It is purely my opinion...
Profile Information
- Hometown:
- Oakland, CA
- About Me:
- I can't remember a time I didn't read and still have the first book I bought with my own money--Jane Eyre for $.75 through Scholastic Books. For many years now, I coordinated the East Bay Mystery Readers' Group (http://www.ebmrg.org) since 1994 and have evaluated manuscripts for Poisoned Pen Press. I am a contributing reviewer to "The Strand Magazine" and "Mystery Readers Journal" as well as Calamity's Corner. My reviews also appear on www.iloveamystery.com, Amazon (US, CA and UK), DorothyL, 4MysteryAddicts, Crime Thru Time, Mystery Readers Cafe and Criminal-History.co.uk.
- I Am A:
- Reader, Critic
- Website:
- http://booksaremagic.blogspot.com/
- Books And Authors I Like:
- It is easier to list the types of books for which I'm not a big fan. I don't care for the super cozy where the neighbor, shop owner, etc, keep stumbling over bodies and solves the case without the police, nor am I a Tarrentino-like noir reader, particularly with the serious anti-hero, the crooked cop or the drug-addicted DEA agent. Otherwise, my reading spectrum is fairly broad.
- Movies And TV Shows I Like:
- I watch very little television--it cuts into my reading time.
I am not a writer. I am a reader, an avid reader.
I am also a Virgo which means I am persnickety so I started keeping a list. Since I was keeping a list, thought I, it should include notes about each book. My simple notes grew into reviews that I kept for me. Then members of my East Bay Mystery Readers' Group asked for copies after which I started posting them in various places. Most recently, members of said mystery group asked if I would put them on a web site so they could access them.
And that is why I am here. I shall post reviews of each book I've read. You will notice a change in my format over time. Each review expresses my opinion only. Others opinions may differ. My rating structure is:
Ex - A "Wow" read; unique, memorable, a major step forward or standout book for the author. A top read of the year.
VG+ - Close to excellent with only one or two small quibbles that draw it short.
VG - Enthused about it; very well done for it's genre
G - Enjoyed (G+) very much
Okay - Enjoyed it but with significant reservations
Poor-Wasn't awful, but wasn't good either. Finished it with difficulty.
NR - Did not work for me. Would not recommend this book to others.
DNF - Awful. Did not finish.
To look for a particular review, I'd suggest searching either authors LAST NAME, or the book title. Reviews prior to March 2003 are listed under "Mini-Reviews."
The East Bay Mystery Readers' Group began in December 1993. I shall post the recap of each month's meeting as well as the books selected for two subsequent months.
I am also a Virgo which means I am persnickety so I started keeping a list. Since I was keeping a list, thought I, it should include notes about each book. My simple notes grew into reviews that I kept for me. Then members of my East Bay Mystery Readers' Group asked for copies after which I started posting them in various places. Most recently, members of said mystery group asked if I would put them on a web site so they could access them.
And that is why I am here. I shall post reviews of each book I've read. You will notice a change in my format over time. Each review expresses my opinion only. Others opinions may differ. My rating structure is:
Ex - A "Wow" read; unique, memorable, a major step forward or standout book for the author. A top read of the year.
VG+ - Close to excellent with only one or two small quibbles that draw it short.
VG - Enthused about it; very well done for it's genre
G - Enjoyed (G+) very much
Okay - Enjoyed it but with significant reservations
Poor-Wasn't awful, but wasn't good either. Finished it with difficulty.
NR - Did not work for me. Would not recommend this book to others.
DNF - Awful. Did not finish.
To look for a particular review, I'd suggest searching either authors LAST NAME, or the book title. Reviews prior to March 2003 are listed under "Mini-Reviews."
The East Bay Mystery Readers' Group began in December 1993. I shall post the recap of each month's meeting as well as the books selected for two subsequent months.
LJ Roberts's Photos
LJ Roberts's Blog
I have a new blog site...
entitled "It is purely my opinion" and can be found at http://booksaremagic.blogspot.com/. ;
Posted on May 15, 2010 at 4:35am
EBMRG - 3 July 2007 Meeting Recap
THE EAST BAY MYSTERY READERS GROUP -
3 July 2007 - Meeting Recap…
Posted on July 4, 2007 at 2:00am
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Ann Littlewood, NIGHT KILL
Nice to meet you online at least and thanks for such a kind review of Borderlands. I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope Gallows Lane doesn't disappoint.
Thanks for your support for the Devlin series.
Best wishes
Brian
Thank you for your offer and I understand how important how important it is to have people read your work but I just can't accept anything right now. I have approx. 1,000 TBRs plus I evaluate manuscripts for Poisoned Pen Press, plus I read three books per month for my mystery readers' group. My cup is not only full but definitely runneth way over.
I love the area around Lincoln. I lived one year in Cambridge and four years in Watertown. I've been in California for 32 years and still miss New England, especially this time of year.
All the best,
LJ
I've enjoyed your reviews on DorothyL. I'd love to get your thoughts on Antler Dust. How can I send you a copy? If you don't want to publish that info widely, feel free to drop me a line through my web site. And, where did you live in Boston? I grew up in Lincoln, Mass. (between Concord and Lexington) but have lived in Colorado now for 27 years. New England never leaves the blood.
Best,
Mark
www.writermarkstevens.com
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