Tuesday, December 28, 2010

In Death Challenge Post: December 2010

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

This is the 12th monthly round up post of the In Death Reading Challenge! Can you believe we've been reading and discussing this series for a whole year already? Some of us--myself included-- aren't even halfway through the series yet, either! It seems I'll never catch up to Nora! If we keep up this pace, though, we'll get there eventually and finally be among the readers who wait for the release of the next In Death book, pre-ordering our own copy or stalking our library new release shelf! In the meantime, let's keep the fun rolling and continue reading and discussing the In Death series into 2011. Are you all still game for 2011? Any newcomers?

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CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:


Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily.

If you're just keeping a running list of the books as you read them, grab the link to your list post and enter in the Mr. Linky so we can recognize your success this month.

If you're reading or rereading without documenting it on your blog, let me know in the comments which book(s) you read in this month. This will also help me keep track of who's eligible for the challenge giveaway this month!

NOTE: In order to be eligible for the challenge giveaway in December 2010, you must have read four In Death books between September 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010 and have documented that you have either on your own blog or on my blog within the comments of the monthly In Death Reading Challenge posts.

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BOOK REVIEW:

Imitation In Death by J.D. Robb
Book 19

I planned on reading this book this week, but realized I have several books out from the library that are overdue or due next week with no renewals and I really want to read them first. So I may or may not finish Imitation In Death by the end of the month. I don't feel too disappointed about it, because I read a total of 14 In Death books this year, which is two more than my goal, so that's a plus. :)

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CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY:


As promised, I am going to do a little giveaway for the participants in this challenge. One randomly selected winner will receive their choice of a US $5 gift card to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Amazon, B&N or the purchase of a US $5 book from The Book Depository. To qualify for the giveaway, you must do or have done the following:

1. Be signed up for the In Death Reading Challenge in this post HERE either with Mr.Linky or in the comments if you do not have your own blog.
2. Have read FOUR In Death novels between September, 2010 and December 31, 2010.
3. Have documented the In Death novels you have read for the challenge by:

Maintaining a running list somewhere on your blog
OR
Posting reviews or commentary on your blog
OR
Having notified me which book(s) you read in comments on any of the In Death Challenge posts
OR
Any combination of the above.

Pretty simple. Read four In Death books between September and December, 2010, leave me proof, and voila! You're in the drawing.

I'll select a winner in the first week of January 2011.  .... 2011! Gah!



Thank you all for all the great In Death series discussions this year and I'm looking forward to more in 2011! :) 



13 comments:

  1. I managed to read Visions in Death. At first it was a bit difficult to read, because I had started it earlier and couldn't really remember what it was about, but soon I was sucked into the story. I liked it and especially that part where Eve got help with her murder mystery from that person x in a certain occupation. And I totally didn't see that ending coming... I never would have guessed... All the stuff that happened at end made me want to read the next book right away, but unluckily I didn’t have any ID books left in my shelf. I’ve corrected that mistake and ordered three more books, but they haven’t appeared yet. Probably these holidays are making them be a bit late… Perhaps I get them tomorrow and they could be like my New Year gift ;)

    I had to count too. I have read 15 ID stories this year. I’m very glad about it and hope to manage the same amount next year. Then I would almost catch up the series… I just don’t know what I’m going to do about those hardcovers. Can I always wait a couple of months more before the paperback is published...? Let’s see when the time comes.

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  2. Christine, please do not count me in for the giveaway--I'm in this exclusively for the fun of dissecting favorite characters and sharing the discovery of good books with fellow readers!

    Maija, over here it's usually about six months between the hardcover and the paperback edition--and I haven't been able to make myself wait that long for a few years now...

    I have no idea how many In Deaths I've read this year--between short stories and re-reading several of them...

    This month I re-read Indulgence in Death (again)--definitely like it better (quite a bit better, in fact) than Fantasy.

    Then I read "Possession in Death," the novella in the The Other Side anthology... and had mixed reactions (mostly because I'm anal retentive).

    What I mean is this: I liked the story and the characters are always so amazingly done, and the supernatural aspect is very well done, IMNSHO, but...

    ... but there was a continuity error (a character's name was changed from the book immediately before this) that bothered me, a lot.

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  3. I've never heard of this series before. Do you feel like it drags on at all? My Dad was reading Sue Grafton's novels (The Alphabet Mystery ones) and he only read the first 6 or 7 and said he wouldn't be able to keep going. Is this a series where you read a few and then read a few other books before continuing the series??

