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Book a Week 2019 - BW2: Whodunit bookology - Hercule Poirot


Robin M
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8 hours ago, marbel said:

There's just so much detail about one woman/family so far. I get the connection to the murders, but it's so painful listening to it. 

 

 

I meant to also add that knowing about that one woman and her family is important for reasons which will become clearer later in the book. 

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2 hours ago, hjffkj said:

I love those!

 

2 hours ago, Robin M said:

Wonderful absolutely gorgeous and creative surprise I received today from Sandy (Mumtotwo)

Image may contain: indoor

What a lovely gift, Robin! And what wonderful work, Sandy.

I've never seen Doctor Who, but I'm guessing that is a Tardis.  What do the other two pieces represent?

Regards,

Kareni

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1 hour ago, Kareni said:

 

I've never seen Doctor Who, but I'm guessing that is a Tardis.  What do the other two pieces represent?

Yes, the Tardis.  The dog robot is a character called K9 who appears primarily  during the Tom Baker Years,  roughly ‘70’s.  I think Robin and family should be just about to start watching these episodes.  The other robot is a Dalek and is the perennial Dr. Who baddy from practically the first episode back in 1963.  Daleks are terrifying except for the age old reality,  stairs defeat the early ones!  🤣

I suspect the Star Trek fan in you would like Dr. Who.....there are books with the characters too.  😉 I have pre-read a few for DS and they were pretty good.

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First of all, the Dr. Who quilts are absolutely gorgeous and delightful!!

Second, I've never done this before but would love to try to read a book a week!!!

For week one I read Daughters of the Forgotten Light by Sean Grigsby which is a fun science fiction/post apocalyptic novel with all female main characters and bad ass motorcycle gangs.

For week two I am reading I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara about the search for the Golden State Killer. 

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I also haven't participated in these threads before (that I can recall!). Is it okay if I'm aiming for a smaller number? I may well read 52+, but my goal is 40. Also, is it okay if I don't participate in the posted challenges and just share what I'm reading?

Assuming both of those things are okay...

I just finished reading Herodotus's Histories yesterday and Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock today. (The latter is too short to really be called a book, but Goodreads has it, and I have an ebook of it, so I'm counting it.) Next up is The People of Sparks, a pre-read for my kids.

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57 minutes ago, NewIma said:

First of all, the Dr. Who quilts are absolutely gorgeous and delightful!!

Second, I've never done this before but would love to try to read a book a week!!!

For week one I read Daughters of the Forgotten Light by Sean Grigsby which is a fun science fiction/post apocalyptic novel with all female main characters and bad ass motorcycle gangs.

For week two I am reading I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara about the search for the Golden State Killer. 

Awesome. So glad you decided to join in. Welcome to the 52 books party.  Daughters of the Forgotten Light sounds like a fun read!

35 minutes ago, purpleowl said:

I also haven't participated in these threads before (that I can recall!). Is it okay if I'm aiming for a smaller number? I may well read 52+, but my goal is 40. Also, is it okay if I don't participate in the posted challenges and just share what I'm reading?

Assuming both of those things are okay...

I just finished reading Herodotus's Histories yesterday and Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock today. (The latter is too short to really be called a book, but Goodreads has it, and I have an ebook of it, so I'm counting it.) Next up is The People of Sparks, a pre-read for my kids.

Wonderful. Welcome and happy you are diving in with us.  Yes, it is okay to aim for a smaller number and all the challenges are optional.  Just have fun reading and see how far you get.  

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19 hours ago, mumto2 said:

 The dog robot is a character called K9 ....  The other robot is a Dalek ...

I suspect the Star Trek fan in you would like Dr. Who.....there are books with the characters too.  😉 I have pre-read a few for DS and they were pretty good.

Thanks for the explanation, mumto2. I'd heard of a Dalek but had no idea what one liked like. (It's a strange cultural literacy I have....)

You may well be correct about me liking the books. I should ask my daughter as she has read my favorite Star Trek books AND has watched some Doctor Who with friends.

Regards,

Kareni

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I am offering a public apology to Emily Bronte.  I finished Wuthering Heights this afternoon and actually enjoyed it this time around.  I still like Jane Eyre better, though.

