Believe it or not, I’ve only got one book going on, Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn. I was looking for a good, cozy mystery and I know Danielle has often talked about this series so I thought it sounded like the perfect read, and so far so good.

The setting is 1923 England and a smart and independent young woman, Daisy Dalrymple is more concerned with her writing career than being just another flapper. What I’ve read so far of Daisy I really like. She’s charming, intelligent and seems to have a lot of common sense.

You know what these books remind me of? Two of my other favorite heroines, Maisie Dobbs and Ursula Marlow. As I’m caught up on those series and eagerly awaiting the next installments, Daisy seems to be a wonderful addition to my favorite female sleuths. I went to the bookstore today to look for the second book (that’s how much I’m enjoying this book, already looking forward to the second one!) but I couldn’t find it. I guess I’ll be making another trip to the bookstore later this weekend.

Anyway, what are you reading this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope you are enjoying it! I look forward to finishing up my book this weekend.

Well, I think it’s time to throw in the towel on some reading challenges. There’s still a bit of time left but I already know the next few weeks will be super busy for me so any reading I do may be more of the comfort variety (i.e., lots of mysteries). It’s not that I don’t want to read the books I chose for the challenges, I still plan on reading them someday after all I own the books, but I want to get things a bit more under control.

So I’m dropping out of the What’s in a Name challenge, Dewey’s challenge, the Reading Art History challenge and also the 9 for 09 challenge (which I really hate to do as my girlfriend Isabel is hosting). I really enjoyed participating in these and reading books for them but as you know, I’m quite a moody reader so it’s hard to stay with those reading commitments even when I change out the lists. So thank you so much to all the challenge hosts!

I read some wonderful books for these challenges and looking back I can tell you some of my favorites were Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters, Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, The Year of Fog by Michelle Redmond, The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, and In A Dry Season by Peter Robinson.

For now I’m still in for the Everything Austen, Japanese Literature and Women Unbound (which just started) challenges. And, I keep saying I’m going to limit the number of challenges I join next year but we know that as soon as I hit “post” on this I’ll find more challenges to join. ha.

Anyway, how are you doing on your challenges now that it’s getting closer to the end of the year? Have you thrown in the towel on any? Please tell me I’m not the only one.