End of 2013

Just thought I'd list a few of the books I read over the last few weeks.

The Clocks by Agatha Christie.   I had read this one several years ago, and had recently purchased it for my Kindle.  I re-read it, and enjoyed it just as much the second time as the first.  While Hercule Poirot is involved, he doesn't really enter the book until well into the story.  Cozy Mystery

My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock.  Noelle gets laid off unexpectedly from a high paying job as an entertainment blogger.  She doesn't know what to do with herself because she can't find another job.  She sees a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt in a coffee shop, and decides to do one thing everyday that scares her.  This book is the result--it contains a description of some of her challenges, intertwined with her personal doubts and trying to live up to Eleanor Roosevelt's ideals.  I found Noelle to be a little self-centered, and the book was just so-so. Memoir

The Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters.  Jessica travels to England from America after receiving a letter from her grandfather to come for a visit before it is too late.  Her father had died when she was young, and his family had never been a part of her life.  She discovers she is being followed, and while trying to evade her pursuers she meets David, who happens to be a romance novelist.  He becomes involved with her problems and attempts to help her to reach her grandfather.  I actually enjoyed this story in spite of a couple of things that happened that I found difficult to believe. Not wanting to add spoilers, I won't say exactly what the things were.  Cozy Mystery

While I can't say I've read though the entire book, I've also looked through 4 different cookbooks.

Fix, Freeze, Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik. This book suggests buying in bulk and then gives you recipes for bulk beef, pork, chicken and other entrees that can be frozen into meals.  It sounds pretty good, although I haven't yet had time to try any of the recipes.  Cookbook

The Smoothie Recipe Book by Rockridge University Press.  Once again, I haven't had time to make any of these recipes, but looking though the book the recipes sound tasty.  They are broken down by categories by chapter.  Cookbook

Fix it and Forget It 5 Ingredient Soup by Phyllis Pellman Goodman.  It looks interesting, but haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but will in the next week or two.  Cookbook

The Slow Cooker Cookbook by Salinas Press.  Sounds good, and there are recipes in many different categories.  Will be trying some over the next couple of weeks.  Cookbook

Read Around the USA Reading Challenge

I'm going to keep track of my reads both here, and on Goodreads.com.

I'm going to start as of Dec. 1, 2013. I'm really hoping I can finish it in the next year or so.
So far, 5/51 Done

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado--Loose Screw by Rae Davis    My review of the book. (finished 12/05/2013)
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois--You Bet Your Life by Stuart Kaminsky      Here's my review of it.  (finished 12/01/2013)
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine--Murder by Degrees by James Noble   (finished 12/02/2013)  And my review of it here.
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota--The Unprintable Big Clock Chronicle by Jill Winter Here's my review of it. (finished 12/06/2013)
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York--The Bishop Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine     Review of the book. (finished 12/11/2013)
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

All 2013 Reading Challenges Completed!!

As of today, I've finished the last of the reading challenges I had signed up for in 2013!  Although I read all the time, I'm not really good at writing up the reviews on my blog on a regular basis, although I am trying to improve.

It probably didn't help that my husband and I spent a lot of last summer camping with no internet available.  I had a lot of time to read, and no internet to post reviews.  I started keeping notes so I'd remember what I'd read, and what I thought of the books, but I have a tendency to lose notes to myself.

So while I did finally complete the challenges, I probably read at least another 25 books that I either don't remember if I read it this last summer or earlier, or I don't remember a lot of the details of the book, and I don't like to write a review that just says "This book is totally forgettable".  And I reread several old favorites that are now on my Kindle!  However, I did manage to complete the challenges I'd signed up for.  And, because I actually enjoyed all of the challenges, I've signed up for more in 2014!

I've completed the 2013 A to Z Reading Challenge, both for Titles and for Authors.  Here is the link to the complete list of books read for this challenge. 

I've also completed the Vintage Mystery 2013 Reading Challenge, with 17 books completed.  Here is the link  to the post with the books read and what categories they were in.

This link will take you to the 2013 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge wrap-up page.  I listed 24 books and reviews, but I'm pretty sure I read more than 24 of the books in my "to be read" pile.  But when I started to catch up on my reviews, I either couldn't determine exactly when I had finished a lot of them, or else couldn't remember the details of the book, so didn't include them in my list.  Even so, unfortunately, the pile of books to be read seems to grow faster than I read. 

I also completed the What's in a Name Challenge for 2013, here's the link to my wrap-up post with the categories and books that I read to fulfill them.

I should also mention that all of the books in my wrap-up posts have a link to the review for that book.

A Murder of No Account by Julia Underwood review

The story was set during the beginning of World War II in England.  Eve Duncan, a young woman with a policeman boyfriend who doesn't really make much of an appearance in this book, works in the post office as supervisor of a censor department.  Walking home with a longtime male friend, they happen upon a small group who have discovered an unknown young woman laying on the sidewalk.  Eve and her friend, Charlie, go to see, and Charlie determines the young woman is dead.  He goes to get the police, and everyone besides Eve disappear.

The police question them, and then (because the police are shorthanded because of the war) ask them to help.  First Eve and Charlie are asked to help by looking for witnesses, and then Eve becomes even more involved.

I found the pace of the story a little slow, and there were a lot of unlikely events--from the minor one of Eve sleeping with her boyfriend in her apartment regularly, to the major ones of the police asking Eve and Charlie to do their investigating for them,  and the police not caring much about the murder, to the point where Eve is left to find someone to identify the body.  There are others, but they would give away too much of the plot, so I'll refrain from mentioning them.

