Angela's 2009 Reading List (amwmsw04)

I have 200 books in my TBR pile - wonder which ones I'll read in 2009? I tend to grab them indiscriminately! I thought about the 999 challenge but that seems too structured for my reading style!

In 2008 I read over 140 books. This year my goal will be smaller. I'm going to try for 75 and if I read more than that, wonderful!

Yay - thanks to The Tortoise I made my own ticker!

999 doesn't have to be structured. You can have categories like
from the bottom of my TBR pile
from the top of my TBR pile
Books with blue covers
Books with less than 300 pages
whatever you want.... nothing specific and everything in general

They're your categories and you can change them as you go

True, and a little amusing as well! :D
Hadn't thought of that before, thank you...

About six months ago, I was in a discussion with someone about the 888 thread. He was busting my chops for not participating.

Greatly irritated that someone would presume to tell me what groups I had to join, I pointed out that I had already completed it somewhere around February or March...probably in about the first 60 read last year:

My categories were:

1) Books I had never read before
2) Books I wanted to read
3) Books that I purchased
4) Books written in English
5) Books that were fictional
6) Books that were longer than 50 pages
7) Books that were shorter than 2000 pages
8) Books where the bulk of the sentences ended with periods

He left me alone after that. :-)

TadAD

What? No science fiction or fantasy category--or do they all fit into those categories as well? ;-)

Welcome, amwsmw04! I hope you have a lot of fun with us and get new ideas to read. We are all great lovers of books here so you will fit right in.

>2 cyderry: cyd - "books with blue covers" reminds me of a sketch I saw on Porridge with Ronnie Barker - one pretty thick character said: "I read a book once - it was green!"

Priceless! Almost as good as Tad's categories! :)

I like the category "Books I had never read before." I might use that one! Wouldn't need any others!

- TT

I mght have to change my Classics category to books I never read before - that way if I can't get through the CLassics, I can add anything.
Thanks, TadAD

I decided to introduce myself on my own thread...

I'm Angela - I live in Pennsylvania with my husband of 5 years (who is one of those lovable "non-reader yet supportive of his crazy book-addicted spouse" people). He's wild about TV and movies. My parents read to me all the time and discovered that all I needed were books to occupy myself for hours. I have always had a vivid imagination, which I 'imagine' is why I usually prefer a book to television. I don't think I would miss TV much if it was gone - sign me up for that club!

I'm a secretary/administrative assistant but would secretly love to be an author.

You will find me reading: cozy mysteries, self help books (right now about decluttering and simplifying life), books about books and writers, books about people who took on interesting projects (Is that a genre?) and whatever else calls to me from the shelf.

I am planning to read less in 2009 because I plan to spend more time writing!

I love the category "Books where the bulk of the sentences ended with periods." I just might have to add that one to my list! ;o)

Next year I'm definitely using Tad's categories but I might add books that are green simply because it's my favorite color!

Okay, I recently went back to working in cubicles for the first time in a couple years. To get myself in the spirit of things I read:
1. The Dilbert Future by Scott Adams
2. The Joy of Work by Scott Adams

They are not comic books, but they do have comics in them. I liked #2 better than #1, although I laughed out loud several times with each of them. Fortunately I was not in public at the time...

I think my #3 book will also be a 'workplace-type' book and then I'll move on.

Dilbert is a very necessary antidote to office work of any kind! I think my favourite bit in The Joy of Work is the quote about PowerPoint slides being like your own children - it doesn't matter whether anyone else thinks they're beautiful, the point is, they're yours.

It's always a good idea to keep a sense of humor when working in a cubicle environment, and Dilbert seems like a great way to do that. During my cubicle-working years, I used to watch Office Space every once in awhile too. I *love* the scene where they demolish the printer. LOL!

(Edited to fix silly typo.)

Thanks for your comments! I have to watch Office Space someday.

Instead of finishing my other book about work, I was pleasantly distracted by the arrival of this book in the mail:
3. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

I struggled with the first chapter but then she pulled me in and I really enjoyed it. It's amazing what women in bygone years had to put up with if they wanted to write. I did think she rambled a lot but I assume it is just her writing style. This is my first Virginia Woolf read. I would like to read The Common Reader and The Second Common Reader as well.

This is a silly question but: Is A Room of One's Own fiction or non-fiction?? I'm tagging all my books with one or the other, and this book seems a bit of both! Technically it is an essay, which would seem to be non-fiction. But the majority of it is a fictional account that Woolf used to prove her point.
HELP!

I would tag if nonfiction; however, I am not a librarian so I would ask for more opinions, if I were you.

I loved it, too. As I was "raised" in the 1950s I felt much more identification with her challenges than perhaps a younger woman would. It is all good.

Okay, I tagged A Room of One's Own as non-fiction.

And I finished my last 'work-related' book:

4. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Honestly, this didn't remind me too much of my workplace. For one thing, I work in a small office, not a large corporation like the characters do. I really liked the book in the beginning, but towards the middle and end I felt uncertain. I gave it three stars out of 5 because it kept my attention. I wanted to know what happened with all the characters. But did I really like the book? I'm honestly not sure. It made me think, though. I found myself saying: "The people I work with aren't nearly as crazy as these people...or are they??? How well do I really know my coworkers and what they are going through inside?"
Because it made me think, I am glad to have read it.

#4: I tried reading Then We Came to the End last year, but gave it up after 50 pages or so. I did not like any of the people in it, could have cared less about their problems since they generated pretty much no sympathy from me, so I did not care about knowing how the problems were resolved before the end of the book. I commend you for sticking with it. I know a lot of people liked the book, I am just not one of them.

As far as A Room of One's Own goes, I absolutely love it! I would agree it should be tagged as nonfiction.

Yes, I didn't get too attached to the characters either. I think you've nailed the reason why I can't say that I really LIKED the book. I never got emotionally invested. There are a few bright spots - in the middle of the book it changes to the first person for a chapter and you learn about one character's struggle with breast cancer, and I did feel compassion for her. And there's a scene towards the end where one employee goes 'postal' and I felt my heart pound just a little with all the excitement. (I hope that wasn't a spoiler - I tried to be vague!!)
But all in all I didn't have much sympathy for them either.

I read A Room of One's Own last month for the first time and really loved it! I have both The Common Reader and The Second Reader and they are both excellent although I think I slightly prefer the Second--it has a lot about authors I'm very interested in.

There is a Virginia Woolf thread on LT called I Prefer Men to Cauliflowers. One of the threads is What VW are you reading. You might like to post a comment about Room over there. We try to keep it somewhat active. I have Flush on my TBR pile for 999, so that will be my next one. Today I found a used hardbound copy of Mrs. Dalloway in excellent condition. I read it years ago but my copy "disappeared" so now I can read it again. Can you tell I'm a big VW Fan? :-)

I was distinctly underwhelmed by the Ferris too - completely concur with the comments about not caring what happened to the characters. I think in a sense that's meant to be deliberate, and nearly impossible to avoid with the gimmicky narration, but to my mind the writing really needed something to make up for this. The section in the middle which relates to the cancer episode really made me sit up and pay attention, but the rest of the book then felt impoverished by comparison.

5. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
I thought I had read all of Jane Austen's novels except this one. But while reading it - it seemed very familiar. So I think I must have read it in high school. But it didn't stick with me. I enjoyed it of course - it is always enjoyable seeing a manipulative creature like Lady Susan get what's coming to her. But I did not like it as much as Jane's other works.
3 stars out of 5.

#22: I agree about Lady Susan. It just does not measure up to the rest of Austen's works. Enjoyable, but not up to par.

Lady Susan--wasn't this one of her "unfinished ones" that was sort of cobbled together when she became so popular in our time. Or I have got that wrong?

#24: Carolyn, Lady Susan is not unfinished. It was published long after Austen's death, however. It is an epistolary (sp?) novel, totally unlike her classic novels in form.

You may be thinking of The Watsons. I believe that one was unfinished. I've never read it though.

6. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
I LOVED this book. I think it was a case of the right book at the right time. For the last couple of years, and especially in the last few months, I have been on a quest to get rid of clutter, simplify my life, and take better care of my health. This book was the perfect complement.
Kingsolver's family lives on a farm and for one year they eat locally - either they grow it themselves or they buy it from someone else who grew or raised it locally. (They also raise turkeys and chickens for food.) It's called being a locavore.
I live in the rural and have a perfect space for a small garden at least. I can't follow in their footsteps quite yet, but I can plant a few things this spring and I can buy locally grown fruits and veggies at the local farmer's market.
Highly recommended.

>27 BookAngel_a:: I read the book and then the whole family listened to it on a long drive. It's one of the few books that actually changed the way I live. Really just in tiny ways (I'm a little too stodgy to change a whole lot), but I did start buying produce at a farmer's market, stopped consuming zillions of apples grown in New Zealand for a zillion grown in the US, started buying eggs at a little farmer's stand on the way to work and stopped eating fruits that are terribly out of season (i.e., have to be imported from the Southern Hemisphere).

By the end of the second time through the book, it seemed a trifle too long, but the first time through was great.

Edit: spelling

7. The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
8. The Wisdom of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

These are the first two books in the Father Brown series, each containing 12 short stories. I had never read any Father Brown Stories, or even any G.K. Chesterton until now. I enjoyed them. They were intriguing and a little spooky, and at times even a little funny. Father Brown is a great character, though I do love other fictional detectives more. Will probably look for more by this author in the future. I gave it 3 1/2 stars. Chesterton is very descriptive! I thought that was relaxing most of the time, but one time the mystery didn't even start until the short story was half over...

9. Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander

I chose this book because it was recommended in one of my simple living books. I was really looking forward to it, but alas, I was disappointed. It felt like homework to me. Perhaps I was too easily convinced. Within a few chapters I could see the author's point and agreed with him that eliminating television might be good for us overall. But he kept on explaining. And convincing. His basic arguments are that television is a form of mind control - and that the ones controlling our minds are the heads of the 100 biggest corporations in the country...and that television is bad for our bodies and minds in many ways.

I gave this book 2 1/2 stars. I probably didn't need to read it. Since I've joined LT I've been watching less TV anyway - I enjoy a book so much more.

#29: If you like Chesterton, you must read The Man Who Was Thursday. It is very good!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is one of the books I am going to read this year. Thanks for your input on it.

#30 Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television sounds like it should be interesting, but I can see why it wouldn't be since it wouldn't take much to convince me that television can be a bad thing! I'd rather read.

>31 alcottacre: Stasia, I couldn't stand The Man Who Was Thursday. I thought it was preposterous! Although, I know many others like it.

- TT

#33: Sorry you did not like it, TT. I loved it. Oh, well, the different strokes thing strikes again, lol.

Thanks for the comments! I will have to check out that book...

10. Dave Barry's Guide to Life by Dave Barry

I love his writing and have read all of his books. This is one of his earlier books that I had somehow missed. I didn't laugh out loud as much as I usually do with his modern writing. I gave it 3 1/2 stars.
Some of my fondest memories are reading Dave Barry out loud at family gatherings and laughing together.
What is interesting about Dave Barry is that his writing, even when exaggerated or ridiculous, always has an element of truth to it. I get the sense that he really is quite an intelligent person even though he enjoys making booger jokes.

11. The Snarling Citizen by Barbara Ehrenreich
I didn't enjoy this book. I thought I would like it since I enjoyed Nickel and Dimed by Ehrenreich. Most of the essays were dated, being from the early nineties, and too political for my taste in reading. I also thought the tone of the book was a little too sarcastic and negative for my taste.

Now, off to Mount TBR to choose something I'll enjoy more!

I have really enjoyed reading your thread -- looking forward to visiting again soon. -- Susan

Better luck with your next read!

I am glad you wrote up a review on The Snarling Citizen because, like you, I enjoyed Nickel and Dimed, and probably would have picked up the other book at some point. You have just saved me the trouble.

Angela--found you! You were on my "your posts" list--I just had neglected to star you. That has been remedied.

alcottacre, TT, and Angela

re The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton was on my Top 5 Fiction Reads of 2008. It is very "quirky" and quite bizarre and yet really wonderful. Here are the comments I made when I read it last year:

A fantastical story with more twists and turns than a labyrinth. The story is about a man who has been recruited to track down a master criminal—but that is only the tip of the iceberg. He infiltrates the ranks of the criminal by impersonating the person whose code name was Thursday—hence the title. I was able to anticipate some of the “surprises” but that in no way diminished my pleasure and the ending was magnificent—although many reviewers disliked it because it did not neatly tie up all the loose ends. However, this book was not about answers but questions. I will definitely reread this one.

Caveat: I love everything by G.K. Chesterton that I have read, which is most of what is in print, so keep in mind I'm somewhat prejudiced! :-)

>39 MusicMom41:: That's it. I'd been tossing around whether I wanted to read that book this year... time to add it to the pile...!

I've just found your thread and am enjoying seeing what you've read so far. Thanks for the review of The Snarling Citizen - I haven't seen it around but would probably have bought it if it'd turned up in a secondhand bookshop, because I liked Nickled and Dimed. My husband's bought another one by her - Dancing in the Streets - so I hope it's good.

I'm going to add Animal Vegetable Miracle to my library pile on my next visit. because I've read lots of positive comments on LT about it. Have you read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan? I loved that book! It helps that we have a decent vege garden...the zucchini are growing faster than we can eat them at the moment.

MusicMom, I have The Man Who Was Thursday on my wishlist - I just added it after all your recommendations.

CMT, I have had The Omnivore's Dilemma on my wishlist for quite some time - hopefully I will soon get to read it! I will have to check out Dancing in the Streets. I had not heard about that one yet.

Thanks for contributing to my thread!

12. The Child that Books Built by Francis Spufford
This was so-so. I was enthralled when he related his own personal experiences with reading - I wanted more! But unfortunately that was less than 50% of this book. I was mistaken - I thought this book was strictly a memoir, but the author takes many detours. At times he seemed to be hiding things about himself and his life by being deliberately vague. So, I loved half the book anyway - the half where he shares his story. I would definitely read more of that.

>42 BookAngel_a:: sorry you didn't enjoy this, Angela - I recommended it to someone on a 75ers thread last year as I absolutely loved it (sorry if it was you!).

Oh, you don't need to apologize! :D I'm glad I read it, honestly.
I was just hoping the whole book would be about his personal experiences, and it wasn't. I think he is an excellent writer and I would probably try another one of his books if/when I find one.

13. Maigret's First Case by Georges Simenon

I love cozy mysteries, and I've heard great things about Maigret the detective. This was the first one I've read, and I really liked it. I gave it 4 stars. I think the more I read the series the more I will appreciate it. I got the feeling there were nuances written into the story that only a dedicated reader would 'catch'.
I will definitely read more of this series.

14. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
I really enjoyed this book! Laughed out loud many times. I can totally relate to Jen because I have always struggled with my weight, and I found her journey inspiring. Well, I can't relate to her high self esteem. Nope! Don't have that at all...oh, and I don't think she would have needed to use so much profanity. Actually, I think she would have been every bit as funny without the profanity. It might be some sort of trademark for her though - her writing 'style'. In spite of that, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and I will likely read more of her books. She makes me want to work out, and she makes me want to write a book of my own!

On a humorous side note, I started the group read of War and Peace while simultaneously reading Such a Pretty Fat. My poor husband was confused because I was laughing out loud while reading. He said "I never knew War and Peace was funny!"

LOL That's pretty funny! My hubby has to listen to me try to explain what was funny -- with the culture/language, not to mention different senses of humor, it's almost always a wasted effort :)

Fortunately we do have similar senses of humor. Of course, if I'm angry or frustrated he might think something is funny while I don't - but that's to be expected!

I have read some serious mysteries that had humor thrown in, and of course classics like Jane Austen novels make me laugh, but I'm not sure that War and Peace is going to make me laugh. If anyone finds any laughable passages, I hope they point them out on the group thread! :D

Hi Angela
I found your thread and began to read the posts.
Such a Pretty Fat sound very interesting. I've added this to the list of books I hope to read in 2009.

Hi Whisper1,
Thanks for the compliment! I was reading another thread and I think you and I might be neighbors. I live near Allentown and Reading, PA.
I think you will like the book. I've wishlisted all her other books on paperbackswap and bookmooch. I have a feeling I might like all of them.

Angela

Angela

14 books read already this year--very impressive! You'll give alcottacre a run for her money!

I hope you enjoy War and Peace--I loved it when I read it years ago. I hope to reread it next year. I don't remember very many times I laughed out loud, though. I do have a recommendation--if your copy does not have a list of characters with brief descriptions, start one as soon as you start reading. My copy did and I found it indispensable. I have had several friends and family who have given up on the book because of the number of names you have to keep track of--and the names aren't always easy to remember because they are not familiar to us.

LOL MusicMom, I don't think ANYONE can give Stasia a run for her money!!!
I wanted to read less this year, but I think I'm going to have to revise my ticker to 125 or 150 books, because it doesn't look like I'm going to read less. Maybe War and Peace will slow me down!! (By the way, I did print out a character list, which I think will really help) I wanted to take some of my reading time and use it to write instead.

Speaking of writing:
15. No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
I heard about this website called NaNoWriMo where people sign an agreement to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. This book was written by the website's founder. I don't want to write a novel - I want to write non-fiction. But I thought this book would give me some motivation and some practical tips, and it did! Plus, it's funny at times. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to write. I'm not sure that I'm going to attempt writing 50,000 words in a month, however. Maybe if I get really adventurous or desperate...

Annnnnd NaNo is ridiculously fun! I've done it two years in a row. :) Chris Baty is a great sport, and very encouraging. Besides... NaNoWriMo is all about being adventurous, you simply can't take yourself seriously to be able to write that much in just a month! Some people call themselves 'NaNo-Rebels' and do write non-fiction during that month as well, so... you'd fit right in :)

I did not know that you could write non-fiction on NaNo! Well, I'll consider it for next November, definitely!

16. Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
I picked this up secondhand because I LOVE Sherlock Holmes and I wanted to see what else Doyle could write. It was pretty good. One or two of the short stories really scared me, a few of them were predictable, and one or two I enjoyed very, very much. The writing's not as good as Sherlock Holmes, but if you enjoy Holmes you might also like this short story collection.

17. What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self by Ellyn Spragins
I chose this book because I loved the concept!

This is from the back of the book:
If you could send a letter back through time to your younger self, what would the letter say?

In this moving collection, forty-one famous women write letters to the women they once were, filled with advice and insights they wish they had had when they were younger.

Today show correspondent Ann Curry writes to herself as a rookie reporter in her first job, telling herself not to change so much to fit in, urging her young self, “It is time to be bold about who you really are.” Country music superstar Lee Ann Womack reflects on the stressed-out year spent recording her first album and encourages her younger self to enjoy the moment, not just the end result. “Your hair matters far, far less than you think,” is the wry advice that begins the letter bestselling mystery writer Lisa Scottoline pens to her twenty-year old self. And Maya Angelou, leaving home at seventeen with a newborn baby in her arms, assures herself she will succeed on her own, even if she does return home every now and then.

