Sunday, July 12, 2015

Sunday Summary: 12 July 2015

The Red, White and Blue read-a-thon, the first of five COYER read-a-thons, is now over. I completed one book which qualified for the give-aways associated with the read-a-thon: Kris Longknife: Furious by Mike Shepherd. Just look at this cover. Really blue, right?

Where I've been reading

I was able to spend the entire week at home in Texas. Of course, that meant that I actually spent less time reading than when I'm traveling. On business travel, I have time waiting in the airport terminal and the time in flight. I also eat many meals alone and read through dinner. On road trips like last week, I have hours and hours of time to read as we speed down the highway. At home, it's another matter: I'm working, doing chores around the house, and distracting competitors to reading in the TV and Internet.

So, it's understandable that I only completed two books this week. I'm falling a little bit further behind on my annual goal of reading 200 books, but I expect to make some of this up when I turn to the mid-grade books I've been collecting to read. Those tend to be a bit shorter and have a simpler vocabulary and therefore I should be able to get a few more under my belt. For now, though I'm on a roll with two series where the books end with an obvious lead-in to the next volume. Guess I'll just keep reading away and see how things go over the next couple of months.

 

What I've been reading: Completed this week

Format: eBook
Source: borrowed from library via Overdrive
Completed: 7 July

★★★☆☆

Kindred in Death is the final book in the omnibus of In Death mysteries that I borrowed from the library. Since it automatically disappears off my Kindle when the loan period is over, I read as much as I could to finish it before Amazon deleted it. I made it just in time in the wee hours of the 7th.

In the previous volume, Lieutenant Eve Dallas solved the murder of a fellow police officer. Now, in Kindred in Death, she's faced with the brutal murder of the teenaged daughter of a police captain.


Book Cover: Kris Longknife: Furious by Mike Shepherd Format: eBook
Source: gift from Shaunesay
Completed: 10 July

★★★★☆

In the previous volume of the Kris Longknife saga, Kris faced down hostile aliens and most of the ships in her fleet were destroyed. So, with multiple planetary governments clamoring for her head, she's sent to a backwater planet to run routine patrols. But, Kris is not content to behave herself, so soon she's on the run, hunted by military and civilian authorities.

Kris Longknife: Furious was one of the better books in the Kris Longknife series. Kris's battles aren't fought with missiles and lasers—they're with lawyers and the press. Placed on trial for crimes against humanity, Kris finally gets to tell the story of the belligerent aliens discovered (and fought) in her earlier outing with PatRon 10.

The only part of the book I didn't like is that the book simply ended. There's more story, and I'm going to have to get the next book fairly soon to continue the adventure.

COYER book #8


What I've been reading: In progress

Book Cover: The Secret Abyss by Darrell Pitt I'm still reading The Secret Abyss, the second book in the Jack Mason Adventures (otherwise known as the Steampunk Detective series). Jack has been apprenticed to Ignatius Doyle, an eccentric London detective. They are in pursuit of the arch-criminal, the Chameleon. With steam power predominant and flight in dirigible airships filled with hydrogen gas, it's an interesting take on the application of technology to the investigation of crimes. I didn't make a lot of progress in this book this week because I was attracted more to the other series.


Book Cover: Fantasy in Death by J D Robb Yes, I plunged right into the next In Death mystery. I was fortunate to have a copy on hand and ready to read since I'm really enjoying reading right through the series. In Fantasy in Death, police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the mansion of über-geek Bart Minnock, where he has been found dead. It's the classic locked room mystery—Bart locked himself into his home holo deck to play a brand new virtual reality game. No one could have been in the room with him, but clearly someone had to have been there. Bart has been killed with a very sharp sword, you see, and both sword and assailant are simply not there.


This Week on the Blog

In addition to spending very little time reading, I also found it difficult to schedule time to update the blog. I did have fun with the cover reveal for Sioban Davis' forthcoming finalé in her True Caling YA SF romance series, Destiny Rising. I hope I'm selected to read an advance copy, too.

  1. Cover Reveal: Destiny Rising
  2. Stacking the Shelves (40)

 

I'm pleased to be linking up with The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on the blog, showcase books and things received. Share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead.


Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which the BookObsessed online community will receive a few cents if you make purchases.

4 comments:

  1. I love the 'In Death' series by JD Robb. They're my 'comfort reads' and I've read all but the last few twice over a period of years!

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    1. Yes indeedy. It had been a long time since I had read one of these and I've been enjoying them so very much. I've already put a hold on at the library for the next book.

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  2. Like Deborah, the In Death series is my comfort reads too, I have them all on my kindle I have read most of them and still love them, they are my go-to books!

    Heather @ Random Redheaded Ramblings

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    1. Fantasy in Death is the last one I had on my Kindle, but my library has most of the ones after that, so I'll be checking them out. Just loving spending time with Eve and Roarke.

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