Movies and Television
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Looking Forward: TV and Movie Adaptations Coming out in 2023!
One of the (few) joys of the mind-numbing array of streaming platforms is that everyone seems to be looking for the next great adaptation, and a lot of great books are being made into TV shows or movies. There have been endless adaptations over the last few years, including Ann Cleeves murder mysteries, new and glossy Agatha Christie renditions, great space operas like The Expanse and literary classics like Pachinko, Kindred or Station Eleven. I think it is fair to say that some of these are wonderful additions to their worlds, and some of them are….not. I’m not necessarily an adaptation lover in general. For me to want to watch…
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Miss Marple: 4.50 From Paddington
Hello everyone, Sorry for the late post. I am going on vacation this weekend, forgot my personal computer, and didn’t get this out in time. Instead of a 5 fun things this week, please enjoy reading about my latest Miss Marple book! Miss Marple continues to be the BEST. Today’s installment is great, but I have to say this is the first time when my clear favorite was not the book but one of the TV adaptations (and it was amazing). The book I have today is called 4.50 From Paddington (also sometimes called What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw). The Book Overall, this was really enjoyable. One of the things that…
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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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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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Weekend Joys in Books and More: March 19th
Hello everyone, In addition to what has simply been a tough week in a lot of ways, I had a weird Covid-anniversary this past week. Yesterday was both the day I was considered fully vaccinated, and the day that, a year ago, we closed my daycare due to concerns about the pandemic. Although we opened up 2 months later, it was a weird time, and reflecting on that this week put me in a contemplative mood. I have a weird assortment for you all this week as I’m hoping to change my energy a bit and go into the weekend feeling motivated. 1.) One of my primary needs in any…
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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: 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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Weekend Joys in Books and More: February 5th
Hello and happy weekend! In a week that has sometimes felt endless, I am counting my joys as well. I was able to get vaccinated last Thursday (!) and we FINALLY got enough snow to actually play in it. Enjoy the links below, and I’ll be with you next Wednesday with another installment in my Miss Marple reread, The Body in the Library. 1.) My old roommate had this book, and it made me laugh every time. Apparently there are sequels too. If you want to see some of the images in the book, this blog has a few of them. 2.) It’s not too late to think about Valentine’s…
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Weekend Joys in Books and More: January 29th
Hello everyone! First things first, HOW is it almost February already? This past week went by incredibly fast. I feel like I’m always on the verge of having everything unravel underneath me these days, so a lot of the things I have to share below are more about holding it together than anything else. 1.) This is one of the sweetest and most honest biographies (about a dog) I have ever read. 2.) This had some of the more interesting questions I have seen about reading and returned what felt like a realistic result 3.) I don’t know if I have fully shared my undying love for Rupaul’s Drag Race…
