The Amityville Horror, by Jay Anson

• Title:  The Amityville Horror
  
• Author:  Jay Anson
  
• Borrowed from Fairfax, VA Public Library (audiobook)
  
• Started:  7/19/2016
  
• Finished: 7/22/2016
  

I had this one on my list for a long time, and now that I've finally read it (thanks to the reciprocal borrowing agreements between the public libraries in the DC Metro Region) -- I was pretty disappointed.

Having read back-to-back two blockbuster books from the 1970s, it is easy to see why one of them was huge (Deliverance) and much harder to understand the other (this on, Amityville Horror).

The story was written out so much like a dragnet episode (on December 21st, so & so did such & such) that I really found it not scary of moving. 

Anyway, glad to have it behind me, even if I did not love it.

Deliverance, by James Dickey

• Title:  Deliverance
• Author:  James Dickey
• AudioBook via Audible (free trial)
• Started: 7/10/2016
• Finished: 7/13/2016

Much like "We Have to Talk About Kevin," I have been putting off reading this book for a while. Just like "Kevin," I was an idiot.  Deliverance was an amazing book.  I worried it would be dated, but it wasn't dated at all. Really liked one.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder

Title:  The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Author:  Thornton Wilder
Purchased from Amazon (Kindle edition)
Started: 7/8/2016
Finished: 7/10/2016

My selection for book club, love this book.

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

• Title:  The Haunting of Hill House
• Author:  Shirley Jackson
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started:  7/6/2016
• Finished: 7/10/2016

Probably the third time I've read this, first time as an audiobook.  I love this work.  I think Shirley Jackson might be my favorite, actually IS my favorite, spooky/haunted/literature author.

I love the 1963 film as well.  Watching the 1999 version right now.  This movie is terrible.

Dictator, by Robert Harris

• Title:  Dictator
• Author:  Robert Harris
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started:  6/12/2016
• Finished: 7/5/2016

Not a particularly long novel, but I read it slowly.  This was the third and final book in the Cicero/Tiro trilogy, very enjoyable overall though this may be been my least favorite of books.  Still, that's not a knock, this was a good book.  Very happy to have stumbled upon this trilogy.

The Bell Witch, by Brent Monahan

• Title:  The Bell Witch
  
• Author:  Brent Monahan
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library
  
• Started 7/2/2016
  
• Finished: 7/6/2016
  

My summer of horror continues -- I don't know why but I love reading haunting/ghost stories in the summer.  Anyway, I didn't hold out much hope for this one and it exceeded (if slightly) my assumption.  Started off pretty good, really fell apart in the middle, and then finished somewhat strong if somewhat obvious.  I wasn't positive of the psychological reason for the haunting, but I was pretty certain about which character was causing it.

Anyway, interesting enough if not scary at all.  The audiobook was read a way, way too slow of a pace.  This is only the second time I have used the function that speeds up the reading.  The last time I was at just 1.2 times normal speed.  This time I was at 1.6, and probably could have gone to 2 times the normal rate and still understood everything.

Blue-Eyed Devil, by Robert Parker

• Title:  Blue-Eyed Devil
  
• Author:  Robert Parker
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  6/29/2016
  
• Finished: 7/1/2016
  

Yes another Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch book.  This was pretty terrible, from a literature perspective, but having read the others it at least continued the stories of characters you got to know over the other books.  

Rosa, by Jonathan Rabb

• Title:  Rosa
  
• Author:  Jonathan Rabb
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 6/17/2016
  
• Finished: 6/29/2016
  

Tried to like this one but really did not enjoy it.  Severely disliked the protagonist, which made the entire book difficult to get through.  On the face of it the book sounded like something I would love -- detective in Berlin just after WWI, but damn I really disliked this one.

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, by Peter Ackroyd

• Title:  The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
  
• Author:  Peter Ackroyd
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 6/15/2016
  
• Finished: 6/22/2016
  

This was a very good book with a fun twist at the end that I am embarrassed to say I did not see coming until just before the big reveal.  I should have sensed it earlier, but I was pretty close to the end before the possibility first jumped into my mind.  Very enjoyable read.

Brimstone, by Robert B Parker

Title:. Brimstone
Author: Robert B Parker
Started: 6/11/2016
Finished: 6/14/2016

Book three in the Appaloosa saga.  Decent enough western. 

