Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Sorry for the confusion, but messages crossed in the mail. Thanks to Matt for picking our shelf for February....and his choice is Crime.

What will you all be reading?

For me - I will be reading:

A Study in Scarlet
The Monkey's Raincoat
Cold Cold Heart
Since You've Been Gone
Butterfly Kills: A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery

Awesome! I've had a look and none of my moving mt, lost, readers pursuit or pots books fit on this shelf! Which means I get to browse books and read something different!

This month for crime I will start with:

Death Comes to Pemberley
Red Dragon
The Girl Who Played with Fire

Trying to fit in with other reads, so far have :

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story ( Reader's Pursuit )

Seems that all of the Agatha Christies I own ( 20 for $10!, plus a few extras ) are all on there, so if I run out of things to read for challenges I will still have plenty of options.

My reads will be:

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
Defending Jacob
The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Bones of the Lost since its a reader's pursuit book

other than that, not sure

I am going to read Hannibal Risingto complete this series.

I had been getting ready for "culture" as it seemed to be winning the poll, but this change is one I definitely don't mind! Love mystery/thriller/crime!

Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indriðason
Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson
Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller

And if I have time:

The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell
Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon

One for the Money is a reading pursuit book for me so I'll start with that one.

Bea wrote: "My reads will be:

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
Defending Jacob
The Beekeeper's Apprentice"

I absolutely loved Defending Jacob. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

I'm happy with this month's theme. Now I will get to go on to book 2 in the Strike series with The Silkworm. I am currently finishing up the first book in audio for the January challenge.
Hope to add the following depending upon when I can get them from the library.
The Wicked Girls
Sycamore Row

Lots of books from Scattershelves :-) but will probably read The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Secret History
and something from Janet Evanovich...I really liked the first book in her Stephanie Plum series so maybe I'll pick up the second.

Somehow I need to sneak in books from my other challenges too.

Ebony wrote: "This month for crime I will start with:

Death Comes to Pemberley"

I hate to say this, Ebony, but unless you actually own a copy of this book -don't bother. :( It's really NOT a good read.

Lahni wrote: "One for the Money is a reading pursuit book for me so I'll start with that one."

ooh, enjoy, Lahni! You'll probably get addicted ;)

I've just finished a new fave crime author's, Candice Fox, most recent instalment, Eden. I haven't gotten around to my review yet but such a great read: I love her characters and the switching between characters and also time period in this book. I'm liking this female antihero MC. & btw, first book is Hades

I will kick off my LOST by reading Thirteen Steps Down and then, maybe

Caleb Williams
The Girl on the Train

Tien wrote: "Ebony wrote: "This month for crime I will start with:

Death Comes to Pemberley"

I hate to say this, Ebony, but unless you actually own a copy of this book -don't bother. :( It's really NOT a goo..."

Oh, really? Hmm, my library has it on hold for me, so I will give it a go, and use my usual '50 pages' rule. If I can't get into it within 50 pages, I set it down and call it a day!

Tien wrote: "Lahni wrote: "One for the Money is a reading pursuit book for me so I'll start with that one."

ooh, enjoy, Lahni! You'll probably get addicted ;)"

I've heard great things about this series. I've never read any of Evanovich's books so I'm excited to finally have an excuse to give them a try!

Tien wrote: "Ebony wrote: "This month for crime I will start with:

Death Comes to Pemberley"

I hate to say this, Ebony, but unless you actually own a copy of this book -don't bother. :( It's really NOT a goo..."

Totally agree with Tien here. That book is boring with a capital Z.

These are on my list of possibles, all from my Moving Mountains list:

Charity wrote: "Lots of books from Scattershelves :-) but will probably read The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Secret History
and something from Janet Evanovich...I really liked the fir..."

Charity, - I may add a Janet Evanovich book, too. I own all of the Stephanie Plum books, and have for years, but have only read the first one in the series.

Tien wrote: "I've just finished a new fave crime author's, Candice Fox, most recent instalment, Eden. I haven't gotten around to my review yet but such a great read: I love her characters and..."

