pre-order on Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Neverwhere-Neil-Gaiman/9781471316470 *unquote* ;)

Thank you wonderful rabbitprincess!

You're welcome! A good way to kick off the weekend (sort of)!

rabbitprincess - It's going to be my birthday present to myself.

#52


Okay so this is the third book in the series. It's a case involving fixing baseball games. Spenser gets hired by the team manager but ends up sticking up for the ball player and his wife.
The book is very much a 70s flashback. Spenser is Mr. Player in this one with two love interest. Maybe one love interest and one lust interest. Spenser is still as sarcastic as ever.
In this book Spenser crosses the line. It bothers him. It would bother me if it didn't bother him. He is old school and more than a little macho but it does matter to him about doing the right thing. Spenser has to do the wrong thing for a very right cause. This is a nice quick read series.

No Tartan Turf. No Astrodome. No air conditioning. Not too many pennants over the years, but no Texans either. Life is adjustment. And I loved the beer. Spenser describing Fenway Park.

#53

Hideous US cover


Lovely original UK cover


The good news is they are keeping the UK covers with the next two books!

I am so addicted to the series in the way I was last summer with the Harry Potter series. My life is on repeat. Last summer my mom was in the hospital/rehab and I did a lot driving and listening to HP in the car. I needed that time with magic to distract me from my all too real unpleasant real life. This summer I have Peter Grant, a wizard's apprentice who also happens to be a constable with the Metropolitan Police. There is agreement in the world of Magic. It has been amended to allow Peter to apprentice.

Moon over Soho is the second in the series and we learn more about Peter and his parents in this book. Nightengale and Leslie are more background in this book. We also meet some other minor players that will be around next book.

The story is fun. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is an EXCELLENT narrator. London, however, is once again the star of this series apart from Peter. All the details and background the author gives are wonderful. It makes me want to go to London. Right now! Well maybe not right now! It's hot and they are expecting a baby. Maybe SOON!

still hating those US covers! I really must get round to carrying on with this series...

Pete - I couldn't agree more! Yes, get around to carrying on! ;)

#54


Cop Hater is an old school, hardboiled mystery. Written in the 50s it is definitely dated but for me that is part of the charm. If you are a fan of the genre then this book and it's mood is right for you. If you're not go on ahead and pass it up.

I loved Steve Carrella and Teddy. I'm glad Kling will be featured in the next installment along with Willis. I look forward to following this series.

Glad you're still enjoying the Rivers of London series. Still in agreement on the covers a well. Glad that they're reverting from the next one.

I have Cop Hater on my tbr shelves so I'm pleased that one meets expectations. Will have to get around to actually reading it one of these days.

Dave - Cop Hater is a quick read. It's perfect for an in between chunksters or more cerebral reads.

Teddy is adorable, and I love how assertive she is. She and Steve are my favourite 87th characters. And I chuckled aloud at your "hideous US cover"/"lovely original UK cover" labels for Moon over Soho. So true!

It's hard to believe those covers are for the same book! I don't care what my cover looks like when I finally get around to this series (and I have added to my list for September), I am going to post them with the British covers.

rabbitprincess - I look forward to more adventures with the 87th Precinct. You know how I feel about those "ugly" covers.

Judy - Please post the gorgeous covers! I haven't read too much about it yet but there was some controversy about the US covers. Not that they are hideous, because they are, but because in the first printing the guy on the cover is white. Peter is black. The second version had a black guy on it, but then, they did one in silhouette. What?!

The difference between those two covers aren't even funny - why on earth they didn't just pay to keep them for the US publication is incomprehensible.

+++++
I knew there was a reason I was avoiding returning to your thread - BBs!

It appears that you are reading some great books (which I may have to add to the ever expanding TO READ Wishlist).

This is a lovely engagement photo. Well done Kelly Clarkson!

It's nice she's holding an antique book and not some modern title. How cute!

Wow, that is a REALLY poofy dress!

I'm catching in, but that UK cover (and the title) to Rivers of London is more appealing than the American cover or title.

Cheli- How are you? Thanks for dropping in. The books are my sanctuary from RL. I'm back in mystery mode since so much is going on. I'm trying to get to The Garden of Evening Mists. Perhaps in August.

Mamzel - I love that the books are antiques. Barefoot and reading. What's not to love about that?

rabbitprincess - It is definitely a REALLY poofy dress! Perhaps, she wanted to be a princess for the day. Out of curiosity, what would a rabbitprincess wear if she wanted to be princess for the day? Although, I suppose you are technically a princess every day.

Lori(thornton) - No contest! The Rivers of London covers are beautiful. I own the audios but I need to get copies of the actual UK books.

A rabbitprincess would wear a polkadot dress with a big full skirt. Or really whatever Grace Kelly wore. ;)

#56
Lovely eye soothing UK cover. (My audio came with this one!)



Cornea searing US cover with "sillhouette" Peter Grant. This one belongs in the rubish.



Book 3 of the Rivers of London series or Peter Grant Series. I loved that Lesley and DCI Nightingale have a prominent place in this installment. There is more magic and a lot of history of the London Underground. Peter wanted to be an architect so you always get that perspective from him.

Part of the story takes place in the sewers so be prepared. Some of this is a little farfetched even for an urban fantasy tale but I don't want to spoil the story. It's still good story telling and as always, I LOVE Kobna Holbrook-Smith's perfect narration.

rabbitprincess - I like what a rabbitprincess would wear. You really can't go wrong channeling Grace Kelly.

