Color Coded Challenge

I am signing up for the Color Coded Challenge hosted by Bev at Myreadersblock.
*Read nine books in the following categories.
1. A book with "Blue" in the title.
2. A book with "Red" in the title.
3. A book with "Yellow" in the title.
4. A book with "Green" in the title.
5. A book with "Brown" in the title.
6. A book with "Black" in the title.
7. A book with "White" in the title.
8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Turquoise, Pink, Magneta, etc.).
9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).
I know it is the end of the year, but why not? I will give it a try. Here is my tentative book list.
1. "Blue"-The Blue Hand by Edgar Wallace
2. "Red" -The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln
3. "Yellow"-The Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer
4. "Green" -Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
5. "Brown"- Tom Brown's School days by Thomas Hughes or The Brown Mask by Percy James Berbner
6. "Black"- The Black Eagle Mystery by Geraldine Bonner(finished)
7. "White"-The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart(Reading)
8. Any other color-The Crimson Blind by Fred M White or The Orange-Yellow Diamond by Joseph Smith Fletcher
9. Color implied- Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh(Reading)

What's in a name 4 challenge complete

I completed the What's in a name 4 Challenge

Dead simple by Peter James(2005) Life Stage

The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906) Number

The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905) Gem

The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910) Travel/Movement

From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921) Size

Blood Work by Michael Connelly (1998)
Evil


I read four vintage mysteries and two contemporary mysteries. Of the six books, five authors are new to me. Connelly was the only author I read before. Hunting books for this challenge was fun, especially because I wanted to club it up with vintage mystery challenge. I had to look for books published before 1960 by women writers with the particular theme in the title. I enjoyed participating in the challenge.

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a Meme hosted by Katy at Few more Pages.
To play along share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading, include the title and the author and give your impressions if you feel like it.
Here is mine from The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
Spring, 1086
England
"The ravens were the first sign."
The beginning is intriguing indicating a bad omen. So what happened in 1086 England, how is it relevant to present times?

The Call of Cthulhu by H.P.Lovecraft

I can't even spell the word without referring to the book a few times. First time I heard of Cthulhu was a few months back in the Doodle Devil game for IPod. A quick look in the game showed Cthulhu with the following quote from The Real Ghostbusters, "Anything that looks like Godzilla wearing an octopus hat shouldn't be hard to find."
I am not going to give synopsis of the story. The story is very short and can easily be read. I am just jotting down my feelings about this novella.
The Call of Cthulhu reminded me of several monsters, movies and mostly my favourite games Age of Mythology and Warcraft. I don't remember if Cthulhu appeared in these games. A quick search on the internet showed C'Thun, Titan God of Warcraft was based on Cthulhu. I don't remember this guy, so can't really say what I felt about C'Thun. Invoking of the Old One and breaking through earth to surface, reminded me of Age of Mythology where Titan worshippers try to invoke the Titan God, Kronos and the player should destroy the clan before Kronos is invoked. If the Titan is invoked everything is destroyed. The story also reminds me of Predator, Godzilla, Alien and all the monster movies. Wonder if Predator was based upon this story.
Quick search also showed there is a game called Call of Cthulhu. I am surprised that I have not read this book or for that matter even heard of it. A book that seems to have influenced so many games and popular culture. I enjoyed reading it.

Dueling Monsters 2011: H.G. Wells vs. H.P. Lovecraft

I found this challenge through Bev's Myreadersblock. In theDueling Monsters challenge The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G.Wells is pitched against The Call of Cthulhu by H.P Lovecraft. Much as I love Wells, I read The Island of Dr.Moreau just a few months before. I don't want to re-read it, at least not so soon. Maybe a few years later when I have completely forgotten what this story is about I may re-read it. After pondering for a while on whether I should join or not and whether I can finish reading it. I thought I will try Cthulhu if I feel upto it I will sign up for this. And I finished reading it. I will post on the short story/novella very soon.

The Black Eagle Mystery by Geraldine Bonner

The Black Eagle Mystery published in 1915 is narrated by Molly Morgenthau Babbitts, former 'telephone girl' and Jack Reddy. Hollings Horland "Threw himself out of his office window on the eighteenth story" of Black Eagle Building. His suicide is linked to the Copper Pool scam where he lost his fortune. Before his suicide he was heard quarrelling with Johnston Barker, who disappears. Miss Whitehall a real estate business woman gets involved in this affair. The office of Whitney & Whitney try to solve the case with the help of Molly, Babbitts, Jack Reddy and others. Did Harland commit suicide? Or was he murdered? Why is Barker missing? What is the role of Miss.Whitehall in this mystery?
There are some nice twists and turns. I like the way Molly refers to her reporter husband by different names sometimes, 'Himself', 'Soapy' or 'Babbitts'. There is a quite a lot of reference to Hesketh Mystery where Molly has met many of the characters in this story including her husband Babbitts. "The Girl at Central" tells the story of the Hesketh Mystery, would be worth checking out.Overall, an enjoyable fun mystery.

The Buck stops here

I completed The Buck stops here challenge reading six books. The first five are free available from Gutenberg. The last one I bought for Rs30, less than a dollar, at a second hand book shop
The Mysterious affair at styles by Agatha Christie(1920)

The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)

The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905)

The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910)

From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)

Blood Work by Michael Connelly (1998)

R.I.P VI Complete

I have completed the R.I.P VI challenge hosted by Carl V.

I read four Mysteries.