I didn't find the story terrible, but it wasn't good, either.  On the up side, there weren't a lot of grammar mistakes and typos, and the theme itself was interesting.  It also featured some of the things that had happened in England during the beginning of the War, such as air raids and staying in air raid shelters.  It is the first in a series, so I'm hoping the second book is better.  




This was a requirement for the A to Z Reading Challenge Author--U
This completes the challenge for me for authors!

2014 Challenges I've joined--What was I thinking?

For 2014 I've signed up for even more challenges than I did in 2013.  I don't know what I was thinking, except all of the challenges really seemed to be calling my name!

The challenges I've joined for 2014 are:

The 2014 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge--because I managed to read at least 24 books in my TBR pile during 2013.  Unfortunately, I've think I've added more than 24 books to my TBR pile in the last 12 months.

The Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge --because a lot of the books in my TBR pile are Cozies, and I plan on reading them anyway, so this should be an easy one to complete.  I'm know I can do the first level easily, and probably even the second and third.  So I'm signing up for the first, and we'll see what happens.

The Read it again, Sam Reading Challenge 2014--because I have several books in my TBR pile that are part of a series, and I like to read the books in order, so when I come to the ones I've already read, I'll use them to complete this challenge.  And I have a tendency to reread my favorite authors quite a bit (yes, even the mysteries).

The Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014 ---because I have several books in my TBR pile that have colors in the titles, so I might as well, right?









 The Vintage Mystery BINGO 2014 Challenge--I'm going to do both the Silver and Golden challenge.  The Golden Challenge is for mysteries published before 1960, and the Silver Challenge is for mysteries published between 1960 and 1989, inclusive.  And I have so many vintage mysteries in my TBR pile!  The challenge will be to find books to fill the categories to make a BINGO! 



The Read Around the USA Reading Challenge--this one is nice because it has no deadlines, so I can take as long as I want to finish it.  This is found in the Cozy Mystery group on Goodreads.com.  When you read a book, you mark off the state in which the action takes place.  Since Dec. 1, 2013, I've already read mysteries that take place in five different states.  If I can read enough mysteries that are taking place in five different states each month, I should be done within a year.  I suspect it won't be that easy!  Well, it's a goal, anyhow. <smile>

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis review

This is another of the Chronicles of Narnia.  This one is about Edmund and Lucy, and their cousin, Eustace.  Eustace is a conceited, spoiled and mean spirited boy that Edmund and Lucy are forced to visit.

During the voyage they are drawn back to Narnia, and have adventures with Prince Caspian, aboard his ship, the Dawn Treader.  They are in search of the seven lords that were sent out by Prince Caspian's uncle to search for Aslan's land, and have not been heard of since.

I enjoyed this book as much as the others in this series.  I particularly enjoyed Eustace's adventures, and how they changed him.




This is a book in the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge.

The Bishop Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine review

The Bishop Murder Case is the fourth in the series featuring Philo Vance, an amateur sleuth who helps solve crimes for John F.-X Markham, New York County District Attorney.  Vance is portrayed as a foppish, overly intellectual, snob, who, with his vast knowledge and superior intelligence, manages to solve crimes that the District Attorney is unable to even attempt to solve without Vance's assistance.

I finished the book, but skimmed over several paragraphs while Vance was pontificating.  I didn't really care for this book, I found Vance to be irritating.  The mystery itself was only so-so, and I don't think I will read anymore of these stories unless I'm desperate.



This fulfills one of the requirements for the A to Z Reading Challenge    Author--V
It is also one of my books for the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge 2013. 

The Unprintable Big Clock Chronicle by Jill Winters review

This is the first book I've read by the author, and the first in a humorous mystery series that takes place in Big Clock, Minnesota.  The main character, Caitlyn Rocket, works part-time for the local newspaper.

She starts to investigate a minor crime--the break-in of a supply closet at a local business--that the police are not doing anything about because the business owner claimed it was a misunderstanding.  When Caitlyn discovers that two women quit their jobs at the company the day after the break-in, and that neither have been heard from since, she suspects that they have been murdered.

I thought the book started out a little slow, and seemed to have too many unrelated activities happening.  It got a little better as it went on.  The Caitlyn character comes across as a little  immature, and some of the things she ends up doing are a little unbelievable, and this continues throughout the book.

I didn't love this book, although I didn't hate it either.  I thought it was okay, but moved a little too slowly in the beginning.




This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge  Author--W and Title--U

Loose Screw by Rae Davis review

This is the first novel in what is planned to be a series.  The second book is already published.  As a first novel it is pretty good.  The grammar and typos are acceptable, and the plot is okay.

The main character, Lucy, is an antique store owner, and had previously worked for the local paper.  When she discovers a body behind her shop she is asked to write the story for her former boss.  And even though she doesn't want to, he assumes she will and she agrees because she apparently doesn't have the backbone to say no.  This makes her a little too wimpy for my taste.  This story is her excuse for starting her investigations.

She is best friends with the book store owner near her shop who is a little eccentric, and has a part time employee that loves jazz and dresses in 1920s style clothes (think flapper).  The main detective on the case is a little abrasive, she has a friend (the photographer on the paper) that she apparently has a crush on, and she has a lovable dog that isn't really a watchdog.

The story has a romantic theme running through it, a little humor, and some surprises and twists.  All in all, I thought the book slightly better than okay, but not one of my favorites. But given that it is the first in the "Dusty Deals" mystery series, I would probably read the second book to see if I enjoy it more.




This is part of the requirement for the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2014

I've already joined a few challenges, but I love Cozy Mysteries!  And I'll be reading them anyway, might as well be in a challenge, right?  So when I ran across this challenge, I just had to sign up!

