tymfos is serious about series in 2015

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tymfos is serious about series in 2015

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1tymfos
Editat: des. 10, 2015, 1:33 am

Ok, I wasn't going to do this -- I wasn't going to do the category challenge this year.

But I can't resist. So I'm going to make it simple. I want to work on series reading this year, so I'm going to make this challenge all about series books. I'm not setting a minimum number of books except that I'd like at least one in each category. And any one book can can be logged into multiple categories that it fits into.

Category 1: "Start of Something Good" -- First book in a series
Category 2: "What's New?" -- Most recent book in a series
Category 3: "Keep On Trucking" -- Book from the "middle" of a series (anything between the first and the most recent)
Category 4: "All Shook Up" -- book from a series that I'm reading out-of-order
Category 5: "Hello, Again" -- book from a series I've read before, but didn't read in 2014
Category 6: "Irish Eyes" -- book from a series set in Ireland
Category 7: "Rule, Britannia" -- book from a British series
Category 8: "Norwegian Wood" -- book from a Scandinavian / Nordic series
Category 9: "Good Morning, Vietnam" -- book from series set somewhere in Asia
Category 10: "The African Queen" -- book from series set somewhere in Africa
Category 11: "Home, Sweet Home" -- book from a series set in Pennsylvania
Category 12: "Southern Nights" -- book from a series set in the South
Category 13: "Marian the Librarian" -- book from series involving books/writers
Category 14: Wide World of Sports" -- book from series involving a sport
Late change: "O Sole Mio" -- series books set in Italy
Category 15: "Once Upon a Time" -- series book relating to history in some way


I'm going to keep my book posts simple. To start, I'm just listing them in their categories. In fact, I'm keeping everything simple -- no KITs or CATs or whatever the special challenges are. I'm just reading what I want to read and plugging it in here if it fits.

2tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 12:01 pm

Category 1: "Start of Something Good" -- First book in a series

1. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (#1 Leaphorn/Chee series)
2. Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron (#1 Deborah Knott series)
3. Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington (#1 Novel Ideas Mysteries)
4. Black Irish by Stephan Talty (Absalom "Abbie" Kearney #1) AUDIO
5. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie AUDIO
6. Blood of the Prodigal by P. L. Gaus e-book
7. Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (Skink #1) e-book
8. Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves (Lizzie Snow #1)
9. Twisted Threads by Lea Wait (Mainely needlepoint mystery)
10.The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel (Wind River series #1)
11. Haunted Ground by Erin Hart (Nora Gavin #1)
12. Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass (Bookmobile Cat series)
13. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway (D.S. Lucy Black series)
14. Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone series)
15. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Emmanuel Cooper series)

3tymfos
Editat: des. 5, 2015, 11:44 pm

category 2: "What's New?" -- Most recent book in a series (that I know about, anyway.)

1. A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique (#4 Sam Blackman series)
2. Let it Burn by Steve Hamilton (#10 Alex McKnight series)
3. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer (#3 in Jonas Holly series)
4. An Event in Autumn by Hennin Mankell (recently-released novella for Kurt Wallander series)
5. The Secret Place by Tana French
6. Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran
7. Close Case by Alafair Burke (last book in Samantha Kincaid series)
8. Dry Bones by Craig Johnson (latest Walt Longmire novel)
9. Thin Air by Ann Cleeves (Shetland series)
10. Light of the World by James Lee Burke (#20 Dave Robicheaux series)
11. The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill
12. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (#11 Gamache series)
13. Black Water by T. Jefferson Parker
14. The Nameless Dead by Brian McGilloway (Ben Devlin series)
15. Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstein (#2 Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller)
16. The Governor's Wife by Michael Harvey (#5 Michael Kelly series)

currently reading

4tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 12:03 pm

category 3: "Keep On Trucking" -- book from the middle of a series
This can be any book that's not the first or the last/latest, but anywhere in between. I'm sure this will be, by far, the category containing the most books!

1. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey (#2 in Inspector Alan Grant series)
2. Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke (#14 in the Dave Robicheaux series)
3. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks series)
4. Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke (#15 in the Dave Robicheaux series)
5. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series)
6. Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke (#16 in the Dave Robicheaux series
7. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (#5 in Dr. Siri series)
8. Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway (#2 in Inspector Devlin series)
9. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke (#17 in the Dave Robicheaux series)
10. Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway (#3 in Inspector Benjamin Devlin series)
11. Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman (#2 in Joe Leaphorn series)
12. The Third Rail by Michael Harvey (#3 in Michael Kelly series)
13. The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri (#2 in Montalbano series)
14. The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke (#18 Dave Robicheaux series)
15. The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill (#6, Simon Serrailler series)
16. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie (#2 Kincaid/James)
17. A Superior Death by Nevada Barr (#2 in Anna Pigeon)
18. Hangman by Stephan Talty e-book (#2 in Absalom Kearney series)
19. Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman (#3 in Joe Leaphorn series)
20. Creole Belle by James Lee Burke AUDIO (#19, Dave Robicheaux series)\
21. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (#3 Kincaid/James)
22. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill (#7 Simon Serrailler)
23. Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein (Alex Cooper series)
24. People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman (Jim Chee series)
25. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole series)
26. Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron (Judge Deborah Knott series)
27. Wicked Fix by Sarah Graves (Home Repair mysteries)
28. Repair to her Grave by Sarah Graves
29. Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron (Judge Deborah Knott series)
30. Up jumps the Devil by Margaret Maron
31. The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri
32. The Rising by Brian McGilloway (Inspector Ben Devlin series)
33. The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri
34. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby (Wine Country Mysteries)
35. Red Light by T. Jefferson Parker (Merci Rayborn series)
36. Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie
37. The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman
38. The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum
39. Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
40. The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri
41. Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
42. We All Fall Down by Michael Harvey
43. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
44. The Ghost Walker by Margaret Coel
45. Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews
46. Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson
47. Wreck the Halls by Sarah Graves
48. Philly Stakes by Gillian Robert
49. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri
50. The Dream Stalker by Margaret Coel
51. Voices by Arnaldur Indridason (Inspector Erlendur series)

5tymfos
Editat: nov. 22, 2015, 7:38 pm

category 4: "All Shook Up" -- book from a series that I'm reading out-of-order
I don't usually read series out-of-order these days, but there was a time when I read miscellaneous volumes that were part of various series that I now want to fill in. Also, there are times when a particular installment or two of a series appeals to me for a special reason, and I don't want to invest the time to read all that come before. Then there are those cases where I own a late volume in a series that isn't quite good enough to invest in all the installments that come before, or I want to try the book I actually have before looking for others.

