Chinmayee Bhattacharjee's Blog - Posts Tagged "agathachristie"
2021 Reading Challenge Completed! Book Reviews for What I read:
How many books have you read this year?
I had set the GoodReads 2021 Reading Challenge for myself earlier this year, and now I’ve completed 8 books as this year comes to an end.
Swipe the post to see what books I read, and scroll down this blog post to see what I liked about them most. Remember these are honest reviews by me!
Also : SPOILER WARNING! If you haven’t read any of these books, you might get some spoilers if you read my reviews down below. You can still share it though 😉
...............................................
1. The Hobbit (Or There and Back Again) by J. R. R. Tolkien: This book is simply fabulous! The plot, the characters, the events… I simply loved it. When I saw it in the book sale lying on top of a box, I literally squealed and rushed to grab it before anyone else could lay their hands on it. It is a fantasy wonder, and I got lost in the tale before I knew it.
2. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown: This was the longest book that I finished this year, and it was mostly a fun ‘race against time’ sort of adventure. I think the ideas of the four cardinals with their lives in danger and the symbolism of the four elements leading up to the climax was great, but the assassin’s character was the sketchiest and not developed well- he only came off as a stereotypical henchman. Overall the book also felt like it was a rough draft for The Da Vinci Code, because the format of the plot was pretty much the same. So not many marks for originality, but the storytelling was wonderful.
3. The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis: The Magician’s Nephew was a tale that made me feel like I was a small girl of six again, reading quietly in the sunlight in my grandparent’s old house. The story about how Narnia was established was enchanting- just like how Aslan’s voice is supposed to be.
4. Nemesis by Agatha Christie: What would a very old and frail little woman do when presented with a murder mystery by an old deceased friend? Accept it, of course! Honestly, if I was presented with a chance to solve that murder by Mr. Rafiel, I would jump with glee. At first I thought that Miss Marple was a bit too old to be solving a murder mystery like this, but I can assure you that I was not disappointed with how the story went. I never suspected who the murderer would be, and the plot twist at the end was simply the greatest in the entire book. It also made me ponder for a while over how people in the age groups of 20-30 view and handle their relationships, and how being an over-protective and possessive guardian for a ward/child is dangerous.
5. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: When my father told me about this book, I was extremely curious about the ending, but also made him promise not to spoil it for me as he kept teasing me with it (I hate spoilers, for anyone who asks). When I finally read this book, I was getting confused with each chapter about who the murderer might be, and the ending made me laugh at myself. Agatha Christie had done a fine job of spinning a web, and I had gone and gotten myself tangled right in the middle of it. Totally worth it.
6. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: I always love a dystopian setting, because the complexities in such a world fascinate me. The Hunger Games was surely an interesting read, and what makes Katniss Everdeen an interesting protagonist is that she isn’t a Mary Sue, she has flaws and is a growing young woman in the midst of an opressive world. The scene where her dress changes into the plumage of a Mockingjay in Catching Fire is just iconic and so impactful as a symbol of revolution- even if it did cost the costume designer his own life.
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Much love and thanks to my closest friend (who is here on GoodReads as Albus Skywalker) for gifting me this book. I enjoyed the story very much, and what I liked most about the writing was that it was so simple, and yet evoked emotion and thought. All of the characters, from Liesel with her quiet determination, Papa with his accordion and golden heart, and Rudy with his lemon hair and foolhardiness were so realistic that I felt myself viewing them as a spectator and yet knowing each personally. The unconventional and beautiful idea of death as a narrator is what appealed to me most.
I had set the GoodReads 2021 Reading Challenge for myself earlier this year, and now I’ve completed 8 books as this year comes to an end.
Swipe the post to see what books I read, and scroll down this blog post to see what I liked about them most. Remember these are honest reviews by me!
Also : SPOILER WARNING! If you haven’t read any of these books, you might get some spoilers if you read my reviews down below. You can still share it though 😉
...............................................
1. The Hobbit (Or There and Back Again) by J. R. R. Tolkien: This book is simply fabulous! The plot, the characters, the events… I simply loved it. When I saw it in the book sale lying on top of a box, I literally squealed and rushed to grab it before anyone else could lay their hands on it. It is a fantasy wonder, and I got lost in the tale before I knew it.
2. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown: This was the longest book that I finished this year, and it was mostly a fun ‘race against time’ sort of adventure. I think the ideas of the four cardinals with their lives in danger and the symbolism of the four elements leading up to the climax was great, but the assassin’s character was the sketchiest and not developed well- he only came off as a stereotypical henchman. Overall the book also felt like it was a rough draft for The Da Vinci Code, because the format of the plot was pretty much the same. So not many marks for originality, but the storytelling was wonderful.
3. The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis: The Magician’s Nephew was a tale that made me feel like I was a small girl of six again, reading quietly in the sunlight in my grandparent’s old house. The story about how Narnia was established was enchanting- just like how Aslan’s voice is supposed to be.
4. Nemesis by Agatha Christie: What would a very old and frail little woman do when presented with a murder mystery by an old deceased friend? Accept it, of course! Honestly, if I was presented with a chance to solve that murder by Mr. Rafiel, I would jump with glee. At first I thought that Miss Marple was a bit too old to be solving a murder mystery like this, but I can assure you that I was not disappointed with how the story went. I never suspected who the murderer would be, and the plot twist at the end was simply the greatest in the entire book. It also made me ponder for a while over how people in the age groups of 20-30 view and handle their relationships, and how being an over-protective and possessive guardian for a ward/child is dangerous.
5. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: When my father told me about this book, I was extremely curious about the ending, but also made him promise not to spoil it for me as he kept teasing me with it (I hate spoilers, for anyone who asks). When I finally read this book, I was getting confused with each chapter about who the murderer might be, and the ending made me laugh at myself. Agatha Christie had done a fine job of spinning a web, and I had gone and gotten myself tangled right in the middle of it. Totally worth it.
6. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: I always love a dystopian setting, because the complexities in such a world fascinate me. The Hunger Games was surely an interesting read, and what makes Katniss Everdeen an interesting protagonist is that she isn’t a Mary Sue, she has flaws and is a growing young woman in the midst of an opressive world. The scene where her dress changes into the plumage of a Mockingjay in Catching Fire is just iconic and so impactful as a symbol of revolution- even if it did cost the costume designer his own life.
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Much love and thanks to my closest friend (who is here on GoodReads as Albus Skywalker) for gifting me this book. I enjoyed the story very much, and what I liked most about the writing was that it was so simple, and yet evoked emotion and thought. All of the characters, from Liesel with her quiet determination, Papa with his accordion and golden heart, and Rudy with his lemon hair and foolhardiness were so realistic that I felt myself viewing them as a spectator and yet knowing each personally. The unconventional and beautiful idea of death as a narrator is what appealed to me most.