The Girl on The Train is amazing, Tien. It was a 5 star read for me.

D.G. wrote: "These are on my list of possibles, all from my Moving Mountains list:

[bookcover:The Killer Ascendant|1889..."

Anything from Agatha Christie gets a big thumbs up from me.

readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: "Tien wrote: "I've just finished a new fave crime author's, Candice Fox, most recent instalment, Eden. I haven't gotten around to my review yet but such a great read: I love her c..."

Finished Girl On The Train this past weekend. Really enjoyed it, too.

Debi wrote: "readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: "Tien wrote: "I've just finished a new fave crime author's, Candice Fox, most recent instalment, Eden. I haven't gotten around to my review yet but s..."

Yes...it is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers.

Bea wrote: "My reads will be:

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
Defending Jacob
The Beekeeper's Apprentice"

Both Defending Jacob and The Beekeeper's Apprentice were good reads for me. Defending Jacob was the best of the two, though. Like Debi - I will be interested to hear what you think of it.

One of my Reader's Pursuit draws was "true crime" so I think I'll be able to find something for this shelf!
I'll be attempting either The Black Dahlia or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story... or both if I'm in the mood!

readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: Yes...it (Eden) is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers."

Just added it and Hades to my Wishlist.

Tien wrote: "I've just finished a new fave crime author's, Candice Fox, most recent installment, Eden. I haven't gotten around to my review yet but such a great read: I love her characters and the switching between characters and also time period in this book. I'm liking this female antihero MC. & btw, first book is Hades."

Tien, how "dark" are Fox's books? I usually enjoy mystery and crime books, but shy away from ones labeled thriller, as these are.

I have a lot of mystery/crime books on my TBR. So this month, I think I'll just start on my LOST and Moving Mountains list, and see where that leads me.

Sarah wrote: "One of my Reader's Pursuit draws was "true crime" so I think I'll be able to find something for this shelf!
I'll be attempting either The Black Dahlia or [book:Midnight in the Garden o..."

I read them both and found them both fascinating reads.

readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: I read them both and found them both fascinating reads"

Thanks, that's good to know. Think I will try both

Susan wrote: "Tien, how "dark" are Fox's books? I usually enjoy mystery and crime books, but shy away from ones labeled thriller, as these are. "

tough Q especially since this really depends on your personal taste! Give me an example of a book you thought is "too dark" and I'll try to answer your Q then? I haven' read Dexter so can't say how it compares to Dexter -the only thing I know to compare it to noting the MC similarity...

readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: "Yes...it is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers. "

Ooh, that's BIG! Bumping it up the list then :D

Bea wrote: "Just added it and Hades to my Wishlist. "

uh, Bea... I think Lyn meant;

"Yes...it (The Girl on the Train) is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers. "

Tien wrote: "Bea wrote: "Just added it and Hades to my Wishlist. "

uh, Bea... I think Lyn meant;

"Yes...it (The Girl on the Train) is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers."

Oh, well, I just added it also. Too bad I didn't understand it was that book she was recommending yesterday. I think I remember that book from my browsing.

Ed gave me a gift certificate to Books-a-Million for Christmas; and, yesterday was my shopping day. Of course I wanted to maximize the number of books I could get for the $50, so I shopped the specials and sales. Came home with 7 new books!

Tien wrote: "tough Q especially since this really depends on your personal taste! Give me an example of a book you thought is "too dark" and I'll try to answer your Q then? I haven' read Dexter so can't say how it compares to Dexter -the only thing I know to compare it to noting the MC similarity... ."

Hmmm... Well, I usually avoid Stephen King books. I do read and enjoy books by Michael Koryta, but they're just about at the edge of what I can read, as are the Dragon Tattoo. I guess it has to do with the level of gratuitous violence.

@Bea: awesome! What did you get? Went to a charity book fair and came home with 7 books too! Plus some kids ones... lol

Um, thats after putting some back... trying to be good. Plus catching the train with 2 kids in tow, well... there's a limit to my strength.

