Friday Finds

This week's Friday Finds is a little different, for instead of highlighting a particular book that I've recently discovered I want to highlight a new way to access books that I stumbled upon earlier this month.

Some of you may already know about this, but for the rest of you here is some exciting news!

Kindle is now available not only as a wireless reading device, but also as an application you can download for iPhone and iPod Touch equipment and most recently to all PC users. (Btw, Blackberry and Mac users need not worry, Kindle will soon release a version for you as well.) But the best news of all is that for those who didn't want to spend the $200+ on the actual Kindle it is a FREE download for iPhone, iPod Touch, and PC users! Yeah!!! This is indeed a happy day for readers around the world.

Of course there's nothing quite like holding the written word in a real book form while you read, but I have found that Kindle for PC and iPhone are more of an extension to my library than a replacement. Now whenever I cannot find a book at a book store, library, Inter Library Loan, or a Used Book seller I can generally access it through KindleAmazon and in a lot of cases when the book is older than 50 years I may even be so lucky as to obtain the book for FREE! (More on that next week.)

Happy Reading!

Death On the Nile by Agatha Christie

351 pages
Published 1937, reprinted 2007
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
New York, NY

Death On the Nile is Agatha Christie's 22nd detective/crime novel and the 15th to include Hercule Poirot as the lead detective. In this story Poirot is on holiday and for the most part works alone in solving the crime. His faithful sidekick, Captain Hastings is not present in this book.

The Plot:
"Linnet Ridgeway has it all: beauty, brains, money, and a new, handsome husband. Unfortunately, her husband's jilted ex-fiancee -- and Linnet's former best friend -- has followed them on their Egyptian honeymoon cruise and seems to be shadowing the couple at every turn. When Linnet is murdered, the killer seems obvious -- until she produces an airtight alibi. Soon all of the other passengers on board, including an American lawyer, a nervous chambermaid, and a communist, are suspects. Hercule Poirot must call upon all of his skills of reason and deduction to break this case before the murderer strikes again." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
From the very first few pages I knew Death On the Nile was going to be a good read. The story, which is almost entirely set in Egypt, is filled with interesting and colorful characters; from the lovable to the eccentric, and nearly all with one vice or another. The story plot is fast moving and the crimes (for yes, there is more than just a murder in this story) are just as clever as they are mysterious. In the end all of these factors make Death On the Nile a thrilling detective novel.

As if that wasn't enough to make me like this book I get to add the fact that I actually solved the mystery (the who and the why and part of the how) midway through the book! You can imagine me glee as Poirot lay out the who, how, where, when and why of the mystery while I sat there nodding my head! For some solving the mystery before the end of the book might be disappointing or might mean the clues were too obvious and the book poorly planned, but I do not find either to be the case with Death On the Nile. I think I just got lucky... Or maybe I've read enough of Christie's stories that I was able to recognize the important clues, but whatever the case even though I solved the crime I still found the story grabbed my attention from the beginning and held me all the way to the end.

In Summary:
I hesitate to name any particular book as "the best" especially since there are still over two dozen that I've never read, but I feel safe in saying that Death On the Nile is one of Agatha Christie's greatest mystery novels. It's been a while since I felt this way, in fact I think it's been at least a year since I read one of her crime novels that I liked as well as this one. The last few seemed to be lacking something, but with this one -- everything just comes together!

If you could only read one Agatha Christie novel this year I might be torn as to which one to recommend and yet in the end I think I'd suggest Death On the Nile. It's a worthwhile read so go find it in your library!

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Death On the Nile film adaptations. A few weeks after finishing the book I borrowed the 2004 adaptation with David Suchet staring as Hercule Poirot. For the most part I enjoyed the movie. It was fun to see the characters come alive on the screen and I found several of the actors fitted nicely into their role. There were a few liberties taken with the story, one in particular I found very annoying, but for the most part it was a fair adaptation. Not as good as the book, but a worthwhile hour once you've read the book, or for the person who prefers movies to books. (Horrors! Now there's a crime for you.)