These remarkable women are joined by Madeleine Albright, Queen Noor of Jordan, Cokie Roberts, Naomi Wolf, Eileen Fisher, Jane Kaczmarek, Olympia Dukakis, Macy Gray, and many others. Their letters contain rare glimpses into the personal lives of extraordinary women and powerful wisdom that readers will treasure.

I gave it 2 1/2 stars because, while I enjoyed it, I didn't feel a deep connection to this book. It's a good book that I know I'm going to forget about later. The great books always give me something to carry with me, and motivate me to make changes. Hope that makes sense!

Angela

Very nice review of a book I hadn't heard about. Your rating makes perfect sense; the comment you made about your rating is very helpful because it lets us know why a book that got such a positive review did not get a higher rating and helps us decide if it will be worth our time to read. If I were younger I would probably read it. Now I'm considering if it might not be a good "exercise" to do it--write a letter to my younger self!

I'm only 29 and I would love to write letters to my younger self!! I think that's why I picked up this book in the first place.

Thanks for the encouragement. I often wonder if I'm correctly conveying my impressions of a book.

18. The Murderer by Georges Simenon

I picked up this book by accident because I mistakenly thought it was a Maigret mystery by Simenon. I also chose it because I needed a book small enough to comfortably fit in my purse!

The story was disturbing and creepy, but also fascinating. The story opens with a man committing murder. He intends to kill himself too, but he doesn't. He thinks he will be arrested, but he isn't.

The book addresses the issue: "What happens to a murderer who is never caught?" The book traces his mental, physical, and moral decline after getting away with murder. Not the type of book I'd normally choose, but I found it interesting.

#58: The book does sound interesting. I will give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation.

19. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

This is the first book (I believe) in the Lord Peter Wimsey detective stories. They were highly recommended to me, since I love Agatha Christie and other cozy mysteries.
It took a while to get to know the characters but I really grew to like them and look forward to reading more in this series. At first I was upset that the murderer was revealed fairly early. However, I began to appreciate why Sayers chose to do that. The result was that I actually felt like I was a part of the detective team; I knew who did it and I was working with them to catch the criminal!

I gave it 4 stars and would recommend it to any cozy mystery fans.

>60 BookAngel_a:: Since Whose Body? is (imo) not the best of her Lord Peter books by several volumes, you've got a lot of enjoyment ahead of you!

That's good to hear!
Unfortunately I've got so many books on my TBR that I don't know when I will get to read another Sayers book!! I have the complete Lord Peter short stories around here somewhere...maybe that will be the next Sayers I read. I will have to acquire the rest of her Lord Peter books at some point. Or there's always the library......

Oh, Angela, the short stories pale in comparison to the novels. Save them for when you have nothing better to read. I think you will enjoy them more when you "know" Lord Peter better.

One advantage of not waiting too long to read the next novel in the series, is that part of the fun is seeing how the recurring characters develop. this is a series in which each ensuing novel (with one possible exception) is better than the last. It also follows post war history in England as it goes along.

Thanks Carolyn for the tip on the short stories! I'm so glad to hear that the books just get better and better. I don't often hear that about a series these days. I'll have to check out the second book fairly soon...

Okay, one of my 2009 goals is to finish reading Agatha Christie's complete bibliography. Just read 6 more. I have less than 20 of hers to go, I think!

20. N or M? The blurb on the back cover sounded wildly exciting, but it was just an average Christie mystery. Tommy and Tuppence versus Nazi spies in the war.

21. The Secret of Chimneys An attractive girl with a lot of spunk is staying in a house with a killer and she doesn't know who to trust. Interesting but basically another average Christie read.

22. The Seven Dials Mystery This is actually a sequel to the Chimneys book above, and by happy accident I read them in the correct order! This book goes back to the same house mentioned above and has many of the same characters, only more developed. I enjoyed this one a bit more. More surprising twists and more excitement.

23. The Secret Adversary Someone else here in the 75 book challenge just read this one! I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would. This book shows how Tommy and Tuppence got together, and I liked reading about that. I never favored T&T as much as Poirot and Marple, but they are growing on me more and more as I read about them. Also, this book seemed to have a lot of action, maybe because Tommy and Tuppence are very young and energetic!

24. At Bertram's Hotel Bleh. This is possibly my least favorite Christie novel so far. First of all, Miss Marple is only featured in a few parts of the novel, which I felt was misleading. Second, the book has a very depressing tone to it and it never gets better. I thought there would be a glimmer of hope at the end but that did not happen. Christie has written other novels that weren't 'happy' but at the end we at least got the satisfaction of feeling that justice had been done. Not this one. Perhaps it is because Miss Marple is dealing with getting older - maybe Christie was facing the same issue at the time and it came across in her writing. Who knows?

25. They Came to Baghdad This was pretty average, but good. A young woman goes to Baghdad on a whim to take a chance at love, and finds herself caught in the middle of international politics, espionage, and murder. I do enjoy the way Christie writes about the middle east. It seems so real because she lived there herself.

#65: Just out of curiosity - are you including the books she wrote as Mary Westmacott, too?

Yes - I have all 6 of her Mary Westmacott books. I'm not sure if I will enjoy them as much as her mysteries though. She only wrote 6 of those, right???

I liked They Came to Baghdad to enjoy re-reading it. Can't say the same about Remembered Death though...

#67: As far as I know, yes, there are only 6 Westmacott books.

Courtesy of fantasticfiction.co.uk these are the 6 books Christie wrote as Mary Westmacott:

Giant's Bread 1930
Unfinished Portrait 1934
Absent in the Spring 1944
The Rose and the Yew Tree 1948
A Daughter's a Daughter 1952
The Burden 1956

I've never read any of these although there are only a handful of her mysteries that I haven't read at least once. I would love to know if these are worth hunting for.

Stay tuned Carolyn...I'll be posting my thoughts on them at some point in this thread! My TBR shelves keep distracting me with other books, but I'm determined to finish my Agatha Christie pile this year! :D

26. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

This is book #2 in the Thursday Next series. Now I can say from personal experience that these books DO get better as they go. I enjoyed book #1, The Eyre Affair, but it was a little hard-going. I got confused easily and had to go back and re-read things because this literary world was all new to me. Plus, my mind was still trying to understand it all.

Now, with book #2, I've given up trying to make sense of everything and just had fun reading it. In this book, Thursday loses her husband, time travels with her father, tries to save the world, and learns to jump into books with help from Miss Havisham of Great Expectations. Her 'real' life is falling apart while her life within books gets better and better. I found myself wishing once again that I lived in a world where everyone took books so seriously, and of course, doesn't everyone wish they could jump into books like she can???

Angela

"doesn't everyone wish they could jump into books like she can???"

I think that is the chief charm of these books!

Carolyn

27. The Club of Queer Trades by G.K. Chesterton

This was an enjoyable surprise. The book is made up of 6 short stories about people who have unusual means of making a living and come to belong to this club. The stories are written like mysteries and the 'detective' is a strange man named Basil, who reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie's Mr. Harley Quin. At the end of each mystery you find out what the person involved does for a living - his 'queer trade'.
This was a light cozy read with no real suspense or danger or murder - I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

I'm glad you enjoyed The Club of Queer Trades--I think it is a lot of fun and a nice "cozy" read just for fun. Have you read anything else by Chesterton? I highly recommend the Father Brown stories.

One of my favorite books by Chesterton is The Man Who Was Thursday, which is a very fantastical tale with lots of twists and turns and a point to be made at the end. Not to everyone's taste but I found it fascinating. Did we discuss this earlier? I recommended it to someone recently.

Yes - earlier in this thread!
It's on my TBR due to your recommendation and Stasia's. I read the first two Father Brown books and that's what started it.
But no worries - it's difficult to remember what goes on in all the threads!!
I had to read this one before the Thursday book because someone was waiting for it when I was done.

I forgot to add about The Club of Queer Trades - it's a gentle satire of Sherlock Holmes! I love Sherlock Holmes so it's a good thing it wasn't a mean or bitter satire or I would not have enjoyed it as much...

28. Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau
For those who don't know, this book is about a man who gave up most of his possessions and lived for two years in a small house by Walden Pond in Concord Massachusetts.
I always felt that I should read this book, since Thoreau was the father of the simple living movement, and I've been reading lots of books about simplifying life.
However, when I picked it up, I always lost interest and put it down again. Then I discovered librivox.org. I downloaded it and put it on my MP3 player. That changed everything. Instead of losing interest, I found it relaxing, and a lot like listening to a lecture given by a very wise man. The librivox reader was excellent - I know that really helped.
I enjoyed this book and gave it 3 1/2 stars. I read in a magazine that Thoreau was not very well liked by the people of Concord in his day, and that probably explains why at times he seems angry and bitter, especially when talking about finances. My favorite parts were when he described nature. He imitated bird calls and played a game of hide and seek with a loon.
Usually when I read memoirs I feel a bond of friendship with the author, but I do admit that Thoreau intimidated me. I have a feeling if I met him today that he might look down on me and all the possessions I 'have' to have. Compared to my peers, I lead a simple life. But next to Thoreau, I do not. Most people alive do not! Also, he encouraged reading, but only 'wholesome' reading and would probably not approve of the 'brain candy' I read here and there!!

I could never live as simple a life as Thoreau did in Waldon Pond but I find it a lovely place to "visit" from time to time when "my head needs clearing." :-)

Very nice review.

Okay, more Agatha Christie books!

