It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Well, I didn't manage to do a "what are you reading?" post last Monday, mainly because I was still reading the same books I'd been reading the week before. Same ol' same ol'. Also had a lot of family history info I needed to get entered in my databases, and that cut into my reading time pretty significantly. But now that that's done, I'm hoping to get back on track. Or at least figure out where the track is.

Anyway, here's an update of how things stand:

• Last two weeks -
  
  Finished reading Cards on the Table, by Agatha Christie (link is to my review).
  
  Finished reading The House Next Door, by Anne Rivers Siddons (hope to get a review up later today or tomorrow).
  
  Also read Animal Farm, by George Orwell. Not much to say about that one. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed 1984. Still, it's one of those books everyone should read.
  
  Posted a few more reviews:
  
  The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost, by Lan Samantha Chang
  The Spider Bites, by Medora Sale
  
  
• This week -
  
  I''m still reading The Dark Half by Stephen King, and Juliet by Anne Fortier. Also started a book I picked up last time I visited the library: Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff. Really shouldn't have done that, but so far it's too good to put aside.
  
  
• In the wings -
  
  Still have several ARCs to get to and many, many reviews to catch up on; but now that I've made a bit of a start I'm hoping I can keep up the good work.
  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Reading Report: Cards on the Table

Written by Agatha Christie
First published 1936, by Collins Crime Club

At the start of Agatha Christie’s 1936 novel Cards on the Table, Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot runs into an old acquaintance at a charity exhibition of snuffboxes in London. Mr. Shaitana is well-known for his eccentric personality and the flamboyant parties he hosts. But his next soiree promises to be even more flamboyant than usual: Shaitana says he “collects” murderers, and intends to display a few of them at the party. Poirot obviously can’t pass up such an enticing invitation, even though he thinks it a most dangerous move.

It turns out that Shaitana has invited eight people to his dinner party: four “murderers” and four detectives. After dinner, the guests divide up to play bridge – sleuths in one room, and the alleged killers in another along with their host, who watches but does not take part in the games. And (you guessed it, right?) at the end of the evening, Shaitana is discovered dead in his chair by the fire. No one left the room. No one came into the room. No one witnessed anything. Perfect locked room mystery. Which one of the guests killed the host? And why? Did it have something to do with whatever crimes Shaitana suspected they’d committed in the past?

This work is a little different from most of Agatha Christie’s whodunits in that there are really only the four suspects, and we aren’t presented with the cast of thousands we usually get in her novels. It’s also a little unusual because in order to solve the mystery of Shaitana’s murder, Poirot and company have to investigate the past crimes (if any) of the other four guests. So Christie has to keep a lot of balls in the air, but she’s an expert juggler. For a while there I thought she might be getting a bit off balance in the last couple of chapters, but I needn’t have worried. Dame Agatha had everything completely under control, as usual.

This was a great read – but then, I always say that about all Agatha Christie mysteries. And one of the best things about the book is that it represents the first major appearance of Poirot’s friend and sometime-assistant, Mrs. Ariadne Oliver (she’d been introduced, briefly, in one of Christie’s early short stories). Ariadne Oliver is a wonderful character – a world-famous writer of mystery novels, and a sort of comic alter ego of Christie herself. She’s always dead certain she knows who the killer is, but she changes her mind at the drop of a hat. In this story, at one time or another, she declares each suspect to be absolutely the murderer (“I felt instinctively that there was something wrong with that man as soon as I saw him. My instincts never lie.”) But by the end of the book, I was in complete sympathy with her – after all Christie’s twists and turns and tricks and surprises, I suspected every one of them – even the four detectives!

Booking Through Thursday: Travel

This week BTT asks: "When you travel, how many books do you bring with you? Has this changed since the arrival of ebooks?"

Interesting questions. And timely ones, for me anyway, as I'm going to be doing some traveling in the near future.

