Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James

I normally don't go for sequels to Austen books, but this one was a special case. And it didn't disappoint. While, of course, it wasn't as good as Pride and Prejudice, it was still a good mystery and kept the core of the characters personalities. I am looking forward to reading more of James' work.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games was an interesting series. I didn't think I would enjoy them as much as I did. All three books had twists in them I wasn't expecting. I think they are deserving of the fan base they have gathered since the first book. Although I have little of contemporary Young Adult literature, the ones I have read are good. I try not to read really fluffy things. Curiosity made me read The Hunger Games, and after that I was hooked. Something about them was quite addicting. Perhaps it was the writing style, or the interesting plot lines and settings. The first book was really good. It drew me into the story right away, and it was a fun, quick read. The second book, Catching Fire, was as good as the first. The new arena was a very intriguing concept. Mockingjay, the third and final book, wasn't as good as the first two, but was still addictive. The ending was satisfactory. I didn't feel like it was an empty ending. Overall, I liked the books, and would recommend them over other YA books today. I am glad that I read them, and am excited over the upcoming movie.

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is my second favorite mystery author. Not, however, because of her more popular series of books about Miss Marple and Poirot, which are good, and I happen to prefer Miss Marple to Poirot, but the books which do not involve either detectives I like the best. Her Tommy and Tuppence short story mysteries were a pleasant surprise to me. Tommy and Tuppence are a married couple who run a detective agency in London, and sometimes Christie took on the writing style of other authors of her time when writing the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries. The best imitation for me was when Tommy was undercover as a priest and was portraying Father Brown, from Chesterton's books. As I have said before, The Secret of Chimney's and it's sequel, The Seven Dials Mystery are my favorites, and they do not involve neither of her popular Detectives. So there it is, my choice for second, which is subject to change at my whim.

The Secret of Chimneys

The Secret of Chimneys is a mystery by Agatha Christie revolving around a manor house in England. There was a T.V. movie that was very loosely based on the book. I enjoyed the book very much, I was engaged in the mystery, which invovled neither Miss Marple or Poirot; though the movie was portrayed as a Miss Marple mystery. My favorite mysteries by Agatha Christie are not actually one of her Marple's or Poirot's. The thriller-ish sequel to The Secret of Chimneys, The Seven Dials Mystery, is not a Marple or Poirot, and I really enjoyed it. Chimneys was a fine book the way it was a originally written, the movie did not do the book , or Christie, justice.

Anna of Byzantium 2

I have finished Anna of Byzantium. It took me longer than it should have, because the book wasn't really my taste. I did like Anna, she was a scholar and historian, and also was quite proficient in medicine, even though she did try to kill her brother. Anna's bitterness at her grandmother and brother can be understood though. Anna was originally heir to the emperor's throne, her grandmother and her younger brother conspired and took that away from her. She lost her birthright. In the end she was okay, I won't say much more in case I have anybody actually reading this blog who will also read this book. Overall, it wasn't a classic, I did enjoy some parts of the book, and am glad I read it because of the insight into royal life in the Byzantine Empire.

My Favorite Mystery Authors

This will be an accounting of my favorite mystery authors, beginning with my absolute favorite, and will take place over several posts.

 Dorothy L. Sayers

Her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are just fantastic. I have loved every one that I have read, although my favorites are with Harriet Vane. The characters Sayers created within her books are the most real and complex characters that I have ever read in a mystery novel. She actually cared to create a life for her sleuth and eventually for Harriet. Her mysteries are also complex, they make the reader think, not just idly read them for entertainment purposes. They are so full of details that reading them again brings out new ones and makes it seem familiar and new at the same time. I don't really think this does her works justice, but it's the best I can manage at the moment. 

   

Cranford

I  began reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell before I started Anna of Byzantium. I happen to also not be finished with it yet. This is the only Gaskell book that I have read, but I have liked both the miniseries based on her works. However, I prefer Jane Austen as an author.
Cranford is entertaining as is it about the lives of a bunch of old ladies in a small town in Enlgand, who are dealing with the modernization of the rural communities at that time (mid to late 19th century). Although it is comical (with the old ladies having some rather funny adventures dealing with everyday life in Cranford), it does have some sobering moments as there seems to be a death or some other form of drama every other chapter, one in particular having made me tear up.
The book's chapters are actually just short stories about life in Cranford told by an outsider who visits the main characters often. My next Gaskell shall be Wives and Daughters, as I have always wanted to read that particular novel.