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  4. I'm not entered/entering because I've already read up to the latest release. But, I like to read what everyone things of the series and it's wonderful characters on your blog. WTG on making your goal for your Challenge!

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  5. azteclady,
    I order my books from US/UK so it's going to be that six months wait for me too. Probably not going to survive it and have to order a hardcover :)
    Survivor in Death is next on my to-read list. I'm so looking forward to reading it after you recommended it a couple of months ago :)

    deannalynnc,
    I don't feel like the series is dragging on. I did have my doubts before starting it (how can such a long series stay interesting after the first books), but now being somewhere in the middle of the series, I'm still loving it.

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  6. Maija, I'm dying to know what you think of Survivor! Here's hoping you like it!

    Deannalynnc, what Maija said--there are some installments that stand above the rest, but as a whole, they are all good/interesting/well written books.

    Be advised, though, that they are for the most part character-centric, and that while most of the mysteries are interesting on their own, the focus is more on the police procedures and on the main characters.

    If you do decide to start it, let us know what you think!

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  7. Maija... That kind of stall-factor happens to me sometimes, too. I usually want to start the next ID book as soon as I finish one, so I pick it up and start reading the first few chapters, but then I put it down because I either have to read a library book that's due really soon or I want to read a new release, or what ever. Then when I finally get back to the ID book, I forgot what was going on! I usually end up starting over. :)

    In any case, you've got me looking forward to Visions In Death now!

    15 ID books in one year is fantastic! I intend to keep up the pace in 2011, too. Thanks to this challenge and the ID reading buddies I've made along the way, it shouldn't be so hard to do.

    As for the hardcovers, I'll probably either borrow them from the library or start to buy them as ebooks. It is nice to have the whole collection in paperback, though. I figure I have time to figure out what I want to do as that's at least a year away for me.

    azteclady... I think everyone's just in this for the fun of it... but it also makes me happy to give gifts along the way! Don't deny me! LOL!

    You know, I would have issues with a character name change, too. It's important to me for all those little details to line up perfectly.

    deanna... *gasp!* An In Death virgin! ;) We may just have to coerce you to read the first book and see if we can pull you in. The title is Naked In Death and most likely your library will have it so you can save yourself some money.

    I'm not familiar with the premise of Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries, but I can tell you that the In Death series is worth reading for the personal aspects of the characters alone... they are all very well developed and the characters and their relationships continue to grow more complex with each story. The futuristic world, including the crimes and forensics--is compelling as well. All of this keeps the series interesting for a lot of readers.

    I am averaging one In Death book per month so that I don't overdose on the crime fiction, but I know many other readers who start at book one and plow through to the current release without stopping.

    If you decide to try Naked In Death, you'll have to let us know your thoughts. :)

    Brandy... I always enjoy your remarks on the series when we do these round up posts. Thanks for participating! :)

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  8. I've read the first 4 books this month. Will only have 2 reviews up by tomorrow though. The other two will be coming in the New Year.

    I am definitely enjoying getting back into the series though.

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  9. WOW!! What a lot of comments! I love this challenge! This month I finished Seduction. It's one of my favorites. However, sometimes I wonder if that's just because I didn't like the one before it...
    Happy New Year!!

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  10. Thanks so much for hosting this challenge, Christine! I am loving the books.

    I actually read 4 this month. All told, I read up to book 21. Wowza. Can't wait to finish the next eleventy of them...

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  11. Christine, thank you so much for getting me to read J.D. Robb! I will definitely continue with this Challenge in 2011.

    I didn't read my book in December, although I meant to -- no opportunity. :( I read 3 books during the last quarter of the month. :)

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  12. Sarah... WELCOME! I'm so happy you joined the challenge! You're going to enjoy discussing the characters and their stories with this group each month. Congrats on getting off to such a fantastic jump start!

    Lori... You're welcome! I am having a lot of fun with this challenge and all of you who read along. Thank YOU for participating with such enthusiasm. Four books this month is great! I guess that means you've got your In Death mojo back!

    You've only got eleventy books left? I've got about fifteenty then... ;)

    Hilcia... You're welcome. I'm so glad you ended up joining the challenge. It wouldn't be the same without you. xo

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  13. Thank you ladies for all your wonderful comments! I will make sure to write this down and see what I think of it.

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