March Wrap-Up and P.O.M. Award

image credit

I'm enjoying another year of tracking reading progress and statistics for all things bookish on the Block. I will also be contributing to Kerrie's Crime Fiction Pick of the Month. Now, what happened here on the Block in March....

Total Books Read: 10
Total Pages:  2,422
Average Rating: 3.65 stars  
Top Rating: 5 stars 
Percentage by Female Authors: 50%
Percentage by US Authors: 40%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors:  0%
Percentage Mystery:  90% 
Percentage Fiction: 90%
Percentage written 2000+: 40%
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: 6 (20%)


AND, as mentioned above, Kerrie had us all set up for another year of Crime Fiction Favorites. What she was looking for is our Top Mystery Read for each month. March was a big month for mysteries with all but one coming from that field--for a total of nnve. Here are the books read:




Make Death Love Me by Ruth Rendell (3.5 stars) 
The Day He Died by Lewis Padgett (3 stars) 
House of Darkness by Allan MacKinnon (5 stars) 
The Philomel Foundation by James Gollin (3 stars)
A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (4 stars) 
Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (3 stars)
The Old Battle Axe/The Obstinate Murderer by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (3 stars) 
Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear (3 stars)

And this month's P.O.M. Award is an easy one as well. Allan MacKinnon's House of Darkness was a run-away surprise favorite. I knew nothing about MacKinnon before spying the book at my favorite used bookstore and snatching it up because it was a lovely Dell Mapback edition. This, quite honestly, was the most fun I've had reading a mad-dash, mystery thriller in a long time. What a delight to find such a cracking good yarn with engaging characters, apt descriptions, and humorous dialogue. I have a feeling MacKinnon had a great deal of fun putting this story together and it translates to plenty of enjoyment for the reader. A definite surprise favorite for March--and it may just turn out to be the overall favorite for the year.