29. Murder in the Mews Four 'longer' short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. I love Poirot - he makes me laugh - so of course I enjoyed this book immensely...

30. Crooked House A spookier book...someone in the house is a murderer...and I was really creeped out when I found out who it was...shudder...

31. Passenger to Frankfurt Lots of references to 'Hitler's Youth', lots of espionage, too much war in the subject matter for my taste. I did enjoy the way the main character meets a mysterious girl on a plane and later embarks on a quest to figure out who and what she is. That was intriguing.

32. Cat Among the Pigeons Murders are happening in an exclusive girl's school and someone is not who they appear to be. This was enjoyable - it was a Poirot novel but he only comes in at the very end. Lots of espionage here too.

I guess I need to change my goal of 75 books...maybe I'll wait until my ticker in message one fills up and then revise my goal!

I also want to thank you, Carolyn, for making so many contributions to my thread. It keeps me from feeling like I am, as they say, "posting into the void!"
:D

For what it is worth, I'm really enjoying your thread as well. I love the succinct little reviews.

Awww...thanks Nancy! I know it makes me sound lazy but often find my mind wandering when I read long reviews. Generally, I write just enough to bring the book back to my mind when I review my thread later. And my Agatha Christie reviews are super short because once you've read so many, they tend to follow similar patterns.

I see you are "zippinig right along" with Agatha. Cat Among the Pigeons is my favorite of the last group you read.

Have you had a chance to read the next Lord Peter mystery--Clouds of Witness?

I don't know why the touchstones aren't working properly for me. Must be time to quit! :-)

Funny, I don't think I've ever read Cat Among the Pigeons! How odd... I must find a copy! :D

I can relate to your 'posting in the void' comment. Sorry about that... I do read, but of late find I have little to say anywhere. I'll try at least to let you know I'm still here, reading and enjoying your thread.

I read them all, Ang, so don't worry if I am not commenting, it just means I have nothing to say (for once).

Thanks Suslyn and Stasia!
I read your threads too! I usually only speak up if I have read the books you mention...and sometimes I get embarrassed that I am not as 'well-read' as I would like to be.

Cat Among the Pigeons was my favorite of the above too!
I haven't read the #2 Peter Wimsey book but I got it from Paperbackswap, so I should get to it soon.
I'm trying to focus on my Agatha Christie's because there is someone waiting to take all 24 of them off my hands when I'm done! I told her it would be a month or two...That's just the kind of incentive I need to meet my goal.

I finished my first Mary Westmacott book last night so keep your eyes peeled for a review soon!

Trust me, if I was as well-read as I would like to be, I would be the Lord God Himself, and that job is already filled! I feel woefully undereducated reading a lot of these threads.

Just stopping by to say hi, Angela. When I was starring threads I missed yours. Glad to see you here--I don't see much discussion of books on BookMooch anymore, although it is still a great place to find the books people write about here!

It is fun reading about the Christie books--I didn't know she wrote so many.

I hope you continue on with your Maigret reading, and that you get to Sayers. I thought the Lord Peter Wimsey books were great mystery reads.

Hi Lisa! Nice to see you too. I do use bookmooch to get a lot of the books I hear about in the 75 books challenge! Maybe the new forum will make bookmooch even more exciting.

I don't remember exactly why I began to read Agatha Christie books, but I got really serious when my husband took me to one of her plays, The Mousetrap. (And he doesn't even like to read - what a sweetie!) On the programs I found a list of every book Christie wrote, and I determined then and there to read them all. I think she wrote nearly 80!! Bookmooch helped me get all of them, and I'm down to my last 24. (I've been passing them on after reading them.) In a way, I will be sorry when I'm finished. But I'll be glad to work on other authors, like Sayers and Ngaio Marsh and Simenon. I've collected all of Ngaio Marsh's work - fortunately there's only 36 of those!! I've enjoyed Lord Peter and Maigret as detectives so far.

Of course, I have to space out my cozy mysteries in between other genres - don't want to get stuck in a rut!

Angela said: "...and sometimes I get embarrassed that I am not as 'well-read' as I would like to be."

I think a lot of people in this group would agree with that statement! No matter how much you read there is always more and new areas to explore. It's what makes these threads so much fun--finding out about all the books you never even knew existed! :-)

Angela, I love seeing which Agatha Christies you've read. I really liked them when I was a teenager but they've blurred into one in my head since then. But I do remember loving Cat Among the Pigeons.

I haven't read any Ngaio Marsh (yet another New Zealand author I have ignored all my life) - any recommendations?

CMT, thanks for the comment!

Unfortunately I can't recommend any Ngaio Marsh books because I haven't read them yet. :( I started collecting them to read after I finished with Christie, since Marsh is said to be a lot like Christie. I was told that it's better to read Marsh's work in order since there is a lot of character development. In that case I would recommend you start with A Man Lay Dead, which is book #1.

Just popped in to say that I'm lurking here too! I'm slowly working my way through Agatha Christie's books as well, but very very slowly. I'm glad you're enjoying her.

I too have read I guess only eight Agatha Christie books and plan to read almost these many every year, so they should last for a few more years :)

LOL seems I'm not the only non-posting lurker :) Trying to amend my ways...

33. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Ever since I joined LT I've been hearing great things about Wodehouse and how funny he is. Well, I finally got around to reading my first Wodehouse - and I did chuckle out loud a few times, which is an excellent sign. This book is a collection of 8 short stories - 5 about Jeeves and Wooster, and 3 about a man named Pepper. They get themselves into all sorts of trouble (mostly with their rich relatives) and have to find a way out of trouble to save their family reputation and their income. When Wooster gets into trouble, faithful Jeeves always saves the day. Everyone could use a friend like Jeeves. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and will definitely read more by Wodehouse.

Occasionally while reading I found myself thinking how foolish these characters are, and how they would be a lot better off if they just told the truth instead of trying to fool their rich relatives with deceptions...but...if they wised up and listened to me, we wouldn't have these funny stories, would we?

Today my husband and I went into a Borders bookstore to kill some time before getting our restaurant table...
I always check out the bargain books first, and I found a complete boxed set of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for $3.00!!! They are small paperbacks, but it's still a great deal! I was so excited...
I think it may have been a mistake, since I found the first Hitchhiker's book by itself for $3 a little farther down the shelf.
Recently I decided I wanted to read these books since I've heard they are FUNNY...now I just have to find the time.

The deal was so good that I just had to share with people who understand!!

Angela

PS - The original price on the bottom of the box is 35 English pounds???

Just learned an interesting bit of trivia...
Agatha Christie loved P.G. Wodehouse's books and even dedicated one of her books to him! (She also claims that Wodehouse enjoyed her books as well.)

Angela

Last year I found a volume of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy containing 5 novels and a story on a bargain table. I've been thinking about reading them for a long time because my older son is such a fan!

It wasn't as good a bargain as yours, but now I'm ready to tackle them when I get the opportunity. If you find time to read one this summer and want to read with me, let me know. I usually have more time to read in the summer and can fit in "extra" books.

What fun... I'm missing the first book, but maybe I'll chime in with you on the next ones.

Wow! The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a really funny series, I read the entire thing last year and it was quite enjoyable. I am sure all you people would have a grand time with this one.

Okay, I'll let you know when I'm planning to start reading them!! (unless I see them winking at me one day and I'm seized by a sudden passion...) :D

34. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesteron

Wow. I don't really know what to say about this book. I have to admit that never in my adult life have I been more confused while reading a book! But that's usually a good thing. For instance, if I figure everything out before the characters in a book do, I usually get bored and don't like it. So this book captivated me because I was totally lost. I was dying for an explanation at the end - for some way for it to all make sense...and I didn't get one. The ending was odd, to say the least. But at least I'm not the only one who doesn't understand the ending, according to the reviews. Some people say this book has religious meaning, but I also heard that Chesterton refuted that in an epilogue to a later edition. My only idea about the ending comes from the full title of the book, which is The Man Who Was Thursday - A Nightmare.

For anyone contemplating reading this book: You will probably enjoy it if you like mysteries. This whole book is an action packed mystery, with murderous people, double agents, etc. However, there is a little bit of fantasy mixed in too, in my opinion. Don't read it if you absolutely must have a neat, pat ending! Even if you ignore the ending, the writing is riveting!

I love The Man Who Was Thursday. Glad to have found another fan.

So can you explain the ending to me????
LOL!

There is no explanation for the ending - it is what it is. I think Chesterton wanted it that way.

We're going away with friends for a long weekend...will be back on Sunday night!
I'm curious to see how many books I'll get to finish til we get back.

Angela

Have a great time this weekend!

I read The Man Who Was Thursday last year and this was my comment on it: "A fantastical story with more twists and turns than a labyrinth; this was a great read. I was able to anticipate some of the “surprises” but that in no way diminished my pleasure and the ending was magnificent—although many reviewers disliked it because it did not neatly tie up all the loose ends. However, this book was not about answers but questions." I gave it 5 stars--one of my favorites for the year.

IMO a tidy ending would have diminished the story and the impact of the book. It would also mean there would be no point in reading it again--which I fully intend to do! :-)

Stasia and Carolyn,
Thanks for recommending The Man Who Was Thursday. At first the ending (or lack of it) bothered me, but I've reconciled myself to it now and I'm glad I read it.

Just got back from our weekend away and I got a LOT of reading done. It was an 8 hour trip each way and I read the entire time - cool, huh? I hope I never develop carsickness. I DO get airsick though, so not much reading while flying!