Fates & Furies, by Lauren Groff

• Title:  Fates & Furies
• Author:  Lauren Groff
• Purchased from Amazon.com, Kindle Edition
• Started: 5/28/2016
• Finished:  6/11/2016

Newest book club pick.  I struggled through the first half (fates) and then breezed through the second (furies).  Wanted to like it more than I did, mostly because I hated the first half so much.  

The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, by Michael Punke

Title: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge
Author: Michael Punke
Borrowed from DC Public Library (audiobook)
Started: 6/8/2016
Finished: 6/11/2016

I didn't get into this one immediately but kept with it.  Soon I was caught up and made my way through it quickly.

I knew the basics if the plot from all the press on the movie.  I haven't seen the movie, no immediate plans to do so. 

Overall enjoyed the book.

Classic Tales of Horror, Various Authors

• Title:  Classic Tales of Horror
  
• Author:  Various
  
• Borrowed from DC Public
  
• Started:  6/6/2016
  
• Finished: 6/8/2016
  

Another work of short stories from horror classics, overall good stuff.

Shooter, by Dusty Rhodes

Title: Shooter
Author: Dusty Rhodes
Borrowed from DC Library
Started: 6/1/2016
Finished: 6/5/2016

I really enjoyed this book. A bit of easy popcorn entertainment, bit had this been a movie I wouldn't be complaining.  A very fun western where the good guys come out on top, the bad guys go down. 

And who can complain about an author named Dusty Rhodes?

The Big Four, by Agatha Christie

Title: The Big Four
Author: Agatha Christie
Borrowed from MD Public Library (audiobook)
Started: 5/27/2016
Finished: 6/1/2016

This wasn't at all what I expected.  So far all of the Poirot books I've read have been pretty close in plot to the TV series.  But this one was way out there, and not in a good way.  Still entertaining enough, but pales in comparison to other Poirot novels.

The Art of the Deal, by Donald Trump

Title: The Art of the Deal
Author: Donald Trump
Borrowed from Take-One/Leave-One Library found in Northside Park, Ocean City, MD
Started: 5/15/2016
Finished: 5/28/2016

Picked this up as a joke for neighbors who hate Trump, they promptly returned it.  I figured what the hell, I'll give it a read.  A fast, breezy read, but I barely picked it up until this past weekend when I soldered through.  I enjoyed it, despite myself. I don't know what else to say.

Classic Ghost Stories, Various Authors

Title:. Classic Ghost Stories
Author:. Various
Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
Started: 5/23/2016
Finished: 5/26/2026

I think this might have been released as an audiobook only.  Amazon page is here
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Ghost-Stories-Word-Recording/dp/1934997188

That link has a reviewer who listed all titles and authors, so I won't bother doing that here. 11 stories in all I think, 5 or 6 were great, the rest so-so.  I had read one or two before, but long enough ago that they were still enjoyable.

Resolution, by Robert B Parker

• Title:  Resolution
  
• Author:  Robert B Parker
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 5/20/2016
  
• Finished:  5/22/2016
  

This is the second book in the Western trilogy that started with Appaloosa.  Appaloosa it ain't.  

One Fearful Yellow Eye, by John D MacDonald

• Title:  One Fearful Yellow Eye
  
• Author:  John D MacDonald
  
• Borrowed from Take-One/Leave-One Library found in Northside Park, Ocean City, MD
  
• Started:  5/14/2016
  
• Finished:  5/19/2016
  

I can't deny that I generally like Travis McGee books (read them all years ago), but this one has always been my least favorite.  Still, I was at the beach and needed something to read, and it was available.  Just a really bad (but fast and easy) novel.

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 3, by Bert Coules

• Title:  The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 3
  
• Author:  Bert Coules
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  5/18/2016
  
• Finished: 5/20/2016
  

The second volume of these stories available via DC Public Library (third volume in the series).  These are very enjoyable recordings of pastiche Holmes stories.

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2, by Bert Coules

• Title:  The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2
  
• Author:  Bert Coules
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  5/16/2016
  
• Finished: 5/18/2016
  

BBC Radio dramas, very well made/produced.  The stories are short, but fun, and Coules does a great job capturing the feel of the original stories.

