The Agatha Christie Reading Group discussion
Random Chit Chat
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What else are you reading?
I'm reading Long Farewell by Michael Innes - a good detective story. Now, be patient, but I did spend half an hour last evening with a Hants and Dorset bus timetable from the 1960s. Either you will understand that ... or you won't. Also browsing through a Companion to London. Just finished The Big Four by AC.
I have so many choices when it comes to my to read stack of books, but flu did take me out and made reading impossible. Did watch Death on the Nile on dvd though.
Malcolm, how did you rate The Big Four? Did you find it enjoyable?
Just finished reading The Big Four. Compared to the others Poirot books I have read I was not too keen on this one. But still gave it 2 stars as it did entertain me for a while.
Besides my currently reading section I have many books that I plan on finishing but have either just begun or some other reasons.My currently-reading is surprising with non-fiction.
I have a book about the "Making and Unmaking" of American Presidents, a book on Lincoln about as big as an encyclopedia, I plan on hopefully reading the Bible entirely once.
In the future I hope I can get back to "The Andromeda Strain" by Crichton. If I can find my copy of it that is.
I've found and added the "Suchet" Poirot to my Netflix list. I'm excited to give them a try. I just finished "Midwives" and I'm finishing " "Land Girls"; I love these English shows set in the 20s, 30s, or 40s. I found a lot of BBC Mrs. Marples that I added. These look like movies? I haven't heard anything about these! One is titled the same title as one of the Marple books we are doing later in the year.
Lauren wrote: "Mark wrote: "I have so many choices when it comes to my to read stack of books, but flu did take me out and made reading impossible. Did watch Death on the Nile on dvd though."Sorry to hear that ..."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077413/?...
the movie is well worth your while, absolutely brilliantly shot in Egypt, and the mystery is well done. The movie oozes quality and mood.
I bought the movie originaly because of Lois Chiles, because she was my 1st Bondwoman when I saw Moonraker and she was just gorgeous then. that is just lecherous me.
Also Death on the Nile the novel was the 1st AC book my grandmother, may she rest in peace, gave me. So perhaps I have some sort of bond with this story.
I must admit my preference goes out to her more archeology situated books.
Candace wrote: "Malcolm, how did you rate The Big Four? Did you find it enjoyable?" It's one of her worst books but I tried to remember that it was written when pot-boilers were often the order of the day. The main feeling I got was that she wasn't enjoying writing it and that is quite a hurdle to get over. No, not a book I'd readily go back to
Was it just me or did the ending of The Big Four seem rushed and anticlimactic. Compared to the other Poirot books I have read this one seemed more of an action adventure rather than a mystery book.
Just finished murder on the orient express, now that was a good read, any recommendations on what I should read next ?
The best of the list are, I think, Crooked House, Cards on the Table and Five Little Pigs. In his bibliography Robert Barnard also lists Murder Is Announced and Poirot's Christmas as prize specimens. Death in the Clouds and On The Nile are v.g. My personal favourite is Vicarage
The current books I'm reading (depending on the mood I'm in) on my Kindle are:The Black Box
To Marry an English Lord: Or How Anglomania Really Got Started
Blood and Circuses
I'm currently reading
It falls in the cozy genre. Cozies mysteries and golden age mysteries are my two favorite genres of all.
Currently reading Death in the Clouds so far it is good I think Mr Clancy committed the murder... Let see if I'm right, nobody tell me though lol.
Mr Clancy is very amusing as a detective writer. Agatha Christie gently poking fun at the breed. It's a good one
Just finished Death in the Clouds. Another good read, we'll Mr Clancy did not commit the crime but as Malcolm says he is a great character walking around talking to himself trying to come up with plots for his stories. Looking forward to February when I can start to read Murder at the Vicarage as I have never read any Marple mysteries and if there anything like Poirot it should be fun.
I hope to in the near future get into a book about the tv character Monk. It's called "Mr. Monk In 'Outer Space.'" I hope it's better than the other book I read by the same author from the same series.
