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Summing Up 2022

 Over the Thanksgiving holiday I read...well finished... three books. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY by John le Carré, THE MAID by Nita Prose and STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel. There was a moment when I thought I could catch my reading goal of 40 books. That was.....foolish. [Editor's Note: I can recommend all 3 books, immensely enjoyable in their own ways.]

 However, December reading died on the vine and alas I only made 28. The last official read of 2022 was Mark Billingham's THE MURDER BOOK. I was remined yet again that the Thorne books are pound for pound the best series running. I started EVERY CLOAK ROLLED IN BLOOD by James Lee Burke but did not finish it until after the 1st. Silver lining....it will pad the 2023 reading numbers. How was the book you might ask? JLB has ascended criticism in my mind so....

 After that I moved on to THE ISLAND by Adrian McKinty. I was less enamored with this book than his last. It was some tough sledding through the first 100-125 pages, before I gulped down the last 200 in one sitting. It is unfair to the book really. I just miss Sean Duffy I guess...

 Now I am 200 pages into HELL AND BACK by Craig Johnson which plays as a wonderful haunted house of a book. I'm excited to finish. And while 2022 is dead and buried I count 6-7 books from the year I still need to put to bed. This includes the latest Connelly and Crais, plus a handful of purchases inspired by a trip to the UK and some FOMO purchases made at the death of 2022.

 2023 will be anchored by a return to Bouchercon. The San Diego event is over my birthday this year and it will be my first since Long Beach 2014. Plans for Sacramento were scuttled by the pandemic. I have no agenda for the show, which admittedly is a long way off. Previous versions had me bring 20+ books to get signed by authors and essential running around like a crazy person. I'm trying to be less of that and more present in the moment, but if I have learned anything it is that I love buying books and getting them signed.

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