Wednesday 18 May 2016

MARCH 2016 - READING LIST AND PICK OF THE MONTH

March saw a total of 8 books read in the month - not a single one reviewed yet!

I got kind of distracted by other matters more pressing than blogging and will hopefully get a few garbled thoughts posted on each - more out of a sense of completism than for any other reason.


Keith Gilman - Bad Habits (2013) (4)

Malcolm Mackay - The Sudden Arrival of Violence (2014) (5)

Max Allan Collins - Quarry's Deal (1976) (4.5)

Lawrence Block - The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes (2015) (4)

Quentin Bates - Thin Ice (2016) (4.5)


Hans Keilson - Comedy in a Minor Key (1947) (4)

Craig Faustus Buck - Psycho Logic (2014) (4.5)

Bill Pronzini - Nightshades (1984) (4)


Trivia/useless data.......

1 from the 40s, 1 from the 70s, 1 from the 80s, 5 from this decade.

6 were owned copies, 2 were from publishers,

All 8 were fiction, 1 was a collection of short stories, 1 was an audiobook.

5 were US authors, 1 English, 1 Scottish, 1 German

3 authors were new-to-me, 5 were familiar,

4 paperbacks, 3 kindle reads and an audiobook,

Funny enough the audiobook was the one with the most sex and swearing - just as well I listened to it mostly in isolation while cooking Mother's Day dinner!

1 - 5 star read and the book of the month Malcolm Mackay's trilogy ending - The Sudden Arrival of Violence!

3 x 4.5 star ratings and 4 x 4 stars - no stinkers!

Favourite cover - Keith Gilman's Bad Habits.






12 comments:

  1. Not surprised to see that the Mackaey earned a 5 from you, Col. That's a great trilogy. And I see you got some Collins, Bates and Block in, too - a solid month, then.

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    1. Margot thanks. Not a bad month all in all, a couple more numbers-wise would have been better, but hey - no complaints!

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  2. Good to see you are continuing with Pronzini. The other day I got the just-published "Zigzag" which is actually several novellas. When you get a chance, what is "Comedy in a Minor Key"? Interesting cover.

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    1. Glen - I've got Zigzag on my wishlist - but I'm some way off actually needing it on the shelves (tubs!)

      A COMEDY IN A MINOR KEY - originally published in 1947. The author fled from the Nazis. Its a short novel about a couple who hide a Jew in their house during the Dutch occupation and the difficulties that ensue when he dies.

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  3. Col, this means I have got more authors to read. Glad you'd a good reading month.

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    1. Prashant - thanks. Glad to expand your reading list!

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  4. Looks like you enjoyed your reading, though -- nothing lower than 4!

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    1. Yeah - nothing sucked, I would liked to have gotten to double figures though.

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  5. Col – Lots of good books, as usual. Thanks.

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    1. No problem - I think you would enjoy Mackay's books amongst others.

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  6. You were reading more than I was expecting, given your silence. Look forward to some reviews. I'm glad to see Lawrence Block hasn't given up on his efforts to raise the tone with his cover art.

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    1. April was quieter and May has only seen 2 completed so far! Nice cover on the Block - I think I may have actually blushed when listening to it - borderline pornographic in places with lots of ..... ( I can't even bring myself to post what I was gonna say)

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