I guess I haven’t posted my reading list in a while. Not sure anyone cares, but I do get a heady pleasure out of keeping the list. It’s a nerd thing. I’m apparently far far behind.

20. Legacy of the Dead– Charles Todd
Still liking this England-between-the-wars mystery series. Start with the first one, A Test of Wills.

21. Life Without Parole– Clare O’Donohue
I can’t believe I never posted about this book! Go buy it now! This is the second in a series by a friend of mine, but ignore that bit and take my word for it. Good solid amateur sleuthing, told with a sarcastic and real narrator. My coworker Tricia says the first book in the series, Missing Persons, where you should start, sounds like my writing. So there you go. That’s why I like it. My fingers are crossed for a third in this series.

22. Charlotte’s Web– EB White
Re-read, of course. I hadn’t read it since I was a kid, so it was time.

23. The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case– Alexander McCall Smith
Now you’re just going to think I’m padding my list with short, children’s books, but come on. I wasn’t going to miss a Precious Ramotswe book, even one it only took a single lunch hour to read.

24. The Lover’s Knot– Clare O’Donohue
The first book in my friend Clare’s other series. I’ll admit I wasn’t going to try it because I’m not a fan of craft cozies—it’s a quilting cozy mystery—but after I got to know Clare, I knew there was no way it wouldn’t be fun. It’s fun!

25. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened- Jenny Lawson
You know the Bloggess, right? If not, go here. Now. What have you been doing with your time?

26. Watchers of Time– Charles Todd
See number 20, above.

27. Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction- Patricia Highsmith
Clearly I need to read the Ripley series. Highsmith seems so curmudgeonly and witty in this book, like someone you’d like to hang out with, but then she’d talk behind your back.

28. Tears of the Giraffe- Alexander McCall Smith
A re-read. Love this series.

29. The Sisters Brothers- Patrick deWitt
Oddest book on my list in a long while. It’s sort of a Western, sort of a caper mystery, sort of funny, sort of touching. Sort of great, actually.

30. The Murder Room– Michael Capuzzo
Just finished this a few minutes ago, so grain of salt. I had trouble with some of the repetitious style, especially in the beginning, but then I realized it’s because of all the many characters and moving parts, and the author is trying to help us remember who is who. Ended up liking it a lot, and learning a great deal. This the book I was reading when I put down my reading to “profile” myself as someone who lost something in our house. And solved the crime.