A collection of interpretations of fairy tales set within the Doctor Who universe. As with any short story collection some stories are more successful than others and while every story features one of The Doctor's many antagonists, only a handful feature an appearance of the doctor. Recommended for those who like both Doctor Who and fairy tales.

When the patriarch of the Lee family is found in his locked rooms brutally murdered, Poirot aids in the investigation with the local constabulary. The victim's various family members all have plenty of reasons to want the old man dead, leaving Poirot with the question of who did it as well as how they got away.

A pretty solid locked room mystery, I have to admit the book, despite it's title, doesn't feel particularly Christmas-y. That said, Christie remains an impeccable crafter of characters and situations and while I picked out a few of the major clues, the ultimate reveal still surprised me.

Peggy O'Donnell Heffington crafts a thoughtful history of women without children. Her focus is predominantly on American history, which I admit disappointed me a little as I was hoping for a more international exploration, but that's on me for not reading the book blurb thoroughly. However, she does explore the perspectives and experiences of queer women and women of colour, which does broaden the discussion in ways I appreciated. Dividing the book into chapters that focus on various factors that result in woman not having children included contraception and abortion, economic reasons, infertility, and environmental reasons, among others, O'Donnell Heffington sensitively discusses various figures throughout American history (and a few abroad) who opted not to have children, couldn't have children, or like many were somewhere in between. A valuable read both for those with and without children.

In the fourth book in the All Souls series, Marcus' partner Phoebe is set to begin her transition to a vampire. The traditional process requires them to separate for 90 days as Phoebe acclimates to her new self and life and the waiting pushes Marcus to recall his own experiences growing up in America just prior to and during the American Revolution and his own early days as a vampire. At the same time, Diana and Matthew grapple with what their twins abilities might be.

I went into this novel knowing only that it was supposed to be Marcus and Phoebe's stories and so did not expect the novel to include as much of Diana and Matthew as it does. And I'm not sure how much I like it as a result. As a novel with fuzzy genre lines somewhere between fantasy and historical fiction, the sections recounting Marcus' youth were the most compelling to me. The Matthew and Diana content felt a little tacked on and the transitions between all the various viewpoints wasn't always smooth. That said, I did enjoy the novel and getting to both know many characters better and also see ongoing developments with the twins, and having diluted Matthew time is always preferable as he still frequently rubs me the wrong way. If you enjoyed the first three novels in the series, this isn't a must but it is an enjoyable continuation if the summary tickles your fancy.

In the sixth Maisie Dobbs novel, it's just before Christmas when Maisie witnesses a Great War veteran committing suicide by bomb. Shortly afterwards when a threatening letter that seems likely to have ties to the bombing is sent to several major British leaders and mentions Maisie by name, Scotland Yard asks her to help with the investigation. As the letter writer's acts continue to escalate and indicate that his preferred method of harm is chemical weapons, it will take all of Maisie's skills to track down the perpetrator before London's population is at risk. At the same time, Maisie also provides support to her assistant, Billy Beale, as he struggles to help his wife during a mental health crisis in the wake of their daughter's death.

Another excellent entry in this series which is enjoyable just as much for the mystery as for the historical fiction element. It continues to be gratifying to watch Maisie develop as a detective and recover from her own experiences in the Great War. Winspear also deftly handles the topic of mental illness in ways that are both appropriate for the time period (the early 1930s) while also recognizing that to modern eyes, historical treatments are often horrifying. I particularly appreciated how the subplot surrounding Doreen Beale serves as a foil for the main mystery plot. I'll also note that as I listened to this on audio that Orlagh Cassidy's narration is quite well done. Recommended for fans of the series.

Charles Dickens' classic tale of Little Dorrit, the child of the Marshalsea Debtor's Prison in Victorian London. Filled with his usual biting social commentary as well as a massive cast of characters from all walks of life, this is one of my favourite Dickens' novels (that I've read so far) and a delight to revisit in audio. Simon Vance is thoroughly deserving of his many accolades for his work as an audiobook narrator as he provides distinct voices for each character with aplomb (no easy feat in a Dickens tome). His reading was thoroughly enjoyable and made this lengthy audiobook fly by smoothly.

Poirot is asked to investigate and promises to resolve it in twenty-four hours, when an older woman dies while on a tour of Petra with her family. Initially death is presumed natural, but when a hypodermic needle mark is found on her wrist it becomes a question of murder.

This one was an odd read. As well-crafted as ever, it suffers from the murder victim being so awful that I was left ambivalent about whether I wanted Poirot to solve it. Of course the resolution is as fitting as ever and for once I mostly figured out the whodunnit of it all before the final reveal.

