Once again in 2014 I will be combining my monthly wrap-up post with Kerrie's Crime Fiction Pick of the Month over at Mysteries in Paradise. I'm pretty pleased with my year so far...Goodreads still says I'm ahead of schedule. Let's keep it that way. Here are the stats:
Total Books Read: 14
Total Pages: 3778
Average Rating: 2.95 stars
Top Rating: 4.25 stars
Percentage by Female Authors: 43%
Percentage by US Authors: 64%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors: 7%
Percentage Mystery: 86%
Percentage Fiction: 93%
Percentage written 2000+: 36%
Percentage of Rereads: 0%
Percentage Read for Challenges: 100% {It's easy to have every book count for a challenge when you sign up for as many as I do.}
Number of Challenges fulfilled so far: 9 (23%)
AND, as mentioned above, Kerrie has started us up for another of Crime Fiction Favorites. What she's looking for is our Top Mystery Read for each month. In April, I read 12 books that qualify as mysteries.
The Coral Princess Murders by Frances Crane (★★★)
Decoded by Mai Jia (unrated)
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman (★★★★)
A Hangman's Dozen by Alfred Hitchcock [Robert Arthur, Jr (ed)] (★★★)
The Mammoth Book of the Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Denis O. Smith (★★★★ 1/4)
Gale Warning by Hammond Innes (★★★ 1/2)
Murder at the Museum of Natural History by Michael Jahn (★★★)
Death by the Book by Julianna Deering (★★★ 1/2)
The Lady of Sorrows by Anne Zouroudi (★★★)
Dorothy Dixon & the Double Cousin by Dorothy Wayne (★★★)
For Old Crime's Sake (aka Lucky Jane) by Delano Ames (★★★★)
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
This month saw three books in the four star range: After I'm Gone (Lippmann), The Mammoth Book of the Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes (Smith), and For Old Crime's Sake (Ames). All three were excellent reads...but I did give the book of Sherlock Holmes stories just that quarter star more to give it an edge.
It is an outstanding collection of non-canonical stories featuring the great detective. Smith manages to duplicate Watson's narrative voice with great skill--slipping only occasionally. The stories are very reminiscent of the original short stories without appearing to be mere copies of Doyle's work.
Adding the Holmes collection to my TBR-eventually list. I've encountered so many not-very-good collections that I've become a little wary of them. POM award? Gonna read!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteInteresting group of books. Wish I could read as much as you do. There are several authors / books here I want to try.
ReplyDeleteAwesome month! Happy May reading!
ReplyDeleteI will never cease to be impressed by your page count. Brava! Good luck with May reading :)
ReplyDeleteEven though I don't read a lot of mystery/crime novels, I love seeing all the great punny titles when you post your recaps! I think my favorite this month was For Old Crime's Sake...just so funny.
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