#MarchMysteryMadness Challenges & Link Video

2017 #MarchMysteryMadness Challenge

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#MarchMysteryMadness GOODREADS GROUP

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~~~~~ The Classic Mystery 50 Years or Older~~~~~

(Read a classic mystery from or before 1967)

“But suppose one doesn't quite know which one wants to put first. Suppose," said Harriet, falling back on words which were not her own, "suppose one is cursed with both a heart and a brain?

'You can usually tell,' said Miss de Vine, "by seeing what kind of mistakes you make. I'm quite sure that one never makes fundamental mistakes about the thing one really wants to do. Fundamental mistakes arise out of lack of genuine interest. In my opinion, that is.” 

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

There’s a phrase that’s been popular at lot less longer than these old classic pioneers of the mystery genre. It’s “she gets it from her mamma.” In this case, we’ve tumbled deep into getting it from our great-grandmothers and fathers. Now I’m not one to manage numbers well, but anyone shooting for Patricia Wentworth or Mary Roberts Rinehart will nail this one. Unless I’ve miscalculated once again.

But hey. The default is anything by Poe or Christie, right?

They’re always a safe bet. But who wants to be safe this year?

~~~~~ The First or Sequel~~~~~

(Read the first book in a series, or the sequel to another) 

“Even at a glance, even in this light, I could tell my friend was dead. He lay on his side in what common sense told me must be blood. Only it didn’t smell like blood.

My fingers clutched the flash. I stood for a moment, several moments. It seemed like hours. Finally I knelt and dipped my finger into the pool of liquid. It was thick and sticky. Paint. Bright-red house paint.

I straightened, wiping my finger on my jeans before I realized what I was doing.

‘Oh, Jake,’ I said, louder. My words echoed in the cavernous room, and then the old house enveloped me in ponderous silence. From outside came the bellow of foghorns on San Francisco Bay.”

The Cheshire Cat’s Eye by Marcia Muller

The question everyone wants to know is what happens next to our sleuth? What is the next logical or illogical step? Should the sleuth immediately call the police? Should the sleuth exam the body and, effectively, tamper evidence? Or the most important question: what is our sleuth's background? Or are you acquainted with his or her background and here for the next row of shenanigans? Or are you totally new to his or her system?

I guess the question is would you rather have new shoes or stick with your old hats?

#ReadSoulLit ~ 1st 100 Pages of Bedrock Faith

Up Date: "Y is For..." by Sue Grafton

Amazon finally gave us a summary of Sue Grafton's next-to-final Kinsey Millhone book, Y is for...

"The darkest and most disturbing case report from the files of Kinsey Millhone, Y begins in 1979, when four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate—and film the attack.  Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that follows, one boy turns state’s evidence and two of his peers are convicted. But the ringleader escapes without a trace.
Now, it’s 1989 and one of the perpetrators, Fritz McCabe, has been released from prison. Moody, unrepentant, and angry, he is a virtual prisoner of his ever-watchful parents—until a copy of the missing tape arrives with a ransom demand. That’s when the McCabes call Kinsey Millhone for help. As she is drawn into their family drama, she keeps a watchful eye on Fritz. But he’s not the only one being haunted by the past. A vicious sociopath with a grudge against Millhone may be leaving traces of himself for her to find… "

OUT AUGUST 22, 2017!

#Readsoullit Photo Challenge (So Far)

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@BrownGirlReading

@danidanydanie

Challenge #3: Book and a Drink

Challenge #4 & 5: Made You Cry/5 Star Reads

Challenge #9: Books & Arts & Crafts

Challenge #11: Book and a Bag

Challenge #12: Currently Reading

1st Book Haul of the Year

Book Issues: Taking Character's Advice Ever Happen to You?

This picture is what happens when you read 15 Susan Wittig Albert herbal mystery books in one month. You start to listen to the characters. Particularly that of the series heroine (and herb shop owner), China Bayles, as book after book she expresses her love of lavender oil. Why? Well, folk medicine aside, supposedly the scent of lavender eases anxiety and insomnia. Not that I suffer from either of the two (well, from a marginal standpoint I would say I do). Nonetheless, the scent is for relaxing oneself. And, hell, anybody can do with that.

So I went out and bought some.

The effects concerning myself? Not really sure yet, as it may work best with a diffuser. Or to dilute it with water in a spray bottle. By itself the oil can be overpowering, which leads to a sinus headache if you apply too much. Very much the opposite of its purpose. LOL.

All the same, sometimes we get so rooted and invested in book series/fictional characters that we sometimes find ourselves taking their advice on certain things. Out of curiosity? Maybe. For a true solution to our personal concerns? Most likely. In either case, it's our way of building rapport with whatever beloved character we enjoy spending quiet evenings with. And my time in January with China Bayles certain became an example of the case.

So has this ever happened to you? Your favorite fictional character inspired you to, well, take their advice about something?

(SIDEBAR: Once while reading the Kinsey Millhone series back to back, I started to take on Kinsey’s hungry for Quarter Pounders with Cheese. I would stop reading to go grab one. And I don’t even like them.)

#ReadSoulLit TBR

All right. I need to bring my ass back to the blog and get to work. No, for real. I do. Still, I wanted to spend January reading. No social media, and very little blogging. I wanted nothing but books to kick off 2017. And I managed to read 15 books, all included in Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayles series. Hell, I ain’t never read so many books in one month. I took them down one after the other and had fun the whole way. Lowkey: I kind of miss them already. Anyway, I’m now current with the series, and awaiting April’s new release. So it’s all good.

With that said, I’m kind of prepped (as well as pumped) to flush in some readings for Black History Month. Particularly through the running hash tag #readsoullit. Here’s the stack that I have planned to read. Instead of going out to buy books, I pulled each of these from my shelf. And I wanted to make sure I mixed things up. Including tossing in that Toni Braxton autobiography that I bought in September. As well as another Barbara Neely mystery, and even some sci-fi (Octavia Butler and Seressia Glass).

This is going to be fun.

And for those who didn’t catch my last announcement video. We’ll be reading Bedrock Faith by Eric Charles May. Everything you need to know about the read-along noted in the Goodreads group linked here: http://bit.ly/2kU2GPo

I’m rushing to write this post so that I can go read. I haven’t figured out which I’ll pick up first, though.

Sue Grafton's NEXT Kinsey Millhone Books, "Y is for..." (Apparently NOTHING!)

It's finally been announced!  The next-to-final Kinsey Millhone Alphabetta series installment, Y is for... will be released on August 22, 2017!  Who else is dying to get it, while apprehensive of the fact that this decades running series is slowly coming to an end?

I have no idea what it's about yet (no synopsis up on Amazon or Goodreads), but what the hell does it matter?  Give it to us!

No 2017 Reading Goals | Reading Announcements, Though

Coffee With Cornwell?

More Tess Gerritsen in 2017!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, 2017 is finally upon us.  It’s always exciting when a new year starts, because you never know what’s in store for the next 12 months and 365 days given.  You never know what’s in store at all.  Despite that unknown, and many set-ups already in place to usher in the new year either on a bright foot or dark, it’s a time to be optimistic.  To forge on with hope.

SO… HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Let’s see what 2017 have in store for us all!