Journal Entry 1 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Friday, February 20, 2009

Blurb on back cover:
Dexter Morgan is back. After his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he's devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies seem nicely under control. But old habits die hard-and Dexter's work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice...and his Dark Passenger still waits to hunt with him in the moonlight. Luckily for Dex, there's someone out there with particularly twisted tastes. Dexter may have never been a big fan of art - but the discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a beach chair) naturally piques his curiosity. Miami's finest soon realize they've got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business. From the most original voice in crime fiction, Dexter by Design is an enthralling, macabre and gruesomely entertaining thriller. 

Journal Entry 2 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, February 23, 2009

Hmm... I am not quite sure what to make of this. I felt like I was waiting to get into the thick of it but before I knew it, I finished the book - and I don't mean that in a good way. I think it's an improvement over Dexter in the Dark but I still don't think it's as good as the first two books in the series. It lacks that dark, twisted humour that makes the Dexter books such fun, despite the fairly grim subject matter. I know a character needs to evolve and change, but I'm not liking much the new-ish Dexter. I mean, he pretty much whinges in this book, and that is just so unlike him. The event involving Deborah was pretty drastic as well and came out of the blue, and even though it would explain the change in her, it didn't feel quite right either. As for her partner, it felt like he was thrown in just to be a substitue Doakes, and then he was just as easily taken out. Look, it probably wasn't that bad overall; I was just hoping for more after the disaster that Dexter in the Dark was and I so wanted to see more of that delightful wickedness from the first two books. Well, there's definitely Book 5 coming, so I guess one can only hope that Lindsay will deliver in that one. 

Journal Entry 3 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, March 02, 2009

The latest book by Jeff Lindsay featuring the deliciously wicked Dexter Morgan. This bookring is currently open, please send me a PM if you would like to join. Australia only.


BookRing Instructions:
1. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
2. When you finish the book, please make another journal entry to share some of your thoughts - enjoyed the book, or absolutely hated it?
3. Continue the BookRing by checking this journal entry for the latest list, and sending a PM to the person after you on the list requesting their postal address.
4. Please try to send on the book as soon as you can, preferably within a month. If you need more time, that's not a problem at all. Either send me a PM or write a journal entry to let me know that the book is safe with you. Thanks! :)
5. Please provide the date when you have sent on the book, either through updating an existing journal entry or making a "controlled releases" release note.
6. Most importantly, ENJOY!

Participants:
1. Melanie2474
2. crimson-tide
3. livrecache
4. astro2480

Book is safely back home with me. Thanks everyone! :) 

Journal Entry 4 by leeny37 at Forest Hill, Victoria Australia on Monday, March 02, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (3/3/2009 UTC) at Forest Hill, Victoria Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending this to Melanie2474 to get this bookring started. Enjoy! :) 

Journal Entry 5 by Melanie2474 from Narrabundah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, March 14, 2009

Thanks leeny - will make this the next in line once I've finished the James Patterson I'm currently reading. Hmmm, two gory murder books in a row... hope I survive LOL 

Journal Entry 6 by Melanie2474 from Narrabundah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Another thoroughly enjoyable Dexter adventure, with plenty of twists and new obstacles for my favourite little serial killer to deal with.

Moving on from being single to a family man, loner to friend, student to teacher, and predator to prey, Dexter has some monumental changes to deal with in this latest episode of his life, not to mention the fact that his nocturnal activities are no longer a secret from the woman closest to him... and I don't mean Rita!

Interesting to see a new and even more complicated side to Dexter, one of my favourite new literary and TV characters. The television series deviated somewhat from the books in series 2 and 3, but it seems some of the the storylines are converging again (look for the next big change in Dexter's life at the end of this book!), though I would like to see the show explore more of Dexter's move into the role of teacher and mentor to Rita's two kids... and it's not in the way most dads would go about it, but that's good ol' Dexter for you.

This is off to amberc as soon as I get confirmation of her address, along with a little bonus that I hope she'll enjoy. 

Journal Entry 7 by Melanie2474 from Narrabundah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, March 29, 2009

AmberC has asked to be skipped as she was lucky enough to be RABCKed a copy of this book, so will contact crimson-tide then send Dexter on his merry way.

Updated 30.3.09: Off to crimson-tide in tomorrow's mail. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 8 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Arrived safely today - thanks Melanie2474. I only just finished and returned the third in the series (Dexter in the Dark) to the library today! There are a number I need to read before this one though . . . 

Journal Entry 9 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, June 07, 2009

More like the first two and better than number three of the series, but tending to become very repetitive. Although it was good to have a change in that things did not necessarily always go Dexter's way, and he was playing catch up for much of the time. BUT - I felt that it definitely deteriorated towards the end as it slid into melodrama . . . well, you know what I mean . . . more over the top melodrama than even the Dexter melodrama meter found acceptable!

Pixette has withdrawn from the ring, so I'll await further instructions as to whether anyone else wants to jump aboard before I send it home.
 

Journal Entry 10 by crimson-tide at Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Monday, June 08, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (6/8/2009 UTC) at Balingup, Western Australia Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Pixette has now been replaced in the ring by livrecache, so I'll post it off to her in Melbourne tomorrow (Tuesday 9th). 

Journal Entry 11 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Arrived safely yesterday, but our internet was down, so I couldn't say so. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to it being here. 

Journal Entry 12 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Thursday, July 02, 2009

This was the first Dexter book I'd read. I sort of knew what to expect as we've got the DVD series so far. I actually didn't find it too bad, although he does whine a bit. And it is totally melodramatic. However, now that I've started to read the series from the beginning (I've read the first two books so far), I'm finding Dexter's thoughts to be somewhat repetitive. That didn't strike me while I was reading what was for me the first book.

I thought I'd sworn off the blood and gore genre, but I do appreciate the wit that Dexter/Lindsay uses, although reading the books in rapid secession, it starts to become more predictable. But it won't stop me following either the book or the TV series.

Thanks Leeny37 for sharing, at such late notice, and assisting me is yet another obsession. I've pm'd Astro2480 for details, so the book should be on its way again soon. 

Journal Entry 13 by livrecache at Melbourne, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, July 02, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (7/2/2009 UTC) at Melbourne, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off to the next participant in the ring. 

Journal Entry 14 by astro2480 from Lismore, New South Wales Australia on Monday, July 06, 2009

Arrived today ... thank you. 

Journal Entry 15 by astro2480 from Lismore, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, September 20, 2009

Hmmm! Certainly different to what I would normally read ... and I don't watch the TV series. It was "interesting", but I doubt I will be reading another.

Was worth a try - you don't know until you give an author a go!

Thanks for allowing me to test the waters on this one, and Dex is on his way home ... 

Journal Entry 16 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Sunday, January 10, 2010

Oops, I got this back ages ago. I thought I had acknowledged it by putting in a journal entry but I guess I haven't! My bad, sorry about that! Thanks to everyone for being a part of this bookring. Happy new year and all the best for 2010!