Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I'm 50% through True Honor, which I may or may not complete it this weekend. Also, at 10 books in, I'm giving Poirot a break to start Cocaine Blues, the first Phryne Fisher book.

I haven't made any new progress with True Honor. The two main characters are a Navy SEAL and a CIA agent and it's set in the days and months following 9/11, and I'm having trouble settling my mind back into the story.

I completed 5 books in the Phryne Fisher series (Cocaine Blues, Flying Too High, Murder on the Ballarat Train, Death at Victoria Dock, and The Green Mill Murder). They're fun and light, and I like the time-period and the recurring characters. I'm enjoying them enough to continue right through but I feel I should leave them for when I want something relaxing and uncomplicated though I'm ...

Spoiler:

dreading how many men Phryne will have slept with by the time I reach book 20

I'm now reading Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, which is shaping up quite nicely. I'm trying not to rush it so I'll have to cast about for something short to read in between.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by HarryT

"The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" by Agatha Christie. This was her 64th book, and was originally published in 1962. This is a "Miss Marple" story, and is a loose sequel to the earlier Miss Marple novel, "The Body in the Library". Gossington Hall, formerly the home of the local "squire", in whose library the aforementioned body was found, is now occupied by an American film star, Marina Gregg and her husband. During an fete to raise money for charity, a local woman dies after drinking a poisoned cocktail, apparently intended for Marina Gregg. Miss Marple investigates.

I liked this one a lot; one of my favorite Miss Marple stories

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished Ruth Downie's Semper Fidelis, 5th in her Gaius Ruso, Intrepid Globe-Trotting Legionary Doctor series of historical murder mysteries set in Roman Britain during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, possibly best known for the Wall (non-Pink Floyd version).

The 1st in the series, Medicus, was a freebie several years ago, and I liked it enough that I promptly bought the 2nd when it went on deep-discount promotional sale, and then eventually got the 3rd & 4th out of the library. (I might have bought them too, but apparently Bloomsbury has changed the versions they sell, so while Kobo still has my original copies, it's no longer easy to tell if I'd bought the lot or not just by looking at the newer product pages.)

Thanks for this reminder! Like you, I read Medicus as a freebie, liked it and bought Terra Incognita right away on the cheap; I started it (IIRC I completed the first chapter) but got distracted by other shiny books, and I never got back to it I really should, plus I can get the rest from the library, I think.

Originally Posted by Luffy

I've finally got Persuasion off my back. This calls for a celebration. I'm off to buy my favorite brand of ice cream. Then I'll begin my new book, Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Can't wait.

Congrats! I know the sense of accomplishment of finishing a less-than-enjoyable book (though I must say, Persuasion was not such a book for me )

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished another Agatha Christie, this time one of her suspense thrillers, Endless Night, which the "Clues to Christie" promo freebie listed among the author's own Top 10 picks of her favourites among her works.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished another Agatha Christie, this time The Secret of Chimneys, an early mystery/thriller from the mid-1920s.

Have you watched the TV adaptations of these two stories (where they egregiously inserted Miss Marple )? I now regret watching them because I want to read the stories; I'm wondering how faithful the adaptation is.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Thanks for this reminder! Like you, I read Medicus as a freebie, liked it and bought Terra Incognita right away on the cheap; I started it (IIRC I completed the first chapter) but got distracted by other shiny books, and I never got back to it I really should, plus I can get the rest from the library, I think.

It'd definitely be worth it. Terra Incognita is even better than Medicus, which had a few rough patches due to it being Downie's first novel. TI has much smoother writing, plotting, and a pretty decent and harder-to-guess whodunnit, IIRC.

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Have you watched the TV adaptations of these two stories (where they egregiously inserted Miss Marple )? I now regret watching them because I want to read the stories; I'm wondering how faithful the adaptation is.

Sorry, no. I've only seen one or two of the Christie adaptations mainly because a few of my favourite middling-obscure British actors who don't get enough work had a few cameos in them.

(ETA: I just hit up the Wikipedia articles to compare, and they say that the Marple EN is very faithful, but TSOC changes a lot, including the whodunnit. I like the quoted Radio Times review's ensuing snark: "and the plot has more holes in it than the murder victim".)

