March SeriesCat: Favorite Authors

I suspect we all like to sneak off to a private place and get lost in the pages of a book. And whether it’s a detective series, a fantasy series or a romance series, we all have certain authors that take us the extra mile in our reading enjoyment. This month we are celebrating these personal favorites by choosing a favorite author of yours and reading one of their series books.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is going to read and who they have chosen to be counted among their “favorite authors”’

Please enjoy your reads this month and don’t forget to add your books to the Wiki which can be found HERE

I am hoping to read three series books by favorite authors with Half A War by Joe Abercrombie, The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham and Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read.

Favourites are always tough for me to pick! I have a few ideas, but I'll take a closer look at what on my tbr and decide from there.

I agree with Cindy, it's really difficult to pick a favourite author. So many to choose from.

I have the same problem as Cindy and Vivienne in picking favorites authors or even favorite books, but will need to look at favorite authors of series and that may help a little.

One of my favorite series is the Mrs. Jeffries series by Emily Brightwell and luckily the latest in the series, Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods comes out in March. Perfect timing!

Also, the latest Charles Finch book, The Vanishing Man comes out next week, so if I don't read it in February I'll definitely be reading it in March.

I think I'll be reading the next book in Louise Penny's series The Nature of the Beast.

I plan to read Before the Devil Breaks you by Libba Bray.

I'm planning on reading an Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series book by Laurell K. Hamilton for this challenge. The series has changed a lot over the years, but I still love the characters, and she's a long-time favorite author of mine.

>6 LittleTaiko:, >7 dudes22: . Just to let you know, the "newest book in a favorite series" is coming up in May. Both series by a favorite authors and newest book in favorite series were among the topics which won the voting when the series topics were decided. Nobody objected to them being so close to each other in time when hosts picked out topics and months.

I have several that I am going to try to read this month:

✔Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein
Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens
Broken Bone China by Laura Childs (she sent me the ARC)
Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon
Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon (NetGalley)
Thread Herrings by Lea Wait

They all fit the AlphaKit too!

>10 sallylou61: - Ooh, thanks for the reminder. Fortunately the latest Anna Lee Huber novel in her Lady Darby mystery comes out in April. Maybe I’ll be able to restrain myself until May. :)

I'm planning to read number 6 in C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series, Lamentation. It is a mere 400 pages. I had planned to read the seventh and latest one, Tombland in May, for newest book in a favourite series, but 800 pages might be too much of a good thing.

Just found out that Lamentation is 672 pages. Going ahead anyway.

>10 sallylou61: - Yes that gives me a chance to fit in an extra book this year.

Soooo many... but will read Charles Todd , Tana French , and John Scalzi

I'm using this prompt as a kick in the pants to finally read The Twenty-Three, by Linwood Barclay, the third book in the Promise Falls trilogy. (Although from what I understand, Parting Shot is kind of a fourth book in the trilogy?)

I was thinking about this while in bed.

Some favourite authors (for me, it's easier to go by genre) include: Stephen King (horror), Harlan Coben (mystery/thriller), Linwood Barclay (mystery/thriller), Michelle Moran (historical fiction).

I could probably add John Boyne in there, as well. Alison Weir used to be my favourite historical fiction/history author, but I'm not sure that's still the case.

Those were some I thought of. Now, to narrow down to those who have series... Coben and Barclay may be my options!! Except for Coben, I prefer his stand-alones. There might be more I'm just not thinking of.

I'm caught up with many of my favorites, but I have Sleeping in the Ground and Blood, Salt, Water next up to read.

Ok, a few options for me:

- Broken Promise / Linwood Barclay
- Deal Breaker / Harlan Coben
- End of Watch / Stephen King

I think I will choose from among:

Second Act in the Claudia Sefirus series by Marilyn Todd
Appleby Talking in the Inspector Appleby series by Michael Innes
The Long Divorce in the Gervase Fen series by Edmund Crispin

I'm thinking of reading Faithful Place by Tana French. It would also count for the March RandomCAT (if completed by March 29).

I may also read Dry Bones, the next in the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson.

Well, my audio came in, so I've already started mine! I try to read it in the month, but audios at the library are so hard to get ahold of lately, so I try to read them when they come!

Anyway, so I'm listening to End of Watch / Stephen King.

I may or may not add in another one later, but I am planning to count this one.

There are so many authors that I like that it's hard to pick a favorite. Hawever, there are several possibles for other CATs, etc. that I'll have one by an author I like more than average by the end of the month.

One of my favourite authors is Alexandre Dumas, and for some reason I haven't read his books about Marie Antoinette and her time yet, so I'll be starting Joseph Balsamo soon.

Iain M. Banks is one of my favorite authors and I was planning on reading some of his books this year anyway. I'll read Consider Phlebas, the first book in his The Culture series.

Reading another one from the Cozy Corgi series by Mildred Abbott (Cozy Corgi is the name of a bookstore).