Basically, the rules are you have to read at least 6 cozy mysteries in 2014 for the first level, 7-12 for the second level, 13-20 for the third level, and more than 20 for the fourth level.  I'm pretty sure I can make the third level, but I'm going to plan to at least make the second level!

Here's the link to the Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge.

Murder By Degrees by James Noble review

Murder by Degrees is the first novel featuring husband and wife, Winnie and Thatch, although they were apparently featured in some short stories.  Their grandson, Gary, has disappeared somewhere along I-95 while driving from his college in Maine to his home in Florida about a year before, and they are trying to find him.  They've posted flyers along his route, made trips to investigate sightings, and have learned to use the internet to do more investigations.  So far, they have not found out anything.

They then receive a phone call from a woman whose son has just disappeared from the same college their grandson attended.  She was given their name by the police officer in Maine, and she begs them to search for her son.  They agree to search for her son, and they fly off to Maine to start their investigating.

They are caught up in several unexpected events during their investigations. They also find their lives in danger several times.

There were some interesting plot twists, but for some reason I just didn't really like this book.  I just can't seem to relate to Winnie somehow, and Thatch seems to be a little unreal in my opinion.  Although I didn't dislike the book that much, I probably won't read any other books in this series.




This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge

Mt. TBR Reading Challenge 2014

 I'm signing up for this challenge again, as I hope to get through more of my "To be read" pile of books.  Although I'm afraid I added to the pile recently when I ran across some of my favorite authors on sale.  Luckily, books don't spoil!

There are eight challenge levels, and I'm going to sign up for the Pike's Peak challenge (read 12 books from your TBR list). I'm going to upgrade my challenge level to Mount Blanc  (read 24 books from my TBR list), as I've already read 4 books from my TBR list, and it is still early January!

 I may be moving up another level or two, but don't want to over commit, as I'm signing up for several Challenges in 2014 (again).

Here's a link to the  Mount TBR Challenge 2014

Read It Again Sam Challenge 2014

This is a challenge to re-read some of your favorite books, which is right up my alley!  And I have to pick one of the levels--Deja Vu (4 books), Feeling Nostalgic (8 books), A Trip Down Memory Lane (12 Books) or Living in the Past (at least 16 books).
I'm going to be conservative, and sign up for the minimum for right now, as I learned from 2013 that sometimes I bite off a little more than I can comfortably chew.  As a matter of fact, I'm still finishing up my 2013 challenges, and will be doing a lot of reading in the next couple of weeks!
Of course, part of the problem was that I spent a lot of time camping (and reading), but didn't keep up with writing my book reviews, or keeping track of which books I had read.  So when I tried to write my reviews, I was doing it from memory, with a little help from a list I'd made during the summer of some of the books I'd read (along with a few cryptic notes which I had a lot of trouble deciphering)!
Since I usually read at least 4 or 5 books a week, I know I missed quite a few.  So for 2014 I'm going to make an effort to keep up to date, at least once a week making a blog post of what I've read, and hopefully writing the reviews at the same time!

Here is the link to the Read it again Challenge

Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014

I've decided to join several challenges this year, a couple I joined last year, and a new one.  The new one is the Color Coded Reading Challenge.

There are 9 categories: Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Brown, Black, White, Other color (purple, orange, silver, etc.), and Word that implies Color (like Rainbow, Polka-Dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).  Sounds like an interesting challenge, and looking over the books I have in my "To Be Read" pile, I see several that would also work in this challenge.


 Here's a link to the challenge. 

New Challenge--2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO

I had a lot of fun in 2013 finding books to read for the 2013 Vintage Mystery Challenge, so decided to join the Vintage Mystery Challenge for 2014, which is going to be a BINGO type challenge!
There are two challenges this year--the Gold is for pre-1960 mysteries, while the Silver is for 1960-1989 mysteries.  I might try for both of them, as I love mysteries of every kind!





Here is a link to the Vintage Mystery BINGO 2014 Challenge

Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale review

This is a fantasy novel about a 14 year old boy named Bobby Pendragon, living the usual teenager life--playing sports and video games, thinking about girls, going to school, and playing with his dog.  When his Uncle Press stops by the house as Bobby is just about to leave for his basketball game, his life is turned upside-down.

His Uncle asks Bobby to go with him because he needs his help, so Bobby goes.  And that is where his adventure begins.  He is swept off to another world, where he is expected to help the downtrodden.  He finds out that he is a "Traveler", and that is what Travelers do.

An interesting book, along the lines of Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia, with the hero learning things about himself, and discovering there is more to him than he had believed.

I enjoyed it, and will read other books in this series if I come across them.






This is a part of my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge 2013

You Bet Your Life by Stuart Kaminsky review

This is one of the Toby Peters mystery series.

Toby Peters is a P.I. in California, and in this novel he is hired to investigate a problem one of the Marx Brothers is having with a gambling debt.  On his adventure he travels to Florida, and has a meeting with Al Capone, and then travels to Chicago to continue his investigations.

He finds dead bodies, a pretty girl, and catches a bad cold.  He also meets with several gangsters, and Ian Fleming.

I enjoy the Toby Peters mysteries, and the fact that they take place in the 1940s. While reading you are exposed to info on how life was back then.





This is part of my 2013 A to Z Reading Challenge    Title--Y.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis review

This is one of the Chronicles of Narnia series, and once again features the Penvensie children. 

It takes place about a year after their return from Narnia.  They are at the railway station on their way back to school, when they are suddenly drawn away by magic.

They find themselves on an island, and begin to explore, when they find the remains of an abandoned castle.  They then discover that it is their castle, which had fallen into ruin over the years, and decide that while they had only been gone a year in earth time, it has apparently been hundreds of years in Narnia.

