Criminal Plots Reading Challenge

Standalone Written by a Series Writer

2012-01-02T12:51:00.003-05:00

This category is the book you picked that is a standalone novel written by an author who writes at least one series. Can the author be great outside his/her old reliable?

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (Double Exposure)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Book Whose Protag is the Opposite Gender from the Author

2012-01-02T12:49:00.001-05:00

This category is the book you picked whose protagonist is the opposite gender of the author. Can boys write about girls and girls write about boys?

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (The Brutal Telling)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Book Written by an Author Using a Pen Name

2012-01-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

This category is the book you picked that was written by an author using a pen name. Who is that masked author?

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (Alter of Bones)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Book Written by an Author from Your State/Providence

2012-01-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

This category is the book you picked that was written by an author from the state/providence where you live. Who's local to you?

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (The Things That Keep Us Here)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Book Published at Least 10 Years Ago

2012-01-02T12:35:00.001-05:00

This category is the book you picked that was published at least 10 years ago. Let's crack out those backlist titles, shall we?

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (L.A. Requiem)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Novel With a Weapon in the Title

2012-01-02T12:22:00.001-05:00

This category is the book you picked that has some kind of weapon in the title. I'm so excited to see what y'all come up with for this one!

If you have a blog, add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. Include your blog name and the book title in parentheses. For example, Jen's Book Thoughts (The Blade Itself)

If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post. Remember to include thoughts on the book, not just the book title.

Announcing Criminal Plots II - The 2012 Reading Challenge

2011-12-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the second annual Criminal Plots reading challenge! If you are a veteran of this challenge, thank you for coming back! If you are new to the challenge, thank you so much for joining us. I hope you'll enjoy your experience with this challenge.

As with last year's challenge, I hope you take this opportunity to expose yourself to some books and authors in the genre that you may not have experienced before. I think the categories should provide you with a chance to see the old and new alike.

This year's Rules of the Road:

You'll be reading six books between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012. One book should be read that fits into each of the following categories:

1. Novel with a weapon in the title (examples: A Night of Long Knives, A Nail Through the Heart, Sharp Objects, The Rope, Lay Down my Sword and Shield)

2. Book published at least 10 years ago - this should be an easy one, time to pull out those backlists (examples: Goodnight Irene, The Black Echo, Indemnity Only)

3. Book written by an author from the state/provinence/etc. where you live. (I live in Ohio, so examples for me would be Carla Buckley, Les Roberts, Craig McDonald)

4. Book written by an author using a pen name (i.e., Spencer Quinn, Ross Macdonald, Ariana Franklin, Noah Boyd, Juliett Blackwell, Lisa Black)

5. Crime novel whose protagonist is the opposite gender of the author (i.e., Demolition Angel, Bury Your Dead, Calumet City)

6. A stand-alone novel written by an author who writes at least one series (i.e., El Gavilan (Craig McDonald), Long Gone (Alafair Burke), The Lock Artist (Steve Hamilton), Envy the Night (Michael Koryta), The Most Dangerous Thing (Laura Lippman))

Other Important Details:

You can read the books in any format you choose: print, audio, e-book, etc.
You can read books from any sub-genre of crime fiction: hardboiled, P.I., police procedural, cozy, thriller, etc.
You do not need to have a blog to participate.
You can use the books for other challenges but one book cannot count for more than one category in THIS challenge.
Books do not need to be pre-determined. You can choose them at any time throughout the year. And you can read them in whatever order you choose.
At the conclusion, each participant that completes the challenge will be entered for a chance at one of three prize packs.

To sign up for this challenge, add your blog to the Mr. Linky below. Put your blog name in the top box and your blog's URL in the bottom box. If you do not have a blog, indicate that you are participating in the comments of this post. Also, if you run into any technical problems with Mr. Linky, you can add your blog name and URL to the comments.

On January 1st, six new posts will appear here, one for each of the categories involved. Each post will also have a Mr. Linky. Once you complete one of the categories and write your review, come to the post and add the link to your review. If you don't have a blog, then you will put your response to your book in the comments section - be sure to tell us something about the book, don't just leave the title.

I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Happy Reading!

Author From a Blurb

2011-01-01T03:00:00.011-05:00

This category is the book you picked that was written by author you haven't read before but who blurbed a book you enjoyed.