But Endless Night is definitely worth the time to read if you've already got a copy or can get one through the library, gratuitous Miss Marple shoe-horning* notwithstanding. The Secret of Chimneys, IMHO, is rather more meh and I'd confine it to a library read unless you can pick it up dirt cheap. (I just noticed that the 99 cent Christie sale @ Kobo Canada is now off, and HarperCollins have repriced the novels at $11.99 and those individual short stories at $2.99† in all the stores. )

As for what I'm reading now, apparently, more Poirot for the forseeable future. It turns out that almost all my remaining Christie adaptation GNs are for Poirot novels, and there's a cluster of them corresponding with the early books in the series, so I might as well read the next half-dozen in order.

Currently on Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which does indeed exist as a GN adaptation, but is not one of the ones which I presently own.

* And now I'm kind of morbidly curious as to how they did slot her into the story. Probably not enough to go pick up the DVDs from the library, though.

† I can understand $12 CAD + tax for a classic novel with an excellent reputation or a set of over a dozen short stories (even if they seem to have jacked the price up considerably from the $6.99 many of them were pre-sale), but $3 per single story? WTF kind of crack are they smoking in the marketing department?!?!?

[Steve Anderson]

The Shanghai Factor by one of my favorites, Charles McCarry. A young American wanderer becomes a double agent in modern China and back in the states. It's lighter than McCarry's earlier work but works for me.

Also Des Teufels General (The Devil's General), a play from 1946 by German émigré Carl Zuckmayer. The main character is based on WWII Luftwaffe general and WWI ace Ernst Udet. It's serious and comical at the same time, and gives good insight into the mindsets of various Germans in powerful positions. Good stuff. Made into a West German movie with Curd Jürgens and it's on YouTube.

It's in German, but apparently there's an abridged translation in a compilation called The Devil's General/Germany: Jekyll and Hyde.

[ATDrake]

Finished Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, one of her Poirot novels and also among her personal favourites as listed in the "Clues to Christie" freebie.

Going in, I'd thought this might have been one of the ones which had a reputation for having a special twist to it (even if I wasn't quite sure if it was the particular twist I was thinking of), so I kind of kept on the lookout for it if indeed it was, and probably made a lot of subconscious assumptions as to whodunnit based on that.

In the end, the motivation and the howdunnit turned out to be a surprise, because even if I thought I knew whomighthavedunnit (and I did eventually start to think that I'd misremembered because all the evidence looked to be adding up differently), I couldn't quite figure out by what means or why the suspect I'd been keeping in mind would bother. But it all made sense in the end. And I did manage to guess one (out of the many) incriminating secrets that the suspects were holding back.

Highly recommended. This one actually provides a lot of plausible alternatives, while also plausibly eliminating them and setting up the reveal of the real murderer in a very clever and unexpected way. And it's also fun to see Poirot through the eyes of people for whom his reputation initially means nothing, in contrast to the admiring exasperation of Hastings, only to get to know him and his methods along the way as they get roped into assisting his investigation.

Now on to the next Poirot, The Big Four, which seems to have garnered a reputation for being one of the desperately sub-par ones. I'd thought about skipping it, but now I'm morbidly curious as to how terribad it is and it'll be interesting to see the transition from one of Christie's best to one of her worst.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by cromag

I don't post here often, but I'm currently reading The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart, a collection of his three novels set in a China that never was:

Bridge of Birds (1984)
The Story of the Stone (1988)
Eight Skilled Gentlemen (1990)


I found this more or less by accident, and it has turned out to be one of my luckier accidents! So far I've read the first two stories. The first, Bridge of Birds, was heart-breakingly wonderful.

The second, The Story of the Stone, would be a solid four stars out of five -- compared to "Bridge ..." It could use a little tightening up, and a little better focus, but it is ... fantastic.

I just started Eight Skilled Gentlemen, and I've been drawn right in.

Done. Eight Skilled Gentleman would have been five stars as a standalone. Overall, easily five stars, and well worth reading!

But now I think it's time to read some shorter works!

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

It'd definitely be worth it. Terra Incognita is even better than Medicus, which had a few rough patches due to it being Downie's first novel. TI has much smoother writing, plotting, and a pretty decent and harder-to-guess whodunnit, IIRC.