#55 (out of order because I have had almost NO sleep) #56 is above


The Mugger is the second book in the 87th Precinct novels. I liked it. It seemed obvious to me who the killer was, but I was stumped as to who the mugger would turn out to be.

I liked Kling's story. I knew he was going somewhere and I'm glad he made detective. I would have liked to know a little more about Willis. He sounds like he has a back story there.

These books are of a time gone past when you dressed for dinner and sized people up quickly. I'll pick up the next one, The Pusher as soon as the lending library releases it to me.

Book 4 of the Rivers of London series has just come out in hardback. It's going to seem a long time until the paperback version of Broken Homes becaomes available.

Dave - Broken Homes will be available in paperback in the US February 2014. The audio is available in the UK but there is still no release date for the US yet. Boo! I am having so much fun with this series.

I read on Ben Aaronovitch's blog that they are making a TV series. I do hope it is good and if so, they bring it over sooner rather than later. If it is bad y'all can keep it. ;-)

Ooh a TV series! That would be interesting.

rabbitprincess - It would be interesting.

#57


Okay so thank you, thank you, thank you to mamzel! I had not heard of this series until I read your reviews! I was kind of sad this summer because I had no Harry Potter to listen to on the drive back and forth to the hospital (both work and visiting my mom). I was thrilled when I found the Rivers of London series, but I tore through that. Now I have another fun, magical kind of sexy series to listen to.

Hounded is book one of six. Mark & Joe this one he cranked out several at a time. I don't know that he wrote them all at once but at least three were published very close together. It is called The Iron Druid Chronicles.

This is the story of Atticus Sullivan, a 2100 year old Irish Druid. He is the last of his kind. He looks 21 years old and currently resides in Tempe, AZ. There are some werewolves and a vampire who happens to be Atticus' lawyer. There is a coven of witches to contend with. They will be even more trouble in the next book. The main plot deals with a magical sword and an angry Celtic love god. The star of the series besides Atticus is Oberon, his Irish Wolfhound. They speak due to magical binding that Atticus created.

Atticus also has a pesky nosy neighbor that channels Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched. There is also a funny Irish widow that sips whisky before Mass to be "mellow". She is Atticus' true friend and he hers.

Now I mentioned Harry Potter, because I longed for some magic on my drive. This is not Harry Potter, but it is a lot of fun and very charming and there is some seriously cool kick ass.

Excellent to hear - I have Hounded waiting on my NOOK and will have to get around to it soon!

I'm about halfway through Hexed. I heart Oberon.

Eva - You will enjoy Hounded. It's fun fare.

Jean - I love Oberon too! I wish I could communicate with my dogs the way Atticus and Oberon talk.

Jean - I started Hexed today!

Has anyone watched Broadchurch? Thoughts on it? I'm tempted as it is available for a limited time on BBC America online. My time is also limited so I am curious to people's opinion.

I've not watched it yet, but have heard nothing but good things. If it's still up on BBC Am, I'll try and watch the first ep this weekend.

>80 luvamystery65:: I downloaded the first two episodes off iTunes but haven't had a chance to watch them yet! Looking forward to it though :)

I just watched the first episode and it has a creepy mood to it - very slow pacing. It's looking very good and seems to be emphasize the characters more than the mystery. Only one episode available in the US yet, but I have signed up for the rest!

Thanks Eva and rabbitprincess I'll watch it this weekend. Maybe my mom will want to watch it too. She likes creepy. We watched Bletchley Circle together and she enjoyed that.

It's not gory or anything, the creepy is more along the lines of uncomfortable - something is very wrong and that feeling permeates the whole narrative. If they keep it up, it could be very, very good indeed!

Eva - That sounds fabulous! I love that kind of creepy.

I love how I can stop by to visit a thread and come away with a new TV series to watch! ;-) I must investigate Broadchurch. Loved Bletchley Circle.

Stopping by to wish you a lovely weekend, Roberta!

Lori - Thank you! I am not a huge TV person but LT members have led me to some great series.

I'm thrilled you are enjoying the Iron Druid series. Magic fluff is good, IMHO.

I really enjoyed the first episode of Broadchurch. Very much an intellectual feel and yes, definitely creepy.

Eva and Jean - You were so right about Broadchurch. Very mysterious and the tension is palpable. I love how they just visit everyone and give you small glimpses and then in the end you have more questions.

Lori - It is not as creepy as Bletchley Circle, but it may turn out that way. The first episodes just builds the tension but gives absolutely nothing away.

I caved and found time this weekend to check out BroadChurch and absolutely love it!

I have the first episode recorded. Glad to know it's worth watching!

Stacy - I hope you find time to watch the first episode soon.

Eva & Jean thanks for letting me know how good Broadchurch was.

rabbitprincess I hope you get to it soon.

Lori I'm am thrilled you love it.

All of the above please consider my thread a Broadchurch discussion board!

***Be sure to mark SPOILERS*** I'm usually 3-5 days behind broadcast.

LOL! I just got an email that the second episode is ready for me to watch, but I may not have time until the weekend.

Just watched the first two episodes and really enjoyed them. Looking forward to seeing what direction they go with some of the characters.

