Challenges – Page 2 – Carol's Notebook

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge

December 22, 2012October 1, 2013 by Carol4 Comments

The second challenge I'm joining is the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, reading mysteries first published before 1960, which includes some of my favorites. Bev at My Reader's Block has made it even more fun by using the theme of "Scattegories" this year. The goal is to read 8 books from 8 of the following categories. 1. Colorful Crime: a book with a color or reference to color in the title 2. Murder by the Numbers: a book with a number, quantity in the title 3. Amateur Night: a book with a "detective" who is not a P.I.; Police Officer; Official Investigator (Nurse Keate, Father Brown, Miss Marple, etc.) 4. Leave It to the Professionals: a book featuring cops, private eyes, secret service, professional spies, etc. 5. Jolly Old England: one mystery set in Britain 6. Yankee Doodle Dandy: one mystery set in the United States 7. World Traveler: one mystery set in any country except the US or Britain 8. Dangerous Beasts: a book with an animal in the title...

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

December 22, 2012January 25, 2013 by CarolNo Comments

I took a year off from year-long reading challenges last year, but I kind of missed them, so I've decided to sign up for a few this year. The first is the Mount TBR Reading Challenge. The goal is to read the books that are already on my shelves, ones I've bought for myself or received as gifts. The ones that are waiting patiently to get around to them and the ones that are screaming "Read me!" I'm signing up to climb Pike's Peak, which means reading 12 books from my TBR pile. I'll keep a running list here, in addition to marking my reviews as part of the challenge. The Mount TBR Reading Challenge is hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block. You can sign-up here. False Scent by Ngaio Marsh - on my shelf since 7/14/12...

Thursday’s Tale: The Willful Child

September 13, 2012September 28, 2012 by Carol11 Comments

I have a few irrational fears, but only one is relevant to today's tale, "The Willful Child" by the Brothers Grimm. I don't know when it started, but I was young and I think we had read a story in school that somehow contributed to it, but I've always been afraid of being buried alive. I'm not talking about being in a cave or tunnel and having it collapse, I'm talking about being buried like I'm dead when I'm not. I know it's impossible now, with all the modern science and chemicals they pump into you, and I've only recently given up the idea of being cremated when I die, but only because my husband doesn't like the idea. I doubt I'm the only person with this fear, which probably explains both why stories like this one were told and why they can still strike us with terror. "The Willful Child" is a short story, scary in its simplicity. In the...

Review: The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg

September 11, 2012October 5, 2012 by Carol11 Comments

I pick my audiobooks by what's available through my library and as I was browsing the website one day I came across The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg. I vaguely remembered reading the first in the series, The Ice Princess, and not hating it, so I went ahead and decided to listen to this one. The story is once again set in a small fishing town in Sweden, Fjällbacka, and the two main characters are back. Patrik Hedström, the local police detective, is more the focus this time around. His girlfriend, Ericka Falck, who was a major actor in the first in the series, is now pregnant and very much stuck at home on the sidelines, feeling miserable and entertaining horrible houseguests. Actually, the whole home part of the story rather annoyed me this time around. I don't think I was in love with them as a couple in the last one, either, and it's even worse here, since Ericka doesn't get to...

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VII

September 10, 2012October 19, 2012 by Carol6 Comments

Autumn is in the air. Soon, the leaves will start changing, the days will get cooler, and I'll be craving hot chocolate and apple dumplings. It's also the season for Carl's annual reading event, R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril. As he says, "There is a wistful scent upon the air and the mood generated by this time of year turns my thoughts toward the mysterious, towards stories with gothic undertones, towards darkened streets and death and the men and women sent to detect those who do these dastardly deeds." September and October are all about the darker stories, mysteries, thrillers, dark fantasies, Gothic novels. This year I'm signing up for Peril the First: Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. I'll keep a list here, in addition to marking my reviews as part of the event. The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach by Colin Cotterill How to Date a Henchman by Mari Fee The Beautiful Mystery...

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

November 20, 2011January 4, 2012 by Carol13 Comments

I love Christmas stories, and though I don't really need an excuse to read them, I had to join in Michelle's The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. I'm aiming for the Christmas Tree Level, which is 5 or 6 Christmassy books. And adding on Visions of Sugar Plums, books I read with my daughter. November 21, 2011 - January 6, 2012 "Dakota Christmas" by Joseph Bottum Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce and Laura Geringer Tentative Reading List Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn A Clockwork Christmas anthology Twas the Night Before Christmas by Sandra Hill, Kate Holmes and Trish Jensen Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown And to read with Amber Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce and Laura Geringer If you want to join in, head over to The Christmas Spirit to sign up....