I'm finally ready to comment on Agatha Christie's Mary Westmacott novels. I've read 3 out of the 6 now:

35. Absent in the Spring
36. Giant's Bread
37. The Rose and The Yew Tree

Had to think about it for awhile...her Westmacott novels are SAD. However, they are interesting. IMHO, I do not think Christie can write a dull book.

My favorite of the 3 above was Absent in the Spring. It is about a woman who thinks her life is wonderful but she is deluding herself. She gets stuck in the middle east for a week, waiting for a train to arrive, and she finally realizes some painful truths about her life. When she gets back to reality we find out if she benefits from her voyage of discovery or not. It's a short read and I would recommend anyone thinking about trying the Westmacott novels should start with this one. I love the study of human nature so I was intrigued by the lies we humans can tell ourselves.

Giant's Bread was one of the saddest (slightly frightening) novels I've read in a LONG time. It is a longer novel that tells the life story of a composer - how he came to be a composer, and how his passion for music destroys the life of everyone close to him. Not a good place to start if you have never read any Westmacott's before. Would only recommend to die-hard Christie fans.

The Rose and the Yew Tree is about a beautiful girl and the men who love her. She is untouchable and none of the men can figure out what she's thinking. The reader is confused by her and her seemingly bad choices. Only at the end do we get a glimpse of why she may have acted as she did. This one is not entirely sad, only bittersweet. Might recommend this one.

Another batch of Christie mysteries:

38. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe A good Poirot mystery with the usual twist. Poirot's dentist is murdered. Poirot fans will enjoy seeing the usually confident little man get all flustered about going to the dentist, just like the rest of us!

39. Five Little Pigs A young woman hires Poirot to find out if her mother really did murder her father 16 years ago. I thought this was one of the better plots.

40. Taken at the Flood This one was tough to figure out, which I liked. A family is united against their rich uncle's young wife, who inherited all his money when he died in an air raid.

41. Cards on the Table A rich man says he 'collects' murderers who got away with their crime. He invites 4 sleuths and 4 'murderers' to a dinner party at which he himself is murdered. The 4 sleuths lay all their 'cards on the table' and help each other solve the crime. This one was suspenseful!

42. Dead Man's Folly Poirot and Mrs. Oliver (yes, she can be annoying, can't she?) team up to solve a murder that occurs during a fake murder hunt. The corpse turns out to be real, of course. I found this one to be okay, but a bit predictable.

43. Hallowe'en Party Okay, this one was spooky. I guess it was supposed to be, huh? A young girl boasts about seeing a murder right before the party, and she is murdered at the end of the party. Again Poirot helps Mrs. Oliver. Does anyone else think that Agatha Christie uses Mrs. Oliver's character to 'vent' about the trials and tribulations of a mystery author???

44. Thirteen at Dinner or Lord Edgeware Dies I LOVED this one! If it had not turned out to be a re-read for me, I would NEVER have guessed who the criminal was. A shallow young actress tries to hire Poirot to get rid of her husband (and makes no secret about it)- and then her husband dies and she is accused of murder! But did she really do it?

Okay, finally some non-Christie books!

45. Life is Short - Wear Your Party Pants by Loretta LaRoche
This was a nice breezy read that I found in our beach house! It's appropriate beach reading. Loretta gives advice to help simplify life, not take yourself too seriously, and cultivate self-esteem. I expected it to have religious overtones, but it did not. Ms. LaRoche happens to be a very funny lady!

46. Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. Okay, this is my second Jen Lancaster book and I love her! I did not enjoy Confessions of a Shopaholic because I found it too unrealistic...but this book, for me, was everything Shopaholic was not. Jen was on top of the world and blew money like crazy, then she and her boyfriend lost their jobs after 9/11 and this book shows how they learned their lessons, changed their ways, and saved their future. And did I mention she's FUNNY??? It also reminded me of the books Save Karyn by Karyn Bosnak and The Broke Diaries by Angela Nissel, and while I enjoyed those books, this one was better.

Wow! You have been one busy bee! Glad you're back safely -- thanks for the nice reviews.

you are FAST, girl :)
I had never heard of Christie's Westmacott novels, and had no idea she also wrote "sad" books. I thought it was just mysteries. One learns something new every day, I suppose :)

Thanks Susan and Girlunderglass, for commenting on my thread!!
It seems like when I start reading Agatha Christie books, I go through them like candy...

I don't think too many people on this challenge have read the Westmacott novels, which is why I wrote more about them. I wanted to help people decide if they wanted to check them out or not. Usually Christie mysteries tie up neatly at the end, and they are usually happy. Westmacott novels seem to focus more on character development, exploring why people think and act the way they do. I'll be reading the other 3 shortly - I'm interested to see if they are all on the "sad" or darker side as well.

So, when you run out of Christie's, do you start through Ngaio Marsh?

I might. I've collected all 36 Ngaio Marsh books to read at some point. Are you familiar with her work? I've heard good things about her.
I also might read the rest of Dorothy Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey stories. I've only read the first one.

BUT...I may also take a break from cozy mysteries and read books from the other categories on my TBR mountain: simple living, Sherlock Holmes related, books about books, classics I've missed reading, or the rest of Jasper Fforde's works!! I must admit, though, that I always enjoy having a paperback cozy mystery in my purse wherever I go...

>112 BookAngel_a: Jen Lancaster is one of my latest favorite authors! I was lucky enough to be sent a couple of chapters of her first book before it was released, and I was SO hooked. Now I've got all three of her books and have pre-ordered her fourth (side note, I'm a little bothered that it's being published in hardback instead of trade paper) and keep up with her blog. She's just so. dang. funny! I don't know, she just seems 'real' and doesn't ever seem like she's trying too hard. I keep hoping that she makes it to my neck of the woods as part of a tour -- I bet she's a blast to see in person.

Okay, now I'm done rambling!

I agree with you, alynnk.
I haven't read her blog yet - been meaning to check it out.
My only complaint is that I think she would be just as funny without profanity...I've just never found humor in swearing!

I still have to read "Bright Lights, Big #$%" and the new one, Pretty in Plaid!

I'm sure I'll enjoy them just as much.

47. Toon Ups by Ed Fischer
This is a cute, positive book about health and wellness. The book gives many tips for living and feeling better, and each tip is illustrated with a funny cartoon. I'm going to donate it to my physical therapist's office on Friday, my last day of ankle therapy.

48. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
An average Poirot mystery. A girl had 3 narrow escapes from death and Poirot signs on to help find her would-be murderer. It was a very confusing plot, which I like, but at the end I found out that I had guessed the murderer before Poirot did, which I do NOT like. When I read mysteries, I love to be confused and baffled until the end. Maybe I'm reading too many Agatha Christie's, haha...

49. The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn

I received this book of comics as an early review book and was asked to review it on LT and Amazon. This is my review:

This book was quite a pleasant surprise. I was devastated when Gary Larson retired from writing The Far Side - but The Argyle Sweater just might fill the void. While I was reading and laughing, I kept finding similarities between Argyle and Far Side - the weird looking people, the bizarre, slightly sick, off the wall humor, the many hidden references. I would describe this book as a slightly edgier and more modern Far Side. I laughed out loud quite a few times and will definitely read more of The Argyle Sweater books.

50. The Clocks by Agatha Christie
This was an average Poirot mystery. A young typist is summoned to the house of a blind lady and they both find a dead man in the study. There is a secret service side plot to this novel as well.

51. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Okay...I heard that this book is considered by many to be Christie's masterpiece. Well, now that I've read all her mysteries I can offer my opinion. It isn't. Her masterpiece might possibly be And Then There Were None or Curtain but not this one. Dorothy Sayers is quoted on the back cover saying "Christie fooled you all" so I expected to be fooled! Unfortunately for me, I pegged the murderer in the first part of the book. I didn't know exactly how or why he did it, however.
As for the plot, this is an average Poirot mystery (IMHO) involving the suicide of a widow and the mysterious murder of her rumored suitor, Roger Ackroyd. Suspicion falls on everyone connected to the case, in turn. Poirot is "retired" but decides to investigate the case. It was an interesting book and I would recommend it. I just can't help feeling disappointment after hearing that it was her 'masterpiece'.

The only Christie novels I have left to read are some of her Westmacott works and her Autobiography - almost done, yay!!

#122 amwmsw04

Thanks you,Angela! And Then There Were None is my favorite Christie novel.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is interesting and when I read it at age sixteen I didn't even suspect the solution until very near the end. But it's main value is that it is shocking because she "broke the rules." That was innovative then--passe now. And once you have read it there is no reason to read it again. She has several novels that are enjoyable to read again--so I definitely wouldn't put Roger Ackroyd in her top tier. It iss enjoyable to read for the first time, though.

ETA I just bought her autobiography at our used book sale and am looking forward to it. Have you read Come, Tell Me How You Live? I read that last year and really enjoyed it. She tells about her experiences living at the digs of her archaeologist husband in Syria. I liked it so well that I bought my own copy at the same sale so I could read it again sometime. However, unless you enjoy shopping I recommend you skip the first chapter! I almost didn't go on--and I would have missed a terrific read!

>122 BookAngel_a:: I'm currently reading 8.55 to Baghdad, where a journalist follows the trail of Agatha Christie... trying to travel the steps she traveled... and he mentioned something similar to what MusicMom said above. Apparently The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was her "breakout" book, the one that skyrocketed her work to fame... so while it may not be THE masterpiece of her work, it was in the sense that before she wrote it, her books were just blending into the crowd, enjoying low to moderate sales. This one brought her significant recognition... and probably destroyed her first marriage in the process (though the fault lay on both sides).