It is rather irritating when pretty much every character acts at least a little shady so you have to suspect them. :)

After watching the first episode I found myself craving the ice cream that David Tennant was eating.

->98 rabbitprincess:
And so you should - having a 99 tends to be one of the first things I do when arriving on British soil - yum! And, I want one too now.

I haven't watched the second episode yet, but I plan on catching it this evening.

It's a good one - there's something very shady going on, so be prepared for being frustrated when the episode ends too fast! Now I think I should have waited until the season was done before I started watching. Too late for that now. :)

>99 -Eva-:: How apt that your comment was #99! ;) First thing I do when I get to the UK is pick up a pasty at the West Cornwall Pasty Co. Yum!

I can't wait now! I had some panic on Friday when I discovered that BBC America online was only posting the 1st episode and not the rest. My cable provider does not carry BBC America. I hadn't noticed because I rarely watch cable. The only reason I have it a all is my cousin pays for it because he watches TV constantly.

I agonized over whether to order the episodes on Amazon Prime. I went ahead and did that. Now that I have read your comments I am very glad that I did.

I'll come back and post my thoughts after I watch the 2nd episode.

2 mini reviews coming soon.

->102 rabbitprincess:
That's brilliant, I didn't even see the post number. :) I had pasties for lunch on Friday - there's luckily a good pasty-shop right by where I work.

->103 luvamystery65:
I canceled my cable a couple of years back when I realized I only watched BBC. For the money I paid for cable, I could buy every program on BBC's schedule. :) After watching the freebie on BBC, I went ahead an Primed the series as well - not regretting it.

#58 & #59



Hexed book 2 of the Iron Druid Chronicles takes place shortly after book 1. Atticus has to deal with a Coven of truly evil witches and make nice with the remaining witches from the Tempe Coven. There are visits from some of the Celtic pantheon with consequences for the future. The action was fast paced. For a 2100 year old Druid Atticus seems to be manipulated quite easily. I suppose there would be no story if this was not the case.

Hammered is book 3 of the series. In here we see Atticus dealing with the Norse pantheon. I both loved and hated this one. I loved it because Atticus chooses a difficult path knowing this is not his fight. He also knows there are very serious, possibly fatal, consequences in choosing this path. Friends are both won and lost. Atticus' future is uncertain. Because his future is uncertain, so is Granuaile and Oberon's.

I hated this story because a lot of animals were "harmed in the making" so to speak. Animals are killed in hunting. I eat meat and understand this. Animals are killed by accident. So are people. Animals die in battle. So do people. This particular story had a lot of animal deaths in it. I found it disturbing. Not sure why. It wasn't torture so I was able to proceed but it made me sad.

I was listening to the audio of the books but decided to borrow the Kindle versions from Overdrive because some of the short stories are included with Book 1 and Book 3.

I'll pick this series up for September Series and Sequels.

Stacy Eva and rabbitprincess - I finished the second episode and it was even better than I could hope for. Lots of drama!

I loved when Miller told Hardy off about being broody! I wanted to thank her! LOL.

Here is a link to Ben Aaronovitch's blog. He has little inside information for his book 4. Not spoiler but geographical tidbits. He also reviews what he is currently reading and watching. It's interesting. http://temporarilysignificant.blogspot.co.uk

> 98 & 99 - I had no idea what a 99 was so I had to go investigate. Soft serve vanilla ice cream with a Cadbury Flake.... got it, and now I want one!

Glad to see everyone hooked with Broadchurch!

#60


Promised Land book 4 in the Spenser series. This one was good. The storyline between Spenser and Susan is wonderful. We get to meet Hawk! The plot was the best of the four so far.

#61


The Garden of Evening Mists This book was so incredibly written. I just can't do it justice reviewing it right now. There are so many layers and I have so many questions. More now at the end than the beginning. It begs for a reread. When I do that I will give this book a proper review. Based on my feelings I would give it 4.5 stars. I would definitely recommend this book for the history of Malaysia and the gorgeous descriptions.

This book was a Christmas Swap gift from Karen (maggie1944). It was wonderful. Thank you Karen and thanks to Mark (msf59) for setting up that wonderful swap.

ETA: LT is being strange and not accepting my touchstone! I know this book has a touchstone. I have tried to fix but will edit later when LT is behaving. :)

4.5 stars catches my attention. Some books really call out of a review on par with the writing and I just cannot do that. I think your review of Evening Mists is great.

Lori - The book was just so beautiful and thought provoking.

The Garden of Evening Mists is a lovely book isn't it?

->107 luvamystery65:
I wasn't aware he had a blog, so thanks for the link! Now I just have to get around to reading the books as well... :)

I must get round to that book one day!

#62


***SPOILER ALERT***

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is very aptly named. This book made me really sad. It takes place during the depression right before WWII. Times are tough for everyone in this Southern mill town. Some of the characters suffer from health problems, alcoholism and mental illness but most of the main characters suffer from chronic and acute loneliness. It was frustrating to see how some of the main characters, Mick, Singer, Dr. Copeland and Mr. Brannon shut themselves off from those around them. Life is hard enough as it is without asking your children to be who you want them to be (Dr. Copeland) and shutting them out because they are not. Portia, Dr. Copeland's daughter is wonderful. She just keeps the peace in any way she can. She makes the most out of every difficult situation.