Be sure to include the title of the book where the blurb came from.

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

2011 Debut Author

2011-01-01T03:00:00.010-05:00

This category is the book you picked written by a 2011 debut author. Also include where you heard about this author or how you discovered the book.

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

New-to-You Series

2011-01-01T03:00:00.008-05:00

This category is the book you picked that is the first in a new-to-you series. Here's your chance to pick up a series you've been meaning to start but just haven't gotten around to.

Having read it now, do you plan to continue the series or is one book enough?

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

A Different Country

2011-01-01T03:00:00.006-05:00

This category is the book you picked that is set outside the country you live in. The author can live in your same country but the book needs to take place elsewhere. Were there any elements about the setting that surprised you? How did it influence the story and the characters?

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

Opposite Gender

2011-01-01T03:00:00.004-05:00

For this book, you need to read any book that has a protagonist with a gender opposite your own. So gentlemen, you need to have a female protagonist, and ladies, you need to have a male protagonist.

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

Book Made into Movie

2011-01-01T03:00:00.002-05:00

This category is the book you picked that has been made into a movie. You need not have seen the movie, but this should be the first time you're reading the book. You can make comments comparing the two, but it isn't required.

If you have a blog, you can add the perma-link for your review to the Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, you can write your thoughts on the book in the comments section of this post.

The Inaugural CRIMINAL PLOTS Reading Challenge

2010-12-04T14:39:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my first ever Criminal Plots reading challenge! I hemmed and hawed over whether to add another reading challenge to the book blogging sphere, but with some help and encouragement from very good friends, I decided to take the plunge and here we are with Criminal Plots.

What I would hope for people who participate to get out of this challenge is exposure to the crime fiction genre. I know that is a bad word to some people, but really, it's nothing more than a classification. Authors have been breaking the genre rules for years now and even those who write within the guidelines write some pretty fantastic stuff. And if you're a crime fiction aficionado, I hope this challenge motivates you to read some books you've been meaning to read and haven't gotten to or it encourages you to read something you haven't tried before.

Rules of the Road:

So, what's involved in this challenge you ask? It isn't too difficult. It involves reading six books throughout 2011 (January 1 through December 31, 2011). One book should be read that fits into each of the following categories:

A book by a new to you author who's blurbed a book you enjoyed. So check out the cover of a crime fiction book you've enjoyed and see who blurbed that book and is also an author you've never read before.
A book that has been made into a movie. It doesn't have to be a movie you've seen but it can be. The book, however, should be one you haven't read before. (Examples: MYSTIC RIVER, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, LONDON BOULEVARD, HOSTAGE, etc.)
A book with a protagonist opposite your own gender. So if you're female, the protagonist should be male; if you're male the protagonist should be female.
A book set outside the country in which you live.
A book that's the first in a new-to-you series.
A book by a 2011 debut author.

Other Important Details:

You can read the books in any format you choose: print, audio, e-book, etc.
You can read books from any sub-genre of crime fiction: hardboiled, P.I., police procedural, cozy, thriller, etc.
You do not need to have a blog to participate.
You can use the books for other challenges but one book cannot count for more than one category in THIS challenge.
Books do not need to be pre-determined. You can choose them at any time throughout the year. And you can read them in whatever order you choose.
At the conclusion, each participant that completes the challenge will be entered for a chance at one of three prize packs.

To sign up for this challenge, add your blog to the Mr. Linky below. Put your blog name in the top box and your blog's URL in the bottom box. If you do not have a blog, indicate that you are participating in the comments of this post. Also, if you run into any technical problems with Mr. Linky, you can add your blog name and URL to the comments.

On January 1st, six new posts will appear here, one for each of the categories involved. Each post will also have a Mr. Linky. Once you complete one of the categories and write your review, come to the post and add the link to your review. If you don't have a blog, then you will put your response to your book in the comments section.

If all works out well, we'll make this a yearly project. I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to email me. I'm sure I'll be ironing out wrinkles as we go since this is the first go round.

Happy Reading!

*Since I made an error on the new Mr. Linkys, if you haven't signed up yet and still wish to do so, just leave your blog name and link in the comments here. You can access those who have already signed up on Mr. Linky by clicking the link. Sorry!