I always take at least one or two books with me when I travel, even if it's just an overnight trip. Heaven forbid I should find myself with an extra ten minutes to kill without something to read! I generally take my current read (unless it's a library book – don't like to take those on trips) and a spare. Of course, the actual number of books I take along depends on the length of the trip – and also the means of travel (airplanes mean not so many books – one more good reason not to fly). And I also take fewer books along if I'm traveling to a place where I know there's a good bookstore or two.

So far, ebooks haven't really affected my reading to any great extent, either at home or while traveling. I don't own a Kindle or a Nook. And while I've downloaded a few texts onto my iPad, I haven't done much actual e-reading yet. I think that might change soon, though – I can definitely see the advantage of e-readers on long trips. Not taking along so many books means there's room in the suitcase to bring more books home with me!

Reading Report: The Spider Bites

Written by Medora Sale
Raven Books/Orca Books, 2010; 132 pages

Description from the publisher:

When detective Rick Montoya returns to the city to try to clear his name after being accused of taking a bribe, he discovers someone is living in his apartment. Before he can find out who it is, the apartment house goes up in flames. Rick watches covertly as the police remove two bodies. Was the firebombing meant for him? Who exactly was killed in the fire? And why? What was his landlady Cheryl doing at home in the middle of the afternoon? And why is her daughter Susanna acting strangely? Then his estranged wife arrives at the scene of the fire. The questions mount up, along with the suspects.

About the series:

Rapid Reads, by Orca Book Publishers, is a new line of short novels for adult readers. On their website, Orca explains: "In our increasingly fast-paced world we believe there is a need for well-written, well-told novels that can be read in one sitting. Rapid Reads feature great writing and great storytelling in a small package."

My Thoughts:

The Spider Bites wasn't a terrible read – there just wasn't a lot there. The plot was certainly simple and easy to follow; in fact, it was so simple that there was almost no suspense involved – not a good thing in a mystery novel. And the lack of description and character development left me feeling like I was reading just part of a whole book. It also kept me from forming any real interest in or sympathy for the protagonist, or any of the other characters, for that matter. But while the book may be slight, it's well-written, there was a bit of humor thrown in along the way, and some of the dialogue did have the ring of truth. As I said, not terrible.

The idea of a series of short, easy-to-read books for adults sounds interesting, although I'm not sure how practical it is, in reality. I think it's possible that it might work well for (as the Rapid Reads brochure says) "those struggling with literacy challenges." Otherwise, I can't really see how the books are likely to hold anyone's attention long enough to finish them, even though they can definitely be read in one sitting.

However, I was definitely intrigued by the writing of author Medora Sale who also writes as Caroline Roe (not sure which is the real name and which the pseudonym). I think I'd like to give her other, more substantial works a try.

[Note: I received my copy of this book from the publisher, free of charge, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. No other compensation was received, and the opinions expressed here are my own.]

Reading Report: The Egypt Game

Written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009; 215 pages
Originally published 1966

Description from the publisher:

The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she's not sure they'll have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard behind the A-Z Antiques and Curio Shop, Melanie and April decide it's the perfect spot for the Egypt Game.

Before long there are six Egyptians instead of two. After school and on weekends they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it's just a game, until strange things begin happening to the players. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?

My Thoughts:

I loved this little book! I've heard about it for years, and the title always intrigued me. As a kid, I was fascinated by anything about ancient civilizations, especially Egypt. That's still one of my interests, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to Zilpha Keatley Snyder's wonderful story. And although I actually read this back during the summer, it would have been a perfect read for Banned Books Week - it's been challenged several times over the years, mostly because of the concentration on magic and "pagan" religious ceremonies. But, being something of a pagan myself, that didn't bother me at all.

On the contrary, I think the book teaches a lot of good lessons without being at all preachy. I loved the fact that while the characters represent a mix of several different ethnic groups, Snyder doesn't make too big a deal about it. And I really enjoyed the emphasis on learning about other times and cultures. I think any book that tries to convince kids that studying history can be fun should be welcomed and rewarded. And, thankfully, others agree with me on that - The Egypt Game was a winner of the Newbery Honors award in 1967.