Mick is young and confused. She hero worships Mr. Singer because she believes he understands her. She has a huge family but she feels all alone. Her mind is faster than her two feet can carry her. She retreats into her own world to escape the sadness that is her life. Unfortunately, she has to grow up way too fast.

Mr. Brannon is a quiet observer and a little bit odd. He has a strange obsession with Mick that thankfully goes nowhere. He is the one person in the book that sees people follow Mr. Singer like lap dogs and project themselves onto him. He doesn't understand it but yet he himself visits Mr. Singer regularly.

Mr. Singer is a deaf mute. He lives in a boarding house and misses his deaf mute friend that is sent to a mental institution at the beginning of the story. His friend is very self centered but Mr. Singer projects his own desires onto his friend. His friend's indifference is viewed as quiet wisdom. When he moves into the boarding house and frequents Mr. Brannon's diner, he becomes the object of affection in much the same way. At the end of the book, Mr. Singer's friend dies and although he has lived without his friend for one year he can see no reason to go on.

My RL has been less than pleasant for the past year and a half, but this book seriously made me realize that I am grateful for every blessing in my life, large and small. I don't have to deal with unemployment or overt racism but I see Portia and how she really made the people around her feel loved and she felt their love in return. Mr. Singer was greatly worshiped but he never allowed himself to enjoy this. He never showed who he really was to the people all around him.

This book was tough but I will say it was beautifully written. I would recommend this book.

#113 Rhian - TGOE is a lovely book. The descriptions were gorgeous and from your vacation pictures I would say, spot on.

#114 Eva - You're welcome. I love when an author writes a blog. The books are good fun. They'll be there when you are ready.

#115 Pete - I hope you get to TGOE sooner rather than later.

Broadchurch Update

Okay so I am still watching this show but it went from "deliciously creepy" to full on soap opera! It's still good but it had a lot of potential as a deep dark mystery and it isn't living up to that.

->118 luvamystery65:
I was disappointed at what he had really been up to - if your kid dies, I don't think that'd be a big enough secret to keep secret, right?! At least not from the polis!

As a rule I don't have the patience to watch a series on a one episode a week basis anymore. I like to be able to binge watch all episodes over a couple of days.... I get frustrated by the 'tune in next week folks' approach to TV series and Broadchurch is something I would binge watch.

Lori - I hope I didn't spoil anything for you. I'll mark spoilers clearly! I'm enjoying the show. It's just that it has turned a little soapy.

*** Broadchurch Spoiler Alert ***

Eva - Exactly! He was so indignant about protecting his family but he would rather his wife he was capable of murder. What a colossal idiot!

No, you haven't spoiled anything for me Roberta! Don't worry about that. I actually have seen all eight episodes *shush*.... I refused to sit back and wait for each episode to come available for viewing. ;-)

Lori- You are funny & naughty. So without giving it away how would you rate it on a scale of 1-10?

LALALALA I only just watched Ep 3 so can't look :P I keep cracking up at the Family Liaison Officer, Pete, just randomly hanging around their kitchen and not really knowing what he's supposed to do.

rabbitprincess - LALALALA! I've only watched the first three episodes too. You are safe. I'll only post spoilers a little after the current episode & I'll mark them. ;-)

Roberta, Without giving anything away I would give it a 7 (possibly a 7.5) out of 10.

> 124 - Yup, good old Pete...... he is a classic. ;-)

Lori - 7 out of 10 is not bad at all.

#63


Storm Front is the first book in the Dresden Files. The story introduces to Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. There is a lot of backstory to Harry that I am sure will come out later in the series. We learn Harry is living under a suspended death sentence, The Doom of Damocles. I won't go into details why in case you haven't read the book.

Harry has a warden appointed by the White Council to monitor his use of magic. Harry's life is complicated when bodies show up that were murdered by magic. Suddenly, Harry is implicated. Harry must use his wits and magical powers without violating the laws of magic implemented by the White Council.

The story leaves lots of questions about Harry's background. There is world building but it doesn't interfere with the plot. The plot is good and Harry is flawed but funny. Harry is one of the good the good guys. Usually that spells trouble. Lucky for us!

Paranoid? Probably, but just because your paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face.

She was driving me crazy. That voice of hers inspired the kind of dreams you wish you could remember more clearly in the morning.

Currently, there are 15 books in the series. The author's website says he is planning about 20-23ish. Is anyone up to date on this series? How goes it?

Great review of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. It was beautifully written and I'm glad I read it, but all the characters seem so trapped and they are right up through the end. It was so rich with believable and beautifully done characterization.

Katie - I agree with your assessment. Carson McCullers wrote beautifully. There was a lot of mental illness and alcoholism in the book. Both are still around but we call them out by their names more frequently. We don't always do anymore about it than they did.

***spoiler for The Heart is a Lonely Hunter***

The characters worshiped Singer. When he died, the thin ray of hope they had was dissolved. I was very frustrated by him. He knew he didn't understand half of what these people were telling him, yet week after week he let them come and keep him company and just purge their souls to him. Mr. Antonapolous is written as selfish and self centered, but Singer was too.

Biff Bannon was the most confusing character for me. She didn't seem to flesh him out as she did the others or she purposefully kept him more shallow. He only gave so much information with his conversation and less with his thoughts. I don't know if he was creepy, or confused or what he was.

