Give Crime Fiction for Christmas, Part Two

My focus this time is on great Australian authors to look for and enjoy.

• 5.0, BITTER WASH ROAD, Garry Disher
• 5.0, THE ROBBERS, Paul Anderson
• 5.0, WATCHING YOU, Michael Robotham
• 4.9, BLACKWATERCREEK, Geoffrey McGeachin
• 4.9, SILENT VALLEY, Malla Nunn
• 4.8, THE MISTAKE, Wendy James
• 4.8, UNNATURAL HABITS, Kerry Greenwood
• 4.8, THE MARMALADE FILES, Steve Lewis & Chris Uhlmann
• 4.8, IF I TELL YOU... I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU, Michael Robotham (edit)
• 4.7, THE MIDNIGHT DRESS, Karen Foxlee 

Give Crime Fiction for Christmas in 2013, Part One

If you are looking for books to give for Christmas here are a few suggestions from my best reads for 2013.
There are some Australian and New Zealand authors among them.
Many are available from Amazon in paperback or for Kindle.

1. 5.0, BITTER WASH ROAD, Garry Disher- Aus
2. 5.0, THE ROBBERS, Paul Anderson- Aus
3. 5.0, DEAD WATER, Ann Cleeves  
4. 5.0, TRUST YOUR EYES, Linwood Barclay
5. 5.0, THE LEWIS MAN, Peter May 
6. 5.0, THE LAST POLICEMAN, Ben H. Winters
7. 5.0, TRACES OF RED, Paddy Richardson - NZ
8. 5.0, DEADLY HARVEST, Michael Stanley 
9. 5.0, CLOUDSTREET, Tim Winton - Aus 
10. 5.0, THE GHOST RIDERS OF ORDEBEC, Fred Vargas
11. 5.0, ALEX, Pierre Lemaitre
12. 5.0, THE CUCKOO'S CALLING, J.K. Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith 
13. 4.9, BLACKWATERCREEK, Geoffrey McGeachin -Aus
14. 4.9, SILENT VALLEY, Malla Nunn- Aus
15. 4.9, CAPTURED, Neil Cross - NZ
16. 4.9, BLACK SKIES, Arnaldur Indridason
17. 4.9, THE DARK WINTER, David Mark
18. 4.8, THE TOOTH TATTOO, Peter Lovesey
19. 4.8, THE MISTAKE, Wendy James - Aus
20. 4.8, ROTTEN GODS, Greg Barron - Aus
21. 4.8, UNNATURAL HABITS, Kerry Greenwood - Aus
22. 4.8, STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE, Ian Rankin
23. 4.8, SUFFICIENT GRACE, Amy Espeseth- Aus
24. 4.8, THE MARMALADE FILES, Steve Lewis & Chris Uhlmann- Aus
25. 4.8, PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, Geraldine Brooks- Aus
26. 4.8, A DARK ADAPTED EYE, Barbara Vine 
27. 4.8, ICE COLD, Tess Gerritsen 
28. 4.8, IF I TELL YOU... I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU, Michael Robotham (edit) - Aus
29. 4.8, THE HIGHLAND WITCH (aka CORRAG), Susan Fletcher
30. 4.7, IN HER BLOOD, Annie Hauxwell- Aus

Check all my 2013 reviews.

Sunday Salon: Do tell - what books did you get?

Did your family get the message? Did you get a book or two for Christmas?

Mine are always a bit worried by the prospect of giving me something I've already read or something I'll hate.

I have to report that I didn't get one book, although my husband did give me the full set of DVDs for Rumpole of the Bailey, 15 DVDs altogether, and something I hadn't see before, a complete set of The Irish R.M. which starred Peter Bowles, 6 DVDs altogether, so we have some serious viewing ahead of us!

How did you get yours to give you books? Did you have a "wishlist"? What books did you get?

Successful shopping: the year of the book

'Tis official: it is the year of the book in the Smith household!

We successfully completed our Christmas shopping yesterday. Visited 2 bookstores and got the lot.
Not all crime fiction of course: have also catered for the cooks, YAs, footy fans, meticulous record keepers, and young uns.

The List grows: Crime Fiction to Give for Christmas

This is one of two memes that I will be running that have a Christmas theme.

In this one which will run from now until Christmas I'm asking for your suggestions for crime fiction books to give for Christmas.

You may like to create a special page on your blog and list some books there, or alternatively link to already posted reviews on your blog of books you think would make good presents.

Please complete the details in the Mr. Linky below.

1. Suggested format  BOOK TITLE, author name - your name
2. Please link to the actual post on your blog, not just the blog itself.
3. In your post or your blog, please link back to this page, and feel free to use the image I've created.
   
4. You may link to more than one blog post if you wish
5. Links not complying with the above will be edited or removed altogether.
   

Thanks for your participation

---

Reminder: Add Your Suggestions: Crime fiction to give for Christmas

This is one of two memes that I will be running that have a Christmas theme.

In this one which will run from now until Christmas I'm asking for your suggestions for crime fiction books to give for Christmas.

You may like to create a special page on your blog and list some books there, or alternatively link to already posted reviews on your blog of books you think would make good presents.