There's also a mystery running through the book - another reason to like it. But it does involve some violence (nothing graphic), which might be a little frightening for younger readers; so I'd definitely advise parents to read it first before passing it on to the little ones. Also, a lot of the slang is very firmly situated in the era in which the book was written: Being an archaeologist is said to be a "kooky" ambition for a girl; when something is good it's "tough"; the kids "play it cool," and they use other quaint expressions like "holy cow," "oddball," "man-oh-man," and "sheesh." Most kids today (and probably most of their parents, too!) are likely to need some explaining there. Of course, being undoubtedly kooky and definitely an oddball (and an ancient oddball, at that), I found it all wonderfully nostalgic and completely charming - the slang, the book, and the Egypt game itself.

**********
Awesome Authors Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Banned Book Project, Bibliophilic Books Challenge, Fall Into Reading 2010, New Authors Challenge

Review: All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost

Written by Lan Samantha Chang
W.W. Norton, 2010; 192 pages

This review refers to an advance reading copy of the novel.

Description from the publisher:

At the renowned writing school in Bonneville, every student is simultaneously terrified of and attracted to the charismatic and mysterious poet and professor Miranda Sturgis, whose high standards for art are both intimidating and inspiring. As two students, Roman and Bernard, strive to win her admiration, the lines between mentorship, friendship, and love are blurred.

Roman's star rises early, and his first book wins a prestigious prize. Meanwhile, Bernard labors for years over a single poem. Secrets of the past begin to surface, friendships are broken, and Miranda continues to cast a shadow over their lives. What is the hidden burden of early promise? What are the personal costs of a life devoted to the pursuit of art? All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost is a brilliant evocation of the demands of ambition and vocation, personal loyalty and poetic truth.

My Thoughts:

Lan Samantha Chang's All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost is a beautifully written novel about the lives of the poets. In this case, the poets are three members of a poetry writing program in a Midwestern university – a program not unlike (I suspect) the Iowa Writers' Workshop of which Chang is the director – and the poet-professor who influences their lives far beyond the seminar room.

The story is told in three major sections. We first meet Roman, Lucy, and Bernard in the poetry-writing class led by the famous (and feared) poet Miranda Sturgis. After graduation, we follow Roman as he begins his own teaching career, marries Lucy, and struggles to complete a long-worked-on volume of poetry. When Bernard becomes homeless for a while, he spends several months with Roman and Lucy – so the friends are together again after many years, and their relationships are renewed and undergo changes. Then, in the third section of the book, we drop back in on the group ten years later for a final look.

I enjoyed the book as I was reading it. The academic settings seemed very authentic, and the book moved along at a nice pace. And while I can't say I really liked any of the characters, they did seem real to me – sometimes frustratingly real. However, I have to admit that a week after finishing it, I found myself struggling to remember much about the characters or the incidents. Perhaps it was a little too realistic to be really memorable. Or maybe it's just that the writing life – or any life devoted to the pursuit of art – is never easy to portray in writing.

Still, I definitely think the book is worth reading, if only for Chang's gorgeous and elegant prose style. She's a new discovery for me, and now I'm eager to read her earlier work.

[Note: My advance copy of this book was provided free of charge, by the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. I received no other compensation. No one attempted to influence my review, and the opinions stated here are my own.]

Teaser Tuesdays: The House Next Door

OK, this really is my Teaser Tuesdays post, even though I had Booking Through Thursday in the title for a while there. I just might be getting too old for this blogging business.

Last week I finished reading The House Next Door (by Anne Rivers Siddons) for the RIP V Challenge. It's a spooky tale about a very modern haunted house, and I hope to get a short review up soon (I'm way behind on reviews, so I can't really say what I mean by "soon").

This bit comes early in the book, and has the book's narrator and main character, Colquitt Kennedy, thinking that the new house next door is beginning to frighten her a little too much:

Our friends are going to think we have taken leave of our senses, and we are going to lose many of them.... We cannot worry about that either.
For the Harralson house is haunted, and in quite a terrible way. And it is up for sale again. [p.4]

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.

And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in a comment here.