@128, The series is generally regarded as being consistently good although the 2nd book, Fool Moon, is thought to be one of the weaker entries. So if you can get past that then you've got quite a lot of reading in front of you. I've recently read #13 Ghost Story which was probably my own least favourite but I'm still looking forward to the next one.

Dave - Thank you for the feedback regarding The Dresden Files. I consider this guilty pleasure reading so I don't have very high expectations. If the series is considered consistently good that many books in, I'll take it as a winner. I'll pace myself since there are quite a few ahead of me.

->124 rabbitprincess:
Right?! They start by saying he's just finished his education as such, but I can't see any sign whatsoever of that. He's just lumbering about, frequently inserting his foot in his mouth. :)

->128 luvamystery65:
I've read the first five and found them very entertaining - just fun reads with fun characters to spend a few hours on.

Eva - Thanks for the heads up on Dresden Files. just fun reads with fun characters to spend a few hours on That is just the ticket!

I lost interest in Dresden but soldiered on for a few books, think I made it to 7 in the end before deciding not to carry on YMMV

#64


The eighth volume of The Sandman: Worlds' End by Neil Gaiman was excellent. It is short but sweet. There are layers upon layers of stories told. The end leaves you ready to move on to the next chapter.

Pete - I appreciate your input on The Dresden Files. I have the first three on audio. James Marsters does a nice job so I will continue on with those and decide from there. My local library has all the volumes, many on audio, so if I decide to move forward after three, they are there waiting.

>137 luvamystery65: - of course there is much love around LT (and elsewhere) for them and you may not have the same issues I did with the series

#65


I finished the fourth book of The Prydain Chronicles, Taran Wanderer. It was a nice installment in the series. Taran wanders Prydain in search of his parents and his true identity. He learns many skills but finally after his wanderings he realizes that he is a man, like any other. He learns that a man's deeds make him more noble than any birthright could. In the end he is content with being just Taran and heads home to Caer Dallben.

#66


Roseanna is the first in a series of ten novels collectively known as The Story of Crime by the authors, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. The books are better known as the Martin Beck Mysteries. I've been reading some of the reviews of this story and some call it boring and uneventful. I call it minimalist and realistic. A murder is not always solved quickly and this murder was solved without the advanced forensic technology we have today.

This book was published the year I was born. It has held up well. It is slowly paced and there is not a lot of action. Some parts of it are, like real life, boring. When they are trailing a suspect for six days and he does the same thing every single day. Martin Beck gets sick drinking coffee but he drinks it anyway. He gets sick in winter and gets motion sickness on the train. He gets home and ignores his family to work on a model boat. There is nothing exciting about him in this book except his determination to solve the crime.

Martin Beck straightened up. "Remember that you have three of the most important virtues a policeman can have," he thought. "You are stubborn and logical, and completely calm. You don't allow yourself to lose your composure and you act only professionally on a case, whatever it is. Words, like repulsive, horrible and bestial belong in the newspapers, not in your thinking. A murderer is a regular human being, only more unfortunate and maladjusted."

These characteristics allow Martin Beck to wait out the clues. To find new avenues to search for clues. Stubborn and logical and completely calm are not characteristics I posses. Well, stubbornness, yes! I would never be able to methodically solve a crime, however, I love being along for the ride when Martin Beck does.

This book and the series are an homage to the 87th Precinct. The social commentary is not so evident in this installment but I look forward to the rest of the series. Thanks to Ellen and Paul for recommending the 87th Precinct by Ed McBain. It made me appreciate this novel all the more.

This is brilliant news about Roseanna since it's on Mt. TBR and I've been hesitating because I know the TV-version too well. I am particularly happy you found it realistic - that'll do for me. I have a friend who works as a private investigator and he says his job is very different from his fictional representations, "90% routine and 10% pure tedium" were his exact words - looks like Martin Beck's life is like real life. :)

Eva - It is a testament to their writing that even though they portrayed the characters jobs & lives so realistically, if you stuck with the story you still had a very satisfying conclusion. Now, many authors do this but they were true pioneers.

#67


The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman is a masterpiece in story telling. Five years of character building, world building and story telling come together to tell this spectacular tale. This volume was page turning and has everything. I was on the edge of my seat so to speak. WOW!

#68


Ay Dios Mio! The Judas Goat, Spenser 5 was awful! The plot was probably the worst one so far. I have a feeling it won't be the worst one ever. Spenser goes to Europe and Quebec. I really would have enjoyed it if Parker would have scaled back all the descriptions. I usually eye roll and giggle but this one was too much. Book 6 is suppose to be one of the best ones and I hope it is. I loved book 4 and this one disappointed but not enough to stop going on with the series.

Mamie I cannot imagine having to endure this book with a lousy narrator. Homework assignment: Killing and screwing have their place but there are other alternatives. Aack! How can the same man that writes Susan Silverman write these women!

"Good, I'd just a soon not be carrying around a slug in my upper thigh," I said. "You may choose to call it that if you wish," the doctor said, "but in point of face, my man, you've been shot in the arse."

"There's marksmanship," I said. "And in the dark, too."

#69


Tricked is the fourth installment of the Iron Druid Series. Now we are getting back on track. Book 3 was good but I had a huge problem with Atticus' pride and sense of honor. He took a vampire's help in book 2 to get out of a jam. His price to pay was huge and the basis of book 3. Book 4 deals with the repercussions of this price. Atticus will pay the price long after book 4.

