Sherlock Challenge Wrap-Up and Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to everyone that participated in my very first reading challenge. It was small and perhaps not as organized as most, but I really enjoyed reading everyone'e reviews and getting to read a couple of great Sherlock reads before the show returns to PBS on January 19th.

I hope those of you who joined in the Sherlock reading enjoyed themselves. I would love some feedback on how to improve on hosting a challenge. I have an idea for another Book to TV Reading Challenge or RAL for later in the year.

Okay, time to announce the winner of the Sherlock DVD's. There were 11 books read/reviewed by 5 participants. Using the Random Number Generator…

Congratulations, WordLily!!!

Don't forget to email me your mailing address and your preference for either Season 1 or 2. marireadsATyahooDOTcom

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Giveaway Winner!

We have ourselves a new owner of this very cute Sherlock Holmes Action Figure! Congratulations, Tif !  Email me your address to marireadsATyahooDOTcom. Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Reading Challenge September Check-In and Giveaway!

Don't forget to link up your reviews! You can find the MisterLinky here. Remember, each review will be an entry for a giveaway of Season 1 or 2 DVD of Sherlock.  Haven't signed up for the challenge yet? Not a problem. You have plenty of time to join and get some reading done. Four months is plenty of time to read some of these stories. Join here! Here is a quick and easy to enter giveaway for all readers/followers of MariReads. Let me know your favorite adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and be entered to win this Sherlock Holmes Action Figure from GoneReading.com! 

You have until September 17th to enter! Open Internationally.  Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I am really enjoying Doyle's style of writing. The background of the characters given in small morsels throughout the books to whet your appetite for more Sherlock, the presentation of the clues that only Holmes sees, the way that the killer always describes exactly why and how they did it once they are caught. 
This last one makes me laugh a bit. My husband hates most police procedural dramas on television because of this one little fact. The guilty always confess. Well, I have explained to him, it is only an hour show. The audience needs the mystery completely solved and explained in the time allotted. What better way than to have the guilty party confess. Seems Doyle had this figured out long before.
The Sign of the Four is a treasure hunt gone badly and of course, only our drug taking, obsessive and complicated detective is the only one who can solve the mystery.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Reading Challenge Check-In

Hey all! Hope that everyone is enjoying their Sherlock reading. I definitely am. I have just finished my second book, The Sign of the Four and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you as soon as I sit down and write them. 
Don't forget to link up your reviews here. There are a couple there already, so go check them out. You can also find the link in the right side bar under the Challenge button. I will also place the link on the main Challenge post. 
I would love to know how you are all doing. Leave a comment with what you have read and what you are currently reading and what you plan to read next. Next on my list: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Here is a little something to whet your appetite for Season 3 of Sherlock. Enjoy!

 
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

This was an interesting read. 

It started off as expected: murder, mystery, and the great Sherlock Holmes at his best in deducing what happened. The great partnership of Holmes and Watson begins here as they are introduced by a mutual friend since they both required a roommate. Holmes is asked for his help and Watson goes along for the ride.

Part II confused me for a bit until I realized it was a flashback to the life of the murderer back in the US. It felt like a completely different book, as the murderer's story is more about Brigham Young and his followers as they settled in Utah. Have you read The 19th Wife? It was a bit like that. 

Anyway, this was a great intro the Doyle's Sherlock. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace, the mystery, the introduction of Watson and Holmes. Doyle's writing is quite engaging. I was pulled in quickly and completely invested in figuring out who was murdered, by who and why.

Next to read: The Sign of the Four

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Mailbox Monday: 6/24/13

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Dolce Belleza this month.

In case you don't know, I am currently hosting a Reading Challenge to read Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. So many great stories amongst this collection. And with all the new interest due to the movie version of Sherlock Holmes and the success of Elementary and Sherlock on TV, I was not surprised to start seeing new books influenced by Doyle and Sherlock. 
In the mail today, I received an ARC of Winter at Death's Hotel by Kenneth Cameron. 

In January 1896, Arthur Conan Doyle, the renowned creator of Sherlock Holmes, arrives with his wife Louisa at the Britannic Hotel in New York for his first American tour. Louisa is instantly mesmerised by this vibrant, dangerous city. When a woman's mutilated corpse is found in a Bowery alley, she becomes convinced from the artist's sketch that she'd seen the victim at the hotel. As more bodies start appearing, Louisa starts piecing together clues to reveal a story of madness, murder and depravity which leads inexorably back to the hotel itself and a madman who is watching her every move.

I am looking forward to reading this one alongside my readings of Doyle's Sherlock.  Another book to get me through the wait for Sherlock season 3 to start! If you have not signed up for my Reading Challenge, no problem. It runs through the end of the year, so come join the fun. There will be some great giveaways for those who participate, including a copy of this book. Here's the link:

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Reading Challenge: Review Link Up

I am so happy to have some fellow readers take on the challenge of reading some Sherlock Holmes with me. I can't wait to see what books you read and what you think of them. I will be starting with the first book, A Study in Scarlet, and will be posting my reviews along with yours. Hopefully, some great discussions will arise.
So, this is the place to link up those reviews. Oh, and if you haven't signed up but would like to, just click on the button. It will take you where you need to go. :)

Enjoy and Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Holmes Reading Challenge

For those of you going through Sherlock withdrawal like me, I have a reading challenge for you. I thought it would be fun, while we wait for Season 3, to go back to the originals and read Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock. Here is the list of all the Holmes books, minus a few short stories that I thought might be hard to get a hold of. You can find most of these as free eBooks.

A Study in Scarlet (1887) The Sign of Four (1890) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) The Valley of Fear (1915) His Last Bow (1917) The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

To make this easy and give lots of options for participation you can choose your level of expertise in deduction from the 5 options below. 

Inspector
Read all 9 listed above. 
Lieutenant
Read 6 of your choosing. 
Detective
Read 3 of your choosing.
Officer
Read 1 of your choosing. 

The Challenge will run from June 1-Dec 31st. 

All who participate will be entered for a giveaway, one entry for each book read and reviewed. The more you read, the more chances you get to win a copy of Sherlock, Season 1 or 2 on DVD. 

Ready to join? 

Post what books you plan to read and sign up with the Mister Linky below. The post to link your reviews will be up June 1st. I hope you are all as excited to read these as I am.

You can post your reviews here.

Happy Reading! 

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

I'm planning a Challenge!

Look for more details soon!