Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

When will these older, wealthy men stop inviting their whole families, most of whom hate them or each other, to Christmas house parties? Simeon Lee is the one who's done it this time. All his children, a grandchild none of the others know, and an old "friend's" son, are at the house for Christmas and of course Simeon Lee ends up dead, killed in a locked room. There are plenty of motives, although how was he killed is a good question. The killer was a surprise to me. I'm not sure we really had enough clues to guess who it was on our own. But it's a good ending. I do love Christie. I also listened to this short story. It's another Christmas only this time, Poirot already knows what the crime was, a stolen gem. It's his job to track it down. But he also learns how enjoyable an English Christmas can be. There's no actual murder in this one, which...
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2018 Wrap-Up

2018 Wrap-Up

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 92 books, novellas, etc. this year. I always think it's fun to see how my reading breaks down. The numbers in parenthesis are last year's just to compare. Numbers Pages read: 11,374 (10,323) [Goodreads shows 22,896. Maybe it's counting the pages in audiobooks?] Time listened: 371 hrs 15 mins (242 hrs 7 minutes) Audiobooks: 40 (26)EBooks: 41 (37)Print: 11 (20) Male authors: 31 (27)Female authors: 33 (46)Multiple authors: 2 (2) New-to-me authors: 38 (46) Genres It's hard to categorize some books into one genre. Some may overlap, but I've tried to put them where I think they fit best. Fiction Chic Lit: 0 (2) Classic: 13 (7) Fantasy/Paranormal: 0 (1) General Fiction: 2 (2) Graphic novel/manga/comic - 0 (3) Horror: 2 (2) Humor: 1 (1) Middle School: 0 (3) Mystery: 44 (34) Picture Book: 6 (12) Romance: 0 (5) Sci-fi: 9 (3) Thriller/Crime: 6 (3) Western: 0 (1) Nonfiction Autobiography/Memoir: 1 Politics: 2 Faith: 1 (3) Biography: 2 Science: 2 True Crime:...
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Slay Bells by T. C. Wescott

Slay Bells by T. C. Wescott

Slay Bells by T. C. Wescott was one of the books I finished on New Year's Eve. I had two current reads that I wanted to finish before the end of the year, which I did, this one and Hercule Poirot's Christmas. They winded up my year's reading and my Christmas books. Slay Bells is probably the most Christmassy mystery I've read. It takes place in Christmas Village during the annual Christmas festival and stars Mrs. Maribel Claus as our amateur detective. She has plenty of time on her hands this time of year, since her husband is so busy in his workshop. The entertainers lodging in Plum Cottage are hired for the festival, but then one of them is murderer in a rather mysterious way. The actual villagers are never suspects. The killer is obviously a member of the troupe, no one else could have a motive. I loved the holiday atmosphere, the customs and stories of Christmas Village. The characters...
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Back to the Classics 2018 Wrap-up

Back to the Classics 2018 Wrap-up

My original goal for the 2018 Back to the Classics Challenge was 6 books, but I ended up filling all 12 categories, which means I earned 3 entries in the drawing. It shouldn't be surprising, but by and large classics are enjoyable reads. The titles should link to my reviews. Thanks again to Karen at Books and Chocolate for hosting. 1. A 19th Century Classic- The Time Machine by H. G. Wells – 1895 2. A 20th Century Classic – The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler – 1939 3. A classic by a woman author – A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh 4. A classic in translation – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne 5. A children’s classic –A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 6. A classic crime story – Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith 7. A classic travel or journey narrative  – The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain 8. A classic with a single-word title – Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 9. A classic...
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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca was a re-read for me, but the last time I read it I was probably in high school. I had a basic idea of the storyline, but didn't remember a lot of the details. I honestly expected to love it, but instead I felt like I was slogging through it. The heroine is unnamed through the entire novel and it is told in the first person. I think part of the reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought was her. For the whole first half/two-thirds of the book, I wanted her to take charge of her life. Yes, she was in awe of Maxim, her new husband, and of her estate, but she was so timid and afraid and just rather annoying. That being said, it is an intense book and Rebecca is an incredibly memorable character, especially for being someone we know only through others' memories and impressions. The descriptions are detailed and atmospheric. I can appreciate...
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2019 Audiobook Challenge

2019 Audiobook Challenge

I’m signing up for the Audiobook Challenge again this year, hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. The Details: Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You can join at anytime.The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2019 than you did in 2018.Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)ANY genres count.Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. First update in June 30, 2019 and last update in December 15, 2019. Levels: Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this)...
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