Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The Monogram Murders: Revisiting a Brilliant Old Friend
by Sophie Hannah
Hardcover, 352 pages
William Morrow, September 9, 2014
4 stars
Hercule Poirot is having a quiet dinner in his favorite London coffeehouse when he encounters a young woman who confesses to him that she is terrified of being murdered but refuses his offers of assistance. Later that day Poirot hears of a series of bizarre murders at an upscale London hotel and accompanies the Scotland Yard detective staying in his boardinghouse to the scene of the crime. There they find three bodies laid out identically in three separate rooms ...each with a monogrammed cuff link left in their mouth. He can't help but think that the young woman he met earlier that night may be the murder's fourth victim...
*************************
I personally really enjoyed this book, though I know it's taken some hard hits from other reviewers and even some critics. I didn't go into this expecting the writing to mimic Christie's writing because - and she'd tell you this herself - Sophie Hannah isn't Agatha Christie! Of course the writing won't be a replica of the original Poirot works. Hannah does, however, capture Poirot's personality - his disdain over a lack of imagination in his detective partner, his excitement when he's put two clues together, and his pompous explanations at the close of the book. Hannah also successfully captures the importance of motive and psychology to the plot. She is able to show us both the morality and the darkness of the characters in her story in a way that was vitally important in all of Christie's work. The charming English village, the "locked room" setting for the murders, and the narrative voice of Catchall, Poirot's sidekick from Scotland Yard all act to set the scene for a tale told in Christie's world, if not in her voice.
In the end, the Monogram Murders should not be looked at as a "continuation" of the Poirot library, but rather a new interpretation of an old familiar character. The puzzling twists and turns of the plot, the voices of the characters, and the seeming impossibility of the mystery are all echoes of the Christie I love, with the fabulous writing of Hannah to pull it all together.
Monday, December 15, 2014
While You Were Reading: Americanah's New Leading Man and Upset Tories
In book news last week...
Variety is reporting that David Oyelowo (Selma, Interstellar) is signed on to play opposite Lipita Nyong'o in the film adaptation of Americanah, the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This novel, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner, follows two young Nigerian immigrants as they navigate race, relationships, and their futures in America. The movie, produced by Brad Pitt's company, Plan B, has no director or production or start date as of yet.
Australia's highest book award, the Prime Minister's Literary Award, was handed out on Monday night, though a last-minute announcement by P.M. Tony Abbott caused quite a shake up. The panel of judges had unanimously chosen Steven Carroll's A World of Other People, to win the prize. The Prime Minister, however, announced on the night of the book awards, that the prize was to be split between Carroll and his selection, The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. This angered one judge, who told the press that the judges found Flanagan's novel to be "superficial, showy, and pretentious."
Hillary Mantel is facing renewed criticism over her latest book, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. The BBC recently announced its intention to broadcast the short story of the same name on Book at Bedtime in January. Former Cabinet Minister Lord Tebbitt has criticized the decision, has condemned the story as "perverted" and "hateful," and accuses the BBC of being deliberately provocative and showing bias against the Tories.
Knopf Publishing announced today that Judy Blume's next novel, In The Unlikely Event, will be published on June 2, 2015. The novel is a general family novel, based on Blume's own experience witnessing several plane crashes around New Jersey as a teenager in 1951 and 1952. The novel will follow people as they cope with the devastation of loss after these horrific events. This will be Blume's first novel aimed at adult readers since Summer Sisters, published in 1998.
Variety is reporting that David Oyelowo (Selma, Interstellar) is signed on to play opposite Lipita Nyong'o in the film adaptation of Americanah, the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This novel, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner, follows two young Nigerian immigrants as they navigate race, relationships, and their futures in America. The movie, produced by Brad Pitt's company, Plan B, has no director or production or start date as of yet.
Australia's highest book award, the Prime Minister's Literary Award, was handed out on Monday night, though a last-minute announcement by P.M. Tony Abbott caused quite a shake up. The panel of judges had unanimously chosen Steven Carroll's A World of Other People, to win the prize. The Prime Minister, however, announced on the night of the book awards, that the prize was to be split between Carroll and his selection, The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. This angered one judge, who told the press that the judges found Flanagan's novel to be "superficial, showy, and pretentious."
Hillary Mantel is facing renewed criticism over her latest book, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. The BBC recently announced its intention to broadcast the short story of the same name on Book at Bedtime in January. Former Cabinet Minister Lord Tebbitt has criticized the decision, has condemned the story as "perverted" and "hateful," and accuses the BBC of being deliberately provocative and showing bias against the Tories.