>123 MusicMom41:: When you're done with Christie's autobiography, I recommend Mallowan's Memoirs, if you haven't read that yet! It gives you the other side of the story... it's her husband's autobiography, so you get to see Agatha through the eyes of someone who was very close to her!

Carolyn,
I did not know exactly why Ackroyd was considered her masterpiece. Thanks for the explanation! Now I can understand why - it was how she made a name for herself. And it is interesting that it broke the rules. Christie has another novel where she breaks the rules like that...I forget the title! It's narrated by a poor young man who marries a rich young girl with a beautiful companion...it will come back to me!

Yes, I read Come, Tell Me How You Live last year and I really enjoyed it. I like shopping, at least bargain shopping, so the beginning didn't bother me. I'm looking forward to reading her biography. I heard that there are a few years where she had a breakdown or something and she does not mention it at all in her memoir. After reading all of her novels, I feel a bit embarrassed that I know so little about her actual life.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dk_Phoenix - thanks for the recommendation. I'll check out her husband's memoirs sometime soon!!

Angela

# 124 Thanks dk

I've added both 8.55 to Baghdad and Mallowan's Memoirs to my TBR. They both sound good.

#125 Angela

"It's narrated by a poor young man who marries a rich young girl with a beautiful companion...it will come back to me!"

Do let me know when you think of it. I own all of Christie's novels (but not the Westmacott) and have read most of them, but that description doesn't ring a bell. I'd like to read it if I haven't--or if I don't remember it--and I have a mystery category to be filled. :-)

I got it, Carolyn! It's title is Endless Night and it got some pretty high reviews here with LT members. I read it last year and never got around to reviewing it, but I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it and I think it's one of her more clever books. Not quite up there with And Then There Were None, but still... :)

#124 dk - thank you for the Ackroyd explanation as well. I forgot to thank you in my above post! I might try 8.55 to Baghdad too!

Angela

Thanks, Angela! I do have it and I haven't read it. I'm really excited now--since Christie is a Golden Age mystery writer I can read this for my 999 mystery category. Although I didn't specify when I named the category I mentally made it Golden Age mysteries and/or authors new to me--no rereads. Since I read mysteries like I'd like to eat chocolates I wanted it to be a little bit of a challenge. ;-) When I get home I will dig it out and put it on my 999 shelf.

Okay, finished the last 3 Mary Westmacott books!

52. A Daughter's a Daughter by Agatha Christie/Mary Westmacott
A bittersweet novel about a mother and daughter who try to control each other's lives. Bad things happen to each of them as a result. When it seems like their relationship is irreparable, the maid quotes the proverb that says "A son is a son until he takes a wife; a daughter's a daughter the rest of your life."

53. Unfinished Portrait
Celia is about to kill herself when a stranger stops her. They talk for the whole night and then she leaves, feeling better. He decides to write down the story of her life. The book follows her life from happy childhood, losing family members to death, marriage, and the war. The focus of the book is on her closeness to her mother and her marriage to a less than perfect husband. It doesn't sound like much but it's an interesting study of human nature and personalities.

54. The Burden
I found this novel very compelling. Laura is a plain girl who never gets her parent's attention. She longs for it and is jealous of her baby sister. Then a tragedy occurs and her feelings reverse. For the rest of her life she vows to care for her sister and perhaps loves her too much. The novel shows what results from Laura's choices.

Summary: I am very glad I read the 6 Mary Westmacott novels. They are described as romantic novels, but I wouldn't describe them that way. None of the novels has a tidy romantic ending, the way Christie's mysteries usually do. They are all bittersweet or even downright sad. There is an intense amount of focus on wonderful girls marrying unsuitable men who treat them badly! However, I enjoyed every one of them, with the exception of Giant's Bread. (I disliked that one because I strongly disliked the main character!) What I find fascinating about them is the study of human nature. I've always been interested in WHY people think and act the way they do - what makes them 'tick'. And Christie really delves into this subject and makes the reader think: "That seems like a bad choice, but if that was me, would I have chosen differently?"

Angela

I will have to reconsider my opinion about not reading Mary Westmacott. I had always assumed that these were just "romance" novels but they sound like they may reveal another, more emotional, side to Agatha Christie's writing. Next year I think I will make an Agatha Christie category and read the Westmacott novels as part of it. Thanks for your thoughtful reviews that helped me change my mind! :-)

Great! I'm curious to see what you think of them. I rated most of them 3 stars, meaning I probably won't re-read them, but I enjoyed reading them once.

Taking a short break from Agatha Christie:

55. Bright Lights by Jen Lancaster
I have not laughed this hard at a book in years!! This book would have received 5 stars from me, but I had to cut it down to 4 due to her profanity.

This is my 3rd Jen Lancaster book and I'm officially a fan. I can't wait for her next book, Pretty in Plaid which is due very soon. This book isn't really ABOUT anything particular, like her other books. Bitter is the New Black is about being unemployed, and Such a Pretty Fat is about weight loss, but this book is just about life in the big city (Chicago). Her relationship with her husband is awesome, and that supplied most of my laughter. My favorite laugh out loud part is about her being a poor winner. To illustrate, she tells a story about how she and hubby used to play 'SlugBug', hitting each other when they see a Volkswagon Beetle. Except they decide to change the game. Hilarity ensues. It could be, of course, that she reminds me of one of my best friends. In any case, I laughed so hard I cried!

So nice to find a book like that -- glad you enjoyed Bright Lights. My husband who rarely laughs over books or at movies, did laugh out loud several times as we read aloud Brooks' Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold.

Thanks for stopping by! I've never heard of those books (it's a series of books, right?) until now, so I'll have to check them out...

Angela

#132 Bright Lights sounds brilliant! Thanks for the tip! I'd never even heard of the author, but I've added it to Mt. tbr.

Cool, tarendz! You don't have to read the books in order - I didn't! Actually I started with #3, then #1, #2......and #4 is coming out soon. I hope they make you laugh. If you want to get a taste for her sense of humor, check out her website:
www.jennsylvania.com
There's a lot of funny content on that website.
If you like her website, her books are even funnier.

I checked out the website, it's hilarious! Now Bright Lights has moved from my rather large Mt. TBR to my somewhat smaller birthday wish list!

Yay! Glad I could help feed the 'book frenzy'...

>134 BookAngel_a: Yes, it's a light, funny, whimsical fantasy series -- quick reads.

56. Don't Eat this Book by Morgan Spurlock
This book was written by the guy who made the movie 'Supersize Me', where he ate nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. I expected the book to be all about his month's experiences with the 'mcdiet'. However, the book turned out to be an expose of the food industry in America, with his month long diet as a side-plot. His experiences interested me most, and I wish he had written more about that. I would recommend the book, however. Especially for parents with children in public school. He talks a lot about how the food industry targets our children and tries to 'brand' them as addicts even in pre-school. Knowledge is power, and he encourages us to 'vote with our forks.' 3 stars out of 5

57. Loserpalooza a Get Fuzzy book by Darby Conley
5 stars as usual! I can't get enough Get Fuzzy. It's a modern, edgier Garfield with a lot of cultural references and some philosophizing thrown in. When I first saw the cartoon in the Sunday paper, I was puzzled by how mean this cat is. But once I got to know the characters I found it hysterical - and even though the Bucky the cat is a bully, the other two find ways to keep him in his place.

I love the Get Fuzzy comics... I think I have all the books, and I've had a Get Fuzzy desk calendar for several years in a row... heehee... Bucky cracks me up. I especially enjoy his stints at making documentaries... lol.

Oh, yeah, those are great. My personal favorite of all time (so far!) is the scenario when Bucky gets stuck in the air vent and Satchel thinks he's talking to God!!

58. True Crime - The Infamous Villains of Modern History and their Hideous Crimes by Martin Fido
This is probably a great book, just not my genre. I've never really read "True Crime" books and picked this up in the discount bin. The book features villains, well known and unknown, from 1800 to 2008. It's done as a series of newspaper clippings, which appeals to me. I learned a few facts about famous criminals, but overall, this was just not my type of book. Someone else is going to love it, I'm sure.

#143: It may not be right for you, but on the other hand, it sounds perfect for me. I will look for it!

Hey Stasia,
I'll probably be mailing it to you on Thursday! Glad to see it go to a great home...

#145: Thanks, Angela!

59. Grace Eventually by Anne Lamott
I absolutely loved Bird by Bird, my first Lamott book. I think it's one of the coolest books about writing, ever. And then I read Operating Instructions where she talks about the birth of her son and the death of her best friend. I think I gave it 3 stars. This is my third Lamott book. It's hard to describe why she appeals to me. As I read I keep thinking about how different she and I are. But I think her appeal is her brutal honesty. She says some painful, horrifying things and I can't help but be fascinated. I was shocked, and then I thought "Well, it's terrible to say but I've felt that way a few times." She also puts her words together well, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, this book is about her faith. But it's not overly religious or preachy. I was pleasantly surprised by that. And it's not a continuous memoir but rather a series of essays. She does, however, get political at times and she does not mince words (see above). Some readers would be offended by her political stance.

I will probably read her other non-fiction book, Plan B but I don't know if I will read her fiction. I've heard that her non-fiction is much better, much stronger. Anyone??

#147: I cannot help there, Angela. All of the Lamott books I have read have been her nonfiction ones. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful.

PS - I like her for the same reasons you do.

Angela and Stasia

I was interested to hear what you had to say about Anne Lamott. A couple of years ago I picked up a used copy of Traveling Mercies but haven't read it yet. I think I will hunt it up and see how I like her. I don't get offended when people disagree with me politically as long as I'm allowed to disagree with them. ;-)

Oops - I forgot about Traveling Mercies, so now I have TWO more non-fiction Lamott books to read!

