NEED YOUR RESPONSE RE BOOK OF THE MONTHS STARTING AGAIN

[Carolyn F.]

August 2017 is our last monthly book read of all the books published under Agatha Christie's name. We will then begin from first book published to last book published again.

1. Do you want me to start new discussions for each book or just change the date of the previous discussions for the same book leaving previous comments?

2. Do you want to read her books under the nom de plume Mary Westmacott? If yes, do you want to read them starting in September while simultaneously reading her Agatha Christie books? I've added them in the Books of the Month folder but with no specific date for reading. I could just leave it like that and people can comment as they read them. Let me know your preference.

We have a while but I'll need to either update the starting dates or make new discussion pages which will take me awhile to do.

Thanks for your help.

[Asti]

For no.1 I'd rather start a new one. It might encourage more (new)comers than continued those from before.

I don't know about no.2. I've only read one of Mary Westmacott, The Burden. But frankly I was never too eager too look for another afterward.

[Nix]

I've only joined the group recently, so my perspective is that of a newcomer.

1) I honestly don't think we need new discussions for the books. At least for 2016 the BOM discussions all have well under 30 replies, a few even under 10. So overcrowding is really not a problem here. Even the biggest discussion (And Then There Were None) has only 96 replies, which is only 2 pages of comments. Since I doubt that the discussions will magically explode with comments in the foreseeable future, I think new threads are unnecessary. So yes, I'd say keep the old discussions and only change the date.

2) I'm personally not really interested in her MW work, so I don't have an opinion on that.

[Nouf]

Asti wrote: "For no.1 I'd rather start a new one. It might encourage more (new)comers than continued those from before.

I don't know about no.2. I've only read one of Mary Westmacott, The Burden...."

I agree with you completely.

[Alysia]

Question #1: I think either way would be fine. If the older discussions were still attached, people could go back and read them if they wish. I don't think the older discussion points would get in the way if they were still attached.

Question #2: I don't have interest right now to read the Mary Westmacott books, so I would not have interest in a monthly book choice. I think the way you just posted them allowing anyone with interest to read them and comment with no month dates attached is fine. Who knows, maybe someday I would want to read some of these.

Thanks for the time you put into moderating this online book club!

[[deleted user]]

Carolyn F. wrote: "August 2017 is our last monthly book read of all the books published under Agatha Christie's name. We will then begin from first book published to last book published again.

1. Do you want me to ..."

Hi Carolyn. I'd like to add my thanks to you for moderating this book club.

Re question #1, I think new discussions would be great. I would love to see more feedback from members on the Books of the Month, so anything that could be done to encourage that would be good. I must admit that over the past few months I haven't been joining in, but I am planning to get back on track in November. Am also really looking forward to starting all over again from the beginning, since I joined late in the game!

Re question #2. like Brad wrote elsewhere, I too am a "completist," and so I would like to read the Mary Westmacott books. However, I am going to need some encouragement (i.e., somewhere to report to), because romance isn't a genre I read. How "romantic" are they? Could they be a separate thread? Is anyone else interested in reading and commenting on them?

[Dinou]

I sure read Agatha Christie for my entertainment so my comments are neither deep nor clever: more like "I liked it" or "well not as much as usual" but I still enjoy the timetable. As far as those Mary Westmacott books (booh shame on me!) I've never read any of those so maybe a yes for question 2. But as long as this group lives on I'm in. Thanks to all that participate.

[Judy]

Carolyn F. wrote: "August 2017 is our last monthly book read of all the books published under Agatha Christie's name. We will then begin from first book published to last book published again.

1. Do you want me to ..."

Hi Carolyn, I joined the group Jan. 2015 so there are many that I've not reread. I read them all many years ago (more than I'd care to admit to ha ha) so will look forward to starting from number 1.

1. I think new discussions would be good for us newbies to the club.

2. I've not read any under Mary Westmacott but would be game to try them as the club is Agatha Christie Lovers, not just Agatha Christie Mystery Lovers. I'd have to look for them on line as my library system does not have any at any of the branches unless our interlibrary loan system can find me any.

You do a great job as moderator.

[Brad]

1. I guess I'm not a newbie, although I think I only came into the book of the month discussions about halfway through. (I'd have to check.) So I guess my comments would be all over the place, and because of that, I think maybe brand new posts would be easier for all to get involved with.

2. I'm curious about MW, but not that curious. With all the authors I'm trying to read, I probably wouldn't take part consistently in talk about Christie's romantic side.

[☯Emily]

I read only one of MW novels and wasn't impressed, so I am not sure I would want to read more. Also, they are not as easy to find as AC's mysteries. I work at a used book store and it is rare to see one of the MW books.

[4cats]

Am not really interested in the MW books and I think most are out of print. As I haven't been a member from the start I was wondering if the group has read The Detection Club novels? Although it's not just AC, she was involved in the novels.

[shanghao]

1. I think a new discussion for each book is preferable so that we get more recent discussion and/or afterthoughts.

2. I haven't read any MW, my problem is in finding them like others have stated. Wouldn't mind to join the group read when I do come across them

Cheers <3

[Carolyn F.]

4cats wrote: "Am not really interested in the MW books and I think most are out of print. As I haven't been a member from the start I was wondering if the group has read The Detection Club novels? Although it's ..."

