December Pick of the Month

 

Well, here we go...the last P.O.M. Award and monthly stat round-up for 2021. Up next will be a year-end wrap-up and P.O.Y. (Pick of the Year) Award...coming soon to a blog near you. But first--what was reading like here at the Block. The numbers went up a bit from November's poor showing of eleven books. That was actually a surprise to me because I didn't feel like I was reading that much in December. But it's nice to end the year on a high note. Here we go...

Total Books Read: 17
Total Pages: 3,919
Average Rating: 3.47 stars  
Top Rating: 5 stars 
Percentage by Female Authors: 50%

Percentage by Male Authors: 38%

Percentage by both Female & Male Authors: 12%
Percentage by US Authors: 25%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors:  0%
Percentage Mystery: 81%

Percentage Fiction: 100%
Percentage written 2000+: 63%
Percentage of Rereads: 19%
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: 29 (100% of those tied to 2021--one more is ongoing and I set no goal for 2021)

The biggest shock from the statistics is that percentage written 2000+. It's rare that over 50% of my reading is so recent. I was very pleased to complete all of the challenge goals I set for myself. 

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie (3 stars)

The Clocks by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)

The Incredible Theft by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)

Silent Nights by Martin Edwards [ed] (4 stars)

The Christmas Card Crime & Other Stories by Martin Edwards [ed] (4 stars)

A Surprise for Christmas by Martin Edwards [ed] (4 stars)

The Death at Yew Corner by Robert Forrest (2.75 stars)

Spare Time for Murder by John Gale [on TBR since 1/16/16] (3.5 stars)

Murder in the French Room by Helen Joan Hultman (12/18/21)

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (4 stars)

Murder at Kensington Gardens by Lee Strauss (2.75 stars)

Murder at the Mortuary by Lee Strauss (3.5 stars)

Still Life with Murder by P. B. Ryan (2 stars) 

In the Crypt with a Candlestick by Daisy Waugh (2 stars)

And now for the awards portion of the day's events. December saw few really outstanding reads. The two books which garnered five-star ratings were a children's book, The Pig on the Hill by John Kelly (read by Pierce Brosnan) and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (performed/read by Patrick Stewart). Neither are mysteries and mysteries are what the P.O.M. awards are geared to. Next in line in the stats department are three vintage mystery collections edited by Martin Edwards, The Christmas Card Crime, Silent Nights, and A Surprise for Christmas, as well as The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Now all of these are perfectly enjoyable. Each of the collections produced vintage short stories that I'd not read before and thought were terrific additions to my vintage mystery reading repertoire. The Osman book was just plain fun. But I do have a dilemma...I can't really say that any of these had the wow factor that I'd like the P.O.M. winner to have. So...I'm going to do something unexpected and hand the P.O.M. Award to John Gale for Spare time for Murder based on his deliberate twist on boy-meets-girl scenario and the delightful relationship his protagonist Anthony Somers has with Inspector Clarke.