What's On My Nightstand: January 2010

The following books are currently on my nightstand and being read:

Magic for Marigold by L. M. Montgomery. I am reading this as part of the annual L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge at Carrie's blog Reading To Know. I had hopes to read two books for this year's challenge, but it looks like I'll only have time for one. For more information about this annual January reading challenge please visit Carrie's blog.

Emma by Jane Austen. I have never read this book. (I know, it was a shocking fact to me too.) I first read Jane Austen nearly 13 years ago and in the years since I have read all of her novels but this one, a fact I decided to reimdy and just in time too! PBS is airing on Masterpiece Classics a new adaptation of the novel. The first of three episodes aired this past Sunday and the next two are set to air on Sunday, January 31 and Sunday, February 7. I hope to have this book finished before the miniseries ends. For more informaton about the miniseries, to watch missed episodes or to find when and where it airs in your area check out the Masterpiece Classics website.

The following books are upcoming on my nightstand and I'm hoping to read in February:
* The Blue Sapphire by D. E. Stevenson
* Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther
* Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

As for what else I have planned to read... it's up in the air. I am cutting back on the number of books I am reading simply because I don't have as much time to read. However, I am still reading mostly by whim, so you never know what I might read and review next!

What about you? Have you posted your Nightstand list? If so leave a comment and let me know. Also, be sure to check out 5MinutesforBooks Nighstand collection page.

Monday Children's Picks: January 25

Once again our Monday trip to the library was delayed a day, only this time it was because our water heater broke and flooded our basement. We spent Monday cleaning up the mess and replacing the water heater while my daughter played in mud puddles outside.

We're hoping we can get back into our normal Monday visits to the library and return to story time next week. In the meantime, here are the books we selected for this week's reading.


A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
A Little Bit of Winter by Paul Stewart
A Lovely Day for Amelia Goose by Yu Rong
Albert the Fix-it Man by Janet Lord
All My Little Ducklings by Monica Wellington
Beach Day by Karen Roosa
I'm a Duck! by Teri Sloat
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
Itty Bity by Cece Bell
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat by Bill Martin
Millons of Cats by Wanda Gag
Mouse Cleaning by Rose-Marie Provencher
Oh! by Kevin Henkes
Puddles by Jonathan London
Quack! by Phyllis Root
Scuba Bunnies by Chrsitine Loomis
Sheep Take a Hike by Nancy Shaw
Sleep Tight, Little Mouse by Mary Morgan-Vanroyen
Snow Music by Lynne Rae Perkins
What Do Wheels Do All Day? April Jones Prince
What's There by Melanie Walsh
Where Did Bunny Go? by Nancy Tafuri

Attention Mystery Fans

Hello mystery fans! As regular readers of this blog know I'm reading my way through all of Agatha Christie's mystery novels (in order of publication). Usually this means I read one novel a month and post the review here as well as on Mysteries in Paradise's Agatha Christie Reading Carnival website.

If you are interested in seeing what other Christie fans have been reading head on over to the reading carnival. This month's participant list includes ten participants and fourteen reviews. Interested in participating yourself? The next carnival will run on February 22.

Kids Pick(s) of the Week

Because of the week I've had my husband has actually done more of the reading to our daughter than I, thus I have not finished reading the large stack of library books we brought home on Tuesday, but I have found a few favorites in the little I've been able to read.

Duck & Goose Find A Pumpkin by Tad Hills is currently my daughter's favorite. I've come into the room while she is "reading" and hear her read aloud this book several times. I wanted to capture it on video, but of course she stopped reading when I came into the room. Better luck next time.



Penguins by Liz Pichon is another of her favorites. She loves the pictures of the penguins and finds the story very funny. I have found it to be a cute interactive story book with a different type of
story plot. Look for this one at your library.





A Very Curious Bear by Tony Mitton is another cute read. This one is about a bear who asks lots of questions and the clever answers that his daddy bear gives him. I loved this one for it simplicity and yet uniqueness. This story will ring familiar of any parent to a toddler or preschooler. I especially like the ending lines: "But what am I meant for and why am I here? To live and to wonder, my darling, my dear."