The third entry in the Thursday Murder Club series sees the gang delving into the cold case of a local reporter who disappeared under suspicious circumstances nearly a decade ago. At the same time they also deal with consequences from their last case and encounter friends and enemies both new and old.

These books continue to be an utter delight and I'm always happy when I get to spend time with these characters. Fiona Shaw narrates this audiobook and does an excellent job of creating distinct voices for each character. Fans of the series will be pleased this entry. I also enjoyed that the audio edition included an interview with Richard Osman at the end, which was lovely to listen to although I do wish the audiobook editors had given a bit more white noise between the end of the final chapter and the beginning of the interview. Transitioning from Fiona Shaw's plummy tones to the interviewers very strong northern accent was a bit abrupt. Otherwise, highly recommended.

Aurienne and Osric hate each other from the first. As a member of an order of magical healers, Aurienne wants absolutely nothing to do with Osric, whose order specializes in assassination, murder, and general skullduggery. However, when Osric is diagnosed with a magical ailment that only Aurienne could potentially solve, he uses his significant funds to buy assistance from her order. Suddenly thrown together regularly, the pair continue to despise each other. Even as their continued collaboration and investigations of a potential plot that threatens everything leave them wondering if hate is truly the best description for how they feel.

A friend recommended this one to me and noted that I'd likely enjoy it most for its excellent banter. She wasn't wrong. Knightley has a fantastic way with words and her dialogue between these two characters is a constant delight. She also does a brilliant job of building this magical world and crafting an overarching plot that is compelling and isn't just the thing that serves as background to Aurienne and Osric verbally sparring. Readers in the know will appreciate this book's roots as a Dramione fanfic but that knowledge isn't required to enjoy it. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing how Knightley resolves the duology in the second book. And can't wait to see how many more ridiculous pub names she can squeeze in, as well.

Hercule Poirot travels to Egypt, where murder, of course, follows. While on a cruise on the Nile, one of his fellow passengers is found murdered and Poirot is asked to investigate.

One of Christie's more famous Poirot novels and highly deserving of its acclaim. The setting of the novel obviously makes it stand out and Christie crafts a cast of characters who are fascinating in their own ways. Watching Poirot unravel this one is a delight as usual.

Murderbot and Three are on a mission to retrieve some humans. Again. And what should be a relatively simple task of infiltrating a corporate space, find the humans, and get back out again is not as simple as it should be. Of course.

A new Murderbot novel is always exciting for this reader and I was not disappointed in this latest entry in the series. Watching Murderbot continue to grow is always rewarding and seeing its interactions with both Three and the humans in this novel are a delight. Do I wish there was more ART? Always. But I had an excellent time as usual with this book, which Wells herself described as a "family road trip from hell." Highly recommended, as usual.

With colony ships heading out through the rings, the political situation between Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planet Alliance is in serious upheaval. When a new group arrives on the scene and blows up the political order as anyone knows it, the ramifications are vast. With humans across the solar system grappling to understand what comes next, Holden and his crew are, of course, mixed up in the thick of it.

The first book in the series where the narrative points of view are limited to just the core four characters of Holden's crew, and boy does this book put all of them through the wringer. There are major developments here and I'll be fascinated to see how this impacts the back half of the series. Quality remains top notch and I continue to highly recommend these books if you like space opera.

Emma arrives in London just weeks before she is due to take possession of her inheritance, Lapis Lazuli House, on her twenty-first birthday. But before that day there are elderly cousins to butt heads with, friends to visit, mice trying to take over her garret, and a decided lack of pocket money to address.

I finally succumbed to all the warbling about LT and listened to this on audiobook. This first book is largely focused on establishing Emma as a character and her world. As with any novel told in diary format, events in any entry range from big to small in import. I was thoroughly charmed by Emma, and Genevieve Gaunt's narration, and look forward to seeing what future books hold for Emma.

Poirot receives a letter from an older woman, several months after it was dated, asking him to investigate a strange incident that resulted in her injury. When Poirot goes to visit, it is to discover that the writer of the letter died several days after it was written of apparent natural causes leaving a will that surprised both her employees and nieces and nephews. As Poirot investigates the oddities, it becomes clear that once again all is not as it seems.

As ever a well-crafted mystery, and one that proves that Agatha Christie was definitely a dog person.

A collection of four short stories all featuring Hercule Poirot, which were well done as usual.

Meena returns to Texas with one goal, have her husband, Nikhil, finally sign the divorce papers so that Meena can move ahead with her plans to marry her current boyfriend and throw her hat in the ring for an election. But when a hurricane rolls through and leaves Meena to take shelter with Nikhil, she begins wondering if the divorce is truly what she wants.

