2nds Challenge Completed

I just recently completed the 2nds Challenge. It was a really good opportunity to read books from authors that you had only previously read one of their books before. All of my reads were Good to Very Good so it was a good challenge for me.

Joy at Thoughts of Joy is holding another challenge to take place after the Non-Fiction Five Challenge called the 2nds Challenge.

WHAT: Read 3 books by authors that you have only read one other

WHERE: Mister Linky will keep track of monthly books read on Joy's blog

WHEN: October, November and December, 2007

The books I have decided to read for this challenge are:

Ambler Warning by Robert Ludlum
Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen
Chosen Prey by John Sandford

Bloodstream

Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen

Finished December 12th, 2007

Rating: 8/10

2nds Challenge Book #3


Barnes & Nobles Synopsis
A terrible epidemic that causes irrational, violent behavior plagues the ironically named small town of Tranquility in Tess Gerritsen's latest medical thriller, Bloodstream. But the town may not be as sleepy and innocent as it appears, and possibly harvests a dark secret that threatens the son of Dr. Claire Elliott.


I was first introduced to the author Tess Gerritsen during the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge. I really enjoyed the book I read for that challenge so decided to choose another book by this author for the 2nds challenge. I originally intended to read Life Support by Gerritsen however it was not available at the library so I went with Bloodstream instead. It was an enjoyable read however there were some loose ends that I would have liked to have seen wrapped up. I am glad I was introduced to this author as she is quickly becoming one of my favourites mystery/thriller authors.

The Ambler Warning

The Ambler Warning by Robert Ludlum

Finished November 27th, 2007

Rating: 7/10

2nds Challenge Book #2



From the Publisher
On Parrish Island, a restricted island off the coast of Virginia, there is a little known and never visited psychiatric facility. There, far from prying eyes, the government stores former intelligence employees whose psychiatric state make them a danger to their own government, people whose ramblings might endanger ongoing operations or prove dangerously inconvenient.

One of these employees, former Consular Operations agent Hal Ambler, is kept heavily medicated and closely watched. But there’s one difference between Hal and the other patients—Hal isn’t crazy. With the help of a sympathetic nurse, Hal manages to first clear his mind of the drug-induced haze and then pulls off a daring escape. Free, he’s out to discover who stashed him there and why—but the world he returns to isn’t the one he remembers. Friends and longtime associates don’t remember him, there are no official records of Hal Ambler, and when he first sees himself in the mirror, the face that looks back at him is not the one he knows as his own.


I thought this was written by Robert Ludlum but then after I finished the book I read up on Ludlum on Wikipedia. Apparently this book was written posthumously by an unknown ghostwriter who follows Robert Ludlum's style of writing. As this was only my 2nd book by Ludlum I am no expert but the style does seem very similiar to the other book I have read by Ludlum "The Bourne Identity". The storyline was pretty good however I did find the book to be too long.

Chosen Prey

Chosen Prey by John Sandford

Finished November 7th, 2007

Rating: 7/10

2nds Challenge Book #1




The Barnes & Noble Review
Chosen Prey, the 12th entry in this remarkably consistent series, finds the hard-edged Minnesota homicide detective spearheading yet another convoluted investigation, this one aimed at bringing down a serial killer -- and sexual psychopath -- known as the Gravedigger.

As we learn at the very outset, the Gravedigger is James Quatar, an effete, deeply disturbed art historian with a penchant for blondes who remind him of his mother. Several of these iconic blondes have served as unwitting models for James's distinctive brand of pornographic, mix-and-match computer art. And several have simply disappeared from the face of the earth. As the novel opens, the body of Qatar's most recent victim surfaces in a park on the outskirts of Minneapolis. When the park turns out to be a mass graveyard containing eight more victims -- all blonde, all with an affinity for the visual arts -- a statewide manhunt ensues.

I choose to read a John Sandford book as part of the 2nds Challenge. I previously read The Devil's Code and liked it and thought this was a good opportunity to read one of the books from the Lucas Davenport's series. I was a bit confused with all of the different characters however this may have been because this is the 12th book in the series. I probably should have started with the first in the series.

Overall I enjoyed the book, I wasn't blown away but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more from the series.

2nds Challenge

Joy at Thoughts of Joy is holding another challenge to take place after the Non-Fiction Five Challenge called the 2nds Challenge.

WHAT: Read 3 books by authors that you have only read one other

WHERE: Mister Linky will keep track of monthly books read on Joy's blog

WHEN: October, November and December, 2007

The books I have decided to read for this challenge are:

Ambler Warning by Robert Ludlum
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen
Chosen Prey by John Sandford

2nds Challenge

Joy at Thoughts of Joy is holding another challenge to take place after the Non-Fiction Five Challenge called the 2nds Challenge.

WHAT: Read 3 books by authors that you have only read one other

WHERE: Mister Linky will keep track of monthly books read on Joy's blog

WHEN: October, November and December, 2007

Before I decide on my books for this challenge I have decided to make a list of those authors who I have only read 1 book by to help me finalize my list for the challenge.

Margaret Atwood (haven't read any books by this author yet but will likely read one before this challenge begins)
Elizabeth Berg
Ann Brashares
Pearl S. Buck
Meg Cabot (haven't read any books by this author yet but will likely read one before this challenge begins)
Michael Connelly (haven't read any books by this author yet but will likely read one before this challenge begins)
Janet Evanovich
Tess Gerritsen (haven't read any books by this author yet but will likely read one before this challenge begins)
Jane Hamilton
Khaled Hosseini
Robert Ludlum
Cormac McCarthy (haven't read any books by this author yet but will likely read one before this challenge begins)
Ian McEwan
Rohinton Mistry
George Orwell
John Sandford
Dani Shapiro

I will post my choices closer to the challenge date.