Book 4 deals with the Navaho belief system and some really spooky being from their First World. In this story Atticus' apprentice Granuaile has finally begun her apprenticeship. Atticus' is betrayed by a friend and Oberon proves his fierce loyalty.

This series is fast and fun. There are a few short stories and 2 novellas in this series. I recommend them for a complete picture. The information is listed on the author's website.

http://kevinhearne.com

->143 luvamystery65:
Isn't it just fantastic!

->145 luvamystery65:
Aargh - I need to get started on that series soon, it looks so good.

#70


***possible Spoilers for The Likeness and In the Woods***

I did appreciate The Likeness better than In the Woods. The plot was a little unbelievable but Cassie's actions were not. She always had this daring in her. It is why she worked Undercover and why she worked well with Rob and kept his secrets. I could buy that she was still a little post traumatic from Operation Vestal and this clouded her judgement. I could see why as an orphan the set up in Whitehorn House would appeal to her. The rush of the undercover would appeal to her too.

I wanted to smack her back to reality in the first half of the book but when she began to address what happened to her after Rob and her imploded and Operation Vestal went so very wrong she won me over. Finally, something very believable. *rant* Look even Rob's actions in In the Woods were understandable but I NEVER believed that NO ONE in this day and age would figure out who he truly was. I work in a hospital and it seems their background checks find out if you jaywalked in third grade. It never sat well with me that a police department wouldn't thoroughly check him out. I don't care what premise French gave about him changing his name and all. It just never rang true and that is why I didn't buy into the story. I loved the ending, but the whole premise started off wrong for me and it was tainting this story too.*rant over* Luckily, I loved Cassie and she didn't let me down.

I'm not sure if I will continue this series because I wasn't crazy about Frank and the next one is about him, but I will give it a try.

Sorry about the ranting. This wasn't really a review but I never could place my feelings about the first book until I finished this one. Tana French writes really well. It is what made me finish the books. She makes you care about some of the characters and revile others. There is no lukewarm about her writing style.

#71


Trapped is book 5 in the Iron Druid Chronicles. If you invest in this series, this installment, is where you find a whole lot of payoff. For a 2100 year old Druid, Atticus can be clueless but most of us are. He has survived 2100 years by cutting and running. In this series he has had to stand his ground and fight. His modus operandi is to use whatever means are necessary to survive regardless of the consequences to others.

In the last few books, Atticus has had to deal with the consequences his actions have had on himself and others, but the others so far have been guilty of some crime or misdeed. Now Atticus has to deal with the destruction of innocents his careless words have caused. Now Atticus must deal with protecting those he loves and the possibility that he may be unable to.

Granuaile's journey continues and there is huge event here for her. Woo!

These books are so fun and once again thanks to mamzel for hitting me with the book bullet on this series!

#146 Yes, Eva the Sandman series is so fantastic. I can't wait to finish this up and then read them again.

Save the Iron Druid series for when you need some awesome mindless escape.

Please give Faithful Place a try! Frank isn't a great character in The Likeness, but he really comes to life in "his" book.

Eva - I promise to give Faithful Place a try. I've learned to expect the unexpected with French. Frank was a jerk but even some jerks have their good points. Any character that wants to wrap things up so they can spend their weekend with their kid can't be all bad.

Glad to hear it - once we see where Frank comes from, his character makes 100% sense!

Eva - I joined the 2014 Challenge Group but I won't make my thread until next year. There are so many wonderful people in this group and I know I've only touched the surface. I've lurked around and I do want to spend some of next year delurking and really getting to know others around these parts.

I'm going to keep my challenge very loose. Nothing too fancy. I tried to organize my reading this year but it was not meant to be. I don't want to be too rigid next year.

Eva - Crossed posted! Fair enough about Frank. That is why I understood Cassie's willingness to do something so crazy. Where she came from and what she went through led her to some really bad decisions. Thankfully, she made a good one in the end.

I have seven very loose categories and only two of them are going to actually be challenging - that's enough for me. I know if I make them too narrow, I'll just get bored and obstinate and won't want to read anything. Yes, on the inside I am a five-year-old. :)

Glad to see you will be joining us next year with next year's challenge, Roberta! I am going for an easier challenge next year - only 7 categories with 7 books in each - for sanity reasons, of course! ;-)

Only one episode left of Broadchurch - thoughts on who did it?

Eva - I think I'm 5 years old too! ;-)

Lori - I like this only 7 categories. I'm not sure what I'll be doing but I will definitely have a category for Scandi crime. I have so much crime to catch up on and so many authors!

Stacy - I am so behind on Broadchurch! I was planning on catching up this weekend but instead I...GASP...read books! Ha! I don't head back to work until this Wednesday so I'll try to catch up before then.

I'll post my thoughts asap.

->157 LittleTaiko:
I haven't watched #7 yet, but they keep changing my mind as soon as they reveal another side to a character, so it's SO hard to guess. Very well done, that.

->158 luvamystery65:
It's not a bad way to be, I think. :)

HA, ha, love how your Broadchurch viewing was interrupted by book reading whereas my planned book reading... just didn't happen. ;-)

157, 160 & 161> I am not saying anything.... Nope..... nothing.

