Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge 2014 Wrap uo

Happy 2015! 

Here are the books read for the Vintage Mystery Bingo Challege. I Completed the Golden card and claim two bingos in the silver card. While i read so many I reviewed only one. Maybe 2015 will be a better year for blogging!  

Colour- The Black Mountain by Rex Stout

Anywhere except US or Uk-The Yellow turban by Charlotte Jay 

Crime other than murder- Dorothy Dixon solves the Conway case by Dorothy Wayne

Locked room- The moving toyshop by Edmund Crispin

Academic - Through the glass, darkly by Helen McCloy

entertainment- Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh 

More than one title- Death in Cyprus by M M Kaye 

Number- Death in five boxes by Carter Dickson

Free Space - The Case of the Deadly Toy by Erle Stanley Gardner 

New author- The blank wall by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding

Method of murder- The African poison murders by Elspeth Huxley

Women- Laura by Vera Caspary

Spooky - Beat not the bones by Charlotte Jay

Movie- The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White

Amateur detective- Death in Zanzibar by M M Kaye 

Man- The Hollow man John Dickson Carr

Country house- No wind of blame by Georgette Heyer

Mode of transport- Strangers on a train by Patricia Highsmith

Author read before- The case of the Waylaid Wolf by Erle Stanley Gardner 

Courtroom-  The Case of black eyed blonde by Erle Stanley Gardner 

Fellow challenger- A shilling for candles by Josephine Tey

Professional- The Ivory grin by Ross Macdonald

Water- Singing in the shrouds by Ngaio Marsh 

Outside comfort- A Coffin of Dimitiros by Eric Ambler

Detective team- If death ever slept by Rex Stout

Time- The clock strikes twelve by Patricia Wentworth 

Short story Collection- The labour of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Translated- Maigret in Exile by Georges Simenon

England- The Beast must die by Nicholas Blake

Borrow- A kiss before dying by Ira Levin

Animal- The Chinese Parrot by Earl Derr Biggers

Place-  Death in the wrong room by Anthony Gilbert

Size- A dram of poison by Charlotte Armstrong 

Medical- Man Missing by Mignon G Eberhart

Pseudonym-The secret of the old clock by Carolyn Keene 

U.S- Beast in view by Margret Millar

Silver

Two Bingos 

Last Horizontal line and Four Corners Bingo

entertainment: Assignment in Andorra by May Mackintosh 

Women-The skull beneath her skin by P D James

Mode of transport-The Zebra-Striped Hearse by Ross Macdonald

Outside comfort- A Case of need by Jeffery Hudson

Borrow- Dekok and the Somber Nude by A C Baantjer

U.S- The James Joyce Murder by Amanda Cross

Colour- Encyclopaedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J Sobol

Animal in the title - Crocodile on the sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Crime other than murder- Encyclopaedia Brown finds the Clue by Donald J Sobol

Short storycoll-Encyclopaedia Brown and the case of the secret Pitch by Donald J Sobol

European Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

I signed up to read books based in Europe for the European Reading Challenge. Here are the books I read:

The Vault by Ruth Rendell (UK)

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky(Russia)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak(Germany)

Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar(Spain)


DeKok and Murder on Blood Mountain by A.C. Baantjer(Netherlands)

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo(Norway)

Candide by Voltaire(Portugal)

The Holcroft Covenant by Robert Ludlum(Switzerland)

Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler1948(Turkey)

Zone Defence by Petros Markaris (Greece)

The Question of Belief by Donna Leon(Italy)

The Marais Assassin by Claude Izner(France)

Dracula by Bram Stoker(Romania)

Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason(Iceland)

The man who went up in smoke by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (Hungary)

The Black Path by Asa Larsson (Sweden)

Snow Angels by James Thompson (Finland)

The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell (Latvia)

Joe Muller Detective by Auguste Groner (Austria)

The Expats by Chris Pavone (Luxembourg)



visited 20 states (8.88%)
Create your own visited map of The World

2012 Why buy the cow? Reading Challenge Wrap-up

I participated in the 2012 Why buy the cow? Reading Challenge to read 12 free ebooks. Here are the books I read

The Sorceress of the Strand by L T Meade and Robert Eustace

The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill1895

The Notting Hill Mystery by Charles Felix1862

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow

Candide by Voltaire

The Charing Cross Mystery by J S Fletcher

Yellow Snake by Edgar Wallace1926

The Silent house in Pimlico by Fergus Hume

Clockwise by Elle Strauss

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Middle Temple Murder by J S Fletcher

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins1868

British Book Challenge 2012 Wrap-up

I participated in the British Book Challenge 2012 to read 12 by British Authors. I read 57 books by British Authors. Here are the books I read


