Reviews
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Miss Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye
“Wherever there is a question of gain, one has to be very suspicious. The great thing to avoid is having in any way a trustful mind” p165 Hello Everyone, It feels like a while since I wrote about a Miss Marple book! This week I have a fun one for you. In this book it really feels like Christie has locked in the key elements of Miss Marple’s method and character, as the quote above indicates! The Book As well as locking in Miss Marple’s character, you can tell in this one that Christie also recognized that “murder in a small town” plots were possible starting to get old, so…
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A Can’t Miss Author: Tamora Pierce
Hello everyone, In the past month, I have continued to dive deep into some rereads, especially as I use audiobooks to alleviate anxiety. There is something really calming about listening to books you know and love when your brain is going a million miles an hour, and for the past few weeks, Tamora Pierce has been that for me. So today, I want to take some time to explore the world(s) of Tamora Pierce, along with looking at what it is that makes her books SO great. These are absolutely my favorite middle grade/young adult books, and I especially love the way they encourage positive behaviors and normalize diverse identities…
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Miss Marple: They Do It With Mirrors
“People will quite often do anything for money.” Good morning! Today, I have a fun Miss Marple book to share with you all in which we get a delightful image of Miss Marple as a young woman and see the lengths she goes to to keep those she loves safe. This is a cast of characters, “house party” type of mystery, and one that I quite enjoyed reading despite the fact that there are a LOT of characters for such a short book. The Book In They Do It With Mirrors, Miss Marple effects her first “disguise” of sorts when she reconnects with two old friends who she went to…
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Irish Stories: Nonfiction, Mysteries, Cozy Books and More
Hello everyone, In honor of St Patrick’s Day (which I think is a much bigger holiday in the United States than it is in Ireland), I did want to share some wonderful Irish stories with you all. Ireland is a country that has a rich storytelling culture and nowhere is that more evident than in their literature! Below you will find great Irish suggestions of all kinds, from highbrow literary fiction to really fun television. I tried to find options from both Northern Ireland and the country of Ireland, and I hope you find something that works for you here! This is by no means comprehensive, so chime in if…
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Miss Marple: A Murder is Announced
“Really, I have no gifts – no gifts at all – except perhaps a certain knowledge of human nature. People, I find, are apt to be far too trustful. I’m afraid that I have a tendency always to believe the worst. Not a nice trait. But so often justified by subsequent events. ” p77 Hello everyone, I’m back this week with a lovely Miss Marple novel that really hit the sweet spot. I also have to say, I’m loving the Miss Marple attitude in general, and leaning into some of the qualities that I was thrown by at first. In the books Marple is completely non-judgmental, has a ton of…
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February 2021: Beautiful writing is its own kind of joy
Hello everyone, This month, I think I may have hit a saturation point for pure comfort reading, and I found myself reaching out for other books. What I discovered (remembered?, rediscovered?) is that while there is joy in simple, easy stories and mysteries, there is another level of joy to be found in beautifully written books. The three books/series that I want to highlight today share very little except for this fact: they are all exceptionally written and their language enchanted and delighted me. Non Fiction Essays – Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver is an wonderful novelist who has written some of the most haunting and beautiful books…
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Miss Marple: The Moving Finger
“You know,” she observed pensively. “To commit a successful murder must be very much like bringing off a conjuring trick….You’ve got to make people look at the wrong thing and in the wrong place” Hello! The more books I read, the more I realize that with some exceptions, my love from Miss Marple has likely stemmed from the fact that I have watched all of Agatha Christie’s Marple at least twice. That being said, I am really enjoying the books, and this is probably my favorite full length novel so far, despite one very large quibble (more on that later), and the fact that Miss Marple’s role in the story…
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Miss Marple: The Body in the Library
“I must say,” said Sir Henry ruefully, “that I do dislike the way you reduce us all to a general common denominator.” Miss Marple shook her head sadly. “Human nature is very much the same anywhere, Sir Henry.” p84 Hello! Welcome to the third installment in my Miss Marple blog series. Today, I have the first reread (for me) in The Body in the Library. I liked quite a bit more this time than the first time I read it, and I really enjoyed it! The Book This book is the story of Miss Marple’s friends who wake to find the body of an unknown woman on their library floor.…
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January 2021: A Month Full of Cozy, Comfy Reads
Hello everyone, My reading year got off to an OK start this year. It has honestly been great, but I am aware of the fact that I am focusing mostly on comfort reading that doesn’t have a ton of substance. I did try and pick up a more serious book at one point, and ultimately decided to give into my need for comfort reading of all kinds. I got to start my Miss Marple books (HERE and HERE), and I really enjoyed some great cozy reading. Great Comfort Reads Of course I have comfort reads to share with you this month! The two favorites I have to share with you…
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Miss Marple: The Thirteen Problems/The Tuesday Club Murders
“Human nature is always interesting… And it’s curious to see how certain types always tend to act in exactly the same way.” p 167 Hello! Today, I am here to talk about the Miss Marple introduction we deserve, known in the UK as The Thirteen Problems and in the US as The Tuesday Club Murders. And in fact, a few of these short stories did appear in print before the Murder at the Vicarage, so I feel justified in making this statement. The Book I am realizing as I start this reread that I have actually not read a lot of the Miss Marple books in their original form as…