This novel is definitely a riff on the plot of Sweet Home Alabama and while it does some things better, it also flounders in some places. Meena and Nikhil spend a lot of time communicating poorly, both in the present timeline and flashbacks to the past, which is not my favourite trope. The romance was ultimately sweet and I don't regret my time with it, but it also isn't one I'd push anyone to read.

In this Poirot outing, the detective is invited to a dinner party where the host knowingly invites four people he suspects of being murderers. The host's hubris is rewarded by his being murdered, all while the four guests are playing bridge nearby and four experts in investigation are in the next room. With only four suspects to choose from, Poirot must use all his abilities to determine the perpetrator of the crime.

I quite liked this novel and was impressed with how Christie once again manages to create a compelling mystery even when the suspect pool is immediately limited. I also particularly enjoyed her send-up of herself, as one of the characters in this novel is a well-renowned mystery novelist whose Finnish detective creation she somewhat loathes. I found myself chortling in particular that the character is the author of a book titled The Body in the Library, a title Christie eventually used six years later.

The gates are open and the first of humanity is preparing to settle on an alien world. However, humans still bring their same alliances and prejudices with them everywhere, so when a corporation exploration crew with a UN charter and a separate group of independent refugee settlers fight for control of the same settlement (and its resources), it quickly turns into a nasty conflict. Of course, James Holden and his crew are called into negotiate a peace and then everything really goes to hell.

I continue to really enjoy this series, even this outing which is a pretty stressful survival against all odds on the frontier kind of tale. I also continue to appreciate how the authors manage to tell both this survival tale while also still expanding on the broader mystery of the alien species that kickstarted the events of the series to begin with.

Emily has struggled to find her feet in the years since finishing university. While she longs to find her dream job in a big city, to make ends meet she's living in the small town of Waldon on Prince Edward Island where she works as a receptionist for an auto shop. The only thing she has going that she's truly proud of is her Wordle streak of over 300 days. When John, one of the mechanics at the shop, helps her with a Wordle that threatens to break her streak, it upends Emily's perceptions of him. As they talk more, Emily realizes there's much more to him than she thought and at the same time she also starts to discover just what it is in her professional life that might suit her best.

This is a cute, relatively low spice, contemporary romance. James does an excellent job of evoking the world of small-town Maritimes Canada (likely because she is an East Coaster) and watching Emily grow into herself, both professionally and in her relationship with John. The Wordle element of the plot never becomes too over the top and makes for a fun way for Emily and John to start to connect. While it's pretty easy to see the plot beats coming, that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the reading experience and I'd recommend this one to all contemporary romance readers, but particularly those who like to solve the daily Wordle.

In this outing, Harry must fight curses and vampires from the White and Black Courts, while also having revelations about more than one person in his life. Plus he gets a puppy. There's lots of action and Dresden being snarky, all narrated ably by James Marsters, and I had a good time as expected.

Nurse Leatheran has been recently hired to serve as companion to the wife of an archaeological dig in Afghanistan. Her charge has been fearful and nervous for weeks, which she eventually learns is due to her fears that someone is going to try to harm her. When her fears come true the authorities invite Hercule Poirot, who happens to be in the area, to investigate.

A variation on the locked room murder mystery which stands out due to its setting. Christie remains brilliant both at characterization and plotting. However, the book lost half a star just because the narrator, Nurse Leatheran, has a very strong colonialist outlook which dampened my enjoyment.

In librarianship we talk about books being mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors, and I'm not sure I've ever encountered a book in my adult life that felt so much like a mirror. In this collection of essays, Annie B. Jones reflects on the lessons she's learned from being the one who stays put - in relationships, in her town, in her faith, and in her work. From the opening essay about making friends in her early twenties only to watch those friends move away to pursue new opportunities while Jones remained in the same place, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. Jones is so eloquent in her prose as she reflects on her theme and I adored every page, finding tremendous value in seeing thoughts and experiences I've had myself explored so beautifully. Obviously a very personal reaction to a book but it is one I'd recommend if you've ever been the one who stays put. Not every essay might be for you but there's likely to be at least one that resonates. Highly recommended.

Hastings is once again back in London and, of course, while he's there Poirot ends up on another case. This time a killer writes to Poirot in advance of each death and signs each note "ABC." The victims are killed in alphabetical order with an ABC train guide left at the scene of each crime, but as usual, all is not as it seems.

It continues to be a delight seeing Christie experiment with the conventions of the genre and explore different ways of crafting the whodunnit narrative.