Robert's Snow bvy Grace Lin might be considered a holiday book because of the appearance of Father Christmas, but I enjoyed it for its beautiful pictures and the fact that snow is a big part of the story plot. This was a fun read for my daughter who's currently fascinated with snow.


Curious George's Big Book of Curiosity is a great book to introduce children and fans of Curious George to all sorts of concepts. There's colors, shapes, parts of the body, your neighborhood, your family, just to name a few. This is a very fun book to look through with your child or for them to explore on their own.



And of course I loved both Paddington Bear All Day and Paddington Bear Goes to Market by Michael Bond. These picture books are inspired by the Paddington Bear series, which I love. This is a fun introduction for little children to the brown bear from the UK. I look forward to sharing the longer stories with my daughter when she's a little older. Meanwhile, my daughter loves Paddington because he's a bear and she loves bears, isn't that reason enough?

Last weekend I didn't get a chance to post our favorites (from the previous Monday's library trip), but they included: Corduroy Goes to the Beach by B. G. Hennessy (inspired by Don Freeman), Carry Me! by Rosemary Wells, and Pigs Loves Potatoes by Anika Denise (illustrated by Christopher Denise) to name a few.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

324 pages
Published 1904, reprinted 1992
Harper Collins Publishers
New York, NY

As a life-long fan of The Secret Garden it really surprised me when I stopped to consider the fact that I had never read any other of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's novels. I remember years ago watching the Shirley Temple movie adaptation of A Little Princess, which I liked, but for some reason I just never got around to reading the book.

And so I found myself in December with the holidays fast approaching and the 2009 reading year drawing to an end, but with A Little Princess still on my list of "Must Reads" for the year. I knew that if I was going to read it there was no better time than Christmas vacation; so I slipped the book into my luggage and it traveled the many long miles and hours cross-country to our family and vacation. One I was settled in and had caught up on sleep and family visiting I began reading... in a day and a half I'd finished one of the most delightful stories I'd read all year.

The Plot:
When Sara Crewe arrives at Miss Minchin's London boarding school, she seems just like a real little princess. She wears beautiful clothes, has gracious manners, and tells the most wonderful stories. Then one day, Sara suddenly becomes penniless. Now she must wear rags, sleep in the school's dreary attic, and work for her living. Sara is all alone, but she keeps telling herself that she can still be a little princess inside, if only she tries hard enough. (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:

Even though A Little Princess was written and published with young children in mind, I still enjoyed it as an adult reading it for the first time. The writing is simple yet detailed, descriptive, and imaginative. The characters are either easily liked and understood or just as easily despised. Sara's story is like a fairytale and yet possible enough that it could just as easily have happened in real life to a little girl living in England during the turn of the last century.

One of the strongest lessons that can be taken from this book is the lesson of self-worth and inner beauty. The name Sara (or Sarah) means "princess" (which I think was definitely in the mind of the author when creating this story). In the book Sara Crewe is the daughter of a wealthy investor and several of her boarding school classmates call her a princess because of her princess-like demeanor, fine clothing, beautiful dolls, and other expensive belongings. But when Sara loses all her worldly possessions she is determined to prove she is a princess not because of how she dresses or what she owns, but because of how she feels about herself and how she treats others. Sara succeeds by letting her true inner beauty and love shine forth from her soul to everyone around her.

If you haven't already guessed I loved this book. Of course, I've loved all the stories I've read by Frances Hodgson Burnett; she is one of my all-time favorite authors (and I have only just scratched the surface in reading her novels). If you haven't already read A Little Princess (or if it has been a while) I highly encourage you to pick up a copy and read it! I've added it to my own personal library and look forward to re-reading it again one day and to sharing it with my daughter. Out of five stars I'd rate A Little Princess a five. This is a must read, must own classic!

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Other Burnett Books I've Read and Reviewed:
The Shuttle
The Making of a Marchioness (also published as Emily Fox-Seton with The Methods of Lady Walderhurst included)
The Methods of Lady Walderhurst

Wordless Wednesday

On Sunday after church I went to my daughter's classroom. Most of the other two and three year-olds were playing "Simon Says" with the teacher, but my daughter wasn't amongst them. Then I saw her little feet peaking from behind a rocking chair. She was in the corner reading books. When I told her it was time to go home she replied, "No. I want to read books!"