The DC Public Library only has volumes 2  & 3, so I've missed the first volume and any others there might be.  The stories are all based around cases mentioned in the original Holmes stories.  Really, very enjoyable.

Appaloosa, by Robert B. Parker

• Title:  Appaloosa
  
• Author:  Robert B. Parker
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 5/11/2016
  
• Finished: 5/16/2016
  

Wanted a good Western.  Found one.

Didn't know it was part of a larger series.  Likely to keep going with it if I find the books available.

Welcome to Hard Times, bu E.L. Doctorow

• Title:  Welcome to Hard Times
  
• Author:  E. L. Doctorow
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 5/4/2016
  
• Finished: 5/11/2016
  

I have never read any Doctorow, and I suspect if I had asked someone what book of his to read they would not have mentioned this one -- but they should.  This was an outstanding western, not of cowboys and shootouts, but of those trying to build something, while others try to take away what is built.  It is about stubborn people, disappointment, hope, and destruction.  I really, really enjoyed reading this one.

The Caretaker of Lorne Field, by Dave Zeltserman

• Title: The Caretaker of Lorne Field
  
• Author:  Dave Zeltserman
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (E-Book)
  
• Started: 5/9/2016
  
• Finished: 5/9/2016
  

Read this one from beginning to end on a lazy Monday when I had the day off.  For the first couple of pages I could not figure out why anyone had recommended this one to me, then before I knew it 5 hours had passed and I was finished with the book.  It had a very Twilight Zone feel to it, I loved this one.

The Association of Small Bombs, by Karan Mahajan

• Title:  The Association of Small Bombs
  
• Author:  Karan Mahajan
  
• Purchased from Amazon.com (Kindle Edition)
  
• Started:  4/26/2016
  
• Finished: 5/3/2016
  

This is the latest pick from the book club I belong to, I liked it but found the subject matter difficult, or maybe depressing is a better word.  I'm going to save further thoughts for the group discussion.

Mort(e) by Robert Repino

• Title:  Mort(e)
  
• Author:  Robert Repino
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 4/27/2016
  
• Finished: 5/4/2016
  

Apocalyptic novel, talking animals, love between cat & dog, quasi-detective story.  This novel, by that description, should be the perfect novel for me.

And it started off strong.  Told mostly from the point of view of Mort(e)/Sebastian, a house cat in love with the neighbors dog Sheba (neighbor human is banging married owner of Sebastian), who through the magic of ants becomes a walking/talking/fighting machine.  

Actually all animals do, they also walk on two legs (most, anyway), as do the ants, and they've grown to human size (or greater).  This all sounds asinine, but it makes good sense in the world of the book.  And the the opening telling the story of the apocalypse and changes to animals is very well done.

But about 1/3rd of the way through the book it falls apart a bit.  Mort(e) is a killing machine (killing humans), banding together with the ants.  But things aren't as they seem to be, and the religion rears its head among the resistance, and somehow Mort(e) is believed to be the messiah.

It's just too much, but the last 1/4 of the book once again focuses on Mort(e) and his long-lost love Sheba (still a normal dog, not transformed), and for any animal lovers out there -- all is right in the world once again.

Glad I read it, would have made a better short story or even serialized work, but I can't fault a first-time author for getting this published.  

I will fault the reader of the audiobook -- he was terrible.  This could have been an amazing audiobook (essentially serializing the work), but instead the guy reading detracted from the overall enjoyment.

The Dinner, by Herman Koch

• Title:  The Dinner
  
• Author:  Herman Koch
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  4/24/2016
  
• Finished: 4/27/2016
  

I didn't know much about this book, and the reviews were hit or miss (dark comedy, disturbing novel, etc.).  I was captivated by the book, but I didn't like it.  That sounds like a contradiction, but what I mean is I was curious about where it was going so I kept with it, but overall I did not enjoy the experience. 

The Columbo Collection, by William Link

• Title:  The Columbo Collection
  
• Author:  William Link
  
• Purchased (used) Amazon.com
  
• Started:  4/4/14/2016
  
• Finished:  4/25/2016
  

As a longtime fan of Columbo (named my first dog, a basset hound of course, Columbo) I was excited to see that Link, the co-creator of the great detective, had published a book of short stories.  The stories are pretty weak, but this was clearly a labor of love for Link so I can't fault him.  I'm certainly not sorry I made the purchase or took the time to read a story or two a night over the last couple of weeks.

Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, by Agatha Christie

• Title:  Curtain:  Poirot's Last Case
  
• Author:  Agatha Christie
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 4/21/2016
  
• Finished: 4/24/2016
  

I can't pretend to have read all of the Poirot novels, but I recently watched this last Poirot on the popular series staring David Suchet.  So I thought I'd jump ahead and read this one too (I haven't been reading them in order anyway).

Not much to comment on -- I obviously already knew who the killer was, but still interesting to see the differences between book & tv version.  

The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat

• Title:  The Cruel Sea
  
• Author:  Nicholas Monsarrat
  
• Borrowed from MD Public Library (Worcester County, Ocean City, MD), Kindle Edition
  
• Started: 4/6/2016
  
• Finished: 4/20/2016
  

I have Herman Wouk (courtesy of the WSJ) to thank for this recommendation.  The Cruel Sea was one of five works Mr. Wouk recommended for great nautical yarns, and I can't begin to describe how much this work touched me.  I did not know anything about the work (or Monsarrat), and would likely have never heard of or read this book without Wouk/WSJ recommendation.

These are fictional characters, who we meet at the start of the WW2 through the end, and by the middle of this book I cared more about these sailors than I did about most of my fellow man.  That sounds terrible, but I was so engrossed by the story, and worried about these men, and had a hard time concentrating on anything other than their ordeal.  A very powerful book.

The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon

• Title:  The Final Solution
  
• Author:  Michael Chabon
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  4/19/2016
  
• Finished:  4/21/2016
  

I loved Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but for some reason never went on to read any of his other works.  When I saw that he had written a short work involving (we assume) Sherlock Holmes, I had to give it a shot.

Like TYPU, I really enjoyed this one.  It was sad, or maybe bittersweet, but a mute boy with a pet parrot, murder and infidelity, old age and youth... this was just a wondering read.

A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay

• Title:  A Head Full of Ghosts
  
• Author:  Paul Tremblay
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  4/16/2016
  
• Finished:  4/19/2016
  

This one started off a little slow and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it.  The blogger seemed particularly annoying.  Well it was just a slow burn, because soon the book had me hooked and I struggled to do anything other than finish this work.

You don't get a lot of answers in this book, but I'm ok with that.  Similar to the book I read in the summer of last year, The Voices (by Tallis), it is up to the reader to decide which theory they subscribe too.

Do you trust the narrator?  Even though she's only 8 (when the events happened), and at the end presents herself to be potentially totally untrustworthy?  Do you think the sister was really possessed?  Is the narrator possessed?  Was the father molesting the sister?  If so, did the mom know and turned a blind eye?  Were the reality TV crew in on the fake possession (if fake)?  Ken specifically?

Some readers will likely be annoyed that these questions and many others are never answered.  Again, I suspect many readers were annoyed by the lack of answers in The Voices.  If I had any criticism at all, it would be the that we are told at the end of the book that some statements by the narrator contradict (I'm paraphrasing) the police report -- but we are never provided that report.  I sure would have liked an appendix that contained that report to give us even more to chew on.

Anyway, this is the most I've written about a book in a while, so you can tell I enjoyed it.  For what it is worth, my gut says there is no possession, the sister was mentally ill, and the narrator is semi-reliable.  I'm on the fence about the father molesting the sister and the mother knowing about it but not doing anything to stop it.  But I think I like that explanation best, as it sets up the ending best (narrator & red sauce).

As a side note, I grew to love those blog posts that I initially hated, mostly because the blogger had the same love of horror lit and movies that I do (or that everyone who would read a book like this would).  My only complaint was that I didn't get any recommendations for books or movies, since I had already consumed all that were mentioned.