It's the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series. Percy, Annabeth, plus the group of other demigod teens that they've collected in the first two books go on a quest, this time to Rome. As usual plenty of mythological creatures and characters crop up, there's some solid humour, and plenty of adventure. This one ends with a pretty big cliffhanger so if you're reading this with a kiddo, make sure you have the next book on hand.

While on a flight from France to England, one of the passengers is discovered to have died during the flight. Initially presumed to have been due to a wasp sting, it is quickly discovered that the victim was poisoned with a dart from a South American blowpipe. Astounded at the method being so unusual, and annoyed that while on the flight he saw nothing, Poirot investigates.

Another solid outing for Poirot. There's plenty of red herrings, well-drawn characters, and while I was close to deducing the motive and suspect, I once again didn't quite figure it out. Particularly fun for its depiction of early commercial air travel.

Julian Bellamy has spent months since the death of his friend trying to determine who killed him and why. In the light of new evidence, he's convinced that the murderers were attempting to kill Julian himself and not his friend. In his efforts to determine which of his enemies is behind the attack, he's willing to destroy his reputation among the ton to do it. But Lily, the deaf twin sister of said friend, and a friend to Julian in her own right has a different goal in mind. She wants Julian to let go of the investigation into her brother's death and return to his previous pursuits. So she strikes a bargain with Julian for him to escort her to three social events in the hopes she can remind him of all the good life can hold. Of course, all that time together will force them to face a truth they've both known for a long time.

Tessa Dare is one of my favourite historical romance authors for good reason and this outing is a solid example of her talents. She does an excellent job of resolving the mystery of the murder that has hung over all three books in the romance trilogy, crafting a compelling romance between Lily and Julian, and exploring their characters in compelling writing. Of particular note is that Dare does an excellent job of writing Lily's experience of being deaf in the narrative. Dare fans should have a good time with this one.

The first paragraph of this review contains some spoilers for events in books 1 and 2 in the Expanse series.

After a short time jump of a few months since the end of the second book, events have taken a new twist. The protomolecule on Venus has launched a ring into space, which has deployed itself at the edge of the solar system. As Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance all send ships to explore just what the ring is and what might be on the other side, Holden and the crew of the Rocinante end up pulled into the mix again. Of course, putting that many people in such an extreme situation on the edge of nowhere leads to a lot of poor decision-making that will completely upend life as everyone knows it.

Seriously, this space opera series is So Good. I remain astounded that two different people right these as the style is so cohesive even as they craft a wide range of narrating characters. There's plenty of action with these but also quiet moments of character study that are just as compelling. If you like sci fi at all, do yourself a favour and try these.

A BBC Radio 3 production from 2016 of one of Shakespeare's "problem" plays. Although a tricky one to do in audio format as there are so many elements in the text that are best served visually, this production does justice to the source material. It manages the transition from the tragic opening to the comedy-esque ending smoothly and each of the actors are distinctive enough in their roles that the plot is easy to follow throughout. I was particularly impressed by the successful execution of the play's most famous stage direction, {exit, pursued by a bear}. If you're exploring all of Shakespeare's works, this is a great way to explore this play.

Dick Van Dyke's 2011 memoir does exactly what it says on the tin and recounts his life from growing up in small town Illinois in the 1930s, his early forays into radio, the club circuit, and eventually television, to films, stage, and television (again). He also chronicles the ups and downs of his personal life, from fathering four children, struggles with alcohol, and his relationships with his two partners.

I listened to this as an audiobook, read by Van Dyke himself, which adds extra charm. An enjoyable read that does a brilliant job of conjuring his long career in all forms of entertainment. My only grumble was that he used the passive voice in the sections discussing his affair with the woman who would be his second partner - a lot of "this was happening to me" rather than a recognition that it was a choice made by two adults. That aside, Van Dyke is as enjoyable to listen to as you'd expect from all of his acting roles and if you enjoy a celebrity memoir, this is a solid one.

The Drs. Tarrant, Elodie and Gabriel, are both geographers at Oxford university who agreed to a marriage of convenience that initially promised to be more but, due to a misunderstanding, they have instead been estranged for a year. When they are both summoned to small village in Wales where a major outbreak of magic threatens to travel down the ley line and destroy large swaths of the British countryside it will take all of their considerable intellectual powers to figure out how to fix their relationship prevent a catastrophe.

India Holton continues to craft hilariously zany historical romances in a fantastical world in this second book in the series. With so much genre bending/blending, I find them to be excellent reads that I enjoy just as much for their humour as I do for their historical fantastical setting and the ultimate HEA.