She is her mother's daughter through and through.

Tueday Teaser: A Spinner in the Sun

I couldn't decide between two quotes from a book I recently read, so I decided to give you not one, but two teasers today thus making today Double Teaser Tuesday!

Enjoy!

"The scorn which Miss Mehitable managed to throw into the word "married" indicated that the state was the crowning ignominy of the race. The girl's cheek flamed into crimson, for her own mother had been married, and everybody knew it. Sometime the deep disgrace seemed almost too much for Araminta to endure." (A Spinner in the Sun by Myrtle Reed, Chpt. 5, pg. 66)

"From a distant thicket came a robin's cherry call, a glimmer of blue wings flashed across the desolate garden, a south wind stirred the bending, icy branches to a tinkling music, and she knew that Spring had come to all but her." (Chpt. 6, pg. 80)

Monday Children's Picks

Because yesterday was a federal holiday our weekly visit to the public library was delayed until today. Still, I wanted to post the books we selected to read for the week so I am back-posting.

Books selected for the week of January 18, 2010:
* A Surprise for Rosie by Julia Rawlinson
* A Very Curious Bear by Tony Mitton
* Birthday Mice! by Bethany Roberts
* Caillou, Just Like Daddy by Christine L'Heureuz
* Crocodaddy by Kimberly Norman
* Curious George's Big Book by H. A. Rey
* Curly the Pig by Heather Amery
* Daddies by Lila Prap
* Duck & Goose Find A Pumpkin by Tad Hills
* Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton
* Me and You by Genevieve Cote
* Mouse's First Valentine by Lauren Thompson
* Paddington Bear All Day by Michael Bond
* Paddington Bear Goes to Market by Michael Bond
* Peek-A-Choo-Choo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti
* Peek-A-Zoo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti
* Penguins by Liz Pichon
* Robert's Snow by Grace Lin
* Terrific Trains by Tony Mitton
* You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano

Note: Because of the holiday weekend I was unable to post my (and my daughter's) favorite children's read from last week's picks. Because of this I am planning on combining last week's favorite with this week's favorite. Watch for my Kids Pick(s) of the Week this Friday.

Mission Accomplished!

Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow readers... It's official. I did it! This evening I finished The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, all 702 pages. It took me 17 days, but I finished it in time for my book club meeting, which is this coming Wednesday.

At this moment I am feeling quite proud of myself.

The review will be forthcoming (post book club meeting 1/20), so stay tuned.

Journey To Bethlehem by Delos W. Lovelace

215 pages
Published 1953
Thomas Y. Crowell Company
New York, NY

As might be evident from the title, Journey To Bethlehem is a fictional retelling of the Christmas story -- the journey that Joseph and Mary took to Bethlehem that ended with the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

I stumbled upon this little known historical novel while browsing online for inexpensive used copies of books written by Maud Hart Lovelace and her husband, Delos W. Lovelace during my October 2009 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge.

At the time I was not only surprised to find that Delos had penned a historical novel set in Biblical times, but also that it was the first time I'd heard of the book. Why was that, I wondered, but in reading Journey To Bethlehem I came to understand these facts a little better.

First, Journey To Bethlehem is a good read, but not a powerful read. I liked it, but didn't love it. I was fascinated with the depth of research that Delos must have undergone in order to produce a story that accurately portrayed life 1,950 years prior to the author's life.

Then of course Delos did take several liberties with the famous Bible story, but that is pretty much the norm for any historical novel. The book is based on real people and some real events. Some of the supporting cast are likewise based on real people and some are fictional, but could be based upon real people. The liberty is taken with the conversations and several events that take place throughout the book. However, if the reader can remember Journey To Bethlehem was intended as fiction and not non-fiction or an addition to the Bible than these liberties should not be a problem. And this is the view I chose to take. (In fact, in a lot of ways Journey To Bethlehem reminded me of other historical biblical fiction like The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George and The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke, though perhaps [and no offense to Delos] not quite as good.)