1. Deer Season by Aaron Stander (Ray Elkins series)
2. The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page (#2 in Faith Fairchild series)
3. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole series #2)
4. The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb (Ballad novels)
5. The Gallows Bird aka The Stranger by Camilla Lackberg (Patrik Hedstrom series)
6. Color Tour by Aaron Sander (Ray Elkins series)

currently reading:

6tymfos
Editat: des. 5, 2015, 11:45 pm

category 5: "Hello, Again" -- book from a series I haven't read for at least a year
I've read these series before but, as near as I can tell, I didn't read any of them in 2014.

1. The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page (#2 Faith Fairchild series)
2. A Murder in Passing by Mark deCastrique (#4 Sam Blackman series)
3. The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri (#2 in Montalbano series)
4. The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb (Ballad novels)
5. Close Case by Alafair Burke (Samantha Kincaide series)
6. Killjoy by Ann Cleeves
7. Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson (Inspector Banks series)
8. Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstein (Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller)

currently reading

7tymfos
Editat: des. 10, 2015, 9:56 pm

category 6: "Irish Eyes" -- book set in Ireland or with a strong Irish-American element

1. Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway (Inspector Ben Devlin series)
2. The Secret Place by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad series)
3. Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway (Inspector Ben Devlin series)
4. Black Irish by Stephan Talty (Absalom "Abbie" Kearney series)
5. Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
6. The Rising by Brian McGilloway
7. The Nameless Dead by Brian McGilloway
8. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway (D.S. Lucy Black series)

currently reading:

8tymfos
Editat: nov. 27, 2015, 12:07 am

category 7: "Rule, Britannia" -- book from a British series

1. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
2. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson
3. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer
4. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
5. The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill
6. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie
7. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie AUDIO
8. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill
9. Thin Air by Ann Cleeves (Shetland series)
10. The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill
11. Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie
12. Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson

currently reading:

9tymfos
Editat: des. 10, 2015, 10:01 pm

category 8: "Norwegian Wood" -- book from a Scandinavian / Nordic series

1. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell (Sweden)
2. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo (Norwegian detective)
3. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo (Norway)
4. The Gallows Bird by Camilla Lackberg (Sweden)
5. The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum (Norway)
6. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (Norway)

currently reading:
Voices by Arlandur Indridason (Iceland)

10tymfos
Editat: maig 2, 2015, 11:32 pm

category 9: "Good Morning, Vietnam!" -- book from series set somewhere in Asia

1. The Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (Laos - #5 Dr. Siri series)

currently reading

11tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 12:05 pm

category 10: "The African Queen" -- book from series set somewhere in Africa

1. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

12tymfos
Editat: nov. 28, 2015, 5:07 pm

category 11: "Home, Sweet Home" -- book from a series set in Pennsylvania

1. Caught Dead in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts (Amanda Pepper series)
2. Philly Stakes by Gillian Roberts

currently reading:

13tymfos
Editat: set. 23, 2015, 11:49 pm

category 12: "Southern Nights" -- book from Southern series

1. Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series -- Louisiana)
2. A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique (Sam Blackman series - North Carolina)
3. Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series)
4. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series - Virginia)
5. Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series)
6. Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron (Deborah Knott series - North Carolina)
7. The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series)
8. The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb (Ballad novels)
9. Creole Belle by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series)
10.Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron (Deborah Knott series)
11. Up Jumps the Devil by Margaret Maron
12. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby (Wine Country Mysteries -- Virginia)

currently reading:

14tymfos
Editat: nov. 28, 2015, 5:10 pm

category 13: "Marian the Librarian" -- book from series involving books/writers/librarians

1. Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington (#1 Novel Ideas mysteries)
2. Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass (#1 Bookmobile Cat series)

currently reading

15tymfos
Editat: nov. 28, 2015, 5:10 pm

category 14: Wide World of Sports" -- book from series involving a sport
late change: "O Sole Mio" -- series books set in Italy


1. The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
2. The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri
3. The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri
4. Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
5. The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri
6. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri

currently reading

16tymfos
Editat: nov. 7, 2015, 6:38 pm

category 15: "Once Upon a Time" -- series book related to history in some way
(this can be set in a definite historical period, involve a historical/genealogical factor in the plot, or even be part of a non-fiction series/set)

1. A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique
2. Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein (lots of NYC history in background of this book)
3. Repair to her Grave by Sarah Graves (mystery involving the history of her house)
4. Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
5. The Civil War: A Narrative: Red River to Appomattox (volume 3 of trilogy) by Shelby Foote

17lkernagh
gen. 5, 2015, 9:15 am

Welcome back, Terri! Simple is a good approach.

18LittleTaiko
gen. 5, 2015, 11:38 am

Hooray for reading what you want to read! Hope you enjoy your reading year.

19dudes22
gen. 5, 2015, 11:53 am

I'm glad you're here, Terri. I'm going to be concentrating on a few series, myself, this year.

20christina_reads
gen. 5, 2015, 4:26 pm

Yay, glad you decided to join us again! The series challenge is a good idea -- there are SO MANY that I read one or two books in but never finished!