I love the tv show Monk. Didnt realise there were a series of books too. Would love to hear what you think of it.
I love the television show too! The series was written by Lee Goldberg in case you are curious about looking them up.I first read "Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii" and I liked it though I found it overall a bit average. This hasn't stopped me from still reading the series though.
Just read John Macnab by John Buchan and posted this review on YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW8h6D...
Just started "the secret advisary" which is Christie's 2nd novel, before visiting Miss Marple in her 1st adventure.
Malcolm wrote: "Just treat it like good fun, Mark!"So far I recognise the style and am enjoying it, did not expect this kind of book by Agatha Christie.
Hugh Drummond & Simon Templar must enjoy this kind of adventure.
I'm mostly concentrating on Vicarage so that I can catch up with the group, but I've also started a non-fiction book that covers the first month of WW1, The Guns of August. I love Tuchman's writing, this book won the Pulitzer, and I can't wait to get into it! I have our next book, Links, from the library so I'll have to move along to it soon.Lauren, the book of short stories came in with my library order. So as long as no other library patron requests it while I have it, I'll be able to hang onto it until March. if you still want to we can read a few, some or all!! Or none. What would you like to do with Poirot investiga?
Sure, just let me know when you want to start! Was it March 1st? And I think it's better to discuss every few rather than wait until end - because by end they may all be running together in my mind.There are 14 stories in all.
Yes, let's let everybody see the great discussion going on! Lol and thanks, I'd love to start after Vicarage.
Lauren wrote: "Okay, sounds good! Let me know when you finish Vicarage and we can start then if you'd like. Shall we add this to the group read/discussion?"A couple of questions. Is it official? Do we read Poirot Investigates next month or do we wait until another month? Also I was looking up Miss Marple's other mysteries and I noticed we are reading Miss Marple's The body in the Library next. Are we not reading the second book The Thirteen Problems?
Just wondering that's all. (I guess a huge part of that is due to my OCD. haha).
Sarah wrote: "I love the tv show Monk. Didnt realise there were a series of books too. Would love to hear what you think of it."I've started the book "Mr. Monk in Outer Space." I like it a lot so far. Hope to finish it soon!
Thanks CJ will take a look in my library to see if I can find any Mr Monk books :-)
Lauren wrote: "CJ, I'm going to add Poirot Investigates to the group reads, and anyone who wants to join in can do so. It's a compilation of short stories, so if you don't like those, you can skip i..."Thanks for responding! I hope that I will get to read Poirot Investigates some time later but probably won't have time to do it during the group's reading of it.
Cool! I hope we can put The Thirteen Problems in a future reading event.
Sarah wrote: "Thanks CJ will take a look in my library to see if I can find any Mr Monk books :-)"Hope you find them, and enjoy! I found out just yesterday that a second writer has continued the series so they are still going on. I was surprised about that since the show went off a few years ago.
I had a busy week with watching the Dutch succes in the Wintergames & Painting parts of the house for my eldery parents. Which made my better half buy paint so I can paint some walls in our livingroom as well, with the kids now older we can reasonably expect no more fingerpainting and other stuff on the walls.Which left me with little time to read, I actually fell asleep with a book in my hands several evenings this week and do not remember having read anything.
Being a fieldhockey coach i did miss the mail today which should have brought me "I am pilgrim" the hyped spythriller in recent times.
As to the new Christie book for next month I have an 60 year old copy in my own detective collection. No liberary malarky.
I'm surprised the library has the ones I ask for. The best tip I could give is ask by request books and they can send one from a library it is available to a place that is convenient to you.Oh and as a little update to Sarah I finished the Monk book!! It was great! Very enjoyable.
@Mark I went to used book store and picked up several used Christie books this week and several have red or orange pages. I picked oldest dates possible, they were still just around 60s.I am reading the short stories and I m really enjoying. More on that in discussion area later. But it's been slow reading for me also, daughter in town for weekend to interview for grad school then back off to airport at 4 in morning. I'm exhausted! But of course wouldn't miss any of her running around when I get to see her so little.she graduates in May, and hopefully back to Arizona.