Emily just couldn't really make me care about any of her characters.  It was a good book, but it didn't make me cry.  :)

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I finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and thought it was okay for escape reading. I thought I'd be able to say I finished my first full book of 2019 but according to Goodreads I started it in Dec. Probably what happened is I read a chapter to see if I wanted to keep reading but I don't remember not starting at the beginning when I started reading it in the first few days of this year. This was my second book my Moriarty (Big Little Lies was the other one) and I'm getting the idea that 1. Her novels are good for escape reading. 2. Her novels peel off the masks from seemingly perfect suburban families and find dark things behind the facade. 

I also finished Richard III as part of my continuing Shakespeare challenge. That's my first full read of the year. 

I started reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. I intended to read just a few pages to see if I wanted to read more and it drew me in right away. 

Edited by Lady Florida.
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And, I just finished Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky..  This is the first Russian work that I've read in a while (maybe ever?) and I'm trying to expand my horizons.

Dostoyevsky reminded me of Poe, without the macabre and without the "spark" that many of Poe's writings have.  It might be because this was a translated work, the spark just didn't translate.  I'm willing to read another of his works, but I doubt that he's going to become a favorite author.

Now I get to choose two new books to read.  I like to keep a lightweight book in my purse (that sometimes takes me months to finish) and another book to read at home.

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23 minutes ago, Junie said:

And, I just finished Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky..  This is the first Russian work that I've read in a while (maybe ever?) and I'm trying to expand my horizons.

Dostoyevsky reminded me of Poe, without the macabre and without the "spark" that many of Poe's writings have.  It might be because this was a translated work, the spark just didn't translate.  I'm willing to read another of his works, but I doubt that he's going to become a favorite author.

Now I get to choose two new books to read.  I like to keep a lightweight book in my purse (that sometimes takes me months to finish) and another book to read at home.

If you want to stick with Dostoevsky I would try Brothers Karamazov next. Actually I would just read the Great Inquisitor chapter if you don’t get to the whole thing. It’s my favorite piece of writing ever and I can’t wait for DS to study it next year (though it will be with a Christian-inclined class, so very interesting)

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18 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

There's more than one narrator and I really, really disliked that first one. Try to stick with it. The narrators get better, though as a frequent listener of audio books I wouldn't put any of them on a great narrators list.

For some reason I can't type above the first quote!  This is re: Killers of the Flower Moon.

17 hours ago, Matryoshka said:


I read this last year and indeed did really like it.  But I have to say that the wrong narrator can really ruin a book.  Last year I switched to reading a book midway (not this one) from listening because the narrator just grated on me, but the book itself was fine.  Considering what Kathy added about the narrator, maybe that's something to try.  I read this book (ebook, actually), and it was very good that way.

 

16 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I meant to also add that knowing about that one woman and her family is important for reasons which will become clearer later in the book. 

 

OK, thanks for this! I think I will look for the print (or ebook, same thing to me) in the library system. Though I am still dubious; I read an excerpt of the first section online and it didn't seem any better to me.  Little details about a kid having an earache, what play a group of people were going to go see... I guess that is meant to add color and a personal connection but I find it distracting and superfluous. At least if I'm reading I can let my eyes flow more quickly over stuff like that. 

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1 hour ago, Junie said:

And, I just finished Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky..  This is the first Russian work that I've read in a while (maybe ever?) and I'm trying to expand my horizons.

Dostoyevsky reminded me of Poe, without the macabre and without the "spark" that many of Poe's writings have.  It might be because this was a translated work, the spark just didn't translate.  I'm willing to read another of his works, but I doubt that he's going to become a favorite author.

 

I read Crime and Punishment and though I thought it was a bit weird it kept me interested enough to finish it. I haven't been able to read any other Dostoyevsky, though not for lack of trying. I even tried three times to get through The Brothers Karamazov before I decided to stick to Tolstoy for my Russian reading. I've heard it said that Tolstoy wrote about the Russian upper class while Dostoyevsky wrote about the peasant class and for that reason I kind of wish I could like his novels. It would at least give me a balance.  I just can't.

