Before we turn our backs on 2021, it only makes sense that we reflect back on those books that lingered with us as we hunkered down and rode the waves of "Pandemic Year #2" (ugh! whatta year!).  In no particular order (well, okay, in the order in which they were received), here are the BRP bloggers and their stated favorites from the-year-that-will-not-be-named-again (at least in this post): Diana Hurwitz Jack Castle's fantasy/sci-fi books   Deborah Crombie's mysteries The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell   Dani Greer Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane mystery series Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick Katherine Center's standalones Ann Parker Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January historical mystery series  (Hambly also writes a LOT of fantasy) Silverview by John le Carré Elle Carter Neal Middle-grade book  The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparkes ,...

I remember toward the end of July I decided to create a Blood-Red Pencil blog post early for August as well as finally posting to my own blog which has sat neglected since February 3rd. And then suddenly it was August 15th. No Blood-Red Pencil post. No post to my personal blog. What happened? I know I did stuff over the last month. I see the notations on my calendar. A cortisone shot in my arthritic shoulder (which did not help). My annual checkup which I passed with flying colors (for my age). A Saturday morning Crowdcast online event called Mystery in the Midlands . A grooming appointment for Sassy. Curbside pickups for groceries. A couple more online writing programs. A solid effort to apply the edits to my current almost-finished frontier fiction manuscript called In Defense of Delia . Critiques for two writers’ group meetings. And yet, without that calendar to look at, I might have had a hard time remembering what I did in the last four weeks to fill up all that ti...

Right on the heels of our month exploring humor (September) is our month on FEAR (October). So hang onto your hats, turn on the lights, and muffle the screams (or not), because I've rounded up some lists of scary reads for you to indulge in (or avoid).  Let's start at the top and go all out with Daryl Chen's 20 Scariest Books of All Times over at the Reader's Digest site. The post includes covers and short summaries, so you can pick and choose how you prefer your frights. Stephen King is well represented in the previous list, and his works appear as well in Buzzfeed's 23 Books That are Actually Really, Really Scary . ADDENDUM : King also appears prominently in another Buzzfeed article: 23 Books That Actually Freaked People Out So Badly, They Had To Stop Reading. (And here's a shout-out to my local indie bookstore, Towne Center Books , for mentioning this particular list. Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay Okay, I'm officially freaked o...

Home to Thanksgiving. George Henry Durrie [Public domain] Published by Currier and Ives. Thanksgiving is upon us—the season for gratitude and overeating in the good old U.S. of A. So, while you are digesting pumpkin pie and partaking of spiced cider (or perhaps something stronger), why not curl up with a good book and nourish your mind and imagination? Here are some lists where you can find Thanksgiving-themed stories, from mysteries to children's books to romances and more…  Let's start with Murder & Mayhem , because, well, why not? They have a delicious list of seven mysteries to start off our feast .  Where would we be without a plethora of offerings from the Cozy Mystery List ? Probably starving!  Here is Mystery Fanfare with some additional tasty entrees in the mystery genre. Moving beyond mysteries, Goodreads will definitely provide you with plenty to chew on. Let's start with their " Listopia list of Listopia lists " for Thanksgiving-...

It’s October— the nights are getting longer and colder, and thoughts turn to ghosts, pumpkins (pies or Jack-o-Lanterns or headless horsemen ), and the great beyond. If you are looking for a season-appropriate book to snuggle up with on Halloween, keep reading for places to start your exploration. Online mystery lists are a great place to find Halloween-themed stories, from the cozy end of the spectrum to the dark and devious: The Mystery Fanfare blog , run by mystery aficionado Janet Rudolph, offers a looooooong list of Halloween crime fiction (what is it about mystery writers and Halloween, I wonder?). Head over to the not-entirely-cozy Cozy Mystery List to find Halloween-themed mysteries to fit your mood , from BEDEVILED EGGS by Laura Childs and VAMPIRES, BONES, AND TREACLE SCONES by Kaitlyn Dunnett, to THE WITCHFINDER by Loren D. Estleman and TRICKS (87th PRECINCT) by Ed McBain. Nightstand Book Reviews offers up a list of 55 Halloween mysteries , some brand new and some c...

From John Kremer's blog , Tips on Marketing Books and E-books , here are 32 great reasons to read more books. Please share. To escape your normal life. To travel to real destinations. To explore new worlds. To imagine more than you could on your own. To understand something new. To understand something old. To connect with the author. To connect with other readers. To dream a new life. To compare dreams, realities, and in-between. To laugh and enjoy. To deepen your understanding and insight. To know more than you could learn on your own. To learn what you don’t know. To learn what you do know. To discover something extraordinary. To meet incredible characters. To build a larger vocabulary. To cry after a great read. To be entertained by a great story. To relax with a great storyteller. To stimulate thought. To grow your spirit. To find motivation to do more. To go on a great adventure. To learn how others live or have lived. To expand your horizons. ...