And that's just it. I've read some of Delos' writing and while I liked Journey To Bethlehem I didn't enjoy it as much as some of his other works. I felt the story was a little slow and that the climax of the story -- the arrival of the Christ child -- wasn't quite as powerful as it could have been. Still, I am really glad I found this book and that it was available for a low enough price that I could add it to my personal library.

I started this book in December with the intention of reviewing for Christmas, but one thing after another prevented me from finishing it until my family and I were on a cross-country drive for the holidays. At that point I decided to save my review until the new year. And while most of you are putting away all thoughts of Christmas until next year I encourage you to add this to your 2010 TBR list if you are looking for a different retelling of the Christmas story, even if that isn't for another eleven months.

The only downside to adding this book to your TBR list is that it isn't widely available. None of my local libraries possessed a copy, including the ILL program. However, I was able to find a ex-library copy for under $10 online, so maybe you'll be able to do the same.

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Note: For those curious, the Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge will return to A Library is a Hospital for the Mind in October 2010, so start planning!

Not sure what you will read? No worries, you can obtain a partial list of Lovelace books on Wikipedia, or at the Betsy Tacy Society website (here, here, here, and here), or check out some of the books I read and reviewed in 2009.

Tuesday Teaser: The Brothers Karamazov

"Brothers, love is a teacher; but one must know how to acquire it, for it is hard to acquire, it is dearly bought, it is won slowly by long labour. For we must love not only occasionally, for a moment, but for ever. Every one can love occasionally, even the wicked can."

(The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dosteoevsky, Part 2, Bk. 6, Chpt. 3, Pg. 294)

Monday Children's Picks

Monday, January 11, 2010

The following are the books my daughter* and I selected at the library for our reading this week. (*Ok, it was more me than her. She was busy playing on the children's computer, or as she likes to refer to it: "My 'puter!")

Cary Me! by Rosemary Wells

Come Along, Daisy! by Jane Simmons

Corduroy Goes to the Beach by B. G. Hennessy (inspired by Don Freeman)

Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy by Jane O'Connor

God Created by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones

Happy Hippopotami by Bill Martin Jr.

Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley

Pigs Loves Potatoes by Anika Denise (illustrated by Christopher Denise)

The Best Mouse Cookie by Laura Numeroff

The Happy Egg by Ruth Krauss

What Bear Likes Best Alison Ritchie

While We Were Out by Ho Baek Lee

Check back at the end of the week to find out which are our favorite reads.

Monday Progress Report

This is my (sometimes) weekly reading progress report. The purpose of this post is to tell you what I'm currently working on and any special thoughts or notes about the upcoming week.

It's January and of course the start of a new year, which normally would mean you would find me blazing through the books at the top of my TBR pile... But this year I am not.

Instead I am putting all my attention into one book, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which was selected in November as the book to discuss at the January meeting of my book club.

After reading during every spare moment I had this weekend and only making progress through 200 pages of The Brothers Karamazov I am feeling like a lousy literature lover. I won't post any official thoughts on the book at this time (I'm saving them for my review after I finish the book), but I will say this much. Reading The Brothers is work.

There were several moments over the weekend where I nearly talked myself into setting the book down and "giving myself a break" by reading something of lighter fare. But I was strong. I kept on reading.

As of this evening I have reached the half way point of the book with only ten days (mostly evenings and some afternoons) to finish the other half. Let's just hope it goes more quickly than the first half. Stay tuned!

Kids Pick(s) of the Week

I originally planned to highlight just one book from this week's library stack that I have been reading to my daughter. But it was a little difficult to narrow them down to just one, so I've decided instead to post a little about my four favorites, as well as one that I didn't end up liking.