Paradise Sky, by Joe R. Lansdale

• Title:  Paradise Sky
  
• Author:  Joe R. Lansdale
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  4/7/2016
  
• Finished:  4/16/2016\
  

A non-Hap & Leonard book by Lansdale, this was a piece of historical fiction (mostly fiction, I'd imagine) Western of a black gunslinger.  As with most of Lansdale's books, it was enjoyable if not memorable.  A big book too at over 400 pages, which was a pleasant surprise.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, by C.S. Forester

• Title:  Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
  
• Author:  C.S. Forester
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 4/2/2016
  
• Finished: 4/7/2016
  

I've been pretty desperate for a fix since finishing the Aubrey/Maturin (Master & Commander) series a while back.  The first (chronologically) book in the Hornblower series was available so I gave it a shot. 

Entertaining, but it's not a great replacement for Aubrey/Maturin.  Nothing will be though, I suppose.  Maybe I should re-read that series...

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

• Title:  We Need to Talk About Kevin
  
• Author:  Lionel Shriver
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Edition)
  
• Started: 3/25/2016
  
• Finished: 4/6/2016
  

Has there ever been a more ominously titled book?  I've been wanted to read this one ever since reading a review of the movie based on the novel.  Wanting to read it, but also dreading reading it, so I've put it off for something like 5 years.

But I finally worked up the nerve and started it, and pretty soon I was drawn in.  This rarely happens, but I had crazy dreams almost nightly related to this book.  Not nightmares, but anxiety dreams.  Very odd.  

Anyway, the book is very well written and I was hooked immediately.  I had guessed the "twist" ending almost immediately, well a version of it anyway, but I'm not certain it was really supposed to be a twist at all.  The book has an overwhelming sense of loss?  Dread?  Anxiety? Sadness?  I'm not sure how to describe it, but the gloom which hangs over it doesn't tell me that the reader is supposed to assume the narrators husband is still alive. 

My initial guess was that he had killed himself, unable to live with what Kevin had done.  That changed as soon as the daughter was introduced mid-way through the book.  Then I knew.

Difficult and engrossing, I'm glad I read this one.  I think I'll skip the movie though...

A Banquet of Consequences, by Elizabeth George

Tittle: A Banquet of Consequences:

Author:  Elizabeth George
Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
Started: 3/25/2026
Finished: 4/2/2016

First inspector Lynley book I've read.  Enjoyable, dragged a bit, but the mystery kept me going.

The A.B.C. Murders, by Agatha Christie

• Title:  The A.B.C. Murders
  
• Author:  Agatha Christie
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
  
• Started 3/14/2016
  
• Finished: 3/25/2016
  

Another Poirot mystery with a satisfying twist at the end.

The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway

• Title:  The Cellist of Sarajevo
  
• Author:  Steven Galloway
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Edition)
  
• Started: 3/18/2016
  
• Finished: 3/24/2016
  

The latest book club book, which I had my doubts about when it was selected.  Well, I'm an idiot.  I loved this book.  Won't go into further detail here since we haven't had the book club meeting yet.  

Honky Tonk Samurai, by Joe Lansdale

• Title:  Honky Tonk Samurai
  
• Author:  Joe Lansdale
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  3/15/2016
  
• Finished:  3/17/2016
  

Another Hap & Leonard book, I've been hot & cold on the series as of late.  This one was funny, no doubt about it, I was laughing out loud several times on my walks to & from the office.  There is some gratuitous promotion of Lansdale's daughters music career, but if I had the platform I'd probably do the same for my loved ones.

The bigger issue to me is, as I listened to this book I kept thinking I had already read it.  I had to check the publication date several times.  Hadn't read it, just knew what would happen before it did each time, I assume because the plots/actions are so similar to past Hap & Leonard books.

But those are probably nit-picky complaints.  These books are written for people like me who have followed the shenanigans of these two lovable losers for 10 or so novels now.  We'd keep on reading them no matter what the plots.  It's the back & forth wise-cracking, not the plots, that keeps us reading.

Retribution, by Max Hastings

• Title:  Retribution
  
• Author:  Max Hastings
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
  
• Started: 2/29/2016
  
• Finished: 3/14/2016
  

A big history of the final year or so of the war in the pacific.  Very interesting, Hastings is no apologist for the use of nuclear weapons and has almost no kind words for MacArthur.  Neither of those is a criticism on my end, but it did make for an interesting read.

Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie

Title: Death on the Nile
Author: Agatha Christie
Borrowed from DC Public Kindle Edition
Started: 2/23/2016
Finished: 3/13/2016

Another solid, enjoyable, Poirot novel.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Borrowed from DC public library (audiobook)
Started: 2/25/2016
Finished: 2/28/2016

Had not read this one since high school. Very enjoyable.

Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson

Title: Train Dreams
Author: Denis Johnson
Borrowed from DC public library
Started: 2/23/2016
Finished: 2/25/2016

The book that turned me onto Denis Johnson. Yes I just read it last year, but I needed a Johnson fix and wanted to revisit this one. Just a beautiful book. I know I said this about Haruki Murakami in my last review but is is true of Johnson as well -- Johnson's books make me want to write. What an amazing gift he has.

I've said this before as well: Will Patton's narration really is fantastic.

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, by Haruki Murakami

• Title:  Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
  
• Author:  Haruki Murakami
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
  
• Started: 2/6/2016
  
• Finished: 2/23/2016
  

The second Murakami book I've read, the first was The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (which I loved).  This book is a collection of short stories, some more memorable than others, but overall enjoyable.  Murakami's books always make me want to start writing, there is just something about them.  Not to write like him, but for whatever reason I find them inspiring to me to want to write.

Instead I usually boot up the PS4 and play video games...

Also, my public library added a bunch of Murakami audiobooks to their collection, so it is likely I'll go through a few more of these this year.

The Guest Room, by Chris Bohjalian

• Title:  The Guest Room
  
• Author:  Chris Bohjalian
  
• Purchased from Amazon (Kindle Edition)
  
• Started 2/11/2016
  
• Finished: 2/22/2016
  

Another book club book, I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  The subject matter was so horrific, and many of the characters were unlikable.  Still it was a fast-paced and exciting (if that's the right word) novel.  

I thought the plot fell apart near the end.  Just could not believe the actions by the main character (Richard) once the woman returned to his home.  

Sad Cypress, by Agatha Christie

Title: Sad Cypress

Author:  Agatha Christie 

Obtained from the small free library in Ocean City, MD, Northside Park

Started:  1/19/2016

Finished: 2/11/2016

This is a pretty slight novel to have been reading for almost a month. The reality is I started it a while ago and then put it down for a while. 

At any rate, I enjoyed this one. I would have liked more Poirot, he isn't in much of this one, but it is still very enjoyable. 

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

• Title:  Middlesex
  
• Author:  Jeffrey Eugenides
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
  
• Started:  1/18/2016
  
• Finished:  2/5/2016
  

A recommendation from a book-club member (not one of our book club books), I LOVED this one.  Wanted to take days off to continue this book.  I won't lie, I though the book sort of fell apart after Cal ran away from his folks in NY and ended up at the club in San Fran.  But that's a small issue in an overall wonderful read.

The Columbo Phile: A Casebook, by Mark Dawidziak

• Title:  The Columbo Phile:  A Casebook
  
• Author:  Mark Dawidziak
  
• Purchased (used) Amazon.com
  
• Started:  August 2014
  
• Finished:  February 3rd, 2016
  

Almost two years I've been reading this!  Well that's not quite fair, it has been sitting on my night stand for almost two years and every so often I would read a section on an episode, slowly (very slowly) making my way through the series.

Overall I enjoyed this, having first come upon it in the library at USF (the real one in Tampa, not the fake one in San Fran) when I was an undergrad there.  I had always wanted to pick up a copy but could never justify the expense for used versions.

I got lucky in August of 2014 when I found a copy for a more reasonable $29 (right now the cheapest is $89, and some go for over $300!), and a gift card to Amazon as well.  

Dawidziak and I don't always agree on the caliber of the episodes (I can't understand how he didn't love "An Exercise in Fatality", one of my favorites), but overall we were on the same page.

Mrs. Engels, by Gavin McCrea

Title: Mrs. Engels
Author: Gavin McCrea
Purchased on Amazon (kindle)
Started: 1/1/2016
Finished: 1/18/2016

Another book club book. Really wanted to like this one, but just could not get into it. Also, spoiler alert/warning, there is a drowning cats in a sack scene.

The Drop, by Michael Connelly

Title: The Drop
Author: Michael Connelly
Borrowed from DC public audiobook
Started: 1/6/2016
Finished: 1/17/2016

I've read a few other Harry Bosch novels. They're ok, not my favorite, this was more of the same.