21rabbitprincess
gen. 5, 2015, 6:29 pm

Hurray, you're back! Great idea to focus on series. :)

22tymfos
gen. 5, 2015, 10:38 pm

Hi, Lori, Stacy, Betty, Christina and rabbitprincess! Thanks for stopping by to welcome me back!

23tymfos
Editat: gen. 6, 2015, 10:34 am

I think I've written my categories so I read what I want but don't get stuck in a rut. It encourages me to continue & complete favorite series, but also to try something new now and then. And it gives me permission to go at that odd volume or two in a series I don't want to commit to reading in its entirety. I have a hard time letting myself do that sometimes.

It also gives me series close to home and in far-flung places of the world.

24dudes22
gen. 6, 2015, 11:34 am

I'm just hoping I don't end up starting a bunch more series because of this thread. 😱

25tymfos
gen. 6, 2015, 11:36 am

>24 dudes22: Well, Betty, I'm hoping that the stuff I read this year will be good enough that you'll at least be tempted . . . ;-)

26DeltaQueen50
gen. 6, 2015, 6:12 pm

I already know that you will probably tempt me into another new series, Terri. C'est la vie.

27mamzel
gen. 7, 2015, 2:36 pm

Series are so easy to fall into, aren't they. I just recently discovered the Count Saint-Germain series which look like they could be lots of fun. They were published out of chronological order which, I guess, means I can read them in any order I like.

28-Eva-
gen. 9, 2015, 2:15 am

So nice to see you here - welcome!!

29tymfos
Editat: gen. 10, 2015, 4:52 pm

>26 DeltaQueen50: You've gotten me started on enough of them, Judy . . . ;)

>27 mamzel: I haven't tried that series yet. Uh, oh . . .

>28 -Eva-: Thanks, Eva!

So far, these are the books I've finished this year. The ones with asterisks are series books that can fit this challenge. Mind you, some of them were started prior to the New Year:

*1. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey e-book (1/1/15)
*2. Crusaders Cross by James Lee Burke AUDIO (1/2/15)
*3. The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson (1/2/15)
*4. A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique (1/4/15)
5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (1/8/15)
*6. Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke AUDIO (1/10/15)
*7. The Penguin who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews e-book (1/10/15)

I'm currently reading these books. I've just barely started most of them. Again, those with an asterisk are series books that fit this challenge:

*The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
*Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke AUDIO
*Let It Burn by Steve Hamilton e-book
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
The Third Man Factor by John Geiger (non-fiction)

30thornton37814
gen. 14, 2015, 9:42 pm

How in the world have I missed your thread until now? Looks like you've done some great reading.

31tymfos
Editat: gen. 15, 2015, 7:59 pm

>30 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I'm spending little time on LT, and a lot of time reading!

I finished The Blessing Way today.

32thornton37814
gen. 15, 2015, 8:53 pm

>31 tymfos: Well, sounds like you have your reading priorities in order. I'm in the midst of a book that is slow-going for me. It's just not one to read quickly. I'll be back to a fiction one or two after that.

33tymfos
Editat: gen. 19, 2015, 10:37 pm

I finished The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman a few days ago. It was his first, and a little rough around the edges, but good enough that I'll continue the series -- everyone says that they get better farther along.

34LittleTaiko
gen. 19, 2015, 12:43 pm

I'll be interested to see what you think of the rest of the series. I read Blessing Way last year and wasn't that impressed and haven't wanted to read anything else. However, if the series does get better then maybe I'll change my mind.

35tymfos
gen. 19, 2015, 10:39 pm

Stacy, I'll be sure to mention here what I think of them as I progress.

I just finished the tenth Alex McKnight series novel, Let it Burn, by Steve Hamilton. I think it may be the best yet. Now I'm caught up with that series!

36-Eva-
gen. 23, 2015, 12:55 am

I just reread The Blessing Way and I can confirm that the series gets better as it progresses. :)

37tymfos
Editat: gen. 24, 2015, 5:44 pm

>36 -Eva-: Eva, that's so typical for series, especially with an author's first efforts. Unlike movies, where the sequels don't usually live up to the original, I think authors often improve as they go along, at least for a while until they start to run out of good ideas or write themselves into a rut. ;)

38dudes22
gen. 26, 2015, 11:45 am

Particularly true when they start with a main character who's older. He/she needs to die at some point.

39tymfos
Editat: gen. 27, 2015, 1:14 pm

>38 dudes22: True, Betty!
I seem to recall that you live in New England. I hope you are safe from the storm!

40dudes22
gen. 29, 2015, 11:28 am

I was saying on my thread that we're actually in Alabama this month visiting my husband's 92 year old uncle so no snow for me this time. we're heading back next week and I expect there will still be some left.

41Chrischi_HH
gen. 30, 2015, 4:42 pm

>37 tymfos: This is so true!

I am afraid following your thread might be dangerous for me, but I'll follow from now on anyways. I've been reading two series only, one German mystery series, set in historic Hamburg, and the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. The latter would perfectly fit your Scandinavian category. ;) I have Agatha Christie on my "to read" list, but there are so many other good series out there. So I look very much forward to your reviews and comments - I'm sure it will lead me to something new!

Btw, I love the title "The Penguin Who Knew Too Much"! Is that a series you can recommend?

42tymfos
Editat: gen. 31, 2015, 12:48 pm

>40 dudes22: I am so behind on threads! Glad you've been in a warmer place. Safe travels, Betty!

>41 Chrischi_HH: Hi! I'm reading the Harry Hole series, too, and have him in mind for the Scandinavian category. It's good stuff! The series with The Penguin Who Knew Too Much is about as different from Nesbo as can be. It's a cozy series, very silly, set in a small town in Virginia, USA. All the titles have puns with birds, like "Owl's well that ends well" and "We'll Always Have Parrots." I like to read them occasionally when I'm in the mood for something very, very light and silly for a good laugh.