They are drawn into an adventure to help the land of Narnia once again.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit, and am eagerly looking forward to reading another of the Narnia books.




This is part of the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge 2013

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis review

This novel is part of the Chronicles of Narnia series. 

At the beginning of this story, a boy, Shasta, overhears his father, a poor fisherman, preparing to sell him into slavery to a Warrior.  He also finds out that the fisherman is not in fact his biological father, but had found him in a boat that had drifted in, and the man found with him was dead.

He befriends the Warrior's horse, and discovers that the horse is in reality a talking horse stolen from Narnia while young.  They decide to run away to Narnia to escape the Warrior.

They have many adventures during travels, including being chased by lions, and meeting another runaway and her talking horse, also from Narnia.

I enjoyed this story, and found it just as delightful as the others in the series I've read.





This is part of the 2013 Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming review

Another of the James Bond spy novels, this one sets Bond against Blofeld for a second time.  Bond also meets and falls in love with Tracy.

In this story Bond is looking for Blofeld, who had managed to escape after the Thunderball novel.  He locates him, and discovers Blofeld's new plot to destroy England. After infiltrating Blofeld's clinic, impersonating Hilary Bray, a genealogist from the College of Arms, Bond's true identity is discovered and he is forced to flee for his life.


This is another interesting James Bond story, I really enjoyed it.  It showed another side to Bond that I hadn't noticed in the other stories.



This fulfills a requirement in the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

The Queen of Scots Mystery by Cecilia Peartree review

This the first book I've read in this series, although it is the sixth published, and I'm thinking I should have started with an earlier one.  The relationships between the characters were a little hard to understand at first, as they have apparently developed over the series.  I eventually figured things out, I think.

The mystery itself was pretty good.  I didn't know until the end who the murderer was.

All in all, I mostly enjoyed it.  I'll probably read other books in the series, starting with the first.




This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge 2013  Title--Q

Murder by Proxy by Suzanne Young review

Murder by Proxy is the second book in the Edna Davies mystery series.  Edna travels to Denver to help out her son and expecting daughter-in-law.  While there, she gets involved in an investigation of a friend of her son's.  A private detective enlists her help, as her son has refused to speak to him.

I didn't really care for this story, not that it was awful, but it just seemed so unlikely on too many levels.

Her son's first wife is killed in a ski accident, and two months later he remarries.  A friend of her son's, Anita, disappears, and because she had called 6 weeks earlier and said she needed some time to herself, he assumes she is okay, even though she has not contacted any of her friends since then.  And he is angry if anyone asks about her, including his mother.  Another friend of her son's family, Lia,  is killed in a hit and run accident that appears to be deliberate, but nothing is said about the police doing an investigation.

A man comes up to Edna and says he's a private detective and asks her to find out things from her son about the missing girl, and even though he never shows her any proof he is who he says he is, she goes along with him.  She asks for a phone number for him, and he doesn't give her one, but says he'll call her.  He tells her he's looking for the missing girl because she is the heir to a small fortune, if she meets a relative before she passes away, or the money goes to someone else.  And she believes him and meets with him to give him all the information she can.

I could have gone along with one or two of the points above, but there were just too many to let me actually enjoy reading the story.




This fulfills a requirement of the A to Z Reading Challenge

No Cooperation from the Cat by Marian Babson review

This is one of a series of mysteries featuring Evangeline Sinclair, an aging actress, and Trixie Dolan, an aging dancer and Evangeline's life-long friend.

In this story, Trixie's daughter is helping to write a cookbook, and she and her co-author take over Trixie and Evangeline's kitchen.  The co-author is also working on another book, involving the tales of an Arctic explorer.

The problem starts with the fact that the previous cookbook author, who died, was the wife of the explorer who was on an expedition when his wife died, and no one has told him of her death yet.
He and his friends and family arrive at the apartment, and things start getting out of hand quite quickly.

The story isn't as well written as previous Trixie and Evangeline novels, but I still liked it, probably because I was already familiar with the main characters from previous books.




This fulfills a requirement for the A to Z Reading Challenge 2013

Killer Cupcakes by Leighann Dobbs review

Killer Cupcakes is the first in the Lexy Baker Bakery Mystery Series.

Lexy moves into her grandmother's house after her grandmother moves into assisted living.  Her grandmother's neighbor is a sexy good-looking guy, who happens to be a detective on the local police.  Their first meeting puts Lexy into an awkward situation, but she hopes the next time she sees him is better.

Lexy has opened a bakery, which she loves.  She has a pretty good life, until someone uses some of her cupcakes to poison Lexy's ex-boyfriend.  She becomes the number one suspect, so she and her grandmother, and her grandmother's friends from the assisted living complex, attempt to solve the crime.


This is a typical cozy mystery, light and entertaining.


This fulfills a requirement for the A to Z Reading Challenge   Title--K

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis review

The Magician's Nephew is one of the volumes in The Chronicles of Narnia.  Chronologically speaking, it takes place before The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but was published afterwards.

Digory Kirke makes friends with a neighbor girl, Polly. One day while exploring the attics of the attached houses, he and Polly accidentally enter his Uncle's room.  While there, Polly is tricked by Digory's Uncle Andrew into taking a magic ring and disappears.  Digory's Uncle has the other ring that will return her, and offers it to Digory, along with another ring to follow Polly.  Not wanting to leave Polly in whatever place she has been sent, Digory goes to her rescue.

He finds Polly, and they decide to do a little exploring before returning, and find another World.  They awaken an Evil Queen, Jadis, who manages to grab Digory and is able to return to our World with him.  She causes a lot of problems, so Digory and Polly grab her to send her back.  They also manage to bring a horse, the cabby, and Digory's Uncle.  And their adventures continue.



I enjoyed this story, wish I had read this series when I was a child.





This is a requirement of the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge 2013

Goldfinger by Ian Fleming review

Goldfinger starts off with James Bond changing planes in Miami on his way back to England, and running into someone he knows.  He is asked to do a favor for a friend, Junius DuPont, who would like Bond to find out if his card-playing opponent, Auric Goldfinger, is cheating him at Canasta.  After a short investigation, Bond discovers that Goldfinger is, in fact, cheating, and forces Goldfinger to return the money he had taken from DuPont.
When he finally completes his journey and returns to England, M requests Bond to find out how Goldfinger is smuggling gold out of England.  Bond follows Goldfinger, and discovers how he manages it, but then is captured and tortured by Oddjob, Goldfingers factotum.  To avoid death, Bond suggests he work for Goldfinger, and Goldfinger accepts this.
Bond then discovers that Goldfinger is planning to rob Fort Knox, in the United States, and steal the gold.  But to do this, Goldfinger is going to kill most of the inhabitants of the town, by poisoning the water supply.  Bond attempts to prevent this.

After watching the James Bond movies, which I enjoyed, I started to read the James Bond stories three or four years ago. I read a couple that I found at a library sale, and always intended to read more.  I bought several more over the years, but never seemed to get to them.  But when I joined the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge I decided to make more of an effort.

This is part of my Mt. TBR Challenge

Something in the Water by Charlotte MacLeod review

This is one of the Peter Shandy mysteries.  Peter, a famous horticulturist at Balaclava College, drives to Maine to avoid his wife’s "hen party" and to find some special lupines he’s been told about. 

 He not only finds the lupines, but gets involved in a couple of mysteries.  His fellow diner, Jasper Flodge, ends up face first in his dinner, and foul play is suspected.  Peter also gets involved in another little mystery during his stay. 

As is usual in the Peter Shandy mysteries, there is a lot of humor in the stories, and they are really well written.  I love reading these stories!


This is a part of the  Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming review

Another in the James Bond series, this is the novel that Ian Fleming was revising when he died.  It was published after his death.

This book is lacking a lot of the humor that makes the other James Bond books such interesting reading.  In this story, James Bond returns to London after having been given up for dead after his adventures in Japan in You Only Live Twice, where he had finally killed Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

After being brainwashed in Russia, he had attempted to kill M.  After failing at this, M decided to give him a chance to redeem himself, and sent him off to Jamaica to kill Francisco Scaramanga, known as The Man With the Golden Gun, who is an assassin for Cuba.

When James locates Scaramanga, James finds Scaramanga is involved with American gangsters, and with a KGG agent.  James also discovers his friend, Felix Leiter (from the American CIA) is there and is able to help him complete his mission.

The story is well written, with the exception of the personality and humor that is usually found in the James Bond books.



This book fulfills a requirement of Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLoren review

I decided to read this book when I read a review that mentioned the book starts off with Deputy Dorie Berenger being called out for a gator in the pool--and discovers the gator is stoned, and has a backpack full of drugs (and a finger) in its mouth.

The book is a combination mystery and romance.  I actually enjoyed the humor in it, but the mystery part was a little weak.  And I've never been a big fan of romances.  However, for a fun summer read, this was pretty enjoyable.

I've read other books by this author, and I've enjoyed most of them.  However, I probably wouldn't read them a second time, as I do with several other favorite authors.



This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge 2013   Title--R

Scent to Her Grave by India Ink review

This is the first book by this author that I've read, and I found it to be pretty good.  The main character, Persia Vanderbilt, makes personalized scents for people, and makes scents for her aunt's store, Venus Envy.  Several recipes for bath salts and more are included in the book.

The story involves a winner of a Cosmetic beauty contest, who is a local girl.  She is pretty in looks, but is rude, arrogant, mean and self-centered.  She manages to annoy almost everyone she meets, and has since she was in High School.

And then she ends up murdered in Venus Envy, after the shop is closed for the night.  This draws Persia into doing some investigating, and then there is another murder.  Persia is involved in trying to solve both of these crimes, and manages to get herself into a tight spot before the story ends.

I enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to reading other books in the series.


This fulfills a requirement in A to Z Reading Challenge 2013  Author--I

Joker in the Deck by Richard S. Prather review

Joker in the Deck is a mystery, featuring P.I. Shell Scott.  It is one of many Shell Scott mysteries that were written in the 1950s and 1960s.

Shell Scott is a different type of detective for the time frame.  He likes the ladies, and dislikes the bad guys, but through it all his sense of  humor shines through.  He is also loyal to his clients, and has a strong sense of right and wrong.

I've been a fan of Shell Scott since I was a teen, and I also enjoyed this book.  It's not my absolute favorite of the series, but still enjoyable.

I like almost all of the early Shell Scott stories, although I'm not a big fan of the last few Prather wrote as he seemed to get too preachy, and neglected the mystery in the later stories. However, this one, from 1964 is a good read.

But I have to warn you, this was written before Political Correctness came into being, and there are a lot of terms used that wouldn't be found acceptable in today.




This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge   Title--J
 This also fulfills a requirement in Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander review

This is a fantasy novel for children, the first volume in The Chronicles of Prydain.  I believe it was inspired by the Welsh stories, language and countryside.

This story is about Taran, a boy who lives at Caer Dallben with Dallben, an old man and enchanter, and Coll, a retired soldier.  Coll is the one in charge of the farm, and gives Taran his chores.

Taran is unhappy being nothing but a farm laborer, and dreams of becoming a knight and having adventures.  One day, his dreams come true--Hen Wen, the magic pig escapes, and in his journey to recover her he meets a Prince, an Evil Warlord, an Evil Queen, a young Princess, and a bard.  He is chased, thrown in a dungeon, and fights an Evil Army.


I enjoyed reading this story, I will probably read more in the Chronicles.



 
This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge   Author--X

Born to Win by Zig Ziglar review

I recently read this book, and found it to be very interesting most of the time.   He has a lot of good advice on how to change your life and be more successful.

He doesn't pretend it is going to be easy; he points out that to be successful you have to put in a lot of hard work, everyday.  But he also points out that it will be worth it in the end.

He does repeat his points several times in different ways, which I found a little redundant, but I think it was to make the concept really stick in your mind.

I actually got a lot out of this, I particularly his description of how to decide if someone would be a good mentor for you.

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants direction and purpose it their journey to success.



This fulfills one of the requirements for the A to Z Reading Challenge   Author--Z

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie review

I've read a lot of Agatha Christie novels, and was thrilled when I found this one that I hadn't read yet.  I was surprised to see it wasn't a Jane Marple story, as for some reason I thought it would be.  Hercule Poirot wasn't involved in it, either, although Adrienne Oliver makes an appearance.

A woman is dying and asks for a priest to make her confession.  On his way back to the rectory, the priest stops at a cafe and makes a note  On his way once more he is mugged and killed, but the robber doesn't find the note. 

This event is mentioned to Mark, the main character in this story, by a friend who is in the police.  This story intrigues Mark when he finds out that many of the names on the list are also the names of several people he notices who have died recently, although none are obviously murdered, but from a myriad of natural causes.

He is later introduced to a trio of eccentric women who live in a former inn called the Pale Horse.  They claim they can influence a person through a combination of black magic and modern day psychology, and cause their death.

The story revolves around Mark's attempt, with the help of Ginger, the only person that seems to take his concerns seriously, to solve the mystery of how the people die.  It is thoroughly entertaining, and kept me interested throughout the book!




This fulfills a requirement on the A to Z Reading Challenge 2013
This also is a book on my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge

Death of A Citizen by Donald Hamilton

This book was first published in 1960, a spy novel set in the same time frame as the James Bond stories, but in a very different environment.  This is the first of the Matt Helm series of stories.

Matt Helm was a member of a secret spy organization during WWII.  After the war he returned to the life he had left as a citizen.  He married, had children, and resumed his career as a photographer.

But then his old life comes back to haunt him, and he makes the choices he feels he is forced to.  This ends his life as a citizen.

The story is violent, and Matt Helm is a bit ruthless and hard-boiled--definitely not the urbane spy that the James Bond stories of that era profiles!

I have been a fan of the Matt Helm stories for many years, and was glad I found this one that explains how he got back into the whole spy life after he had been out of it for many years.



This fulfills a requirement of Mt. TBR Challenge.

It also fulfills a requirement of the A to Z Reading Challenge     Author--H

My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall review

I started reading this expecting an amusing summation of Penny Marshall's life, with an emphasis on her mother, and how her mother created Penny's sense of humor and creativity.  Boy, was I wrong!

There are a few amusing incidents in the book, but I felt my main reaction to the book was boredom.  There is a lot of name dropping, of the celebrities with whom she partied and the men she dated, but over all, it was still mildly boring.

Marshall's mother didn't seem to be a very nice person, and in the book Marshall's father was a boring addition to the family, while Marshall herself did drugs, had sex, and didn't seem to take any responsibility for her own actions. 

I suppose she was honest in her recollections, but my reaction to finishing the book was disappointment.  I expected more--more amusing stories, more reflection on poor choices, more tolerance for the poor choices others in her life had made.



This fulfills a requirement in the Mt. TBR Challenge

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis review

I've had this book, and the others in the Narnia series, on my "to be read" list for many years, even buying them all about 7 or 8 years ago.  I saw the movie, which I enjoyed.  I even started reading "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", but I stopped at about chapter 3 or 4 for some reason, and later started the Magician's Nephew.  These two books just didn't really grab my attention, and I set them down after a couple of chapters, and never got back to reading either of them until now.

When I joined a challenge to start reading the books in my "to be read" pile, I started with several mysteries I had been meaning to read and finished them, but for the last few weeks I've been thinking of the Narnia books.  So a few days ago I started TLTWANTW again.  And finished it.

Basically, for those who haven't read it or seen the movie, four children find an opening into another world through an antique wardrobe in an old house they are living in.  While in the other world they  discover good comes in many guises, as does evil.  They suffer, both physically and mentally, and recover.

I enjoyed reading this, and wish I had read it when I was much younger.  Now on to another in the series.  It will probably be the Magician's Nephew, with the hope that this time I finish it.



This fulfills a requirement in the Mt. TBR Challenge

The Puzzle of the Silver Persian by Stuart Palmer review

This is the fifth in the Hildegarde Withers mystery series by Stuart Palmer.  It was published in 1934, and while it is quite a bit dated, it is still an enjoyable story.

In this mystery, Hildegarde is taking an ocean voyage across the Atlantic to England on an ocean-liner.  Unfortunately, during a lot of the trip she suffers from sea-sickness, which seems to affect her sleuthing skills somewhat.  While sitting on the deck, she sees a fellow passenger near the rail.  She takes her eyes off the young woman for a few moments, and when she turns back, the woman is gone.  It appears she has gone over the railing, a possible suicide--or was it murder?

During the investigation of the girl's disappearance overboard the main suspect dies, after taking cyanide.  Was this death suicide?  How could it not be?  And if so, was this his admission of guilt?