19 minutes ago, marbel said:

For some reason I can't type above the first quote!  

 

 

 

I've had that problem since the upgrade. Even if I try to grab the quote and move it down, it won't let me put the cursor above the first quote. I finally gave up trying.

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This is how you do it...

7 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I've had that problem since the upgrade. Even if I try to grab the quote and move it down, it won't let me put the cursor above the first quote. I finally gave up trying.

If you hit return or type something into the message box *before* you hit the quote button - then you can write something above the first quote. 😊

Edited by Matryoshka
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On 1/9/2019 at 9:40 PM, Robin M said:

Questions of the week: 

Coffee or tea?

Candy or Ice Cream? 

If you could invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why?

Fun questions.

Tea (although I love a good coffee)

Ice Cream preferably Ben and Jerry

4 non-living famous people: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Eleanor Roosevelt

4 living famous people: Ellen Degeneres, Michele Obama, Melissa McCarthy, Tom Hanks (whew, that was hard)

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2 hours ago, madteaparty said:

If you want to stick with Dostoevsky I would try Brothers Karamazov next. Actually I would just read the Great Inquisitor chapter if you don’t get to the whole thing. It’s my favorite piece of writing ever and I can’t wait for DS to study it next year (though it will be with a Christian-inclined class, so very interesting)

 

54 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I read Crime and Punishment and though I thought it was a bit weird it kept me interested enough to finish it. I haven't been able to read any other Dostoyevsky, though not for lack of trying. I even tried three times to get through The Brothers Karamazov before I decided to stick to Tolstoy for my Russian reading. I've heard it said that Tolstoy wrote about the Russian upper class while Dostoyevsky wrote about the peasant class and for that reason I kind of wish I could like his novels. It would at least give me a balance.  I just can't.

I've had that problem since the upgrade. Even if I try to grab the quote and move it down, it won't let me put the cursor above the first quote. I finally gave up trying.

I have both of these on my To Be Read shelf.  I have a lot of books on my To Be Read shelf.  I have bought a lot of classics recently, so my shelves are full.  I found that borrowing these books from the library just wasn't working for me.

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On 1/9/2019 at 9:40 PM, Robin M said:

Questions of the week: 

Coffee or tea? 

Depends on what time of day it is, what the weather is like, what I'm eating alongside... I like both!

Candy or Ice Cream?   

Mmmm... I love almost all sweets.  I could not choose between the 2.

If you could invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why?

That's always a hard question. Right now, based on my recent reading, John McPhee and Simon Winchester. Just the two of them because they would have so much to say.  They write interesting things so they would likely be interesting to talk to. 

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16 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Yes, the Tardis.  The dog robot is a character called K9 who appears primarily  during the Tom Baker Years,  roughly ‘70’s.  I think Robin and family should be just about to start watching these episodes.  The other robot is a Dalek and is the perennial Dr. Who baddy from practically the first episode back in 1963.  Daleks are terrifying except for the age old reality,  stairs defeat the early ones!  🤣

I suspect the Star Trek fan in you would like Dr. Who.....there are books with the characters too.  😉 I have pre-read a few for DS and they were pretty good.

Thank you for the explanation. I, too, wondered what the other two quilt designs were.

I am a Trekkie through and through and I don't particularly like Dr. Who. I have tried a few episodes and just don't get it. I did, however, enjoy Torchwood, a Dr. Who spin off. The original Torchwood was wonderful. I haven't watched it since they brought it back.

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@Kareni  Thanks Karen, posted the information for the group. 

5 hours ago, Junie said:

And, I just finished Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky..  This is the first Russian work that I've read in a while (maybe ever?) and I'm trying to expand my horizons.

Dostoyevsky reminded me of Poe, without the macabre and without the "spark" that many of Poe's writings have.  It might be because this was a translated work, the spark just didn't translate.  I'm willing to read another of his works, but I doubt that he's going to become a favorite author.

Now I get to choose two new books to read.  I like to keep a lightweight book in my purse (that sometimes takes me months to finish) and another book to read at home.

Hubby just finished reading Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and really liked it.  Gave it to me to read. 