43tymfos
gen. 31, 2015, 12:49 pm

I finished The Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill, fifth in the Dr. Siri series.

44Chrischi_HH
gen. 31, 2015, 2:49 pm

>42 tymfos: Thanks for the update. I think I'll keep that in mind for those days when something very light is just about right. In the past I used to read some Sophie Kinsellla chick-lit stuff, but I can see that I find is less and less funny. So a cozy series might be the right thing!

45tymfos
Editat: feb. 3, 2015, 6:07 pm

>44 Chrischi_HH: I generally do cozies for my "light" reading. Somehow, I never really got into chick lit.

Today I found reading time, both to sit and finish my e-book, and to listen to my audio while doing housework. So I finished Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway, #2 in the Inspector Ben Devlin series set in Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland. It was a very good mystery! I like this series a lot. I also finished the audio Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron, first in the Deborah Knott series. It was OK. I'll try the next one.

I'm thinking of changing one of my categories to put books set in Ireland, as I seem to have a few of these lined up this year. I might get rid of the "non-mystery" category, since there are non-mystery series that would fit the other categories.

46thornton37814
feb. 4, 2015, 9:53 pm

>44 Chrischi_HH: >45 tymfos: I'm doing more "chick lit"/romance than I used to read. I still love a good cozy, but there are several of the cozy series that are being produced now that just don't cut it for me. I'm glad to see the romantic suspense novel making a comeback because I always loved the combination of the mystery with the romance. I think I loved the different locations for settings and the fact that you had new characters each time. It wasn't a series that grew old on the author. Each adventure was fresh.

47tymfos
feb. 5, 2015, 10:14 am

>46 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! We all have our likes and dislikes. I like the familiarity of a good series, watching the characters grow if they are well-drawn.

48tymfos
Editat: feb. 12, 2015, 10:30 am

OK, now I'm finished/caught up with the Kurt Wallander series and the Jonas Holly series. An Event in Autumn is a novella, written years ago, which fits into the Wallander series chronology shortly before the last novel, The Troubled Man. Finders Keepers is a real page-turner, third in Belinda Bauer's Jonas Holly series. I strongly suggest not reading it until you've read the #2 novel in the series, Darkside.

I'm currently reading the most recent in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, The Secret Place; my current audio, just about to start, is Swan Peak by James Lee Burke, #17? (I think) in the Dave Robicheaux series.

49tymfos
Editat: març 3, 2015, 2:36 pm

I actually finished a book today -- the first in almost two weeks, and the first series book in about three weeks !!! It was an audio book, but at least I finished something, and it was a series book.

Swan Peak by James Lee Burke AUDIO
#17 in the Dave Robicheaux series.
This isn't a favorite for me in this series, but it was a solid enough mystery with some very complex characters. The setting is the wilds of Montana this time, rather than the usual Louisiana locale. Dave, Molly, and Clete are trying to be on vacation, but they get drawn into a gritty drama involving a powerful family and their associates, an escaped convict, a brutal prison guard, a sleazy televangelist, and some awful murders.

50DeltaQueen50
març 3, 2015, 5:25 pm

Hooray for finishing a book, Terri, and a series one at that. I seem to just keep falling further and further behind with my series.

51tymfos
Editat: març 7, 2015, 1:47 am

>50 DeltaQueen50: Judy, there's no way to keep up with them all. I just muddle along as best I can. I'm reading the third one in that Brian McGilloway series as my current e-book. I'm not liking it quite as much as the previous one.

Here's one series I've caught up with!

The Secret Place by Tana French
Dublin Murder Squad series book #5
This book was very well done, I must say, but it didn't engage me the way Broken Harbor, the previous volume in the series, did. It seemed to take me forever to get through it. I could only take a little of it at a time. Holly Mackey, detective Frank Mackey's daughter, visits young detective Stephen Moran with a postcard that was posted on a school bulletin board, relating to a year-old murder on the school grounds. The chapters alternated between Moran's account of what follows and an account of what was going on at the school leading up to the murder the year before. I think the boarding school setting and the attitudes and behavior of the teenage girls just really got to me.

52pamelad
març 7, 2015, 2:33 am

I just discovered Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight series. Pleased to see there are so many more to read.

Gave up on Dave Robichaux a while ago - so many wives and girlfriends died for the sake of the plot. Has the life expectancy of Dave's recent women improved any?

Recommending Garry Disher's Challis and Destry series of police procedurals, set on the Mornington Peninsula just outside Melbourne. Australia, not Florida!

53tymfos
març 7, 2015, 9:38 pm

>52 pamelad: I love the Alex McKnight series! Glad you like them too. As for Dave Robicheaux, as of the one I just read, iI think he's been married to the ex-nun Molly for a few books now. I have three more installments to go before I'm caught up, and I have no idea if she'll still be around for those stories. I'll have to look for the Challis and Destry series. I haven't read Disher.

Book #24 Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway
Inspector Benjamin Devlin series #3

I didn't like this quite as much as the previous books in the series, but it was still pretty good. I like the setting on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Devlin is dealing with security for a US senator visiting the area, and also stumbles into a case of immigrant smuggling and exploitation. This is a story that got better as it went along.

54tymfos
Editat: març 11, 2015, 8:16 pm

Another series book finished: Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington is the first of the Novel Idea Mysteries series. The main character, Lila, loses her newspaper job and goes to work for a literary agency as an intern -- encountering a dead body the first day on the job. It was slow to catch my interest, and annoying in places, but it gradually got better and I wound up finishing it pretty quickly.

55thornton37814
març 12, 2015, 4:54 pm

>54 tymfos: It's not been quite 2 years since I read that one. I called it "flawed" but still found it enjoyable.

56tymfos
Editat: març 14, 2015, 3:24 pm

>55 thornton37814: It's not a series I'd go out and look for, Lori, but if I came across another installment I might read it.