And congrats on Olympics- I was glued to them until her arrival so I believe I've seen most of your success!
I am now reading "Body Double" by Tess Gerritsen part of the Rizzoli & Isles series. It is my second book of hers I've read and it is tense and exciting!
CJ wrote: "I am now reading "Body Double" by Tess Gerritsen part of the Rizzoli & Isles series. It is my second book of hers I've read and it is tense and exciting!"I have read most of the Rizzoli & Isles series and they are mostly well written, and are a very differtent beastie than the tv show, which besides the characters has too little in common with the books.
Mark wrote: "I have read most of the Rizzoli & Isles series and they are mostly well written, and are a very differtent beastie than the tv show, which besides the characters has too little in common with the books."Yeah they are pretty great. I have heard that about the tv show which I don't think I will ever watch.
I haven't read it but I hear a lot of good stuff about "Below" by Ryan Lockwood. Wish I had found a copy to take on vacation in a couple of weeks myself but I have to settle for something else. I heard it's a great "sea creature" type of book and it's his first!Yep Rizzoli Isles is great though I hear people criticize negatively the first I've read Ice Cold (also called "The Killing Place"). I don't know why they felt that way I had little problems with it.
Besides our current Christie and halting for a while one book I want to get back to in the near future (an ol' book of the first Lord of the Rings) I have also hoped to get back to reading the other half of "The Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy, a copy I borrowed from a friend.
Hey just a side note, I saw an ad on here talking about a book called "The Walk" by Lee Goldberg. I want to read it now! This is the same writer who wrote the first Monk books, the original stories based on the detective from the t.v. show. I am surprised this one is written as a Post-Apocalyptic thriller. (Noticed it as soon as I clicked on the book). Never thought he would write in that kind of genre. Hmm. Interesting.
Lauren wrote: "Hmmm, we haven't updated this post in awhile. What is everyone reading this summer? Any good books so far? I'm going on a beach vacation in a couple weeks and would love some good beach read rec..."@Lauren I am so excited about the Charles Todd books. I've started the First Bess book because I wanted to make sure I didn't recommend a terrible book and it's very atmospheric and not same 'ol same 'ol. There is good writing, yet I can see how he grows into the best seller that he is! But enough about him until next month. Except to say. I ran back to the used book store and grabbed the next three in the series!! However when I was exploring series, I came across
1. Jaqueline Winspear
The article I read recommended book 3 as the best starting place
2.Donna Leon
3.Tasha Alexander I read the first couple and I enjoyed both.
4.Louise Penny the first one won the AC award along with several other awards and I loved it, I bought others in the series to read. It is a small village mystery with a detective very much like Poirot, and I highly recommend book one.(because of a sub-plot these need to be read in order, although Barnes and Noble chose one of the latter books for its overall "Selection" .
Here are a few ideas from me for you to try- one and Two I have NOT tried, but they come up everywhere in my hobby of reading book reviews and articles. Three and four start out strong in their series.
Just finished
!! I love my horror also!! :)
Sarah wrote: "I recently enjoyed What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Rosemary's Baby. Great page turners."Rosemary's Baby is wonderful!!
Speaking of horror I was looking at a book catalogue and saw one called "The Fog" by James Herbert. I wonder if it inspired John Carpenter a few years later to do a movie with the same name. I put it on my "to-read" list.But I just learned now this is the same writer who wrote a book called "The Rats" which I once found but didn't buy at a thrift store some time ago. That book sounded disgusting! Eww. Hope this guy doesn't emphasize gore over horror!
The Agatha Christie Reading Group
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I'm also reading The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great which is a great book to introduce me to Catherine, but it was told by a fictional narrator, which made the book a little awkward. It was a little like Poirot and Hastings except having everything filtered through Hastings served a purpose and it did not bother me. hmmm... hadn't thought about the parallel until now...