I have started Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders, featuring the fabulous Hercule Poirot.

Starting Appleby Talks by Michael Innes, short stories in the Inspector Appleby series. Michael Innes was a favourite author of mine in my teens and twenties who I am now re-visiting. In my early teens I desperately wanted to be part of his erudite world when I grew up. I still haven't made it.

One of my favourite series is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I am up to An Echo in the Bone. It will take me more than one month to read that! A newer favourite is Fredrik Backman’s Beartown series. So I am going to commit to reading Us Against You, the second book. Beartown was a five star read for me so I’m really looking forward to this one.

>27 pamelad: That one is next for me in Poirot. But I just started my next Miss Marple for this challenge, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.

Unfortunately I was quite disappointed with Celebrations At Thrush Green by Miss Read. This author's Thrush Green series has always charmed me but this one fell well short of the mark. There is only one book left in the series so I hope number 12 gives the series the send off it deserves.

COMPLETED Appleby Talks by Michael Innes. Amusing enough short stories, but I think I prefer the novels.

>32 Robertgreaves: I really enjoy the Appleby series. Haven't read any of the short stories, just the novels.

I've finished Lock In and am now reading Head On by John Scalzi, who is definitely on of my favorite authors.

End of Watch / Stephen King
3.5 stars

This is the third in the “Mr. Mercedes” trilogy. Possible spoilers for the first book: Brady Hartzfield (Mr. Mercedes) has been in the hospital, pretty much brain-dead. Retired Det. Hodges visits him and thinks there is more going on in Brady’s head than Brady is letting on. And he’s right! Meanwhile, people (many, teenagers) are committing suicide, but it turns out many of them have been playing a game on an older, now-defunct tablet. What is going on?

Holly and Jerome also return in this 3rd book in the series. Holly still grates on me some (I reread my other reviews, and in the first book Holly did “grow on me”), but at other times, I found her amusing. I listened to the audio, and it’s possible it’s the way the narrator “plays” Holly that, at least plays a part in my irritation with her. Apparently, I didn’t like this one quite as much as the first two (each rated 4 stars), but overall it was still good. And, I think, a good conclusion to the series.

I’ve just finished The Dark Horse from the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. One of the reasons he is my favorite author is the way Longmire relates to his Dog.

Finished Cold is the Grave, an Inspector Alan Banks mystery from Peter Robinson. I've always liked Robinson, a Canadian originally from Yorkshire, and this is one of his best.

I just finished The Girl in the Green Silk Gown from the Ghost Roads series by Seanan McGuire, who is one of my very favorite authors.

I finished The Harp in the South by Ruth Park tonight. I had high hopes that were more than fulfulled. Since I read my first Ruth Park in January, and a second in February. The Harp is the second in a series of three novels, but the "first" was actually written last, so I'm saving it for the end.

Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors as well, and #8 in her Incryptid series came out today, Amazon had it here early this morning, and I finished That Ain't Witchcraft by mid-afternoon! (And Rose puts in an appearance AND certain things that happen in this book have GOT to have a big impact on the Ghost Roads.)

Starting A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd - who are among my favorite authors.

Listening to Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch. Love the series and the author.

Finished Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton. This wasn't my favorite in the series, but it was fast and enjoyable, I so adore the characters.

Broken Promise / Linwood Barclay
4 stars

David left his job as a reporter in Boston to come home to Promise Falls with his son. He took a job with the local paper, only to lose it on his first day when the paper shuts down. When he goes to visit his cousin, Marla, he finds her with a baby… that’s not hers! A number of months back, Marla had lost a baby and later tried to take another one from the hospital – this was hushed up by her mother. Marla tells David that an “angel” dropped off the baby to her. He finds some info that gives him a clue to where the baby might belong and manages to convince Marla to go with him and they bring the baby. When they arrive, they find the mother murdered on the floor in the house!

I really enjoyed this. There were a couple of other storylines, as well, but the others weren’t wrapped up by the end. I did know this was a series, so I expect those will be finished up in further books. Barclay’s books are told from different points of view, but we are told at the start of each chapter whose POV we are following (or most chapters, anyway). As usual, there are twists in the book.

>44 LibraryCin: I think that's a BB. Wishlisted at least.

>44 LibraryCin: A BB for me too, my library has all in the series.

>45 Robertgreaves: >46 clue: Hope you both enjoy it!

I finished Jasper Fforde's second book of the Kazam series, The Song of the Quarkbeast. It's a YA series and not as complex as his Tuesday Next series, but is light and funny and entertaining with a wonderful 16 year old female protagonist. I'll definitely continue on with Kazam.

I had originally meant to read this for last month's challenge to read a children's or YA series, but it works for either month.

I'm going to start Alexander McCall Smith's The Sunday Philosophy Club. I've enjoyed his Precious Ramotswe books, and so hope to enjoy this one, too. I actually acquired this book in 2012. Hooray for reducing the TBR pile by one!