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

I've heard of the Fancy Nancy books, but until this week had never read them. Fancy Nancy is about a little girl who likes to dress up and likes everything fancy, including her room. She thinks it might be fun to teach others how to be fancy so she advertises lessons through a poster on the door of the refrigerator. Her family (which consists of her Dad, Mom and baby sister) sign up for the free lessons and learn how to dress and act fancy. The story ends with Nancy and her family dressing up and going out for a night on the town complete with parfaits (the fancy word for sundaes). Fancy Nancy is a cute story and the perfect read for the little girl who loves to dress up. My daughter is just beginning to experiment with dress-up (which, by the way, she calls "playing Cinderella"). She enjoyed this story and liked all the pretty pictures. It's definitely one I plan to explore further as her story comprehension grows.

Knitty Kitty by David Elliott

Knitty Kitty is a simple worded story about a mother cat who knits hats, mittens, and scarfs for her little kittens. While the story is short, sweet, and a great read for a 2 year old it was the illustrations that attracted me to this book. The illustrator, Christopher Denise also illustrated Oliver Finds His Way, which I reviewed early last fall. I really like Christopher's paintings and am keeping my eyes open for other children's books he has illustrated. My daughter on the other hand enjoyed the pictures of the kittens and especially the snowman that the kittens build. (She's really into snowmen right now.)

The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann

I really liked this story. It's simple and the illustrations are cute and the story is total make-believe. The Police Cloud is the story of a cloud who dreamed of one day becoming a police officer, but when he gets his big

chance things don't work out quite like he imagined they would. In the end he finds a job that is a much better fit and everyone is happy. My daughter really liked the colorful almost cartoon style illustrations and had lots to say about the various events within the story.

The Original Curious George by H. A. Rey

If your child is really into Curious George like mine is, The Original Curious George can make for a fun read. Among her other interests my daughter loves anything and everything Curious George. I found it interesting to compare this book with the full-length movie which was released in 2006 and told the story of how George comes to live with The Man in the Yellow Hat. While the two share the same basic story structure the movie is definitely more The New Adventures of Curious George than it is The Original Curious George. Still, it didn't seem to bother my daughter, it was just another story about "George" and the "Daddy in the Yellow Hat" (as she calls the man). She was very happy with this read.

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

I picked this book out because the character was a guest at this week's Library Story Time (which unfortunately we missed). I thought it might be fun to learn more about this character even if we didn't make it to meet him in person. Unfortunately reading Skippyjon Jones didn't go so well. I found the story a difficult read and not just because of the frequent usage of Spanish intermingled with English (though to be fair most were words I was familiar with), but also the rhythm of the book as I read aloud just felt choppy. My daughter listened, but Skippyjon Jones just lacked some of the spark the other books had. Perhaps I'll have to give another in the series a try, but if they're anything like this one I think I'll pass.

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So those are some highlights from our reading this week. We'll return the books on Monday and find a whole new collection to try. Not everyone rotates books as often as we do, but I find it keeps our story time fresh -- at least for me. After reading the books every day for a week I'm ready for something different and generally as my daughter is read to by her dad every night at bedtime I think she might be ready too.

Friday Finds

This week's Friday Finds is autobiographical in nature. While browsing through the post-holiday clearance sales table at B&N I came upon John James Audubon: The Making of An American by Richard Rhodes.

Years ago I studied Audubon while I was in high school and though time and life has blotted most of the details from my mind, I do recall finding the subject very interesting. I don't know much about Rhodes as an author, but the little information I have found (and the numerous five star ratings of this book on Amazon) leads me to believe that John James Audubon: The Making of An American will be a worthwhile and interesting read. While it's not amongst my immediate TBR reading stack, it will be before the end of the year.

What new books have you stumbled upon in your book shop and library browsing?

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

261 pages
Published 1937, reprinted 1984
by Penguin Group
New York, NY

I am constantly amazed at the number of Agatha Christie novels that I've never heard of -- that is to say, while I knew I have not read all of Christie's mysteries I did think I knew of them all. And yet Dumb Witness, published in 1937 (both in the UK and USA), is yet another totally new-to- me mystery. (And yes, that's very exciting news for me.) Dumb Witness is Christie's 21st detective novel and the 14th with Hercule Poirot as lead detective.