Knopf Publishing announced today that Judy Blume's next novel, In The Unlikely Event, will be published on June 2, 2015. The novel is a general family novel, based on Blume's own experience witnessing several plane crashes around New Jersey as a teenager in 1951 and 1952. The novel will follow people as they cope with the devastation of loss after these horrific events. This will be Blume's first novel aimed at adult readers since Summer Sisters, published in 1998.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
TBR Thursday
Any one else's TBR pile getting out of control? This week I've added several new books to my pile, and at this point I'm just hoping to get to them all!
I've also received an advanced copy of As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. What can I say?...I love Flavia de Luce! I was skeptical when I first started the series, but now I'm a devoted fan. This installment has Flavia at her new school in Canada investigating the discovery of a body in a chimney.
Finally, I've received a copy of All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. These sorts of angsty YA novels aren't usually my thing, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one. Besides...I'll try any book once.
What's new on your pile this week?
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Review: Dark Screams: Volume One
ebook, 98 pages
Random House Publishing, December 8, 2014
4 stars
Brian Freeman's horror anthology contains five stories, written by Stephen King, Kelly Armstrong, Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark, and Ramsey Campbell. This is to be the first of several and, if this is the case, he's off to a strong start.
This book was incredibly short - less than 100 pages - and was a very quick read I easily clocked less than an hour of reading time with this one. The Stephen King story "Weeds" (also known as "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill") was one he wrote in the 70s and was featured in the second Creepshow film. It tells the tale of Jordy, a farmer who believes the meteor that lands in his backyard will bring him some fast cash, but sadly causes him more trouble than he anticipates. It was an almost humorous story, as Jordy continues to make things worse for himself until the sad end.
Most of the stories were good, but I have to confess that I believed the story by King to be the best (no surprise to me there). I was actually disappointed that Bill Pronzini's story, Magic Eyes, was a short story. After reading it, I wished it had been a whole novel, it was so enjoyable. The fourth story, Murder in Chains, felt as though it were a scene from the middle of a story and was a little too scattered in terms of plot for my liking, though it was more action-packed than the others. The fifth story, The Watched, was my least favorite. It had a good premise, but the execution just wasn't there.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of the genre, people who enjoy short story collections, or anyone interested in giving these authors a try for the first time without the commitment of reading a novel.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Monday News Roundup
In book news over the weekend...
Warner Brothers is reaching out to Christopher Nolan to direct the studio's upcoming adaptation of Ready Player One. This sci-fi adventure was a best seller, so with a heavyweight like Nolan directing, it's sure to be a box-office hit.
Amid rumors over the weekend that Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, did not write Girl Online, Penguin Random House has confirmed that the bestseller was ghostwritten.
J.K. Rowling is promising Twelve Days of Harry Potter on her site, Pottermore. Beginning on Friday, December 12th, the site will feature "brand new writing by J.K. Rowling and even a new potion or two," according to the site's newsletter. The Telgraph is reporting that one of these stories will feature Harry Potter's nemesis, Draco Malfoy.
Cary Fukunaga, the director of the hit HBO series True Detective, has been confirmed as on board the new production of Stephen King's It, expected out 2015. Producer Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator) says the book was too big for one movie, so the plan is to split it into two separate films. Lin says they've also gotten King's blessing on the script, saying he told Fukunaga "Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make." With that kind of endorsement, I'm excited!
A Kansas District Court has ruled that the original case files and field notes from the quadruple murder made famous in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood are to be released. The case files, kept by the investigating detective, are now in the hands of his son, Ronald Nye, and will be published in a book co-authored by Gary McAvoy. Nye says the case files contain discrepancies that cast doubt on the accuracy of Capote's original story.
Warner Brothers is reaching out to Christopher Nolan to direct the studio's upcoming adaptation of Ready Player One. This sci-fi adventure was a best seller, so with a heavyweight like Nolan directing, it's sure to be a box-office hit.
Amid rumors over the weekend that Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, did not write Girl Online, Penguin Random House has confirmed that the bestseller was ghostwritten.
J.K. Rowling is promising Twelve Days of Harry Potter on her site, Pottermore. Beginning on Friday, December 12th, the site will feature "brand new writing by J.K. Rowling and even a new potion or two," according to the site's newsletter. The Telgraph is reporting that one of these stories will feature Harry Potter's nemesis, Draco Malfoy.
Cary Fukunaga, the director of the hit HBO series True Detective, has been confirmed as on board the new production of Stephen King's It, expected out 2015. Producer Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator) says the book was too big for one movie, so the plan is to split it into two separate films. Lin says they've also gotten King's blessing on the script, saying he told Fukunaga "Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make." With that kind of endorsement, I'm excited!
A Kansas District Court has ruled that the original case files and field notes from the quadruple murder made famous in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood are to be released. The case files, kept by the investigating detective, are now in the hands of his son, Ronald Nye, and will be published in a book co-authored by Gary McAvoy. Nye says the case files contain discrepancies that cast doubt on the accuracy of Capote's original story.
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