*taps foot impatiently while waiting for everyone to get caught up with Broadchurch*

Eva - I have to agree.

Lori - Aack! I still haven't watched any Broadchurch because I'm still reading.

*hears Lori's foot tapping and runs to log into Amazon*

Looking forward to the final episode this week - probably won't be able to watch it until Thursday night though. I keep rotating through different characters as the suspects. Currently, I think it's the police woman's kid and maybe her husband who are involved. Nothing would surprise me at this point.

Stacy Lori & Eva - Let's meet back here next week and get all spoiler with Broadchurch.

#72


The High King was a very satisfactory conclusion to The Chronicles of Prydain. Taran has done his wandering and he is now a young man. Arawn Death Lord remains to be defeated and he is once again placing the land of Prydain in peril.

Taran and his companions join together once more to help Prince Gwydion defeat the Death Lord. Taran friend of the people of the Free Commots leads a band of warriors to assist Gwydion.

Lives are lost but good triumphs over evil. Taran must face the ultimate decision to leave Prydain or stay and keep promises once made. Taran sacrifices the companionship of his friends and true love in order to stay in Prydain and is rewarded with title of High King. Princess Eilonwy gives up her powers of enchantment in order to stay behind and wed Taran.

This was a sweet set of stories. Taran learns that it is better to be of noble character than noble birth and that friendship is the greatest treasure a man can have. He learned that it is not where you come from but what you do with your life that matters most.

#73 & #74


I decided to include these two novellas in my 75 count. I have also read three short stories in this series but I'm not counting those.

Grimoire of the Lamb takes place a few years before Hounded the first book in the Chronicles. It gives a good background of Atticus' past with the Egyptian pantheon.

Two Ravens and One Crow takes place between Tricked and Trapped. The events of Hammered have caught up with Atticus and he cannot hide from his actions anymore. He must decide on a blood price. This sets the story up for Trapped.

These novellas and short stories are not necessary for the series but they do give it more depth. The novellas are available in ebook format at a reasonable price.

Finished Broadchurch last night. Not a spoiler as such, but if you really want to stay away - stop reading now.

I didn't quite buy the perp or the motive. :( The rest of it was flippen fantastic, though!

Eva - not looking! Not looking yet!

You can look here: It's really, really good!

Okay - one week! Can't wait to discuss!!

#75


The Gods of Gotham was my 75th book of this year! Thank you Mark (msf59) for sending me this book. I absolutely loved it. I stayed up late at night to read it even when I had a 12 hour shift ahead of me. It is historical fiction with some police procedure thrown in. That is what sealed the deal for me.

The book is the story of Timothy Wilde a bartender in 1845 New York. Tim's place of work and home are destroyed in the The Great New York Fire of 1845. Fortunately for him, although he does not think so, his brother Val has political connections and gets him hired to the newly formed NYPD. The police are known as Copper Stars due to their copper star badges. Tim has to move to the Sixth Ward where his beat will be.

New York of 1845 was a tough place to be. Although slavery was abolished in the state there was fierce competition from the newly Irish immigrants for menial jobs. There was prejudice and injustice for both from Nativist or American born New Yorkers. There was lots of politics and bribery going on. None of these things make Tim's job easy, but finding a 10 year old girl running through the streets covered in blood turns everything and everyone Tim knows upside down.

This is a great whodunit with lots of action and tension. Warning! It is very dark and brutal. Of course it is! Remember that the great Recommender himself gifted this to me so of course it is dark and twisty, but the final outcome is less dark and twisty than you think is coming.

I loved this book and I can't wait to read the second in the series, Seven for a Secret.

To all my fellow 2013 Category Challenge members, this cover is atrocious and rivals poor US versions of Dept Q Mysteries for tacky cover of the year. The only one worse is Midnight Riot. I like the one below better.



*climbs off soapbox*

Thank you Marky Mark! I loved this book. You are the best.

Gods of Gotham sounds wonderful... now I need to head over to your 75 thread to congratulate you there!

Gods of Gotham has been on my wishlist a while and I'm basically trying to decide whether to go with audio or paper - looks like it'll be good regardless!

Lori - Put The Gods of Gotham on the TBR mountain.

Eva - Mark said he listened to it on audio so I think you cannot go wrong with either.

***Broadchurch Spoilers*** BRING IT ON!

Wow the ending was crazy. He was on my list of suspects all along, but I think they went lukewarm on his motives. "I can't explain it" They should have gone full on with it. It just fizzled out there for me. They should have put a neon sign out on episode seven when Miller told Susan she didn't believe that she wouldn't know what was going on in her own house.

I almost had a heart attack when Nige was going to kill the dog with a crossbow.

Poor Jack Marshall. I knew he wasn't guilty of anything in Broadchurch except looking like the Tall Man in Phantasm.

***Broadchurch Spoilers***

To me, it felt like they just picked the one person they hadn't hinted at could be the perp and then tacked on the paedo-motive. Sigh. I was hoping, once I found out that Tom and Danny had been fighting that Joe may have been protecting Tom, but no, paedo it was. :( I did forgive them, though, when I saw Millers reaction - what a great performance by Colman!!

Yes, when Miller said that to Susan was when I knew too, but I didn't want it to be him.

->178 luvamystery65:
True.

***Broadchurch Spoilers***

Eva - Colman was brilliant throughout. I was hoping that the boys had fought and it was an accident and Joe was protecting him. They did lead you to believe it was that way.

