Book Riot’s READ HARDER Challenge and GOODREADS Reading Challenge Update #8
Okay, I’ve been slacking a bit, but I’ve had some actual work to take my attention away from reading. Hopefully, I am heading back to achieving my daily reading goal. I find it helps me deal with the day better if I start by enjoying some time with a book.
Books #52-57 (Goodreads Challenge): Donna Andrews’ The Good, the Bad and the Emus, The Nightengale Before Christmas, Lord of the WIngs, Die Like an Eagle, Gone Gull, and How the Finch Stole Christmas bring the Meg Langslow series (mentioned in my last Book Challenge post) current. There are two more books in the series, but they won’t be released until later this year.
Book #58 (Goodreads Challenge): A Baby’s Bones by Rebecca Alexander is the first book in a new mystery series. It was pretty interesting, although my one gripe is that I really would like to see more female sleuths who are not dependent on a man. There is a more in-depth review in my post of 1 May 2018.
Book #59 (Goodreads Challenge): Spenser is back again. Ace Atkins continues the Robert B. Parker “Spenser” series with Old Black Magic>. This time, Spenser is without his old buddy Hawk, as he works to resolve a case involving a mobster with a grudge against him and some paintings that were stolen several decades ago. Further, he doesn’t have much help from Quirk or Belson, who have risen up the chain of administration. Spenser prevails, of course, but it’s always fun to watch how he gets there.
Book #60 (Goodreads Challenge): Roger Levy’s The Rig got reviewed in my post of 16 May 2018. It’s another book not to be picked up lightly, but is well-worth the read.
Book #61 (Goodreads Challenge): Madman Walking, by L.F. Robertson is an interesting look, through a fictional case, at the process of overturning the conviction of an innocent, but mentally-ill, man. I note that I received this as an uncorrected bound proof from the publisher, but – as always – my responses are not based on that. I did a more in-depth review on Goodreads.
Book #62 (Goodreads Challenge): The Crowns of Croswald, by D.E. Night is a book I was asked to review by the author’s publisher. I agreed, with the usual proviso that my review would be honest, and not influenced by the fact that I was given the copy.
That said, it was enjoyable. It started a bit slowly, and I had figured out the plot twist long before it was revealed, but that did not make the book less enjoyable. The story revolves around a young woman with a secret. A kitchen maid, she still somehow gets invited to join the country’s most important school to learn to be a scrivener. Being bright and inquisitive, as well as poor, she has some trouble fitting into her new surroundings. She also has a very powerful enemy, who has been searching for her for all of her life and develops two very close friendships, one male and one female.
The similarities to Harry Potter will, I think, make the book resonate with its target audience, which I believe is YA. There are enough differences, however, that those similarities do not detract from the story.
I further note that I am now awaiting the next book in the series since the ending of this book sets up the heroine’s next quest.
So, those are my recent books read. I am a touch behind where I want to be, but that happens around this time of year. I fully expect to get to where I should be over the summer.
Not Just Another Grouchy Grammarian 