I checked and I can get all the rest of the books from the library so I'll give it a go after (or during ) my du Maurier foray.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

But Endless Night is definitely worth the time to read if you've already got a copy or can get one through the library, gratuitous Miss Marple shoe-horning* notwithstanding. The Secret of Chimneys, IMHO, is rather more meh and I'd confine it to a library read unless you can pick it up dirt cheap.

From the adaptation Endless Night looks to be more psychological thriller than mystery so maybe watching it before reading it shouldn't be too ruinous. Secret of Chimneys I might skip; the episode was meh as well.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

* And now I'm kind of morbidly curious as to how they did slot her into the story. Probably not enough to go pick up the DVDs from the library, though.

I liked the episode but her being there was definitely a forced insertion; she added absolutely nothing to it and could've been left out, IMO.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, one of her Poirot novels and also among her personal favourites as listed in the "Clues to Christie" freebie.

Going in, I'd thought this might have been one of the ones which had a reputation for having a special twist to it (even if I wasn't quite sure if it was the particular twist I was thinking of), so I kind of kept on the lookout for it if indeed it was, and probably made a lot of subconscious assumptions as to whodunnit based on that.

In the end, the motivation and the howdunnit turned out to be a surprise, because even if I thought I knew whomighthavedunnit (and I did eventually start to think that I'd misremembered because all the evidence looked to be adding up differently), I couldn't quite figure out by what means or why the suspect I'd been keeping in mind would bother. But it all made sense in the end. And I did manage to guess one (out of the many) incriminating secrets that the suspects were holding back.

I loved this one! I'd heard about the twist, like you, so I was paying particular attention, looking for something to stand out, and I was rewarded! Something one of the characters said made me go huh? and when I cast my mind back it all fit in, even the motivation and the howdunnit (especially when people started telling the truth and revealing secrets). Definitely highly recommended

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Now on to the next Poirot, The Big Four, which seems to have garnered a reputation for being one of the desperately sub-par ones. I'd thought about skipping it, but now I'm morbidly curious as to how terribad it is and it'll be interesting to see the transition from one of Christie's best to one of her worst.

The Big Four was a chore to get through; can't wait to hear what you make of it. And if you have the slightest inkling to read Black Coffee (the novel), spare yourself and just don't bother. It's a Christie play, but novelized by Charles Osborne. The writing, the characterization, the plot, everything is off (and, if you're an attentive reader, there's no missing the murderer upfront). It is, to use your word, terribad

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

And if you have the slightest inkling to read Black Coffee (the novel), spare yourself and just don't bother. It's a Christie play, but novelized by Charles Osborne. The writing, the characterization, the plot, everything is off (and, if you're an attentive reader, there's no missing the murderer upfront). It is, to use your word, terribad

Well, I did pay 99 cents for it, so I might as well give it a try at some point. But probably not any time soon, unless the morbid curiosity† moves me to do so.

Thanks for the warning, even though you've actually managed to pique my interest with it.

Anyway, took a break from all the Christie to finish up a paper book from the library: Original People, Original Television: The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, by Jennifer David, herself a participant in the making of.

I have vague but fond memories of the APTN, not because I can remember anything that was ever broadcast on it (besides North of 60 reruns, which were excellent and entertaining, by the way), but because it was one of the handful of channels we could get with crystal-clear reception back before everything was switched over to digital broadcasts.

The CBC, our national broadcaster? Fuzzy like a snowstorm, even on a cable subscription. The local versions of CTV and Global? Same. CKVU 13 which eventually morphed into City TV, an actual Vancouver-based channel actually broadcasting from Vancouver? Staticky like it had been rubbing cats with amber. Only The Shopping Channel, APTN, some francophone thing (I think it was TVA), and one of the Fairchild Television Network's local Chinese-language channels ever came through without any problems.

And that's why I have an extensive DVD/Blu-Ray collection which I really ought to get around to watching more of. But I digress.

Anyway, this was a very interesting look at the lead-up to forming an independent, aboriginal (aka, Inuit, First Nations, and Métis) made and operated mainstream TV network which would showcase works by aboriginal people depicting themselves as they saw themselves, rather than just having works involving aboriginal peoples made by non-aboriginals, which had been pretty much the standard until then.