The Plot:
"Everyone blamed Emily’s accident on a rubber ball left on the stairs by her frisky terrier. But the more she thought about her fall, the more convinced she became that someone was trying to kill her. On April 17th she wrote her suspicions in a letter to Hercule Poirot. Mysteriously he didn't receive the letter until June 28th… by which time Emily was already dead." (Summary courtesy of AgathaChristie.com)

My Thoughts:
No surprise here, Dumb Witness is another enjoyable "who-dunnit" by the Queen of Crime. I was pleased to find Hastings once more at the side of Hercule Poirot, but likewise saddened to know this is the second to last novel in which the two pair up to solve a mystery.

From the start I found the story fast paced and engaging. As usual with any Christie mystery I challenged myself to solve the crime ahead of Poirot... and as usual I only nearly did. I had the who, but not the why or the how and in the end I had to admit I'd been thrown by a few red herrings and plot twists and had lost again to the genius of the Belgian's little grey cells. But you know, I don't mind. If I can't solve the case then I want to be challenged and entertained and Dumb Witness did just that. The plot was clever and challenged my mental skills. The characters were quirky, lovable, and mysterious; the conversation witty and interesting -- all elements of an entertaining story.

Of course one can not overlook the "dumb witness" in the story, Miss Emily's lovable wire-haired terrier, Bob. It's no surprise that this novel is a favorite amongst mystery and dog lovers. And a fun little fact is that Agatha Christie actually dedicated the novel to her own wire-haired terrier, which she called "A dog in a thousand."

While I can't say that Dumb Witness was my all-time favorite Christie novel, it is definitely up there and made #4 on my top 10 Best Crimes Stories Read in 2009 list. If you haven't read Dumb Witness I encourage you to check it out the next time you're looking for a good ol' who-dunnit.

Next to review: Death On The Nile. Stay tuned!

Best Crime Stories in 2009

Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise is hosting a special 2009 recap listing of the "Best Crime Fiction Reads of 2009." Some of you may recognize Kerrie's name and her blog because I linked to it several times last year for her Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Carnival.

It was nearly a year ago that I first learned of the Christie Carnival, a monthly posting where readers can link up their reviews of any Agatha Christie book they've read. As most of you know I started in early 2008 with my own personal Christie reading challenge -- to read all of Dame Agatha Christie's mystery and crime novels in order of publication. In 2009 I read 14 Christie mysteries, which brings my total read up to 22 out of 66.

However, since this post is supposed to highlight the best crime reads of 2009 I will only link to my top 10 favorites of the year... a difficult task because there's hardly been a Christie mystery that I haven't liked! Nevertheless here are my top ten favorites for 2009:

1. Death On the Nile (review forthcoming in Jan 2010)
2. The A. B. C. Murders
3. The Seven Dials Mystery
4. Dumb Witness (review forthcoming in Jan 2010)
5. Peril At End House
6. Murder on the Orient Express
7. Cards On the Table
8. Death In the Clouds
9. Why Didn't They Ask Evans
10. Murder in Mesopotamia

What about you? What were your favorite or "the best" crime stories you read in 2009? Head on over to Mysteries in Paradise and leave a comment or link up your own blog post.

Monday Children's Picks

Every Monday morning our local library has story time for 2-3 year old children. I try to set aside a couple hours so I can take my daughter and then allow time for both of us to browse and explore and then perhaps make a trip to the park and playground next door. Unfortunately today we weren't able to get out of the house in time so our trip to the library came later in the day. The following is the list of books that we brought home. I've only read two of them to my daughter, but already we're enjoying the collection. Check back later in the week for my post highlighting our favorites.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
I Love You, Little Monkey by Alan Durant
If You Give A Mouse a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
If You Take A Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
Kitten for a Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Knitty Kitty by David Elliott
Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale by Daniel Kirk
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells
Ollie by Olivier Dunrea
Please Pick Me Up, Mama! by Robin Luebs
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
The Original Curious George by H. A. Rey
The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann
Tiger Can't Sleep by S. J. Fore
When Poppy and Max Grow Up by Lindsey Gardiner

2010: Looking Ahead

It's a new year and that means a fresh start. After a few months of reflection I've decided to change up the way I post on this blog.

