Buy, borrow, bypass: B
“Why can't people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?” ~ David Baldacci
BUY:
The Body in the Library (Agatha Christie, 1942)
One morning Colonel and Mrs Bantry, the owners of Gossington Hall, are woken by their staff and informed that there is a dead body in their library. A young blonde woman in a cocktail dress was discovered, strangled to death and sprawled on the library rug. No one recognises her, nor has any idea how she ended up in the Bantry's home. Faced with this puzzle, Mrs Bantry calls on her good friend Miss Marple.
This cozy mystery features one of my all-time favourite detectives, Miss Marple and, as the first Agatha Christie novel which I read, one of my favourite by this fantastic author. This is one to read and enjoy time and again.
“What I feel is that if one has got to have a murder actually happening in one's house, one might as well enjoy it, if you know what I mean.”
BORROW:
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne, 2006)
Berlin 1942: Bruno returns home from school one day to discover that his father has been promoted, and his family are moving to a desolate area called "Out-With" (Auschwitz). But his loneliness disappears when he discovers a boy his own age on the other side of a high fence, wearing striped pyjamas.
This powerful book tells the tale of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child.
“What exactly was the difference? he wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?”
BYPASS:
Blueeyedboy (Joanne Harris, 2010)
This dark thriller tells the tale of a dysfunctional family, a blind child prodigy, and a serial murderer who is not who he seems. Told through posts on badguysrock@webjournal.com, 'Blueeyed boy' illustrates the disguise, deception and mind games that are offered by playing out one's life on the internet.
As a fan of Joanne Harris, I have chosen this book for my "bypass" category because I found it disappointing having read Gentlemen and Players, another of her psychological thrillers and, in my opinion, infinitely better. It is probably a matter of personal taste, but 'Gentlemen and Players' is one of my favourite books and if I were you, I would bypass 'Blueeyed boy' and instead devour the thrilling cat-and-mouse tale that is 'Gentlemen and Players'.
"Once there was a widow with three sons, and their names were Black, Brown and Blue. Black was the eldest; moody and aggressive. Brown was the middle child, timid and dull. But Blue was his mother's favourite. And he was a murderer."
What would be your "buy, borrow, bypass" recommendations for the letter "B"?
My previous blog post "Buy, borrow, bypass: A" in case you missed it: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
BUY:
The Body in the Library (Agatha Christie, 1942)One morning Colonel and Mrs Bantry, the owners of Gossington Hall, are woken by their staff and informed that there is a dead body in their library. A young blonde woman in a cocktail dress was discovered, strangled to death and sprawled on the library rug. No one recognises her, nor has any idea how she ended up in the Bantry's home. Faced with this puzzle, Mrs Bantry calls on her good friend Miss Marple.
This cozy mystery features one of my all-time favourite detectives, Miss Marple and, as the first Agatha Christie novel which I read, one of my favourite by this fantastic author. This is one to read and enjoy time and again.
“What I feel is that if one has got to have a murder actually happening in one's house, one might as well enjoy it, if you know what I mean.”
BORROW:
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne, 2006)Berlin 1942: Bruno returns home from school one day to discover that his father has been promoted, and his family are moving to a desolate area called "Out-With" (Auschwitz). But his loneliness disappears when he discovers a boy his own age on the other side of a high fence, wearing striped pyjamas.
This powerful book tells the tale of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child.
“What exactly was the difference? he wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?”
BYPASS:
Blueeyedboy (Joanne Harris, 2010)This dark thriller tells the tale of a dysfunctional family, a blind child prodigy, and a serial murderer who is not who he seems. Told through posts on badguysrock@webjournal.com, 'Blueeyed boy' illustrates the disguise, deception and mind games that are offered by playing out one's life on the internet.
As a fan of Joanne Harris, I have chosen this book for my "bypass" category because I found it disappointing having read Gentlemen and Players, another of her psychological thrillers and, in my opinion, infinitely better. It is probably a matter of personal taste, but 'Gentlemen and Players' is one of my favourite books and if I were you, I would bypass 'Blueeyed boy' and instead devour the thrilling cat-and-mouse tale that is 'Gentlemen and Players'.
"Once there was a widow with three sons, and their names were Black, Brown and Blue. Black was the eldest; moody and aggressive. Brown was the middle child, timid and dull. But Blue was his mother's favourite. And he was a murderer."
What would be your "buy, borrow, bypass" recommendations for the letter "B"?
My previous blog post "Buy, borrow, bypass: A" in case you missed it: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
No comments have been added yet.
