Daily Archives: October 12, 2013

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Dewey’s Read-a-thon Mid-Event Survey

12 Hours down for the Dewey’s Read-a-thon

Mid-Event Survey

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?

Doing fine.  Not sleepy yet.  Eyes are doing good, but I’m reading on a Kindle so I can enlarge the print as needed.
2) What have you finished reading?

I’ve finished 3 books so far, unfortunately no 5 star books yet.
3) What is your favorite read so far?

Not really been overly enthused so far.  I’m on to Ghost in the Machine by Ed James next.
4) What about your favorite snacks?

Haven’t really been snacking.  I did eat dinner though.  Pork Belly in Cider Gravy, Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Smashed Red Skin Potatoes – yummy!

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!

I have been trying to stay mainly reading for the first part. When I get tired later, I’ll start perusing the blogs and adding to my Bloglovin’

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Read-a-thon Book 3: Thursday Morning Breakfast (and Murder) Club by Liz Stauffer

Finished Book 3 for the Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  Thursday Morning Breakfast (and Murder) Club by Liz Stauffer.  I didn’t really get into this book at all.  It seemed very rushed and there were lots of characters but no time spent to develop them.  I assumed they were older and retired because only a couple, the sheriff and the film producer seemed to have work  while the rest met on Thursday mornings for breakfast.  Just not for me.

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Read-a-thon Book 2: Strictly Murder by Lynda Wilcox

 

Finished Book 2 for the Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  This was an interesting British murder mystery with twists and turns and tie-ins to a previous crime.  I really liked the fact that the sleuth was a researcher/assistant for a crime novelist, I think that is a great lead in for an amateur sleuth.  I felt the mystery was well plotted as far as the whodunnit portion of things.  However, some parts of the book didn’t really gel for me, the sleuth, Verity insisting that she wasn’t investigating.  Her reactions at times didn’t  ring true to the character, as developed in the book.  The constant references to the play on one character’s name, Candida = thrush, get it, heh heh, funny huh, elbow in the ribs, was well overdone.  The Detective Inspector Farish character needed some fleshing out but that might occur in later books in the series.

I might have appreciated the jabs at Strictly Come Dancing, if I had ever seen the show so I won’t hold that against the book.  Fans (or people who hate the show) might find the tie-in interesting.

I don’t know if I will read more of not of this series, I already have a huge TBR list.

 

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Read-a-thon Book 1: Murder on the Candlelight Tour by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter

 

Finished book 1 for Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  This is book 2 in a mystery series that I found when the first book was chosen  by the Cozy Mystery Corner book club on Goodreads.  I was one of the few members who liked the first book in this series.  I found the mystery well done in that book and this one.

Just like in the first book,, I like the main character, her sister and her sidekick.  Her love interest, Nick runs hot and cold, but it made him interesting to me.  Her sister’s boyfriend, Joel was a little too stereotypical Hollywood con man  This book connected several crimes, an old robbery and a couple new murders.  There were lots of clues and red herrings.  The issue with this book, like the first, is that sometimes the dialog is unnatural or stilted and in a couple places, I actually had to go back and reread to understand what I had read.  Still, I think there is enough good about this books, well plotted mystery and interesting characters, to make me want to continue with it.

On to a visit to my local book shop and then back for more reading!

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Dewey’s Read-a-thon Introduction

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

I don’t know if I’d call it fine, but I am in New Jersey.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I am not really sure and that is worrying me.  I’m feeling kind of ambivalent today.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

I put dinner in the crockpot already – pork cooked in cider (a very autumny dish) and we’re having it with roasted root veg, so I guess that is what I am looking forward to most of all.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I am a teacher in an urban district and a mom with one kid in college and the other finishing high school.  I love to read across genres.  I’m a big tea and coffee drinker.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

I think I will try to participate in some challenges this time.  I also plan on going out at some point to my Independent book shop.

Have a great read-a-thon everyone!