1. The Sorceress of the Strand by L T Meade and Robert Eustace

2. Amendment of Life by Catherine Aird

3. The Vault by Ruth Rendell

4. The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill1895

5. The Notting Hill Mystery by Charles Felix1862

6. The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell

7. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey 1929

8. The Problem of the Wire Cage by John Dickson Carr

9. The Burning court by John Dickson Carr1937

10. The Black Tower by P D James

11. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

12. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

13. Shroud of Darkness by E C R Lorac1954

14. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey1951

15. The Retribution by Val McDermid

16. Death Comes to Pemberely by P. D. James

17. I could Murder Her by E C R Lorac 1951

18. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

19. The Witches by Roald Dahl

20. Tom Brown's Body by Gladys Mitchell 1949

21. Second Form at Clare's by Enid Blyton

22. The Charing Cross Mystery by J S Fletcher

23. An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson

24. Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler1948

25. Venetia by Georgette Heyer


26. Yellow Snake by Edgar Wallace1926

27. A Case to answer by Margret Yorke

28. The Silent house in Pimlico by Fergus Hume

29. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

30. Middlemarch by George Eliot

31. XPD by Len Deighton

32. The Saint Zita Society by Ruth Rendell 2012


33. Small Island by Andrea Levy

34. Dracula by Bram Stoker

35. The Great Impersonation by E Philiphs Oppenhiem 1920

36. Asta's Book by Barbara Vine (1993


37. Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer 1936


38. The Piccadilly Puzzle by Fergus Hume

39. Perfect People by Peter James

40. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde



41. The man in the picture by Susan Hill

42. The mist in the mirror by Susan Hill


43. Whited Sepulchres by Anne Perry

44. What am I doing here? By Liz Cowley

45. The Little stranger by Sarah Waters

46. Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography by Chas Newkey-Burden

47. The Middle Temple Murder by J S Fletcher

48. Service of All the Dead by Colin Dexter

49. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

50. A dark-Adaptd eye by Barbara Vine

51. False Pretences by Margret Yorke

52. A Killing Kindness by Reginald Hill

53. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

54. Brick Lane by Monica Ali

55. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey

56. The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling

57. The Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry

Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge Wrap-up

I participated in Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge to read 10 mysteries set during the period 1837-1910. Here are the books I read

The Notting Hill Mystery by Charles Felix1862

The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill1895

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (Victorian London)

Izner- The Marais Assassin by Claude Izner (Victorian Paris)

Whited Sepulchres by Anne Perry (Victorian London)

The Silent house in Pimlico by Fergus Hume1907

The Piccadilly Puzzle by Fergus Hume1889

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins1868

The Sorceress of the Strand by L T Meade and Robert Eustace

Joe Muller Detective by Augusta Groner

The Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry (Victorian London)

52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge Wrap-Up

Here is my end-of-year post for 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge. My answers for the questions:

1) How many books did you read this year? So far: 109. May read 3 more.

2) Did you meet or beat your own personal goal? My top goal was 52 books, ya, I am more than happy.

3) Favorite book of 2012? (You can list more than one or break it down by genre): Here are my top reads of the year
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Candide by Voltaire
The Burning court by John Dickson Carr
Escape the Night by Mignon G. Eberhart
Asta's Book by Barbara Vine

4) Least favorite book of 2012 and why?
Fate by Amanda Hocking
It is the second book in a series. There was nowhere in the book the indication that I should have read the first book before reading this. Some books even if they are part of a series, are good standalone. It wasn't in a genre I usually enjoy and the story had no depth, very predictable.

5) One book you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it?
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I am not into what is called as YA. I didn't expect to read it. But had a inkling that it would be soon shown on TV. So decided to give it a try and yes I loved it.

6) One book you thought you'd love but didn't?

Death Comes to Pemberely by P. D. James. Add two of my favourite authors in my favourite genre and a recipe for disaster. No humour or intelligence in Elizabeth Darcy, not a satisfying mystery from P D James.

7) One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance.

Small Island by Andrea Levy- Sometimes my blood was boiling and others I was laughing out loud.

8) Any new to you authors discovered and you can't wait to read more of their stories?
I look forward to reading books by these authors that I discovered this year.
Baantjer
Jo Nesbo
Petros Markaris
Domingo Villar
Karin Fossum


9) Name the longest book you read? Shortest?
Longest: Game of Thrones by George. R R Martin (894) currently reading
Shortest: Candide by Voltaire 94

10) Name the most unputdownable book you read?
Read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in one sitting.


11) Book that had the greatest impact on you this year?
Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling. Can probably never forget Krystal.

12) What book would you recommend everybody read?

Candide by Voltaire


13) Share your most favorite cover(s): I never ever judge a book by its cover, don't even notice it.

14) Do you have a character you fell in love with?
Not really! I liked many. Kurt Wallander, Andy Dalziel, Harry Hole, Sam Spade, Costas Haritos, Dekok to name a few.

15) What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges?
Got me reading at least one book a week, many times more.

What are your goals for the new year? To read more non fiction? To dip your toes into a mystery or a urban fantasy? What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2013?
To read at least some books from other genres than mystery. Got a big list of books piled up for 2013. Looking forward to read books by my favourite crime writers Sue Grafton, Barbara Vine, Val McDermid, Harlan Coben and discover some new ones.

Classics Challenge Wrap-Up

I participated in the Classics Challenge hosted by November's Autumn. Here are the classics I read this year!