I enjoyed this story, as I have enjoyed all of the books in this series that I have read so far.




This fulfills a requirement on The Vintage Mystery Challenge  # 34--Someone Else's Crime.  Previously read and reviewed by Bev.

Murder on the Blackboard by Stuart Palmer review

Murder on the Blackboard was published in 1932, the third in the Hildegarde Withers series of mysteries.

This one takes place in Miss Withers's school, where a young fellow teacher is found murdered, and Hildegarde Withers is a witness of sorts.

As is usual in this series, Hildegarde gets involved in investigating the crime, much to the (sometimes) annoyance of her friend, Oscar Piper, a police captain who is in charge of the official investigation.

I enjoyed this, even though it is a little dated, which is only to be expected.  Having done some substitute teaching, I appreciate her understanding of how her students' minds work.  I particularly enjoyed how she demonstrated to the police how to disperse the crowd of students who were gathering around to watch the police at work.



This fulfills a requirement in the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2013  # 25--Dynamic Duo

The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer review

The Penguin Pool Murder was the first book Stuart Palmer wrote about Miss Hildegarde Withers.
Miss Withers is a teacher, and while on a field trip with her class, discovers and becomes involved in investigating the murder of a man found in the penguin pool at the New York City Aquarium.

This book was published in 1931, and displays some of the typical stereotypes of the era, but also seems a little ahead of its time with the attitude of independent, well-educated and intelligent Hildegarde Withers.

I had read a couple of the other books in this series, and enjoyed them, so I decided to start at the beginning and read through the series.


I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.


This fulfills a requirement in the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2013.  # 14--Scene of the Crime

Faux Reel by Jerusha Jones review

"Faux Reel" is the fifth in the Imogene Museum series of mysteries.  The main character is Meredith Morehouse, the curator of the museum.  It is set in the Columbia River Gorge section of Washington state, and the descriptions of the area are wonderful.

During the museum's first annual fundraising event, Meredith discovers that a large painting is missing from the museum.  The painting was donated by a relative of the Director of the Museum, Rupert Hagg, and was extremely ugly. It had been displayed on the second floor in an out of the way area to keep it out of sight while still technically still on display.

While no one involved  in the museum, including the Director, actually cared that the painting was missing, they were all concerned that someone knew the museum well enough to be able to remove a large painting without anyone else noticing.

The disappearing work of art is just the first of several disturbing events, and Meredith is involved once again in trying to solve a mystery involving the museum.

I didn't like this as well as some of the other stories in the series, but it was still a pleasant read.


This fulfills a requirement in the A to Z Reading Challenge   title--X   (an x anywhere in the title is accepted)

Pattern for Panic by Richard Prather review

"Pattern for Panic" by Richard S. Prather, was published in 1955.  The main character, Shell Scott, is in Mexico City and is asked to help out Senora Lopez, who is married to a Mexican General.  She is being blackmailed, having been secretly filmed having sex with someone who is not her husband.

She has already paid the blackmailer a couple of times, but wants the blackmail to stop.
During Scott's investigation he finds himself beaten, thrown in jail, threatened with snakes, in conflict with Communists, and in a fight for his life.

The Communists are a recurring theme in this book.  It was written in 1955, in the middle of the Cold War, and shows the attitude of many Americans during this time frame.

I have been a Shell Scott fan for many years, reading my first Shell Scott mystery(borrowed from my Dad's collection) in the early 1960s when very young, and generally I enjoy them.  I hadn't read this one before, and it isn't one of my favorites.  There is a little too much propaganda in it for my taste.



This fulfills a requirement for the Mt. TBR Reading Challenge
It also fulfills a requirement for the Vintage Mystery Challenge#22 Repeat Offenders.

Stripping Gypsy by Noralee Frankel review

This book has been in my "to be read" pile for a couple of years now, and I'm finally getting around to read it.  Ever since I saw Gypsy Rose Lee on a TV talk show when I was a kid, I've been fascinated by her.  As I remember the show, Gypsy Rose Lee was funny, smart and had a good sense of humor.  This book reinforces what I remembered.

"Stripping Gypsy" seems to be fairly well-researched, and attempts to explain how Gypsy Rose Lee's childhood influenced the adult she became.  She had a difficult childhood, with a mother who suffered from mental illness, and a volatile home life.  Her mother was extremely ambitious and mercenary, and used her daughters in her quest for fame and fortune.

She decided that her older daughter, Louise (who would later become Gypsy Rose Lee), did not have any talent and shunted her off to relatives or school whenever she could.  Her younger daughter, June, was over worked to the point of  collapse.  This affected the two children throughout their lives.
I found this book to be very interesting, and would recommend it.



This fulfills a requirement for the Mt. TBR Challenge

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2013 Update and Wrap-up

A list of the categories and books I've read that fulfill the requirements for the Vintage Mysteries Reading Challenge

I've read and reviewed 17 books for this challenge.

#  1--Colorful Crime--White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham review
#  3. Amateur Night--Four Lost Ladies by Stuart Palmer review
#  4--Leave it to the Professionals--Case of the Vanishing Beauty by Richard Prather review
#  5--Jolly Old England--The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie review
#  6--Yankee Doodle Dandy--The Dishonest Murderer by Francis and Richard Lockridge review
#  7--World Traveler--Casino Royale by Ian Fleming review
#  8--Dangerous Beasts--The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner  review
# 14--Scene of the Crime--The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer  review
# 19--Planes, Trains & Automobiles--Murder on Wheels by Stuart Palmer review
# 20--Murder is Academic--Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers review
# 22--Repeat Offender--Pattern for Panic by Richard Prather  review
# 25--Dynamic Duo--Murder on the Blackboard by Stuart Palmer  review
# 27--Psychic Phenomena--Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming review
# 28--Book to Movie-- Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes review
# 34--Someone Else's Crime--The Puzzle of the Silver Persian by Stuart Palmer review
# 35--Genuine Fakes--Crows Can't Count by A.A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner) review
# 37--Get Out of Jail Free (An Author New to Me)--A Lighthearted Quest by Ann Bridge review

Mt. TBR Challenge List, COMPLETED!

