Carol's Notebook

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie ( previously titled A Holiday for Murder and Murder from Christmas) On the night before Christmas, cruel, tyrannical, filthy rich Simeon Lee is found in his locked bedroom with his throat cut. Now Hercule Poirot must put his deductive powers to the test to solve on of his most chilling cases - and to prevent a clever killer from spilling more blood. This is a classic Christie mystery with lots of suspects, most of whom are family and have motives galore, from money to pure hatred. Christie does leave the clues, but amid many red herrings. I didn't know who the killer was until Poirot had one of his famous get-togethers with all the suspects. After stating why each of them could be guilty, he announces the truth. And the murderer is.. .you'll have to read the story. I'm sure I read this when I was a teenager, but honestly didn't remember much of it. I like...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Set against the tumultuous years of the post-Napoleonic era, The Count of Monet Cristo recounts the swashbuckling adventures of Edmond Dantes, a dashing young sailor falsely accused of treason. The story of his long imprisonment, dramatic escape, and carefully wrought revenge offers up a vision of France that has become immortal. I have to admit that I wasn't sure about reading this, simply because the copy I had was over 1400 pages long, but I am so glad that I did. Most of the book concentrates on Edmond Dantes' revenge on those who had him imprisioned, but Dumas tells it in a way that truly engrosses the reader. The plot had twist and turns, adventure and romance. I was on Dantes' side the whole time, even when his machinations led to the death or misery of people who were not the ones who had plotted against him. Dantes sometimes saw himself as an avenging angel,...

Amber and I started December by reading two of her old favorite Christmas books. They are both too young for her, really, but she enjoys rereading them every year. What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz The reindeer are concerned because Santa is late on Christmas Eve: "Reindeer standing in a row,/Shadows falling on the snow,/The sleigh is packed, all set to go!/What could be keeping Santa?" After checking the decorations on the tree, watching the clock, and glancing nervously up the fireplace, the worried animals finally knock on their boss's door, but don't worry, Santa would never miss Christmas. This is a cute story perfect for reading aloud at bedtime, with its lilting rhyming text. The illustrations are adorable and what kid can't relate to excitement as Christmas approaches, hoping that Santa will come soon. Merry Christmas, Princess Dinosaur! by Jill Kastner Princess Dinosaur enjoys Christmas Eve, giving gifts to her toy-box friends, and imploring Santa with a giant message in the snow....