FF: It’s Been a Bit Insane

Mei-Ling Redux

Mei-Ling seems to be discovering the joys of being a supermodel.

The last couple of weeks have been insane, and so I turned back to my old favorite, Agatha Christie, for relief.  From her, I drifted to Josephine Tey, the one of the four great English mystery writers who has fallen by the wayside.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

The White Goddess by Robert Graves.  Although I’ll admit to skimming some chapters.  When the conjecture of one chapter becomes the received fact of a later chapter, my scholar-self starts protesting.  That said, the final two chapters were remarkably current in many ways.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie.  Any book featuring a cameo by Ariadne Oliver is going to delight, but this one shows Christie’s knowledge of human nature, as well as of…  Well, to say more would be a spoiler!

At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie.  The book that taught my younger self that for the English “Tea” can mean a meal, not merely a drink.  What a revelation!

In Progress:

Moonheart by Charles de Lint.  Audiobook.  I’ve read this in print, but couldn’t resist the temptation to try as audio.  It’s working out fairly well.  I’m almost done but, as I said, it’s been a bit insane.

The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.  Re-read, but it’s been a while.

Also:

Archeology magazine. Just finished reading about the Samaritans.