I read a cozy challenge book last night and finished it this morning.  Here Today, Gone Tamale.  First in a new series   I thought it was a litte predictable, just me I'm sure.  It can be used for many categories, first in a series, has a dog, architecture, skinny and even romance though that might be a little stretch. 

My internet blew up some time last night and after talking to someone at T Mobile the last he said was I'm sorry I can't guarantee it'll be fixed before MONDAY!  With a huge sniffle I said, well it's a holiday weekend.  But, he said I'll try to give you a temporary fix.  And he did!  

And, we had snow!  Melted off streets and sidewalks now.

Una, hope you're feeling better!

Happy New Year everyone!

Watched the ball drop in New York to see the New Year in.  Cannot believe so many people come down to see it.  I get claustrophobia just looking at those crowds.  Much better to watch it in my warm home and toast the New Year in with a glass of Sparkling White Grape Juice and munchies.

I finished "The Whitechapel Conspiracy" by Anne Perry, and am now almost through the next book, "Southhampton Row." 

I had set my own personal reading goal at 140 books ~ finished with 139.  :)  I think I'll make this year's goal 143.

And we're off to the 2016 challenges!

Dearest Una --- I am hoping you will be doing better soon.  Do you live alone??  I cannot remember --- just hope you have someone to help you a bit until you get back to your "unstiff" self.

Went to bed around 11 p.m.  Sadly crazy people all around us were shooting off fireworks until well after midnight.  Supposedly illegal within the city limits, but no way the police could corral all the folks.  One of my dogs, Bitsy, is really frightened by the fireworks so I had to hug her in bed until all was quiet.  The other two barked at the loud booms for a few minutes and then just passed out.  Too tired to bark.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!!!!!!

Well, I awoke this morning to a black eye!  Darn.  The doctor warned me this could happen, but I thought just maybe I'd lucked out--no such luck.  I still find I can't concentrate for very long at a time, so not much reading or sewing getting done, and I'm tired!  Today I'm cold!  We got down to 21 last night.  Becky, no, I don't live alone.  My son and DIL live with me and son works from home.  He heard me hit the house as I fell and I hollered for him, so he took me to the ER once I stemmed the flow of blood somewhat and got dressed.  Was still in my nightgown and robe.  

I'm reading The Vanishing Thief as my first book of the new year.  Slow going so far, but I'm sure it's me and not the story.  This is nothing compared to what a lot of people have going on!

Been relaxing on the couch all with DH and cats. The cats come and go, we have 4.

Been reading a little off and on today. Started Murder Most Howl last night so about halfway.

I had picked up Here Today Gone Tamale at the library the other day. Probably won't start it until next week.

I am starting My Lady Judge (Mystery of Medieval Ireland, Bk 1) :: Cora Harrison

It has been on my shelf for quite some time. I really shouldn't start a new series but looks really good. I am sure some of you HF mystery fans must have read this series. I see there are lots of books in it.

Alice

I really like that series Alice and Mara the Brehon is great. I'm behind in the series but plan to catch up!

Started off the New Year with a really good book...Night Film/Marisha Pessl.  Started it late last night and basically spent all day reading it!!  It begins with the supposed suicide of the 24 yr old daughter of a cult horror film director.  The MC, an investigative journalist, suspects it may not have been suicide and, with the help of two unlikely sidekicks, sets out to investigate.  There are all sorts of twists and turns and just when you think you may have it figured out, it takes off in another direction.  There are all sorts of reprints of newspaper articles, web pages (including stuff from the dark web) throughout the book.  It was quite an undertaking and I found I could not put it down.  For a 587 pg book (ah ha, I can use it for the challenge!!), it was a fast read.  It was, so far, the best of my Christmas books!

I started listening to the audio version of Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson (#20-something in the Alan Banks series) yesterday and am over halfway done already. I do enjoy Simon Prebble's narration of this series. I'm sure I'll use it for one of my mystery challenge books but haven't figured out where yet. In print I am just starting The Moneylender of Toulouse by Alan Gordon, the second to last Feste the Fool medieval mystery series, which is another of my very favorite historical series. I've been hoarding these last two books for years, no idea what I've been waiting for! I also enjoy the Cora Harrison series, but am woefully behind on it too, somewhere around #8 I think. I need to consult my list.

Had a nice quiet reading-filled New Years Day...back to work tomorrow!

Cheryl

Finished  'Southhampton Row' and next up is 'Seven Dials' in the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series by Anne Perry.  It is interesting to see the characters progressing.  Not much Charlotte in Southhampton Row, though.

Working on the next year's mystery challenges - I'm sure 'Seven Dials' would fit in somewhere!  :)

Joy, I think that any of the Charlotte and Thomas books would fit in the Brit police procedure.  Thomas is a policeman after all.

I've read my War is Hell book.  Bringing Back the Dead / Joe Domenici.  The beginning takes place at the end of the Vietnam and takes you to the retirement and a different type of war.  Though I was considering King's Mountain / Sharyn McCrumb.  This is the story of a battle that took place during the Revolutionary War.  Two of the men who were a part of that battle became the governors of Tennessee and Kentucky when they attained statehood.

Now, I must find something light!

I finished The Vanishing Thief last night at midnight.  The slow going at the beginning had to have been just me, because all of a sudden the next day I just couldn't put it down.  A good start to the New Year.  Next up is Tricky Twenty Two by Janet Evanovich.  We're supposed to have a week of rain starting tomorrow.  Let's see if it happens.  I've got plenty of reading and sewing to do, so bring it on!