I finished another book, Black Irish by Stephen Talty, first in the Absalom "Abbie" Kearney series set in Buffalo, NY. It was a good, suspenseful, read. I'm not sure how feasible the plot really is -- I don't know enough about the Irish enclave of South Buffalo -- but it was surely suspenseful.

I'm expanding my "Irish Eyes" category to include books with a STRONG Irish-American element, and putting this book in that category.

57thornton37814
març 16, 2015, 7:37 pm

>56 tymfos: We had that one in the library, but I got scared away from it by some of the comments that readers made about not liking it that much.

58tymfos
Editat: març 18, 2015, 10:39 pm

>57 thornton37814: Lori, I'm not sure you'd like it. I think it's a bit more gritty than you normally read.

59tymfos
Editat: març 18, 2015, 11:09 pm

I finished two more series books.

Dance Hall of the Dead is the second book in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series, which is part of a year-long 75 Challenge group read involving that series and Craig Johnson's Longmire series. It was a big step up from the first book in the series, which I read in January.

The Third Rail is the third in Michael Harvey's series about PI Michael Kelly, involving sniper attacks on the Chicago L train. I love the Chicago setting, and I liked the book well enough until the end -- one too many layers of conspiracy to be believed. If he'd stuck with the main premise of the mystery it would have been better, IMO.

60thornton37814
març 30, 2015, 10:04 pm

>58 tymfos: Thanks for the info. I will probably continue to avoid it.

61tymfos
Editat: abr. 1, 2015, 9:34 pm

>60 thornton37814: You're welcome, Lori.

I finished A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie. I'm reading Blood of the Prodigal by P L Gaus. Both are first in their respective series. I'm listening to The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri, #2 in the Montalbano series.

62tymfos
Editat: abr. 9, 2015, 10:03 pm

I finished The Terracotta Dog and Blood of the Prodigal. Both were pretty good.

63tymfos
Editat: abr. 26, 2015, 11:26 pm

I've really been neglecting this thread except to add to the lists at the top. So if you want to know what I've been reading, that's where to look, I guess.

A lot of my reading this year has been audio books.

64DeltaQueen50
abr. 27, 2015, 3:32 pm

I've missed seeing you around here, Terri. I did find the Autism Awareness Thread and have added a couple of my April reads there. Looking at your lists of books read I can see you are doing a good job with your series.

65tymfos
Editat: maig 2, 2015, 11:30 pm

Hi, Judy! I'm glad you added books to the Autism thread.

I am plugging away at series. Recent reads include Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo; All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie; The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke.

I just got hold of a library e-book of Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran. I read the first one in that series. It was really odd; I'm not sure I liked the main character, but it was offbeat enough that I wanted to try the second one. I'm also re-visiting Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels with The Rosewood Casket on audio. And reading in paperback, Alafair Burke's Close Case is a ten-year-old book that's eerily current with the news -- along with the primary investigation of a murdered lawyer, there is also the case of a police shooting of an unarmed African-American woman, prompting civil unrest.

66tymfos
Editat: maig 23, 2015, 3:54 pm

OK, done with Claire DeWitt, and I don't plan to continue that series. Finished The Rosewood Casket, which was very good. I also finished Hangman 2nd in the Abaslom Kearney series by Stephan Talty, which was excellent! And this month's installment in the Tony Hillerman read, Listening Woman, was quite good. Close Case by Alafair Burke, mentioned above, was very well done, but for some reason took quite a while to draw me in. I think it was more a matter of my mood than anything else.

Current series reading: A Question of Identity by Susan Hill, #7 Simon Serrailler series
Creole Belle by James Lee Burke, #19 in Dave Robicheaux series (audio)

I'm not sure whether to count Listening Woman as end of Joe Leaphorn series (category 2) or in the midst of Leaphorn/Chee series (category 3) as I've seen it listed in both ways. Both categories have plenty of books, so I think I'll just skip listing it, maybe?

The new Longmire book, Dry Bones, is out. Looking forward to reading it!

67mamzel
maig 25, 2015, 2:14 pm

I remember reading The Rosewood Casket a long time ago. I remember it being intriguing.

68tymfos
maig 25, 2015, 3:18 pm

>67 mamzel: I really liked it!

69tymfos
juny 17, 2015, 11:19 pm

I listened to the new Longmire novel, and really liked it. I finished Creole Belle (Dave Robicheaux #19) and am on to Light of the World (#20 Dave Robicheaux, and the latest in that series). I also did another Crombie, Leave the Grave Green, and Susan Hill, A Question of Identity. Now I'm reading the first of Carl Hiaasen's "Skink" books, Double Whammy and Ann Cleeve's latest in the Shetland series, Thin Air.

I'm probably forgetting to mention something, but I think I got most everything somewhere in the category listings at the top.

70tymfos
Editat: jul. 22, 2015, 6:02 am

Oh, my, I've been neglecting this challenge! I haven't posted any of my July books. And I actually read a book in a category that had been neglected up until now.

Caught Dead in Philadelphia is the first in the Amanda Pepper series by Gillian Roberts. This is an older series (this book was copyright 1987) set in Philadelphia, a favorite city of mine. Since it's in Pennsylvania, it fits in Category 11, "Home, Sweet Home." It wasn't a great book, but it got better as it went along, and I love the setting.

July series reading so far:

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves (7-2-15)
Light of the World by James Lee Burke AUDIO (7-3-15)
Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein (7-7-15)
People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman (7-9-15)
Caught Dead in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts (7-15-15)
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo AUDIO (7-21-15)

71rabbitprincess
jul. 22, 2015, 5:48 pm

>70 tymfos: I used to read Amanda Pepper a lot about 10 years ago, and still have a few of her books. Should read them again sometime.

72tymfos
Editat: ag. 1, 2015, 6:57 pm

>71 rabbitprincess: I have the next few now to read.

I listened to Margaret Maron's Southern Discomfort. I'm really liking this series so far.

73tymfos
ag. 18, 2015, 8:02 pm

Oh, I've done a few more series books. Two from the Sarah Graves "Home Repair is Homicide" series, Wicked Fix and Repair to her Grave. They were decent cozies. I also tried her other series, with Winter At the Door, which is not so cozy, as the main character is a police officer in the northwoods of Maine. I also tried the first in Lea Waite's needlepoint series, which was a pretty good mystery for the most part. I'm currently listening to The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel, first in her Wind River series. The story is OK so far, but the audio quality is terrible, IMO.

74dudes22
ag. 19, 2015, 6:57 am

I'm seriously thinking of doing series next year so I can catch up. Not sure if I'll do categories like you or just concentrate on catching up with specific ones. I'm thinking of the latter so I can immerse myself.

75tymfos
Editat: ag. 19, 2015, 10:27 am

I tend to not do well with immersing myself in a series. I did that with the Dave Robicheaux series this year -- I kept listening to them (I like the audios on those) until I was caught up. It was a little too much of Dave and ol' Clete. I was almost releived to finish the latest. Actually the Johnson (Longmire)/Hillerman (Leaphorn & Chee) group read over on the 75 challenge works well, though. We alternate the series, doing each author every other month. I've already done all the Longmire, so I'm just doing the Hillerman, and that pace works OK for his books, especially since the early ones we're reading have tended to be short.

76mathgirl40
ag. 19, 2015, 10:21 pm

I really like the format of your challenge. I too would like to have a greater focus on series in my next year's challenge. There are so very many I want to continue, and there are a few lengthy ones for which I have just one or two books to go.

77tymfos
Editat: ag. 19, 2015, 10:48 pm

>76 mathgirl40: I hear you! I have so many series going, in various stages of completion. Problem is, I keep finding new ones!

I know I will never be caught up, even with some of my favorites. But this challenge focus this year has helped some.

78tymfos
Editat: ag. 29, 2015, 1:39 pm

Recent reads include old and new series:

I finished The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel, #1 in the Wind River series. I really liked this story featuring a Roman Catholic priest and an Arapaho lawyer; however, the audio quality was not so good. I also finished Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron, continuing the Judge Deborah Knott series. This was a good one, and examined the complex issues as the traditional fishing economy confronts the growing tourism economy on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

I'm currently reading Haunted Ground by Erin Hart. When I started it, I didn't realize it was the first of a series, too. Just what I need, another series -- but it's very good, featuring an Irish archaeologist and an American pathologist investigating the discovery of a "bog body" -- or, rather, the head from one, decapitated from the body. There's a current mystery in the plot, too, about a missing woman and child.

79tymfos
set. 4, 2015, 6:55 pm

I've finished Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron and Haunted Ground by Erin Hart, mentioned above, both very good.

I also finished "The Stranger" aka The Gallows Bird by Camilla Lackberg. I'm a little less enthusiastic about this one. It probably would have been better if I had begun with the first in the series, as I usually do. I got #4 as a freebie and decided to try it, knowing the library has #5,6 and 7. It felt a little stilted, choppy, perhaps due to the translation from the Swedish. It was a clever mystery, and some of the plot devices were almost too clever, too obvious for my taste. But, though I almost quit reading it early on, it did eventually draw me in enough to want to finish it.

80tymfos
Editat: set. 11, 2015, 11:49 pm

I finished another Maron, Up Jumps the Devil, on audio; The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri (Montalbano series) on audio; The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill (Simon Serrailler series); and The Rising by Brian McGilloway (Inspector Ben Devlin series). They were all quite good, though the Susan Hill book was difficult due to subject matter.

I started Night Watch by Linda Fairstien; I usually like that series, but that one just wasn't working for me, or I wasn't in the mood. I'm giving myself permission to skip a book or two in a series for whatever reason.

81rabbitprincess
set. 12, 2015, 9:33 am

Good call on skipping books in a series that aren't working for you. It can be frustrating if you want to read more in a series but feel blocked by a book that you just can't finish.

82tymfos
Editat: set. 17, 2015, 11:31 pm

I find there are times when it's good to push myself to read the next book in a series, but there are other times when it's just not worthwhile, and keeps me from moving on with more worthwhile installments later on in a series.

I finished The Voice of the Violin (Montalbano series) and The Bordeaux Betrayal (wine country mysteries), both on audio.

I'm working on a non-fiction "series" now -- I'm reading the third and final volume of Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative. At 1000+ pages, I'm using every available format -- hard-copy from the county library, and and e-book and an audio from Overdrive. This is one that my son will let me listen to when he's in the car, as he's interested in any accounts of the Civil War.

In fiction, I'm reading Red Light by T. Jefferson Parker, #2 in the Merci Rayborn series.

83tymfos
Editat: set. 30, 2015, 11:17 pm

I finished Red Light and went on to the third and final Merci Rayborn, Black Water. (Couldn't figure out where she was going to go from the end of Red Light!)

I read the new Louise Penny book, and listened to another Deborah Crombie, Mourn Not Your Dead. And I just rushed through The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman. All very good!!

84tymfos
Editat: nov. 27, 2015, 12:11 am

I finished The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum. I really didn't like it.

Current reads:
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (Tempe Brennan series)
Black Water by T. Jefferson Parker (Merci Rayborn series)
The Civil War: A Narrative Volume 3, by Shelby Foote (non-fiction trilogy)

85DeltaQueen50
oct. 2, 2015, 7:53 pm

Terri, was The Water's Edge your first Karin Fossum? I haven't gotten that far in the series yet so I am wondering if it was just that particular story or if you just don't care for this writer's work. I've found her a little hit or miss, some I have really liked and others not so much.

86tymfos
oct. 2, 2015, 7:57 pm

Judy, I've read the whole series up to that one. None of the others made me feel so negative.