Please complete the details in the Mr. Linky below.

1. Suggested format  BOOK TITLE, author name - your name
2. Please link to the actual post on your blog, not just the blog itself.
3. In your post or your blog, please link back to this page, and feel free to use the image I've created.
   
4. You may link to more than one blog post if you wish
5. Links not complying with the above will be edited or removed altogether.
   

Thanks for your participation

---

Weekly Geeks 2010-36 Readers Advisory

This week's Weekly Geeks task has prompted me to release, a couple of days early, a meme that I was going to run anyway where I invite readers to suggest crime fiction books we could give for Christmas.

This meme, called Give Books for Christmas 2010,  invites you to add links to a "Mr Linky" for books you've read or reviewed and have no hesitation in recommending to others, or to a page on your blog where you have a list of recommendations.

For myself, I'll probably just link to my "books read" in 2010, where my list is ranked in rating order, so there is no doubt about which ones I thought are the best.

My own suggestions for Give Books for Christmas 2009 were really just my best reads for the year.

If you look in the right hand side of my blog you'll see that I have linked to this post to help you find it easily in the future once you have decided what you can add to Mr Linky. And there is no limit to how often you can come back and add a link!

Books to give for Christmas - crime fiction of course

This is one of two memes that I will be running that have a Christmas theme.

In this one which will run from now until Christmas I'm asking for your suggestions for crime fiction books to give for Christmas.

You may like to create a special page on your blog and list some books there, or alternatively link to already posted reviews on your blog of books you think would make good presents.

Please complete the details in the Mr. Linky below.

1. Suggested format  BOOK TITLE, author name - your name
2. Please link to the actual post on your blog, not just the blog itself.
3. In your post or your blog, please link back to this page, and feel free to use the image I've created.
   
4. You may link to more than one blog post if you wish
5. Links not complying with the above will be edited or removed altogether.
   

Thanks for your participation

---

Plan to give books for Christmas

This post is part of the 2009 Virtual Advent Tour.
Share Christmassy thoughts, recipes, book recommendations with participants from around the world.
Every day there will be at least one post on the tour. Check the home site out and do visit everyone if you can.

Many thanks to Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Reading Adventures for organising us.

Join me in my plan to give books for Christmas this year. If you need any crime fiction recommendations, then check my best rating books for this year and last on Smik's Reviews.

Here are the top 10 or so on my list this year:

• 5.0, SHATTER, Michael Robotham
• 5.0, PLAY DEAD, Richard Montanari
• 4.9, ECHOES FROM THE DEAD, Johan Theorin
• 4.9, SHADOW, Karin Alvtegen
• 4.9, SEARCH THE DARK, Charles Todd
• 4.9, A PALE HORSE, Charles Todd
• 4.8, ARCTIC CHILL, Arnaldur Indridason
• 4.8, THE REDEEMER, Jo Nesbo
• 4.8, THE CRUELLEST MONTH, Louise Penny
• 4.8, A TEST OF WILLS, Charles Todd
• 4.8, A CERTAIN MALICE, Felicity Young

Here are the books that have been close to perfect for me this year and last:

• 5.0, SHATTER, Michael Robotham
• 5.0, SHATTER, Michael Robotham (audio version)
• 5.0, NEMESIS, Jo Nesbo
• 5.0, FAN MAIL, PD Martin
• 5.0, DIRTY WEEKEND, Gabrielle Lord
• 5.0, A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS, R.J. Ellory
• 5.0, BLACK OUT, Karin Fossum
• 5.0, PLAY DEAD, Richard Montanari
• 5.0, A CURE FOR ALL DISEASES, Reginald Hill
• 5.0, BENEATH THE BLEEDING, Val McDermid
• 4.9, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR, Fred Vargas
• 4.9, ECHOES FROM THE DEAD, Johan Theorin
• 4.9, SHADOW, Karin Alvtegen
• 4.9, THE PRIVATE PATIENT, P.D. James
• 4.8, ONE GOOD TURN, Kate Atkinson
• 4.8, LUCIFER'S SHADOW, David Hewson
• 4.9, SEARCH THE DARK, Charles Todd
• 4.9, A PALE HORSE, Charles Todd
• 4.8, ARCTIC CHILL, Arnaldur Indridason
• 4.8, THE REDEEMER, Jo Nesbo
• 4.8, THE CRUELLEST MONTH, Louise Penny
• 4.8, VOODOO DOLL, Leah Giarratano
• 4.8, WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS?, Kate Atkinson
• 4.8, THE LORDS' DAY, Michael Dobbs
• 4.8, WATER LIKE A STONE, Deborah Crombie
• 4.8, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Stieg Larsson
• 4.8, NOT DEAD ENOUGH, Peter James
• 4.8, CARELESS IN RED, Elizabeth George
• 4.8, A TEST OF WILLS, Charles Todd
• 4.8, OVERKILL, Vanda Symon
• 4.8, A CERTAIN MALICE, Felicity Young

If you'd like to use the image I've created on your blog, then go ahead.

If you visit my blog, you'll notice this image also. You might like to join this meme in which you can link back to posts on your blog that refer to books that have a Christmas focus or setting. They don't have to be crime fiction. Check the details out here.