@Susan: I usually avoid King too though I don't know Koryta. Enjoyed Dragon Tattoo though yes, the violence there got to me a bit. Not to worry then, Fox isnt that dark and violence not as graphic.

Tien wrote: "@Bea: awesome! What did you get? "

Let's see: Randy Wayne White (Fl writer)'s Chasing Midnight and Night Moves; Lisa Jackson's You Don't Want To Know; Robert Crais' Suspect; Jeffrey Archer's The Sins of the Father and (oh, no! I got two copies of this one) and finally Nora Robert's Shadow Spell.

Since the dupllicated Jeffrey Archer book is one of the Buy 2, get 1 free deals, I am going to see if I can exchange it!

I also had a Barnes and Noble gift certificate for $5. Since there is no local store of theirs in Aiken, SC, I shopped online. 'Course I found that my two sale books had more shipping costs than the price of the books! So, I ended up buying $32 worth of books (sales) to get free shipping and spent $27. So I have 7 more books coming! Still 7 books for $27 is not bad shopping.

Bea wrote: "Tien wrote: "Bea wrote: "Just added it and Hades to my Wishlist. "

uh, Bea... I think Lyn meant;

"Yes...it (The Girl on the Train) is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations..."

Tien wrote: "Bea wrote: "Just added it and Hades to my Wishlist. "

uh, Bea... I think Lyn meant;

"Yes...it (The Girl on the Train) is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other rea..."

Tien wrote: "readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: "Yes...it is going on my MUST READ list of recommendations to other readers. "

Ooh, that's BIG! Bumping it up the list then :D"

That is the one that I was recommending. Sorry, Bea. I will try to be more clear in the future.

Tien - The Girl on the Train was a 5 star read for me. I should be putting up my review in the next week. :)

Just got back. Books-a-Million let me exchange the book. So now I have Harlen Corben's Just One Look.

Bea wrote: "Tien wrote: "@Bea: awesome! What did you get? "

Let's see: Randy Wayne White (Fl writer)'s Chasing Midnight and Night Moves; Lisa Jackson's [book:You Don't Want To ..."

Suspect was really good. That was my first Robert Crais, and now I am a big fan!

Bea wrote: "Just got back. Books-a-Million let me exchange the book. So now I have Harlen Corben's Just One Look."

Love Harlan Coben, too!

Oh, I also forgot to list the free book - Stuart Woods' Palindrome.

readinghearts (Lyn M) wrote: "Suspect was really good. That was my first Robert Crais, and now I am a big fan!"

I read Chasing Darkness for a challenge and really enjoyed it.

Tien wrote: "Not to worry then, Fox isnt that dark and violence not as graphic. "

Great! I'll add hers to my TBR. I love how over the years you and this group have helped me discover so many great Australian authors that don't get the hype here in the U.S. that many other authors do.

Will either read or

Susan wrote: "Tien wrote: "Not to worry then, Fox isnt that dark and violence not as graphic. "

Great! I'll add hers to my TBR. I love how over the years you and this group have helped me discover so many great..."

I agree, Susan. It has really broadened my horizon of authors. :)

I read my first book for "Crime" and am ready to post the review ... a review thread please? :) Thanks!

LynnB wrote: "I read my first book for "Crime" and am ready to post the review ... a review thread please? :) Thanks!"

I've just thought of that, LynnB! You're too fast for me... :)

oh, and um, Matt, if you're around, could you message me your choice of avi for this month. please? Thx!

Susan wrote: "Great! I'll add hers to my TBR. I love how over the years you and this group have helped me discover so many great Australian authors that don't get the hype here in the U.S. that many other authors do. "

Yay!! Glad to hear that, Susan :)
This may interest you as well: Australian Women Writers Challenge is one I participate in every year... I'm not pointing this out for you to participate but there is a listing of reviews done by participants which you may find is of interest :)
Of course, feel free to join in the challenge if you like!