I don't know if TM has a lot of political discussion or not. I don't think she mentioned politics in Bird by Bird or Operating Instructions. I wasn't offended by her political stance...I was amused by it. But I won't explain to avoid spoilers.

One thing I appreciated about Grace Eventually is the lack of profanity, as opposed to the others I've read by her. I guess considering the subject matter she kept it clean, LOL...

I always wonder when I read memoirs if the author and I could be friends. What if I met her in person? Anne and I seem to have been raised in different worlds, and the experiences that are normal to her startle me. But then I will come across a paragraph where she's airing her feelings and I'm totally THERE, WITH her. So I don't know. I guess, in a way, I have 'met' Anne Lamott, huh?

Angela

Since Lamont seems to be very honest in her writing, you probably know her better than if you had just met her without reading her. It sounds like now you would like her. I wonder if you had met her first if you would have found her "off-putting?"

#149: Carolyn, it has been several years since I read Travelling Mercies, but I do not remember it being as political as Grace Eventually was. I am not going to swear to it, however, since it has been a while since I read it. Overall, I think Lamott's books are worth reading - she challenges me to think about why I believe the way I do.

You're probably right, Carolyn!

60. Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke
I was fortunate enough to get this 2009 book through a LT member on Bookmooch. I have to say that this is one of the most enjoyable de-cluttering books I've ever read.
For the first half of the book, she talks about throwing out physical clutter. The second half is about mental clutter: fears, insecurities, false beliefs, etc. (Oh, and the fifty things? It's 50 TYPES of things. You can't just throw out 50 old catalogs and say you're done!!!!)
The best part is that she does the process with you, and keeps score with you. She goes through her own house and own emotions and writes down what she's going to throw out. You feel like she's your partner in the process.

Another enjoyable feature is that this book is CURRENT. So many of the decluttering books I read were written ten years ago or more. And while the info is still good, it's nice to read one that's totally up to date. She makes some occasional cultural references and I actually know what she's talking about.

4 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.

Since this is going around, I thought I'd post my results:

The BBC apparently believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

I've completely read these:

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

Well, that's 19 out of 100 - nearly 20%.
And as I was going through the list, I found at least 10 more that are on my TBR or I am currently reading.
So next year at this time my stats will be better!

Angela

When I did the list I said I thought most people in the 75 challenge would find they had read several -- even the young members in this group are widely read! I'd say you did really well.

The only one I haven't read that you have is Gone with the Wind. I saw the movie when it was re-released when I was in college. It was okay but I was never tempted to read the book. I'm reading Civil War as a category this year--all that category will be nonfiction, but I'm thinking about reading some CW novels in my fiction category. Did you like GWTW? If so, why? Should I consider it?

Well...I was incredibly young when I read it (say...13 or 14...) so I'm not the best person to ask. I was still at an age where I demanded happy endings and nothing but happy endings, so the ending of course did not agree with me. I immediately read the sequel by Alexandra Ripley, Scarlett, just so I could get some closure.

I would say if you want to read it for the historical perspective, go for it. You get to immerse yourself in the time period. Some comments seem racist and offensive, but then, that's the way it was!! I learned a lot of things they didn't teach us in school about the war.

But, in my opinion, the storyline itself could get annoying. My impression of Scarlett was a spoiled brat who learned her lessons too late to do anything about it. I believe in the sequel she finally 'grew up' and became a more enjoyable character, at least to me. But some would say that that was her charm. It just bothers me to watch someone make a series of bad decisions that ruin their lives, or have a good situation and then sabotage it. There's far too much of that going on in real life - I don't need to read it for pleasure!

Remember, I read this over 15 years ago when I was in junior high, so my memory could be selective and my impressions could be 'off'.

#156 Angela

LOL! That is exactly the impression I had of what the book would be like and why, even though I lived in Georgia for 24 years, I avoided reading that book like the plague. Thanks for letting me forget about that one with a clear conscience now! :-)

I would say you had very good taste when you were in Jr. Hi! ;-)

Thank you very much for the compliment!

61. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

This is a cute, fast, and funny read about a boy trying to survive Jr. High.

Ooh, Diary of a Wimpy Kid sounds like a fun read.

A careful look at the BBC list reveals that I have read 24 books and by the year end, the number will definitely be more than 30 maybe even 35 (without me actively picking books from this list) and I am one of those younger people in the group Carolyn talked about (grins foolishly), I am not British though (if that makes a difference)

Piyush

However, it looks like both you and Angela, who is also not British, are considerably better read than the average Brit--or the average US American for that matter. :-)

Piyush, you would probably like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It wasn't as laugh out loud funny as I had been led to believe, but it was cute and I chuckled a few times.
Piyush and Carolyn, I've been adjusting to turning the big 3-0, and I still do consider myself to be 'young' (it's really all a matter of perspective - the 11 year olds I know think I'm ANCIENT!!) so I figure I have a lot of time to get more of the 'classics' read. Funny, I used to think I had read a LOT of classics until I joined LT. Now I feel like I have a LOOOOOOONNNG way to go!

Angela

Carolyn, that sounds so good to ears :D

Angela, I think you are lucky that only 11 year olds think of you as ancient, with me turning a quarter century this July, even some friends older than me and my mom think I am ancient, some of my facebook status messages invite comments from across the continents telling me to not be a bore!!! Though the good news (?) is that supposedly has nothing to do with the way I look I am told.

62. The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
This was only my second Wodehouse book, and my first full length novel by him. I was just a little disappointed. First of all, instead of a novel, it read like a series of short stories all loosely connected to each other. And second, there was too much repetition. I think this book could have been condensed to two or three short stories. There were at least 3 adventures about someone losing money while gambling, and seriously, how many times are Jeeves and Bertie going to battle over clothing? I did like the way everything tied together in the end though.
All in all, I'm glad I read it. There WAS a lot of repetition, but I did get a chuckle every now and then, and it was nice light reading during my lunch break at work. I know I will read more Wodehouse in the future.

#163

*Coughs apologetically*

Um, the reason The Inimitable Jeeves read like a series of connected short stories is that it is a series of connected short stories.

Carry on, Jeeves and Very Good, Jeeves are also short story collections. If you want a full-length Jeeves novel, I'd recommend Thank you, Jeeves, The Code of the Woosters or Joy in the Morning to begin.

Hey, thanks Caty! :D
That's good to know. Can you tell I'm not overly familiar with Wodehouse????
I guess I just assumed it was a novel because everything tied in at the end, and the 'chapters' often referred back to things that happened in other chapters.

I definitely plan to read a REAL Jeeves and Wooster novel soon. I think www.fantasticfiction.co.uk told me that The Inimitable Jeeves was the second one published, and I'm trying to read them in order.

Angela

63. Autobiography by Agatha Christie

And with that, I finish my Agatha Christie journey. I've read everything she published except some of her plays and poems.

This book was no small feat. It was 500+ pages of small print and took much longer than I thought it would. I kept getting distracted by other books.

All in all, I found it very informative and delightful. I especially enjoyed reading about how she became a writer, her thoughts on various books (most of the time I agreed with her opinions of them) and how she got the inspiration for various books. Writing has long been a dream of mine, and it was fascinating to read her interpretation of life as a writer.

I would recommend this book - however, I would only recommend that it be read after her mysteries are read. There are some spoilers in the book; she assumes that the reader has already read them.

Now THIS was the biggest surprise of all: one of her Mary Westmacott novels was autobiographical. See the book Unfinished Portrait that I reviewed in message #129 above. I was shocked when I picked up the Autobiography and the first half of it read exactly like Unfinished Portrait. Of course, it is only natural for an author to include bits and pieces of her life in her work, and Christie does this in many of her novels. But this is different. I think reading them both is helpful. One book fills in details that the other book omits. Now that I've read them both, I think I can figure out a little about what happened in Christie's famous "missing years". It's ironic that the writer of so many mysteries would have some mysteries of her own.

#166: Sounds like you had a good time on your Agatha Christie journey. I will look for her Autobiography since I have read her books. Thanks for the recommendation, Angela!

Scarlett turned up in my shipment of books -- I really didn't enjoy GWTW but finished it (so now I can say 'yes, i've read it' when pestered by devotees). How did you find the 'sequel'?

Well, it WAS a long time ago. I'm not sure if the quality of writing was up to the standard of GWTW. I have a feeling it wasn't. But I did enjoy seeing Scarlett grow up instead of being such a spoiled brat. She had a lot of adventures in the sequel and got to travel to other countries. I do think it was more 'modern' than GWTW - by which I mean it discussed sex more openly and topics like that.

There was a televised version of the sequel and I practically shouted at the TV - the TV special was nothing like the book. They changed it to make it more exciting, but that ruined it, in my opinion. Then again, books usually are better than the film versions if you ask me!

1) What author do you own the most books by?
Currently, Ngaio Marsh. I read and then trade my books, so this answer changes frequently.

2) What book do you own the most copies of?
The Bible

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Surprisingly no. Spelling errors bother me more, especially when they are on professional signs.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice - what a combination!

5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
The Bible

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
Giant's Bread by Mary Westmacott
It was well written, like everything Agatha Christie writes, but I could not stand the main character. He used up and destroyed the lives of everyone he touched.

8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
The Girls by Lori Lansens

9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Probably Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
We would all be healthier and it would be easier to buy healthier food if everyone followed this way of eating.

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
I'm not the kind of reader who pays attention to things like that - I get the idea that I'm not the only one!

