48 Hour Book Challenge - Update #1

I got started reading a little later last night then I had originally planned...I managed to make it until 12:15 before calling it quits for the night. I finished one book and started reading Bullet Point by Peter Abrahams, and it is so good that I didn't want to put it down, but I knew if I didn't, I'd be regretting it today at work. (I felt like I needed some kind of focus for the weekend, and in choosing mysteries, I hoped to find books I wouldn't want to put down, making it easier to keep reading.) I did get to read 30 minutes this morning, and have spent 30 minutes checking in on some of the other bloggers who are participating. I want to give the link to the starting point again - even if you're not participating, this is a great way to find some good blogs. I've already added a few new ones to my Google reader, and have found several great books to add to my TBR list.

I finished The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, and illustrated by Adam Rex. This has been sitting on my shelves since it first came out, in 2009! It's also on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2011-2012, a recommended reading list for kids in grades 3-6. It's a little Hardy Boys, a little Encyclopedia Brown, and loads of fun.

Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton is an aspiring detective, a huge fan of the Bailey Brothers detective series. When he innocently checks a book out from the library, he's mistaken for an actual detective, captured by secret agent librarians, and wanted for treason. I guessed the identity of Mr. E fairly quickly, but you know, I've read a lot of books and I'm way past the 5th grade, so...Still, getting to the end was a fabulous read.

It was a great choice to start with - lots of action and lots of laughs. Seriously, it's funny! And now I'm left trying to figure out why my library system doesn't have the second one in the series. ???

I'm about halfway finished with Bullet Point. Abrahams writes adult novels (has anyone read any?), but I first became acquainted with his books through Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery. Geared toward middle schoolers, it's a fantastic read, and one of my favorites to booktalk. He's written several others in that series, and Bullet Point is his first for older teens. It's grittier and edgier, and if I hadn't known who the author is, I never would have guessed it was the same guy who wrote the Echo Falls mysteries. That's a compliment - both are equally good, they are just very different and I'm really impressed with how versatile of a writer he is. This will probably appeal to adults, too.

Total Time Read: 4 hours
Total Time Blogged: 0.75 hours
Total Time Spent Social Networking (reading/commenting on other blogs): 0.5 hours
Books Completed: 1