Not a spoiler but I was very happy that they didn't make Hardy completely brooding throughout. He actually laughed a little. I was ready to rename him Detective Heathcliff Bronte. ;-)

->180 luvamystery65:
Yes, that would be what I had been hoping for!

Agreed with all the above comments - as soon as Susan made that remark I knew it had to be him or else that he was covering. Really enjoyed the series though.

The producer said they had a backup planned as the killer and they will not say who it was because they are making a US version for FOX. He said he will be very involved and is writing the first episode. I hope it is good. My experience tells me otherwise.

They are planning a Season 2 but I don't know if Hardy and Miller will be in it. How could they? Who else is going to solve crime in Broadchurch? Pete?

I don't understand why they need to make a US version. It seems rather unnecessary.

I think my favourite exchange with Hardy is when he's at the Millers' for dinner and he asks Joe if Ellie finds him irritating. Joe doesn't want to say so in as many words but his expression gives it away and then they start giggling, and then Ellie comes back and wants to know what's so funny.

**Spoilers**

Also, I was VERY glad it wasn't Rory. He was adorable. If only he were a vicar at MY local church...

rabbitprincess - It's always about the money.

As for #186 you would become very involved in church activities I would imagine. :)

I am so tired of the US versions of everything. They killed Touching Evil, which as a British show, was really quite good, IMO.

**Broadchurch Spoilers**

I think they took the easy way out with the ending.... a little shock and bang but not really when you think about it. Ellie really started to get to me after awhile, and was my pet peeve about the show. There is no way she could have been in charge. The reveal around Hardy past was good. I did like how that played out.

Still, worth watching. ;-)

->184 luvamystery65:
It will be interesting to see which cast members will return for the second series!

->188 lkernagh:
And Coupling and Being Human and....

I do understand when they remake shows when the original language isn't English, like In Treatment or even Wallander, but why do it when everyone speaks English? Inconceivable! :)

Eva - I never understood the US version of Coupling since the UK version was their take on Friends. Friends was one of the few original and well done US shows. UK Coupling was good, but US version was poorly done and unnecessary.

#76


The Graveyard Book is my first read for October Halloween inspired reads. I loved it. Life is not easy but especially for Nobody "Bod" Owens. He lives in a graveyard among ghosts. He learns that sometimes people don't fit into their world and when they venture into their world they don't quite belong either. He learns that in order to survive he must confront monsters and be accused of being one himself. This is a sweet one.

#77


I finished the audio of Warbound (The Grimnoir Chronicles). It is the third and last book in the series. The Pathfinder is on Earth and it must be defeated. Jake, Faye and Toru have their work cut out for them as do the Grimnoir that believe the Pathfinder is real. This book has lots of action and adventure. It was a good ending. I had a lot of fun with series.

I wish Dejah was around because she enjoyed this series as much as I did.

The audio is spectacular!

I still haven't gotten around to reading The Graveyard Book and now I'm on a reread of another Gaiman book - perhaps I should get through all his books I have before I start rereading...? :)

Eva - I've only read Coraline and Sandman except volume 10. The Graveyard Book is a lovely take on the The Jungle Book. I think you would like it. As for Neil Gaiman other work. I will have to get around to it. Any recommendations?

I'd say Good Omens is the masterpiece, but he wrote that together with Terry Pratchett, so if I have to pick one he wrote himself, I'd go with the one I'm currently rereading: American Gods. I am fond of Stardust as well, but that leans more towards fairy tale.

Eva - Thank you.

The Graveyard Book is one of my favourites of Gaiman's novels though I've not read either of his new ones yet nor a couple of his older ones either. I think Neverwhere ranks as my own particular stand out so far though.

I second Neverwhere. Fantastic book! And fantastic Radio 4 adaptation ;)

In truth, you'll have a hard time finding a dud in the Gaiman œuvre. :)

->198 rabbitprincess:
I still need to get around to that one - thanks for the reminder.

His latest, Fortunately, the Milk, is absolutely darling, fun, and clever. Like Eva, I am also reading American Gods at the present.

I'll never forget finding The Graveyard Book in the bookstore. When I opened it and read the first pages, chills went up my back. I did not think about how it relates to the Jungle Book. Well done, Roberta!

#78


Hunted by Kevin Hearne is the sixth book in the Iron Druid series. This one was a bit busy for me and it left too many questions unanswered. I know there is an end point in this series but I felt this was more filler than anything.

There is one very sad occurrence and a surprise "gift" in the end. Atticus also gets involved with the Three Auroras coven in Poland. He makes a deal in desperation and you know this is going to bite him seriously in the ass.

I'm still enjoying Oberon and I'm looking forward to book seven next summer. I want answers.

Dave - I have Neverwhere so it will probably be next.

rabbitprincess - I loved the BBC4 version and own my very own copy.

Eva - So very true.

Mamzel - Neil Gaiman himself gives the credit to Rudyard Kipling as inspiring The Graveyard Book. It was so well done. I downloaded a Kindle copy of The Jungle Book and plan to give it it's due. I listened to a short audio Gaiman did last year for charity through Audible, Click-Clack the Rattlebag. He really knows how to spin a yarn.

I'm on to Scandi Crime next with The Man Who Went Up in Smoke. New thread for the new quarter soon.