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - or is there already a movie of this?

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
The Girls by Lori Lansens. I would be afraid the movie people would change things! Also, not sure how they would make a movie about fictional conjoined twins?

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I think I had a Lord of the Rings dream after watching the entire extended version trilogy in one day! We were on vacation...I felt like I got sucked into a different world.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Garfield comic books??

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Recently, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander
I found it hard to get through. I was convinced that television is evil after chapter one and everything after that was overkill. Of all time? Can't remember!

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
I've only seen two, Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. I can't call either of them obscure.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Russians

18) Roth or Updike?
Haven't read either...yet.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Tried Sedaris and gave up after 50 pages - haven't read Eggers.

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare - only because I haven't read the others...yet!

21) Austen or Eliot?
Haven't read Eliot yet - but I will! I LOVE Austen though!!

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
Modern day romance novels. I do not read romances at all unless it's a classic. But I'm not embarrassed by that. I AM embarrassed by reading hardly any sci-fi or fantasy. The closest I come to fantasy is Jasper Fforde.

23) What is your favorite novel?
Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice

24) Play?
The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

25) Poem?
I'm nobody by Emily Dickinson

26) Essay?
One of Anne Lamott's essays on writing

27) Short story?
One of Agatha Christie's I suppose

28) Work of nonfiction?
The Bible. Recently, my favorite has been Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

29) Who is your favorite writer?
Very hard to choose...Jane Austen

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
I haven't read enough modern fiction!

31) What is your desert island book?
The Bible and the Complete Sherlock Holmes - another interesting combo...

32) And... what are you reading right now?
Simple Living by Janet Luhrs and Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter

Angela, there is an excellent movie version of And Then There Were None from 1945 starring Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston. You might want to take a gander at it some time.

Cool, thanks!

Hey Angela,
What is this quiz you took? I saw something similar on Catie's thread, now I am really curious.

I copied it from someone's thread - and they had copied it from someone's thread, etc, etc.
I don't know who posted it originally or where it came from! Anyone???

Anyway, feel free to copy mine and change the answers and post it on your thread - its an interesting way to find out more about each other.

Angela

I copied it on to my thread from lycomayflower. I have no idea where she got it.

So, no one knows the original source? Anyone?
The questions do require some serious thinking, am therefore avoiding it!

Maybe you should post that question on the Kitchen thread, or Stasia's thread.
Someone there might speak up. More people read those threads!

Hi Angela--

I just finished Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh. I picked it up last night for a relaxing read and it really filled the bill. Thanks for making it possible! I haven't had time to read many mysteries this year because of all my "serious" reading--was this one ever a nice change of pace for me.

Great! I'm thinking of trying out the first one soon. I really hope I enjoy her writing, especially since I've collected all 36 of them!! Everyone says if you like Agatha Christie you will like Marsh, so I think it will be just fine. :D

fantasticfiction.co.uk lists 32 Roderick Alleyn books, although I think 6 of them have alternate titles. So far, I've only been able to collect 18 of the books. I'm going to make a concerted effort to get the rest of them because I really like them. I have several of the later ones in "omnibus collections" that were published several years ago. I keep hoping someone will get the bright idea to republish the earlier ones! I think people hang on to their copies--they are hard to find in used book stores!

I suggest reading them in order. Especially in the earliest books there are references to previous cases and it helps to have read the book.

I think you will really have fun with these. I'm trying to save Vintage Murder since I don't want to finish them too fast, but I'm sure it will be read before the end of the year!

Oops! 32...36...same thing, right?? :D
I have all 32 plus one complete volume of her short stories.
I will definitely read them in order. I didn't do that with Agatha Christie and I wish I had!

I didn't know about her short stories! I will have to see if I can find that.

ETA I just ordered it from my library. I will start looking for a copy to buy but didn't want to wait.

Marsh does not show up much in used book stores--but the hunt is fun! One of these days I will learn how to hunt on-line for used books.. Right now I don't have the patience--I like looking when we travel because then I don't have so much other stuff to do and have the time to do it leisurely.

I was fortunate to find a whole stack of paperbacks by Marsh in a used bookstore's discount bin last year. (Coincidentally, we were on vacation at the time!! I love finding used bookstores while travelling, too!) Then when I realized I had already collected half of them, I decided to put the rest on my bookmooch and paperbackswap wishlists. Within a couple of months the rest arrived. I accidentally ordered some duplicates, and those were requested quickly when I re-posted them. Apparently her books ARE hard to find! I'm very pleased that I was able to find them the way I did!

64. Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter
I gave this book 3 stars and I'm glad I read it. I believe it was recommended by Peter. This is the first book in the Inspector Morse series - Morse is a bit eccentric, and people usually think he's mean or crazy until they realize he's brilliant (isn't that true of almost every fictional detective?? :) Of course, he has to solve a murder and he has a Watson-like assistant. The best part of this book was that I had no clue as to the murderer. I love it when I'm fooled! The only difficulty for me is that I just finished reading all of Agatha Christie's mysteries. This book is a bit 'rougher around the edges' and not quite as nice and cozy as Christie's. Christie usually gives us a happy ending, and this book was slightly more dark and melancholy. I liked it - it just came as a bit of a shock after what I'd been used to!

65. The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs
I haven't posted in a while, and this book is part of the reason. It is a huge book - over 400 pages with lots of info on each and every page. Luhrs breaks down every aspect of life: work, family, home, money, travel, etc. and provides suggestions on how to simplify in that area. At the end of each section she features a person or a family who simplified their life, the sacrifices they made, and the end result. I have been trying to simplify for a year or so now, and I loved the suggestions she gave. Not every suggestion works for every person, but I definitely found some I will use. Just reading this book relaxed and calmed me!

>185 BookAngel_a: Great side benefits!!

66. Money Can Buy Happiness by MP Dunleavey
A few years ago I started reading this gal's column on MSN money. I found her amusing and realistic. She had a debt problem, she liked going shopping, and she was learning how to get her finances under control like all of us should be doing. This is her first book, and I enjoyed it. (Some money savvy people might find this book too simplistic.) The main point of the book is that the secret to happiness and contentment is learning how to spend your cash. For example, she advocates hiring a cleaning lady if housecleaning is stressing you out and you value some extra free time. This was a fast, pleasant read - she has a very 'readable' style.

Sounds practical.

#184 - "I had no clue as to the murderer. I love it when I'm fooled!... This book is a bit 'rougher around the edges' and not quite as nice and cozy as Christie's. ...this book was slightly more dark and melancholy."

All the same reasons I fell in love with the character of Morse and the books. Regarding my comparisons with Qwilleran - please forget it. It was nebulous at best! Enjoy the other books in the series, and check out the "Inspector Morse" TV series after you've finished. The great late John Thaw did a masterful job at bringing Morse to life on the small screen. Although the books are better.

Thanks for the tip! I would definitely be interested in watching that.

hmmm.... might be a good gift for the folks (Inspector Morse)

67. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
I think I am becoming addicted to this woman's writing! Like I said about her other books, she is quite different from me on the surface. But she writes with such openness and honesty that I find her fascinating. This book appears to be about her faith, but it is really about her life.
Her writing is just so....real.

Only one book to go and I'll have read all of her non-fiction.

#192: I have read them all, and although I do not agree with all of Lamott's opinions, I still find her writing very enjoyable. Glad to see that you are liking them, too, Angela.

I don't agree with her all the time either - which is one reason I'm surprised to enjoy her as much as I do. I just started Plan B and so far she is VERY VERY political, so I'm not enjoying that one as much as I had hoped. I'm sure there will still be essays that I enjoy though.

#194: I think Plan B is the most political of her books, which means it was my least favorite as I abhor politics. I will be interested in seeing your thoughts on it when you finish it.

68. On Writing Well by William Zinsser
I really can't recommend this enough. I LOVE to read books about writing, but most of those books are geared toward fiction writers; whereas I have always wanted to write non-fiction. This book specializes in non-fiction writing. His advice is practical, sometimes funny, and always easy to grasp. He also practices what he preaches! I will definitely read more by this author.

69. Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout
70. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

Stasia recommended Fer-de-Lance recently and what did I happen to see on my last trip to the bookstore?? Two books by Rex Stout - $5.00 total for two! So I decided to try out a new (to me) series. I gave each of them 3 1/2 stars. It took me a while to figure out the characters, but once I got used to everyone, I found both books very gripping.

Nero Wolfe is a genius who happens to be very large and sedentary. He never leaves the house - well, maybe once or twice a year. His 'man', Archie Goodwin, does all the legwork for him and they have a like-hate relationship. But the two of them are obviously a great match and together they unravel some baffling cases.

So...I got to the end of book 2, and what do I find on the last page on Stout's bio page...there are about 70 Nero Wolfe mysteries!!!! Sigh......
I have maybe 12 'first in a series' mysteries here to check out. I've got to start finding series I don't like or I will be positively buried in books... ;)

#197: I've got to start finding series I don't like or I will be positively buried in books... ;)

Good luck with that ambition! It has certainly not worked for me, lol.

Yeah, Stasia, I don't think it's going to work out so well for me either. :)
Especially since a lot of those 'first in series' books were recommended by other LT members and I think they have good taste!

Realized I haven't posted here in a while, so I thought I'd let you know I've been regularly lurking & reading :)

Awww, thanks Susan!

PS - Do I need to start a new thread?? Just wondering - I have high speed internet and I don't know how long it takes this page to load with a slower connection...

You don't have a lot of images to hang it up, but 200 messages is a respectable length and could warrant a change. :)

Okay, my new thread can be found here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/64472