Mount TBR 2012 Checkpoint #2

It's time for another checkpoint on our way to the top!

Bev asks us to do the following:
1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc.
So far I've climbed 3943,5 m of the 4302 m of Pike's Peak, meaning I've read 11 of the 12 required books!

These are the books I read so far:
The Big Sleep, by Ray­mond Chan­dler
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne
Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie
Ricochet, by Sandra Brown
Heat Wave, by Richard Castle
Whose Body?, by Dorothy L. Sayers
Naked Heat, by Richard Castle
Devil's Right Hand, by Dennis McShade
The Murmuring Coast, by Lídia Jorge
The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton
The Mystery of the Yellow Room, by Gaston Leroux 

The book that has been the longest on my shelf is The Murmuring Coast, a resident since 2002.

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:
A. Using any number of titles from your conquered list, compose a poem. You may add extra words, if needed, up to the number of titles used. 
This is such a fun challenge! I've managed to use all the titles, but couldn't post a picture cause some of the books are at my moms so she can also read them.

Heat Wave
    at
The House at Riverton,
    by
The Murmuring Coast,
    where
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
    was having
The Big Sleep
    holding
Devil's Right Hand.
    Suddenly
Ricochet
    became
The Mistery of the Yellow Room
    and
Death on the Nile.
Whose Body?
    The
Naked Heat.

 
B. Who has been your favorite character so far? Why?
Well, Hercule Poirot is an old favorite, so I'm gonna pick Grace from The House at Riverton. She was such a great character both while young and in her golden years.

C. Have any of the books you read surprised you--if so, in what way (not as good as anticipated? unexpected ending? Best thing you've read all year? Etc.)
Richard Castle's books have been a nice surprise, especially the second one. The House at Riverton is one of my favorites of the year so far. The Murmuring Coast was a bit disappointing, I was especting something different.