I'm not sure if we have read those books. Some of the anthologies were broken up differently depending on country and time of publication so some of the stories might be included in other anthologies. Were they full length novels 4cats?

[Carolyn F.]

I'm going to keep a tabulation of what preferences people have until the beginning of January and then I'll either make new discussion threads and archive the old or change the dates on previous discussion threads - whichever has the most yeas or nays.

Thank you all for your input and thank you for future input regarding this.

And seriously, with all the participation of our members in this group, it makes the moderator job very easy.

[4cats]

Carolyn F. wrote: "4cats wrote: "Am not really interested in the MW books and I think most are out of print. As I haven't been a member from the start I was wondering if the group has read The Detection Club novels? ..."

You can buy them I think they are collections, think harpercollins publish them. Am not sure if they've appeared in other AC collections.

[Helle]

The Mary Westmacott books are still available, both in paperback and as audiobook. There are also collections, which are cheaper if you want to buy all of them. Check out bookdepository or amazon.

I haven't read them, but my mother (also an Agatha Christie fan) did enjoy them. They are however very different from AC's regular work, so not everyone may enjoy them.

[Wend]

Dinou wrote: "I sure read Agatha Christie for my entertainment so my comments are neither deep nor clever: more like "I liked it" or "well not as much as usual" but I still enjoy the timetable. As far as those M..."
Hi Dinou, please do add your comments to the monthly book read. I like all comments even if they are not a professional review. Gives a rounded view.

[Wend]

I would like to see all comments when we start again, as many like me have joined in the last year or so.

Regarding Mary Westmacott and The Detection Club novels, maybe have one every now and then, at holiday times. I haven't read any, but the Detective Club sounds interesting.

Long may the group continue.

[Carolyn F.]

I've added the two Detection Club books that have Agatha Christie as a contributor. No reading date yet but if you do read them, you can add comments.

[Carolyn F.]

So I won't be adding the Mary Westmacott books as monthly reads. I just put them in as general book discussions for whenever someone reads them.

So far I have
New 5
Keep Old 4
Either 1
? 1


I'm planning on adding new dates and/or adding new discussions by the end of this week. So if you have a preference, let us know on this discussion thread ASAP if you haven't already made your opinion known.

[Denis Joplin]

I would prefer new discussions, as some of the old ones may also contain spoilers...

I've never read any of the Mary Westmacot books (how did she have time to write all those books!!!!) but I think I would like to give them a go...

We only have four more books to finish the list!! - I can't believe we started this list nearly 7 years ago!

[Esther]

I would prefer new to avoid spoilers.
Maybe there could be a link to the old thread in the first post in case someone is curious.

[Erin]

Carolyn F. wrote: "So I won't be adding the Mary Westmacott books as monthly reads. I just put them in as general book discussions for whenever someone reads them.

So far I have
New 5
Keep Old 4
Either 1
? 1


I'm..."

Is she similar in terms of writing style, etc. to Agatha Christie? I have never heard of her.

[Carolyn F.]

Erin, she's actually a pen name Agatha Christie used for romance books. :)

[Carolyn F.]

✿ Deni wrote: "I would prefer new discussions, as some of the old ones may also contain spoilers...

I've never read any of the Mary Westmacot books (how did she have time to write all those books!!!!) but I thin..."

I know Deni - it went by fast!

[Carolyn F.]

Esther wrote: "I would prefer new to avoid spoilers.
Maybe there could be a link to the old thread in the first post in case someone is curious."

That's a great idea Esther. I'll put a link to the new discussions on the old threads too.

[Suki]

Carolyn F. wrote: "Esther wrote: "I would prefer new to avoid spoilers.
Maybe there could be a link to the old thread in the first post in case someone is curious."

That's a great idea Esther. I'll put a link to th..."

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. :)

As for the Mary Westmacotts, I've never read any of them because, first of all they are hard to come by, and secondly, I've been under the impression that they are romance novels, which don't interest me at all.

I love the group, I am enjoying all the reads, and I am so glad you'll be starting over! I'm a bit behind right now-- my New Year started off with the flu, so all my reading got delayed, but I'm still working my way through, although sometimes I post late.

[Erin]

Carolyn F. wrote: "Erin, she's actually a pen name Agatha Christie used for romance books. :)"

Ha, I would have never guessed that!

[[deleted user]]

Just FYI, I've read all the Mary Westmacott's, and I would not call them romances. They are gothic novels, but romance is nearly always completely absent in the sense of the genre we call Romance these days. "Big R" Romance, as in the Romantic poets, is present, but boy and girl stuff, no, not really. They're mostly incredibly painful and written with far more feeling than her mysteries. The closest comparison to something she wrote as Agatha Christie would be Endless Night. I like them very much, especially Giant's Bread, but they are not like her mysteries at all, nor are they anything like at least 95% of what you'd find in the Romance section at a bookstore or library.

[Carolyn F.]

Thanks Polly, I was wondering if they were worth a read.

[Kim]

Would like new discussions, with old discussions perhaps archived. I am open to reading the Mary Westmacotts, maybe on the side, quarterly?

[Carolyn F.]

We're doing new discussions with links to the previous discussions. And we put the Mary Westmacotts as discussion threads without a start or end date so everyone can read them and discuss at any time. We also put the autobiographies there also for discussion with no start/end time.

[Kim]

Sounds like an excellent plan.