Here are a list of the books I have read for the Mt. TBR Challenge.  I signed up for the Mt. Blanc level, 24 books.  24 read, 24 reviews written so far.

1.  Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming.                                              review
2.  A Body in the Backyard by Elizabeth Spann Craig                 review
3.  Two to Mango by Jill Marie Landis                                        review
4.  Bingoed by Patricia Rockwell                                                 review
5.  In the Blood by Steve Robinson                                             review
6.  The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming                                review
7.  The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming                        review
8.  The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie                                         review
9.  Pattern for Panic by Richard Prather                                       review
10. Stripping Gypsy by Noralee Frankel                                      review
11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming                    review
12. Goldfinger by Ian Fleming                                                      review
13.  Death of A Citizen by Donald Hamilton                                 review
14. Something in the Water by Charlotte MacLeod                       review
15. My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall                              review
16.  The Bishop Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine                           review      
17. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis            review
18. The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis                                 review
19. The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis                                  My review
20. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis                                                review
21. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis                   review
22. Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale      review
23. Loose Screw by Rae Davis                                                     The review                               
24. Joker in the Deck by Richard Prather                                       review

We were also asked to complete at least one other item--
1.  How many books read from our TBR pile, and when we finished what we had set out to do.  
I read at least 24, which was what I had signed up to do.  I completed the last in the early mid-December range.  I probably read several more in my pile over the summer, but didn't note all the books I had read when I didn't have internet, and couldn't remember which ones I had read when. 
And an optional item--
2. Using the titles I read this year, associate with the following statements
Are you male or female? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Describe yourself: Loose Screw
Describe where you currently live:  A Body in the Backyard
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  Casino Royale
Your favorite form of transportation: The Pale Horse
What's the weather like? Pattern for Panic
Favorite time of day: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Your relationships:  Bingoed!
You fear:  Something in the Water
What is the best advice you have to give? My mother was Nuts
If you could change your name, you would change it to:  Prince Caspian
My soul's present condition: Joker in the Deck

This was a fun end of year activity!  Hope you enjoy my weird answers!  And thanks for the challenge!

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming review

The Spy Who Loved Me, by Ian Fleming, was different than the other James Bond books I've read.  Bond doesn't appear in the book until over halfway through the story.  Instead, the story is told in the first person by Vivienne Michel, a young woman from Canada who is on an adventure and runs into a situation she can't handle.

The story has nothing in common with the movie that has the same name, and while I was confused a little at the start, I found the book very interesting and different.  It was published in 1962, and I was surprised at some of the content for that era.

While I have enjoyed some of the other James Bond stories, this was a daring change of pace for James Bond stories, and I also enjoyed this one!



This fulfills a requirement for the Mt. TBR Challenge.

Bingoed by Patricia Rockwell review

"Bingoed", by Patricia Rockwell, features Essie Cobb, a 90-year-old resident of the Happy Haven Assisted Living Facility.  Essie is assisted in her investigations by her friends; Opal, Marjorie and Fay, who are also residents of the Happy Haven.

In "Bingoed", a fellow resident, Bob Weiderley, suddenly falls into a coma after winning a game of Bingo.  Essie and friends find this hard to believe, as Bob was one of the healthier residents and winning a game of Bingo didn't seem to be exciting enough to cause any kind of medical problems.  They suspect someone deliberately caused Bob's coma.

Essie, Opal, Fay and Marjorie begin their investigation, and come up with several possible suspects, and quite a few possible motives.


It was an interesting read, a cozy mystery that was I enjoyed reading!



This book is for my Mt. TBR Reading Challenge . 
Also for the A to Z Challenge  author--R

Senior Snoops by Madison Johns

The main characters in this story are Agnes Barton, a senior citizen and sometime private investigator, and her friend, Eleanor Mason.  This is the third in the series.

The story starts when Sheriff Clem Peterson sends Agnes and Eleanor to Florida from Michigan, as he had promised.  They are flying on a private plane, which has to make a fuel stop on the way.  Unfortunately,  during the fuel stop, armed men shoot the pilot.  One of the other passengers takes over the controls, and flies them out of danger. While on the plane, Agnes finds an envelope stuffed with money.

They are met at the airport in Florida by Sheriff Clem Peterson's brother, another Sheriff Petersen, Calvin.  He takes them to the Sunny Brooke Retirement Village, where they find out that while Clem Peterson had arranged for them to go to Florida and to stay at the Retirement Village, he was not paying for their stay as they had thought--they were supposed to work as the hired help to pay for their room and board.

While there they have to deal with an antagonistic Sheriff Calvin Peterson, overbearing agents of Homeland securtity who want to know about a package on the plane--which Agnes and Eleanor claim they know nothing about--and the discovery that 2 maids have already gone missing from the Retirement Village.

The plot is intriguing, but the book has several typos and grammatical errors that I found distracting. 
In spite of these problems, I did find the plot interesting, and have read other books in the series.  For the price, they are worth reading--although they would be better if the book had a better editor and proof-reader.



This book fulfills a requirement in A to Z Challenge.  Title--the letter S.