It goes back to well before there was even the idea of having such a channel, to the 60s and 70s back when the advent of videotape was beginning to make it much more affordable for isolated Northern communities to create local interest content, and the various CBC efforts to provide regional coverage in those areas, and the then-surge of interest in native-made dramas and documentaries. Then there's a lengthy section on the formation and inner workings of TVNC, the northern specialty channel which was the predecessor to APTN (and which author Davis used to work at), as well as the various proposals and eventual creation and launch of APTN.

This is done in a mix of insider perspective and outsider recollections and anecdotes, as David gets stories and quotes from other people involved, regarding their roles in the attempts to get the network off the ground and create and promote programming for it.

David doesn't shy away from addressing the (still-extant) issues of the regional/cultural divides of South and North programming, where the former was often thought to unfairly dominate the latter, as well as the (now no-longer-applicable) Northern divide between aboriginal and non-aboriginal audience catering, and this book provides interesting insights into the separations between aboriginal cultural and social interconnections (by no means monolithic, even if the native peoples of Canada do tend to get lumped together and treated, rather unfairly, as one).

Also, there's some fascinating behind-the-scenes info on exactly how Canadian television and the CRTC and CBC work in terms of securing funding, what hoops you have to jump in order to get stuff done, the technical issues involved in doing more-or-less simultaneous broadcasting over a very spread out area, etc. if you think you might be interested in such things.

Recommended if you've any particular interest in the attempted mainstreaming of aboriginal culture or the inner workings of the publicly-supplemented television broadcasting industry in general.

† Darn you, morbid curiosity. Darn you to heck!

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I remember really liking The Historian (I read it around the time that it was published), I've been meaning to reread it. I hope that you enjoy it!

Thank you. I like getting encouragement from fellow readers. I mean to enjoy The Historian, unless it's really, really not for me.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

It is an amazing series of books. And I agree, they just keep on giving pleasure. I'm holding off on a re-read until a little closer to the release of the next one.

Meanwhile, I just started reading the first of the Ann Cleeves Shetland mysteries, Raven Black. This is in an omnibus edition bought on the cheap with a 90% coupon a while back.

Well, that did NOT work for me. I abandoned 50 pages in. Too dark, and that's just not what I'm looking for right now. I guess it's time to do a re-read of the Liaden books, in prep for the new one which should be in eArc form in a month or two. I'll got right back to the chronological beginning, Crystal Soldier. But I'll skip the two trader books this round.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

And if you have the slightest inkling to read Black Coffee (the novel), spare yourself and just don't bother. It's a Christie play, but novelized by Charles Osborne. The writing, the characterization, the plot, everything is off (and, if you're an attentive reader, there's no missing the murderer upfront). It is, to use your word, terribad

To offer an alternate viewpoint, I quite enjoyed "Black Coffee". Certainly not up to the standard of Christie's best, but certainly on a par with her lesser works.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by HarryT

To offer an alternate viewpoint, I quite enjoyed "Black Coffee". Certainly not up to the standard of Christie's best, but certainly on a par with her lesser works.

Having read The Big Four, I definitely consider it to be a lesser work but one that I appreciate making the effort get through because it showed me other facets of the Poirot character; and while the plot is a hash, I still think the writing is good stuff. But Black Coffee just seems too obvious and clumsy to me, and trying too hard. There's also a bit of recycling, including dialogue bits (from other books) between Poirot and Hastings, and a blatant plot element from The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I found it to be meh and added nothing to my appreciation of Poirot.

On a side-note, do you plan to read The Monogram Murders? I want to, but I'm thinking I should read more (or all) of the Poirot books before I do, just to be in a better position to judge whether Sophie Hannah did a good job. What do you think?

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I got halfway through Tunnel Vision and pushed it aside for a while. I'd tried reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice a week or two ago and just couldn't get into it. So, for some odd reason I decided to try it again right then and I got really into it this time. I just finished it yesterday, having enjoyed it a whole lot! Yesterday was the day that The Witch with No Name (The Hollows #13) by Kim Harrison became available so I've begun reading it.

Wow! What an exciting and highly enjoyable ending that was to Kim Harrison's The Hollows series! Now back to Aric Davis' Tunnel Vision!

[astrangerhere]

After finishing Wolf Hall, I have jumped directly into the sequel Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. I am also reading This Side of Paradise for my shorter windows of reading time during the day.

[JSWolf]

Today I finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margret Atwood and it was not bad. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

my next up read is Watership Down by Richard Adams. I've seen the movie and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to reading this one.