I read The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly.  I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two.  Not sure why.  Then I went right on to The Palace Tiger by the same author.  Wow, it was probably the best one in the series so far.  Just one twist and turn after another.  And such a sense of place.  I loved the setting of that time in the British Raj.  Then I read Off Minor by John Harvey.  Not a good choice.  Not the book, really, but that series is dark and edgy and harshed my Christmas mellow.  I think I'm going to read my  Martha Grimes #4 next.  I am trying to ration those since I am loving them so much but I need a guaranteed good read right now.

Una sounds like you'e feeling better!

I'm reading The Witch Before Dying / Heather Blake a light series after the war. 

I've had the energy of a slug (2-3 naps per day!) but read Green Grow the Dollars (John Putnam Thatcher) Emma Lathan yesterday, and The Queen's Jewels (Murder She Wrote) Jessica Fletcher and Murder on SIsters' Row (Sarah Brandt) Victoria Thompson today. Now my eyes are tired along with the rest of me.  

I just finished The Crooked Spire by Chris Nickson. Hadn't read anything by him before and loved the story. It takes place in the 1300s with John, a carpenter, arriving in Chesterfield looking for work on the new spire for the church. Shortly after arriving, the master carpenter is killed and he is suspected since he's new in town. John convinces the coroner of his  innoncene and is drafted to help find the killer. Very well written. This appears to be the first in a new series and I'm going to check out some of his other books as well.

I'm currently reading The Werewolf of Bamberg by Oliver Potzsch and can barely put it down. As usual in this Hangman's Daughter series, it's rather gory, but well written. Jakob, his daughter, and son-in-law arrived in Bamberg to reunite with his estranged brother who is getting married. As they approach the city, a severed arm is found and the townsfolk get in an uproar proclaiming it's a werewolf. Before long, more severed limbs are found and people are fast disappearing.  Jakob feels compelled to prove the town wrong and begins investigating. Very good so far.

Mary - Chris Nickson writes a very good book! I've read his entire Richard Nottingham series and it was excellent. so far, I've read two in the Tom Harper series and they've both been good, I haven't started the series with Crooked Spire yet (John Carpenter) but the Saltergate Psalter is 2.99 on Kindle and I believe this is the second one in the John Carpenter series. I continue to look for his books and get them when I can.

Finally finished A June of Ordinary Murders last night and I think this means that I can use it in this challenge. It's also a very good book. A little slow moving in spots but it held my interest. The characters are very well developed and there is a lot of Irish history included as well - at least history pertaining to that period of time (late 1800's).

I finished my book, My Lady Judge (Mystery of Medieval Ireland, Bk 1) :: Cora Harrison

Five Star Rating

Absolutely Excellent. It takes place in 1509 Ireland. Mara, is the Brehan, our lady Judge. The book is mystery and focuses around a murder and rape and how Mara applies the old Celtic Brehon Law to these cases. Very interesting look into Irish History. The great Irish Wolf hounds are bounding around too. Wonderful read highly recommend it. I nice mix of mystery, history and a little romance

Highly recommend

Alice

I finished reading Relatively Dead by Sheila Connolly. It started out slow, but became really interesting. I really disliked the MC's fiance.  I read The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher by Donald Bain and Jessica Fletcher and read Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett. Not sure, but something tells me that this was the final book in her Booktown Mystery series.

Amber, her 10th book (Title Wave) in the Booktown Mystery series will be released in Hardcover on June 14th.

Thank you Connie. I was looking on Amazon and her website to see if there's going to be more books and couldn't find anything.

Amber --- not sure if you are aware of a website, www.fantasticfiction.co.uk.  It is usually a very good resource for looking up authors and their books with series books shown in order of publication.  Ms. Barrett is definitely on the site.

Right now I am reading "Fair and Tender Ladies" by Chris Nickson, the most recent in the Richard Nottingham series.  There are portions that are making me feel this might be the final one which will make me sad.  These are books I have truly enjoyed.  Nickson now has the two new series going, so perhaps Constable Nottingham will exist no longer.

Have just finished the trilogy by Ben H. Winters with World of Trouble.  Read Countdown City this year, finishing Jan. 2.  The first, The Last Policeman, finished at the end of 2015, had me hooked.  The hero is a a policeman, of course, whose dedication to solving crimes and helping people continue through Trouble.  The catch?  An asteroid, Maia, is headed for earth and civilization is breaking down.  Amid the chaos, our  policeman, Hank Palace, continues his investigations.  It's a great trilogy and I rated all of them five stars.  The first two won awards.  Perhaps the last one will, too.  Original.  Well done.  Wonderful characters.  Check it out.

Finished Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich and used it for the Good To See You Again category.  Her descriptions of Lulu's attire are so good that you can just picture what she looks like.  It's a riot!  Think I'll read Gator Bait next and use it for the senior category.  I always get a laugh or two out of Jana DeLeon's books, and that's what I need right now.  

Well, the first storm was a fizzle, got a heavy mist for about 15 minutes.  Next one is supposed to be in either tonight or tomorrow morning.  We'll see.  One of these days we might get some real rain, but don't anyone hold your breath!

Oh, Una, I do hope you get some rain! 

I finished "Seven Dials"  and am now reading the next Charlotte & Thomas Pitt book, "Long Spoon Lane.  I think I will be able to catch up on all the books in this series soon.  Now that I'm getting closer I may have to read slower!  :)

Wicked cold today!  Didn't make it out of the 20's and a strong wind which I think came straight from Siberia, made it feel like single digits.  After the nice mild December we had Mother Nature is reminding us it is indeed January.  Brrrrr!!!