87DeltaQueen50
oct. 2, 2015, 8:02 pm

Thanks, Terri, I am working my way (slowly) through the series but it will be awhile before I get to The Water's Edge.

88-Eva-
oct. 2, 2015, 8:13 pm

>85 DeltaQueen50:
It has a gruesome subject (child molestation) that makes it harder to take. I enjoyed how well the characters were written more than the story.

89DeltaQueen50
oct. 2, 2015, 8:17 pm

>88 -Eva-: Thanks, Eva. That is a difficult subject and can be heart rendering to read of, now I am prewarned so I can gear up for it when I get to that book.

90rabbitprincess
oct. 2, 2015, 8:35 pm

>88 -Eva-: Ooh, thanks for the warning on that one. That would be difficult indeed.

91tymfos
Editat: oct. 2, 2015, 8:56 pm

For me, it wasn't just the subject matter. I also didn't like some of the way she handled it. There were also some aspects of the writing itself (or likely the translation) that annoyed me.

92tymfos
Editat: nov. 7, 2015, 8:18 pm

OK, it's been over a month since I've updated this thread. It's been busy, and my husband was sick, and now I've been sick with pneumonia (or borderline pneumonia.) The doc couldn't give a formal diagnosis of the level without an x-ray which he spared me the trouble and expense of; but made it clear it was serious and I'd better take it seriously. I couldn't read at all for the better part of a week, as just using my eyes made me nauseous. Not sure what that was about, except probably the 103 degree fever. I should have gone to the doctor sooner.

Anyway, after five days on a dandy strong antibiotic and a steroid, I'm coming along and feeling quite a bit better.

Just to catch up, here are my series books since my last post:

Black Water by T. Jefferson Parker (10-5-15)
Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (10-10-15)
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri audio (10-13-15)
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (10-15-15)
We All Fall Down by Michael Harvey AUDIO (10-22-15)
The Nameless Dead by Brian McGilloway (10-29-13)
Killjoy by Ann Cleeves (11-2-15)
The Civil War: A Narrative: Red River to Appomatox by Shelby Foote -- Volume 3 of his Civil War history (11-6-15) I was working on this one for two months, and just nibbled away the end of the final chapter last night.

eta to fix touchstones

93rabbitprincess
nov. 7, 2015, 7:42 pm

Glad to hear you're feeling better. Pneumonia sounds rough, especially if you were too sick to read :(

94-Eva-
nov. 7, 2015, 7:48 pm

Yikes, pneumonia is nothing to toy with. Very happy to hear you're better!

95lkernagh
nov. 8, 2015, 1:22 am

Yay for meds and happy to read that you are on the mend! Camilleri is a good "under the weather" kind of read/listen. I hope Sig has been keeping your company while you have been convalescing. ;-)

96dudes22
nov. 8, 2015, 5:12 am

Happy to hear you're feeling better. Being so sick you don't even feel like reading just doesn't seem fair somehow.

97DeltaQueen50
nov. 8, 2015, 3:21 pm

Take very good care of yourself, Terri, as pneumonia is sneaky and doesn't like to give up it's hold easily.

98tymfos
nov. 12, 2015, 11:27 pm

Hi, Rabbitprincess, Eva, Lori, Betty, and Judy! I am feeling much, much better.

I just finished The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman. Currently reading Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series), the e-book Color Tour by Aaron Stander (Ray Elkins series), and The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole series) on audio book.

99tymfos
Editat: nov. 17, 2015, 8:32 pm

Finished my audio of The Snowman. It was a disappointment.

I figured out the "who" (though not the why, at least not completely) in this book about halfway through it. There was a glaring red flag that no one in the Crime Squad seemed to notice, but I did. A character warned Harry that a suspect was asking about a certain lethal drug -- and then that suspect was found dead of that drug in an apparent suicide. Once they found that it was actually murder staged as a suicide, shouldn't they have immediately suspected the character who gave that "warning" ???

The story was clever, especially in the scheming of the culprit, and there were lots of false trails and red herrings. But the above-mentioned glaring clue that was totally missed by the supposedly brilliant detective kind of killed the book for me.

On to next audio, The Ghost Walker by Margaret Coel, #2 in her series set on the Wind River reservation, among the Arapaho.

100tymfos
nov. 24, 2015, 10:08 pm

I finished The Ghost Walker, and also Color Tour by Aaron Stander (Ray Elkins series), Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series), and Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks series). All were fair to good reads. The Stander was the least favorite, the Robinson was the best of the lot.

101tymfos
Editat: nov. 24, 2015, 10:39 pm

>97 DeltaQueen50: Judy, you were right. I had to go back to the doctor. Time for a longer, stronger course of prednisone and a round of a different antibiotic. The bug that's going around now in our area is particularly persistent, causing lots of pneumonia and other complications for folks.

At least I feel good enough to read now.

Current reads (series reads for this challenge have asterisks):
*Philly Stakes by Gillian Roberts, *Lending a Paw (e-book) Laurie Cass, *Wreck the Halls (audio) by Sarah Graves, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Neurotribes by Steve Silberman.

The last is an August ER book that I'm having trouble finishing -- I don't know why, as it's good. I just seem to be gravitating toward lighter fare. Being Mortal is excellent, but also slow going for me now.

102-Eva-
nov. 24, 2015, 10:40 pm

That pneumonia is sneaky indeed! Hope the medicines get rid of it this time around. I've been on Prednisone and it's a lifesaver when you need it, but it's not the funnest of medicines to be on.

103tymfos
Editat: nov. 24, 2015, 10:45 pm

Hi, Eva! I think I'm downgraded (upgraded? Anyway, improved) to bronchitis now, but still coughing and wheezing. Darn annoying, but fortunate compared to other folks I know who have been sick this fall.

Agreed about prednisone. Helpful but not fun.