Dead simple by Peter James(2005)

Live wire by Harlan Coben (2011)

From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)

Blood Work by Michael Connelly (1998)

Blood Work by Michael Connelly

Blood Work published in 1998 features ex-FBI agent Terrel McCaleb who is in retirement following his heart transplant and lives on a boat. Graciella Rivers approaches McCaleb to find her sister Gloria's killer. McCaleb agrees to look into it. Now that he is retired the LAPD is hostile and doesn't want to share files with him. Will he catch Gloria's Killer? Is he ready for the task, so soon after his transplant? McCaleb is a serial killer expert so is he reading more into a murder for robbery?
Life is full of coincidences, while flipping channels, I found Blood Work being played featuring Clint Eastwood as McCaleb. I didn't see the movie as I didn't want it to spoil the book for me. My dad saw the movie and told me who the killer is. At one level I was excited, I kind of guessed the killer and I was spot on. At another level, so what is the point in reading. Knowing the killer did not spoil the book for me, I kind of enjoyed it. And I had a real surprise, the killer wasn't the guy I guessed. The movie version was different from the book.
The book is a bit slow, it could have been fast paced. There are some twists and turns and surprises. But some surprises are kind of lame something that could be easily guessed. I wouldn't say it was great but it wasn't bad either.

My Life as a Book 2011

I was googling for something else, and I found this interesting post by Pop Culture Nerd. And for those who wish to take part, all you have to do is finish the sentences Pop Culture Nerd has come up with using the title of the books you have read this year.
Here is My life as a Book

One time at band/summer camp, I: rose From out the Vasty deep (Marie Belloc Lowndes)
Weekends at my house are: Senseless (Mary Burton)
My neighbor is: The Stranger (Albert Camus)
My boss is: The Man in Lower Ten (Mary Roberts Rinehart)
My ex was: Caught (Harlan Coben)
My superhero secret identity is: Dead Simple (Peter James)
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry because: I am a Live Wire (Harlan Coben)
I’d win a gold medal in: playing the Trick of the Dark (Val McDermid)
I’d pay good money for: A second Chance (Ahmed Faiyaz)
If I were president, I would: Never Look Away (Linwood Barclay)
When I don’t have good books, I: Play Dead (Harlan Coben)
Loud talkers at the movies should: meet A Necessary End (Peter Robinson)

2011 Public Domain E-book Challenge

Challenges are addictive. Since I am Reading Public Domain E-books, thought I would google if there is a challenge. And yohoho there is one hosted by Retroreduxs Reviews. I also found The Buck stops here challenge. I will opt for the six books in both the challenges. I downloaded all these books for free from Gutenberg. Just one more to go. Here is the list of books read
The Mysterious affair at styles by Agatha Christie(1920)
The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)
The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905)
The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910)
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)

Challenges update

I have signed up in many challenges in the last month. So this post is an update so I would know how many more to go in each challenge.
Mystery and suspense reading challenge(12 books) (5 more to go)
Dead simple by Peter James(2005)
The Mysterious affair at styles by Agatha Christie(1920)
The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)
The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905)
The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910)
Live wire by Harlan Coben (2011)
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)


Vintage mystery (5-7 books by women writers) -two more to go

The Mysterious affair at styles by Agatha Christie(1920)
The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)
The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905)
The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910)
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921))


What's in a name 4 challenge one more with Evil in title
Dead simple by Peter James(2005) Life Stage
The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906) Number
The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905) Gem
The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910) Travel/Movement
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921) Size
-Evil

R.I.P VI 4 -one more

Dead simple by Peter James(2005)
Live wire by Harlan Coben (2011)
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)

E-book reading challenge 6 books -one more
The Mysterious affair at styles by Agatha Christie(1920)
The man in lower ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)
The Amethyst box by Anna Katherine Green (1905)
The case of the lamp that went out by Augusta Groner (1910)
From out the vasty deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes(1921)

From Out the Vasty Deep by Marie Belloc Lowndes

I like books that come straight to the point. From Out the Vasty Deep published in 1921 starts with Miss Farrow asking Pegler to be sensible as there are no such thing as ghosts. Pegler has seen a ghost in her room and does not want to continue staying in the room. Miss Blanche Farrow is a no nonsense woman over forty, playing hostess at the Christmas party of her twice widowed friend Lionel Varick at Wyndfell Hall, which is supposed to be haunted for over hundred years. The Christmas guests consists of Mr Burnaby and Miss Burnaby and their niece Helen Brabazon, Blanche's niece Bubbles Dunster (I like the name Bubbles) her friend Bill Donnington, James Tapster, Sir Lyon and finally Dr.Panton who is to join them soon. Events unfold one after another there are ghosts, seance, astral body(whatever it means), romance, some psychology. To sustain interest in a story where the mystery is so glaringly obvious is difficult but Lowndes does a great job and events unfold in quick succession. Considering that I don't like ghost stories, or ones in which everything is not explained in Poirot fashion who did what and why? I loved this book. I don't mind that everything is not explained.
I wonder if I have read anything by Marie Belloc Lowndes before. Her name sounds very familiar but the bibliography not so familiar. I enjoyed reading this and would certainly try other books by her, not only because they are available free in Gutenberg.

R.I.P VI Sign-up

I am signing up for the R.I.P. VI Challenge hosted by Carl V. The challenge runs through September 1st through October 31st.

The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

I am signing up for the Peril the First level reading four books that come under these categories. I have already read the first two. Here is the list of books I am reading
Dead Simple by Peter James
Live Wire by Harlan Coben
Senseless by Mary Burton
Not Dead Enough by Peter James