In 2009 I had the goal to post every day, which at least two or three of those days being dedicated to a book review. Unfortunately it didn't take very long before I realized this was not going to happen. Between working 30 hours a week from home, being mom to a toddler, and wife and homemaker there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to not only read, but write several reviews in a week's time.

And so, in 2010 I am giving myself the following goals/schedule, which of course may be subject to change as life requires.

* For starters, I am not setting any reading goals. I read 101 books in 2009 and if I happen to read as many or more in 2010, then great, but I think it will be unlikely considering all of life's demands.

* I will be posting only one book review a week. It will generally be posted on Wednesday or Thursday, though this may be subject to change and as time and reading allows I may post more reviews.

* On Monday's I plan to post a run down of what I am reading and what children's books I've picked up at the library to read to my daughter.

* On Tuesday's I plan to post Tuesday Teasers and on the 4th Tuesday of the month I will post the monthly What's On My Nightstand post.

* On the occasional Friday I will post Friday Finds where I will highlight a new (or new to me) book that I have discovered.

* On either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday I will highlight the "best read" of the week from the children's books I have read to my daughter.

And of course whenever I feel like it I will share memes and other fun posts. If I stick to this schedule I will still be posting four or five times a week, but it should give me a little more flexibility and freedom, which is what I desperately need.

I hope you'll stick with me as I love to hear your thoughts about the books I'm reading as well as the ones you've read.

Happy 2010!

2009: A Year in Review

Here we are at the start of a new year, a new decade. Before we get any further into the year I thought it might be fun to recap the last year by listing some fun statistics and highlight the best and worst reads of the year. (** Note: All books that I have reviewed are hyperlinked to my review and you can view them by clicking on the title and author. ** )

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 101 (listed here)

TOTAL PAGES READ IN 2009: 27,097 pages + 2 audio books.

LONGEST READ IN 2009: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens at 859 pages.

SHORTEST READ IN 2009 (excluding children's books): Behind A Mask by Louisa May Alcott at 102 pages.

BEST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2009: The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett

WORST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2009: The Thin Man by Dashell Hammett

FAVORITE CLASSIC READ IN 2009: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

BIGGEST FAILURE TO COMPLETE IN 2009: Confessions by Saint Augustine. This was selected by my book club to read along with On The Incarnation by Athanasius, which I did read. After the book club meeting where we discussed both books I realized I really had missed out in not reading this thought provoking classic. It's back on my list of books I must read.

TOP 5 BOOKS IN 2009 THAT SURPRISED ME (in order as read):
1. Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
2. Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
3. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
5. Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge

GREATEST READING ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2009: This one was difficult to answer. I feel like I had many accomplishments in 2009. I could say that reading Little Dorrit was my greatest accomplishment as it was the longest book I read at 859 pages. Or I could also say that reading my way through two series: the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery (which contains 8 books) and the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace (which contains 10 books) was my greatest accomplishment. Or maybe it was the success of creating and running the first Maud Hard Lovelace Reading Challenge. But while all of those are great accomplishments I think my greatest accomplishment was my reading and writing throughout the entire year. In just 12 months I not only read the highest number of books within a year of my lifetime (101 books), but I also sat down and put my reflections in the form of 97 book reviews. I am astounded! And exhausted.

TOP 5 BOOKS I WISH I HAD READ AND PLAN TO READ IN 2010:
1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
2. Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther
3. Emma by Jane Austen
4. Ena Burning by Shannon Hale
5. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell

TOP FIVE FAVORITE READS IN 2009: This is so difficult! I had so many favorite reads this year, but if I have to list just five they would be
1. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
2. The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett
3. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
4. Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace
5. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson

Runners up would include: Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge, Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery , A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie.

TOP FIVE LEAST FAVORITE BOOKS IN 2009 (in order as read):
1. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
2. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
3. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
4. The African Queen by C. S. Forester
5. Highland Fling by Katie Fforde

In closing I wanted to thank you (the readers of this blog) for taking time out of your busy lives to visit this blog, read my thoughts, and leave feedback. I hope you have a happy new year and that it is full of wonderfully good reads!