Sacramento Public Library discussion

Hello!
Are you ready to read a mystery? I hope so because that is our challenge this month.

Now I know that a lot of you already read mystery so that doesn't sound like a challenge at all. But we do want to challenge you so I'm going to suggest that you read a different type of mystery. Mostly like cozies? Why not try a Private Investigator mystery? If you read modern mysteries, try a classic work. Like British mystery? This month go for a book with a Scandinavian setting or an African setting or a Canadian setting, or...well, there are far too many choices to list! Be bold and daring in your choice. Get outside your comfort zone!
Looking for recommendations? We've got a few on the bookshelf below or you can ask the group.

Me, I will be reading Badlands by CJ Box and another title to be determined. I am hoping that I will find something new and exciting in the comments so please post below with what you'll be reading this month and any suggestions you might have for others to read. As always, one commenter will win an Advance Copy of a book.

Happy Reading!

As I read the title I was thinking "I know the PERFECT BOOK" then I read the part about changing it up! I'm going to look through my to read shelf and see what ones fall under a mystery that are outside of my normal Fantasy/Urban Fantasy comfort zone.

I'm reading Mojo by Tim Tharp and it's really good! Murder, disappearance, investigative journalism, gangs, and teenagers. I highly recommend it :)

I am part of a mystery MeetUp group and don't pick the books. While that makes me nervous, it also means I read a lot of books I would never have considered picking up! This group introduced me to Lee Child's Reacher series (I didn't see the Tom Cruise movie either) and this month we are reading Suspect by Richard Crais, another book I wouldn't have considered without the group.
For any mystery lovers that have a really big box to get out of, may I suggest the Chet & Bernie series by Spencer Quinn? Set in Arizona, the books are narrated by Chet......a dog. Very humorous!

So I finished a book yesterday that would qualify as a mystery but isn't your usual sort of mystery. That makes it perfect for this sort of challenge!

Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia is what I might call a genre blender. It features teen main characters, adds in some odd ball humor, literary elements, a mystery, a chunk of "coming of age" storytelling, some powerful grief and a lot of music. It is almost indescribable if I am honest, and lately those are the books that I am most interested in reading. It was an Alex Award winner, meaning it was considered one of the best books for adults with teen appeal. I picked it up because I heard the author speak. I simply had to find out if her book was as entertaining as she was. It definitely was, though it was tempered with that grief. The bottom line is that it is an entertaining and unusual read and one I would recommend.

That sounds like a great book Brendle!! I will have to check it out (figuratively and literally).

I just finished a new cozy called At the drop of a hat by Jenn McKinlay. This is a new series for me(hat shop) and it turns out its number three in the series. This comes from grabbing random mysteries off the new book shelf. I liked it and placed the other two on hold. It's not a new type of mystery but it was a new book. In my tbr pile at home I have a slight trick of the mind. The movie looked interesting and I figured I try the book. I may try a Jesse Stone by Robert B. Parker since I read all the Spencer's but never got around to those yet.

So, I enjoyed my trip into the Badlands with CJ Box. It's the second book featuring Cassie Dewell and even though I didn't read the first, I had no problem following along as our heroine moves to a new town and new job in this book. I liked the North Dakota setting, one of the oil boom towns where men outnumber women, "man camps" are set up for incoming workers, and crime is on the rise along with the population. It's a great place to set a crime novel.

Did anyone else read anything interesting or challenge yourself to a new sort of mystery? There are still a few days left in August to comment for a chance to win an advance copy of a book.

I never would have read Suspect without it being the book for my book club, but I will admit that I enjoyed it very much! I didn't know going in, that some of the chapters were written from the dog's point of view. That was the best part for me.

I also read Tropical Depression by Jeff Lindsay. He wrote the Dexter series so I definitely would have read that without any prompting!

Brendle wrote: "So, I enjoyed my trip into the Badlands with CJ Box. It's the second book featuring Cassie Dewell and even though I didn't read the first, I had no problem following along as our heroine moves to a..."

I read Storm Front by Jim Butcher, a detective noir with a wry sense of humor. It was outside my comfort zone in a couple of ways, first as a sci-fi (the detective is a wizard) and second as a serving of noir fiction. Lot of fun. Now of course I’m committed to the series so plan to see a few more titles by the same author.

Thanks to everyone for reading along and trying something new! Our winner this month is Susan who will soon have an advance copy of a mystery ready for pick up at her local branch. Congratulations!

Thanks Brendle!! Now to wonder if it will be in our out of my normal reading "box."

Congratulations Susan. Brendle always chooses the best books!