In my first year of blogging I have only participated in a few reading challenges (perhaps because I am such a lousy loser and take them far too seriously). Now the temptations begin to appear here and there, but so far I have only given in to one 2010 challenge.This is the third season of the challenge called What´s in a Name, and it is hosted by Beth Fish. For all the details visit the blog Beth has tailor-made for this challenge. Here are the main rules:
1. A book with a food in the title
2. A book with a body of water in the title:
3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title
4. A book with a plant in the title.
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title.
6. A book with a music term in the title.
What do you think? Are you tempted to participate? Or would you like to help me by suggesting crime stories which suit the six categories?
The only challenge I'm going to do for the foreseeable future is to reduce my TBR pile so I won't join you. A quick glance at the pile does not reveal too many titles that would meet any of those but I've got BLOOD IN THE COTSWOLDS by Rebecca Tope which would be OK for the place name one and SINGING TO THE DEAD by Caro Ramsay which might do for the music one.
SvarSletGood luck Dorte
Something to get you started, Dorte:
SvarSlet1. Pierre Magnan, Death in the Truffle Wood
2. Helen Robertson, Venice of the Black Sea
3. K.T.McCaffrey, Bishop's Pawn
4. Marie Belloc Lowndes, The Story of Ivy
5. Time Heald, Murder at Moose Jaw
6. Reg Hill, Midnight Fugue
Dorte - This is an interesting challenge! You're right that there certainly are a lot of appealing challenges out there, too. If you like cozies, Joanne Fluke's got a whole series of books with food in the title (her Hannah Swensen series). For a book with a body of water in the title, there's Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. There's Ellery Queen's The King is Dead; that's got a title in the title. For a title with a plant name, I thought of Ellis Peter's Monk's Hood (part of her Cadfael series). There's Martin Edwards' Waterloo Sunset for a mystery with a place name, or Colin Dexter's Last Bus to Woodstock(or of course, Agatha Christie's 4:50 from Paddington). And for music, I thought of Ian Rankin's last Rebus novel, Exit Music. There are, do doubt, dozens more books in each category that I haven't even thought of. This is my first idea, fueled by far too little coffee....
SvarSletA book with a musical instrument in the title? Hmm, I'll have to think about that, at the moment not a single one comes to mind.
SvarSletDorte, my reading calendar is filled to overflowing. But, in the spirit of your question, I offer these from off the top of my head; some are obscure, some are canonical within the genre, but all are very much worthwhile:
SvarSlet1. Roast Eggs by Douglas Clark
2. The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
3. Talking God by Tony Hillerman
(We can probably agree that God qualifies as a title within this category.)
4. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
5. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
(We can also agree that the falcon has connections to Malta.)
6. The Devil in Music by Kate Ross
Dorte, here are several titles from my "must read" list--books that I have promised that I will this year!
SvarSletFood – Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey
Water – Dead Lagoon by Michael Didbin
Title – Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemmelman
Plant – The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
Place – Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter
Music – Miami Blues by Charles Willeford
I am often tempted by challenges, but for the most part I don't sign up. I am going to sign up for some for 2010 though, and I am looking forward to that. Have you read The Breaker by Minette Walters? Far as I remember the word Breaker was something which had to do with water...or maybe I am mixing things.
SvarSletJust a short thank you for all your helpful suggestions. This weekend we are celebrating my son´s birthday and our wedding anniversary so I do not have much time for blogging until Tuesday.
SvarSletHave a nice Sunday!
These are some great suggestions! They gave me some ideas for some reading of my own. Enjoy your son's birthday and Happy Anniversary!
SvarSletElizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Thank you, Elizabeth.
SvarSletYes, here are suggestions for several challenges! And many of the titles make me really curious.
The name of the author of number 5 in my list should read 'Tim' Heald, but Time Heald is as meaningful a typo as randomness could come up with, I should think.
SvarSlet