104-Eva-
nov. 24, 2015, 10:48 pm

Well, here are a few words that rarely get said together in this order: Yey for bronchitis!! :)

105tymfos
nov. 24, 2015, 10:59 pm

106DeltaQueen50
nov. 24, 2015, 11:11 pm

Oh, I'm sorry that the pneumonia came back on you, Terri. My Mom had a nasty bout a number of years ago, so I know that can happen all too easily. Sounds like you are now fully on the road to recovery.

107tymfos
nov. 24, 2015, 11:47 pm

>106 DeltaQueen50: I hope so, Judy! Thanks for stopping by! :)

108tymfos
nov. 26, 2015, 9:11 pm

Cheater that I am, at this late date I am changing one of my categories. I've just not been in the mood for any sports related series. I'm changing it to books set in Italy. I can include the Montalbano books I've listened to, and it will encourage my return to Donna Leon's Brunetti series, which has been a goal unmet for too long.

109tymfos
Editat: nov. 26, 2015, 9:36 pm

Happy Thanksgiving!

110tymfos
Editat: des. 10, 2015, 9:59 pm

The latest round of medication doesn't seem to be helping much. I'm still coughing and wheezing and getting a little discouraged. However, I'm mostly taking it easy and reading a lot, except when I have to be at work. We did do a nice day trip to Winchester, VA Friday, with my husband driving. The weather was lovely (sunny, 60's) and I thought the fresh air might do me good. I read in the car.

The latest books:
Wreck the Halls by Sarah Graves AUDIO (11-25-15) Home Repair is Homicide series, book #5
Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass e-book (11-26-15) Bookmobile Cat series, book #1. Cute.
Philly Stakes by Gillian Roberts (11-27-15) Amanda Pepper series, book #2
Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (11-28-15) Inspector Montalbano series, book #7. Heavier mystery than most I've read in this series. Very good.

current series reads:
Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstien (Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller book #2)
Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway (First book in D.S. Lucy Black series) e-book
The Governor's Wife by Michael Harvey AUDIO (Michael Kelly PI series #5)

I was going to start a Marcia Muller audio book next, but my hold came available on the Harvey.

111tymfos
Editat: des. 10, 2015, 10:00 pm

OK, I finished
Hell for the Holidays by Chris Grabenstien (Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller book #2)
The Governor's Wife by Michael Harvey AUDIO (Michael Kelly PI series #5)
Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway (First book in D.S. Lucy Black series) e-book

All were OK reads, none bowled me over. Might just be my mood.

I've started Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller on audio, and Voices by Arlandur Indridason.

112tymfos
des. 14, 2015, 9:55 am

Finished Edwin of the Iron Shoes. Still reading Voices, and also The Dream Stalker by Margaret Coel.

Started A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn. I have that in hard copy, but I'm also using audio. I really need to get that one read, so I have at least one book in my category for African settings. So far, it's very good. Fascinating setting, in 1950's apartheid South Africa.

113tymfos
des. 20, 2015, 10:54 pm

I finished The Dream Stalker. I didn't like this one quite as much as the previous ones in the series, but it was still pretty good. I want to continue this series! It is interesting.

I'm thinking about 2016. I've "joined" the 2016 Category Challenge group, but not put up a thread yet -- that will have to wait until after Christmas. I think I may focus on series again. I think that for my category for books continuing a series (not the first and not the latest book in series) I'll only include those that don't fit any other category. That category is ridiculously full this year -- I just put the 50th book in that category

114dudes22
des. 21, 2015, 6:46 am

I was thinking of doing a series challenge next year, as I need to catch up with some series. But, in the end, I decided not to go that way although I think I can fit in a lot with the categories I've chosen. I still have my idea on a back burner for 2017 maybe.

115rabbitprincess
des. 21, 2015, 4:55 pm

>113 tymfos: Wow, that's a lot of series continuations! And I'm impressed with how many series you have been working on this year. Continuing the trend in 2016 sounds like a great idea :)

116lkernagh
des. 23, 2015, 10:32 pm

Stopping by to get caught up with things and sorry to read that the pneumonia decided to stick around and then became bronchitis. Poor you!

117-Eva-
des. 27, 2015, 5:52 pm

Hope you have recuperated from the nasty cough! And that you had a nice holiday, of course!

118tymfos
des. 27, 2015, 10:23 pm

>114 dudes22: Hi, Betty! I'm still playing with ideas for 2016, and not sure when my thread will go up.

>115 rabbitprincess: Rabbitprincess, I worry that I'm too focused on series, and am missing out on good stand-alone reads. But I really enjoy trying to catch up with my favorites!

>116 lkernagh: It could be worse, Lori. A friend wound up in ICU with a respiratory infection. I'm still wheezing, but it's not so bad.

>117 -Eva-: Still coughing a bit, Eva, but it's been a nice holiday.

119tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 11:50 am

I finished Voices and A Beautiful Place to Die. Voices was really dark and dreary, though well done. A Beautiful Place to Die, set in 1950's apartheid South Africa, was stunning -- it's hard to believe it was a debut novel. I must read on in that series!

120dudes22
des. 31, 2015, 7:29 am

I think your link to A Beautiful Place to Die is broken. It leads to a mystery series set in Martha's Vineyard. But I found the right one and will take a BB on that. I was hoping to avoid any more BBs this year, but no - right up to the last minute you need to be careful.

121tymfos
des. 31, 2015, 11:51 am

Thanks, Betty, I seem to have it fixed now.

122tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 12:08 pm

I credit this challenge for me finally getting around to reading A Beautiful Place to Die, which sat on my shelf much too long. I needed a book for my African category.

That book completed my challenge. I read a lot of series books, and at least one in each category.

Next year's challenge includes a category for second book in series, so I can continue some of the series I started. I have so many series I've started that I've meant to continue but haven't yet.

123dudes22
des. 31, 2015, 12:28 pm

I've managed to create quite a few categories that could be used for series/mysteries even if some of them aren't labeled as such.