2 hours ago, Mom-ninja. said:

Fun questions.

Tea (although I love a good coffee)

Ice Cream preferably Ben and Jerry

4 non-living famous people: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Eleanor Roosevelt

4 living famous people: Ellen Degeneres, Michele Obama, Melissa McCarthy, Tom Hanks (whew, that was hard)

All very interesting and I'd love to be a fly on the wall for all of them.   

2 hours ago, marbel said:

Coffee or tea? 

Depends on what time of day it is, what the weather is like, what I'm eating alongside... I like both!

Candy or Ice Cream?   

Mmmm... I love almost all sweets.  I could not choose between the 2.

If you could invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why?

That's always a hard question. Right now, based on my recent reading, John McPhee and Simon Winchester. Just the two of them because they would have so much to say.  They write interesting things so they would likely be interesting to talk to. 

Interesting and intriguing choices with John McPhee and Simon Winchester. Would love to read their books. 

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On 1/9/2019 at 9:08 AM, aggieamy said:

The Benevent Treasure by Patricia Wentworth. These are books that I can only rank as recommended or not recommended. This falls in the former category. Good mystery. Likable characters. Moves fast and there's a cool twist. @tuesdayschild - I think this is one you liked also if I remember correctly!

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

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12 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you, Jay, for letting us know. Please give her our good wishes.

Regards,

Kareni

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5 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

Thank you for the explanation. I, too, wondered what the other two quilt designs were.

I am a Trekkie through and through and I don't particularly like Dr. Who. I have tried a few episodes and just don't get it. I did, however, enjoy Torchwood, a Dr. Who spin off. The original Torchwood was wonderful. I haven't watched it since they brought it back.

I married a huge Dr. Who fan.  In the ‘80’s PBS showed it on Saturday nights in the US.  I was introduced slowly to the episodes he liked best and my kids were raised on his VHS tapes.  DS learned to read because he was convinced we were keeping the truly good episodes from him......we were!

 

1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you for the update, your mum has been in my prayers.  Give her a hug and tell her we miss her here!

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2 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you for letting us know, Jay.  Gentle hugs and love winging her way.  Let us know if she needs anything. Fun reads, chocolate, music, etc.  

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2 hours ago, Kareni said:

Thank you, Jay, for letting us know. Please give her our good wishes.

Regards,

Kareni

 

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

Thank you for the update, your mum has been in my prayers.  Give her a hug and tell her we miss her here!

 

17 minutes ago, Robin M said:

Thank you for letting us know, Jay.  Gentle hugs and love winging her way.  Let us know if she needs anything. Fun reads, chocolate, music, etc.  

Thank you.  Passing these kind messages on to her.  Your thoughts and prayers are the best things as Mum's not up to doing much, reading etc.  she had a rough time during surgery and so her recovery this time has been slower than we'd like.  I know she's my Mum, but she's pretty amazing and just looks for God's hand in each next thing that happens.   She'll be back here when she can.  Until then. 

Regards

Jay  

  

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I'm not sure I'll follow along exactly with this challenge, but I've always meant to read all of Christie's Poirot stories in order.  If my user name doesn't give it away, I'm a big fan of the Belgian detective and his assistant.  Though I will watch the John Malkovich version, David Suchet will always be Poirot for me. 

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Finished The People of Sparks (Jeanne DuPrau). I think this series is hitting a sweet spot of suspenseful enough without being too scary for my kids, or at least DD#1. Maybe DD#2 as well, but I might have her wait a bit on it.

Reading book 3 in the series (The Prophet of Yonwood) now - my first time checking out an ebook from the library! I got myself a Kobo ereader with Christmas money. 😄 By the way, if you're my friend on Goodreads, sorry for filling your feed with lots of "Amanda wants to read" updates the other day - I had a bunch of stuff in my Google Play Books that I needed to add to Goodreads once I got the Kobo set up.

I'm also working through a commentary on Mark for personal devotions (The Victory According to Mark by Mark Horne) and another book that's for a monthly ladies' book study at church (All Things Made New: John Flavel for the Christian Life).

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14 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you for letting us know. I'll keep her in my thoughts.

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