I finished A Cold Treachery from the Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd.

I read Falling Free by by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was the 4th in series and was a lot of fun. Full of ethical issues around what is human, genetic engineering, reproductive rights, etc. Really liked it. Not so sure the Bujold is a favorite author but she is a series that I've been reading and I don't usually read series so I guess she might be.

Now I am reading the 3rd book in the Baroque series, Odalisque by Neal Stephenson, who is a favorite author. This is not my favorite by the author but it is an interesting alternate history series set in a time period that I know little and have much to learn.

I just finished Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, book 2 in the Beartown series. I absolutely loved it! 5 stars and added to my favourite list. This author has such an authentic way of portraying his characters, sport and small town politics. Highly recommended, but you must read Beartown first.

I've finished Bookman's Wake by John Dunning, the second in the Cliff Janeway mystery series. Janeway is a Denver cop turned antiquarian bookseller. Dunning was an antiquarian dealer for many years in Denver so he knows what he's writing about!

>52 clue: - That is one of my most favorite series, Luanne.

I hope everyone is enjoying visiting with their favorite authors this month. I just finished The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham and it was excellent. I highly recommend this police procedural series. Next up for me is another favorite author, fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in one of my selections for this month. I loved Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan and Chalion books, so thought this was the perfect opportunity to start her Sharing Knife series with Beguilement. I couldn't finish it. It was too romancey for my liking and the overall story just wasnt' engaging enough for me to overlook that and want to keep reading.

>55 staci426: I felt the same way. Also found the age difference off-putting.

I'm trying to read books I already own for this challenge (although I'll occasionally make exceptions). Since I don't have any books by my favorite current authors I hadn't read recently, I decided to reread Quaker Witness by Irene Allen, an author who wrote 4 books in the 1990s featuring Elizabeth Elliot, a Quaker who became involved in the detection of murders. At the time, I was sorry that Ms. Allen did not write more in this series although I had found the first two books stronger than the last two. However, upon rereading Quaker Witness, the second book in the series, I found that although I enjoyed reading the book as a whole, reading about Ms. Elliot's various aches and pains became rather tiring. Also, I discovered that, according to the ratings in LT and in Amazon, this series has not been very favorably received. Therefore, I'm not surprised that this series was not continued.

Quaker Witness deals with the cut-throat life in the fictional Paleontology Department at Harvard University. A paleontologist who is well regarded for his academic work but not for his treatment of female students is found dead, and the suspicion falls on Janet Stevens, the only female student in the department who has, after many unwanted encounters, recently filed sexual harassment charges against him. As a whole, the males, both faculty and students do not care about the treatment of Janet. Ms. Elliot believes that Janet is innocent, and does her own investigating in addition to being supportive of Janet.

>55 staci426: >56 majkia: Coincidentally, I too chose Beguilement for this challenge, as I loved Bujold's Vorkosigan and Chalion series. I liked some aspects of the story enough to finish it, but this must be my least favourite of all the Bujold books I've read. I too found the romance tedious and the age difference uncomfortable.

I read both the books I had planned to read - The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch and Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods by Emily Brightwell. Both of them reminded me why I love the series so much. I also read a couple more Aunt Bessie books which were the light fun that I needed - Aunt Bessie Knows and Aunt Bessie Likes. I'm also planning on getting in an Agatha Christie book this month as well since I couldn't let the favorite author month go by without reading something by her.

I just completed Half A War by Joe Abercrombie and this served as a great reminder of why he is one of my favorite authors. This book brought his Shattered Seas trilogy to a satisfactory conclusion.

Finished Towards Zero by Agatha Christie featuring Superintendent Battle. Wish she would have included him in more books.

After picking a favourite author that didn't fit as the book wasn't in a series I finally settled on an unread book by Ken Bruen and devoured The White Trilogy which includes the first 3 books of the Inspector Brant series. Didn't find it to be up there with his Jack Taylor books but if you don't mind the kind of crime books where it's hard to tell the cops from the robbers then these stories just fly by.

I have finished Joseph Balsamo by Alexandre Dumas, first in a series about the time of Marie Antoinette. This is an extremely slow start to the series, but in the fourth volume things start to pick up and set the scene for the turmoil of the French Revolution.

I managed to finish two books that fit this CAT:

The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri - another wonderful installment in the series
The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye - a solid closure to a an absolutely fabulous trilogy.

I finished Consider Phlebas, the first in Iain M. Bank Culture series. I had read the second one first (The Player of Games) and loved it. You don't have to read them in order, however I did find this book explained a bit more about the Culture, a humanoid civilization.

Read Alliance Rising by C J Cherryh - a new book in a favorite series by an favorite author. Also read several books in the Murderbot Diaries by a new favorite author, Martha Wells - Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy