The month of June is off to a great reading start. Quantity-wise, that is. Here’s the first book I read:
This book has been described as a “psychological horror novel.” I didn’t find it scary or suspenseful, just interesting and mildly amusing. In the first paragraph we learn that the main character is an eighteen-year-old girl who lives with her sister and uncle; everyone else in her family is dead.
How did they die? Well, SOMEONE put arsenic in the sugar bowl, and they were all murdered in one fell swoop. The crime was never solved, although the villagers definitely have an opinion about what happened.
This book was good. I’m glad I read it, because it’s a book I’ve always been curious about. I can’t say I loved it though, and I probably won’t read more by this author.
Next up, another reread!
This book, published in 1920, is not only the first Hercule Poirot novel, but also the first mystery Agatha Christie wrote. It was fun to reread it with that knowledge, and again I didn’t remember any of the plot! I really enjoyed it, AND, this edition has two endings- at a certain point towards the end you have a choice to read the original ending that Christie wrote, or the revised version that made it into the book. Obviously, I read both.
The outcome is the same, but in the original, unpublished version, Poirot reveals the identity of the murderer while giving evidence at a trial. In the published version, Poirot gathers everyone together in the drawing room for the denouement. I think the revision was her publisher’s idea, and it was a great one. So much better the second way.
Next I read this:
OOF. This was a hard book to read. It’s the story of a pedophile, and is told in alternating points of view- two women who were his victims as children, and also the point of view of his mother. It’s a mystery, and an exploration of the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse.
In the beginning, I liked it. A large part of the story takes place in South Florida, and I could tell the author really knows the area. I enjoyed that, and felt that it was well-written. I was really involved in the lives of these women. But as the story went on, it just got sadder and sadder. The things that happened in Florida were so seedy and sketchy that by the end I was depressed, and wanted to move.
A couple things- the scenes that describe abuse were written with sensitivity, and I appreciated that. What I didn’t appreciate was that this book is written with no quotation marks. I was able to get past that, but it’s not my favorite. Overall it was a good book- just sad. The mystery had a satisfying conclusion though.
Coming up next- I’m about to finish another Agatha Christie reread, and then I’ll be choosing one of these:
What are you reading now?
Top photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash
10 Responses
I’ve never read ANY Margaret Atwood books (I know, I’m surprised Nicole will associate with me, too), so Blind Assassin is currently on my wait list.
I want to read James, too.
I think I’ll pass on the child abuse book. What a difficult subject matter and even handled sensitively, it sounds horrific 🙁
I haven’t read any Agatha Christie in over a decade and really do need to make time for it! Fun fact, I saw the church where she got married over the weekend when I was in Edinburgh.
I read some Margaret Atwood a long time ago and enjoyed it- so I have hopes for Assassin! Agatha Christies are a fun comfort read for me. I love diving back into that world and remembering how much I loved them in my teens.
Ima pass on Whidbey as well, at least for right now. I never got into the Poirot books, but I do have good memories of Styles.
Reading has been great lately! Whistler was perfection. I’m taking my time with Show Boat, though I keep wanting to read it faster to find out how it’s different from the movies (all of the movies are different and from what I remember the book has plot points that were never brought into the movies). I started a book called Dissection of a Murder that is off to a good start.
Ooh- Dissection of a Murder sounds good. Fun (?) fact- if you do a search for that book, all sorts of weird things come up once you get to “Dissection of a…”
Yes, you can skip Whidbey and live a perfectly happy life.
I am intrigued by the first book on your list… and have read both others! I agree that the author of Whidbey described the abuse with great care and sensitivity. The thing I can’t get over is the book title. WHY THAT? Whidbey Island is such a minor feature of the book, and it’s not like it’s very relevant to the story. I feel oddly annoyed about it.
Yes, it was a really odd name for the book. I agree it’s minor- and weird. I kept thinking wait is it WHIBDEY or WHIDBEY? And.. why.
You should listen to the interview of the author of Whidbey on Sarah’s Bookshelves Live. She talks about why she only used quotations in one section of the book. I liked and respected what she did in that book but it was such a hard read!
I just finished Lake Effect which I loved! Now I am reading a book about friendship called ‘Love By the Book’. Whistler by Ann Patchett just became available for me on Libby – I can’t wait to read it as I have heard nothing but great things!
I definitely want to listen to that interview. And, I also loved Lake Effect!
To read next, I would go with James! That was a good book! The others that you read already sound interesting! I do love a good murder mystery and/or detective novel. Have you read any Elisabeth George? She wrote a ton of detective novels and there’s also a show that was made in the 90s/early aughts that you may like.
Ooh yes, I loved the two different endings in the Styles book, too. I think it was a good change because that became his calling card! Much more exciting to gather everyone in a room.
I am going to DEFINITELY take Whidbey off my list with your review. I was hesitant, but I can’t do really sad books.
Right now, I’m reading a book about laundry (lol) and a romance… In the Weeds by BK Borison. It’s… fine.