Sunday Salon #32 - 2 October

I seem to have done quite a lot of reading and a lot of blog post writing this last week.

This week's posts:

• Weekly Geeks #23: Top reads for 2008, so far..
  25 or so crime fiction books- a list you could head off to the library with. 7 Australian authors on the list too. Check out what weekly geeks is all about. Not just for crime fiction readers. In fact we are in the minority.
  
• Carnival of Criminal Minds #24 hits Halloween
  some lovely information about the origins of Halloween, the icons associated with it, costumes, and the association with pumpkins. And lots of lovely blogs to explore.
• Review: THE UNQUIET NIGHT, Patricia Carlon
  An Australian author not many will have heard of who should have got much better recognition here in Oz.
• Review: THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY, Siobhan Dowd
  It was only as I began reading this that it dawned on me that it isn't adult crime fiction, but a book written for teenagers, and probably the younger end of that spectrum. That doesn't mean that an adult won't enjoy it though.
• Don't Tell Me Covers Don't Count
  Books to talk about. 50 books that publishers think deserve to reach a wider readership – most specifically those that would make good subjects for discussion, those that don’t merely entertain, but give greater food for thought. Some lovely covers too.
  
• Big Wheels
  A bit of research that I did on Millenium Wheels. Have you ridden one?
• Review: BROKEN, Karin Fossum
  The Norwegian Queen of crime fiction writes a book that really isn't about crime although one gets committed.
• What's on your nightstand?
  A list of what I'm planning to read in the coming month. A monthly challenge to participate in on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
• Forgotten Books: Collected Short Stories, W. Somerset Maugham
  Have you heard of Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books? This is a weekly "challenge" I've been participating in.
• Review: WATERLOO SUNSET, Martin Edwards
  The latest from Martin Edwards. An excellent read.
• Barossa Band Festival 2008
  Just to show I do something other than read books, although of course I made my annual pilgrimage to The Raven bookshop in Tanunda.
  

Currently reading:

• now - WHAT THE DEAD KNOW, Laura Lippman. This is the one that has won so many awards
  
• next - A MAN LAY DEAD, Ngaio Marsh
• audio book - THE LORD'S DAY, Michael Dobbs. I'm up to disc 8 of 10 so I should finish this week.
  
• also listening to - CORDUROY MANSIONS, Alexander McCall Smith, up to ch. 26. Just realised though that I haven't listened to any of the last week's episodes. Must correct that today.

Breaking News:

• J. K. Rowling still the world's best paid author
• STRATTON'S WAR wins CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
• Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander
• Steve Toltz on Guardian First Book Award longlist with A FRACTION OF THE WHOLE
• GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO wins Boeke Prize

Last week's poll:
The question: What is the nationality of the author you are currently reading?

12 people took the poll
Australasian - 2
American -1
British - 5
Scandinavian - 4
0 for other European, Canadian, other, don't know

This week's question: How many books do you hope to read this year?
Do pop into my blog and take the poll. It is in the blocks at the side.