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey1951

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Candide by Voltaire

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Middlemarch by George Eliot


The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien


Small Island by Andrea Levy

Dracula by Bram Stoker


The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

The Postman always rings twice by James M. Cain1934

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins1868

The Women's Room by Marilyn French

I participated in two prompts!

Quotes from a Classic I read this year
Visual Tour of a Classic

Back to Classics Challenge Complete

I signed up for the The Back To The Classics Challenge 2012 hosted by Sarah Reads too Much to read Classics in the following categories. Here are the book I read.

Any 19th Century Classic- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Middlemarch by George Eliot
Any 20th Century Classic- The Women's Room by Marilyn French
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vunnegut
Reread a classic of your choice- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins1868
A Classic Play- An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction- The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Classic Romance- The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language - Candide by Voltaire
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Classic Award Winner - Small Island by Andrea Levy -Orange Fiction
Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime- The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

Fright Fall Readathon -Wrap-Up

I participated in FrightFall Read-a-thon hosted by Michelle at Seasons of Reading blog running from October 1-7.

I was planning to read the following

The mist in the mirror by Susan Hill
The man in the Picture by Susan Hill
The little stranger by Sarah Waters
The caller by Karin Fossum

And I read

The mist in the mirror by Susan Hill (185/185)
The man in the Picture by Susan Hill(145/145)
The little stranger by Sarah Waters(90/499)
The caller by Karin Fossum(297/297)

Finished reading three on my list and making slow progress with the fourth.

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 Complete

I signed up for the Shamus Who Has Seen It All level of the Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 and committed to read 12 books in 12 categories. I read the following:

The Whodunit: The Vault by Ruth Rendell

Locked Room Mystery: The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill

Cozy: Amendment of Life by Catherine Aird

Hard-Boiled/Noir: V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

The Inverted Detective Story: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

The Historical Whodunnit: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Police Procedural: Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar

The Professional Thriller: The Retribution by Val McDermid

The Spy Novel: Shroud of Darkness by E C R Lorac

Caper Stories: Double Indemnity by James M. Cain

The Psychological Suspense: The Burning court by John Dickson Carr

Spoofs and Parodies: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Support Your Local Library Challenge Complete

I completed the Support Your Local Library Challenge . I committed to read 24 books, I read more than that. Here is a list of 26 books I borrowed from my local library and reviewed.

Amendment of Life by Catherine Aird
The Black Tower by P D James
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Death Comes to Pemberely by P. D. James
DeKok and Murder on Blood Mountain by A.C. Baantjer
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson
The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
The Holcroft Covenant by Robert Ludlum
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
The Marais Assassin by Claude Izner
The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Retribution by Val McDermid
The Saint Zita Society by Ruth Rendell
Small Island by Andrea Levy
A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
The Vault by Ruth Rendell
V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar
When Red is Black by Qiu Xiaolong

2012 Bucket List Reading Challenge Complete

I signed for the Mini Cooper level to read 4 "bucket" list books of the 2012 "Bucket List" Reading Challenge. The aim is to read books you are dying to read. I completed the challenge here is my list
1. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
2. The Vault by Ruth Rendell
3. The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
4. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
5. Middlemarch by George Eliot
6. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Ebook Reading Challenge Complete

I signed up for the "Fun Size" E-Book Challenge (Read 10 E-Books ) level of the 2012 E-Book Reading Challenge hosted by The Eclectic Bookshelf and CD level (read 10 ebooks) E-book reading Challenge hosted by Workaday Reads. I completed the challenge. I read more than 10 ebooks but here are the ten I reviewed.

The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill
The Book of the Crime by Elizabeth Daly
The Burning court by John Dickson Carr
A Cold day for murder by Dana Stabenow
Dangerous Past by A F Ebbers
Fate by Amanda Hocking
I could Murder Her by E C R Lorac
Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler
The Notting hill Mystery Charles Felix
Shroud of darkness by E C R Lorac

Pick Your Thon Wrap Up

I finished reading two books and started two other. But got around reviewing one book only. Wish I had reviewed more books. It was fun participating in the mini-challenges. I look forward to participating in other events and do better.

Books Read
Venetia by Georgette Heyer- 303/303
The Yellow Snake by Edgar Wallace- Ebook-250/250 ipad Pages
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell-220/571.
Zone Defence by Petros Markaris- 77/333

Total pages read- 850 pages

Review
The Book of the Crime by Elizabeth Daly

Thanks to The Book Monsters for hosting this.

Color Coded Challenge - Wrap up

I completed the Color coded challenge hosted by Bev @ MyReadersBlock
1. "Blue"- Blue Heaven by C J Box
2. "Red" - Roses are Red by James Patterson
3. "Yellow"- Yellow Claw by Sax Rohmer
4. "Green" -Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
5. "Brown"- Molly Brown's Freshman Year by Nell Speed
6. "Black"- The Black Eagle Mystery by Geraldine Bonner
7. "White"-The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart
8. Any other color- The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters
9. Color implied- Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh