Uh, what murder? {Third Girl by Agatha Christie}

About Third Girl by Agatha Christie: Three young women share a London flat. The first is a coolly efficient secretary. The second is an artist. The third interrupts Hercule Poirot’s breakfast confessing that she is a murderer—and then promptly disappears. 

Slowly, Poirot learns of the rumors surrounding the mysterious third girl, her family, and her disappearance. Yet hard evidence is needed before the great detective can pronounce her guilty, innocent, or insane.…

My thoughts

Today was hard, hard day as far as reading my favourite mystery writer Agatha Christie. It hurts my heart to say I didn’t like this one. 

While I loved Hercule Poirot in this and his little grey cells are not at all waning, I was slightly miffed by Ariadne Oliver who did not seem to have her usual common sense. The book starts with a young lady enlisting Poirot’s help proclaiming that she MAY have committed a murder … then she runs off! Investigating a possible murder apparently is much much harder than investigating an actual murder. Oliver messes things up even more recalling only MID-BOOK (!!!!) of a mysterious death in the same building where the proclaimed murderer lived. 

Verdict: All this to say, this is not among my favourites. I say skip this, move to Christie’s better mysteries.

Call the Midwife. I need book 2 stat. {Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth}

Screen, paper: do them both!

Synopsis of Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth*: London's East End in the 1950s was a tough place: the struggles of post-war life - bombsites, overcrowded tenements, crime, brothels - bred a culture of tight-knit family communities, larger-than-life characters and a lively social scene.

It was into this world that Jennifer Worth entered as a trainee midwife. But docklands life was tough, and babies were often born in slum conditions. In funny, disturbing and heartbreaking stories, Jennifer Worth recounts her time among nuns, prostitutes, abortionists, bigamists, gangsters and expectant mothers, portraying East Enders' amazing resilience - and their warmth and humour in the face of hardship.

Written with affection and nostalgia, her midwife stories chronicle the lives, traditions and tales of a bygone era.

My two cents

Oh, movies. Or in this case, Netflix. *sigh* They spoil the book sometimes. I bingewatched the Netflix series and loved it so much that I couldn't wait to dig into the book. I can't review the book without sounding like a silly broken record, so read the Netflix review I FIRST. (Then come back and this review will be waiting).
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No, I'm serious. Go on, read it first.
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So, you're back from my glowing review of the Netflix series, I see. Settle down with a cuppa and let's chat.

So, yes, I loved the book!

Lest you think I hated the book, that's not the case. The book is amazing. It's a truly affecting and provoking memoir. I appreciated the epilogue which gave Worth's short personal history as well as summing up some of her key observations and realizations about her time as a midwife. It is a critical piece, as it sets the stage for the realizations that are bound to happen to you as a reader.

Overall, the book (and the series) are meaningful to me because it made me appreciate so many things that we take for granted today. If we think about how recent the 1950s is, it seems shocking to imagine the squalid conditions and the poverty of England during the time.

Even more shocking is to me is that it highlights a time where medicine was still practically in its infancy, at least against today's standards! It seems almost medieval to think of a mostly uninformed and almost barbaric methods for abortion, of separating single mothers from their children without any heed for the psychological and physical trauma this inflicts, a dearth of reliable contraception, the prevalence of tuberculosis and other totally curable diseases, and the lack of understanding of PTSD.

But let's focus on midwifery. Worth mentions that midwives are never the subject of books. Before I read this book, try as hard as I could, I couldn't remember a title of one book that dealt with the subject matter. Can you recall one?

What strikes me as even more ironic is that Worth and the midwives she worked with, with the exception of some of the older nun midwives, were in their early 20s. The gravity of their work at a young age astounds me - delivering countless children when they themselves have never borne one!

Summed up with the huge strides made in medicine in the past few generations, and the tireless work that these young women dedicated a better part of their lives, it has allowed for the life-changing benefits for women, children and communities. The impacts of this period of hardship and learning continue to influence society's attitudes towards caring for the mother's and child's well-being. We're truly blessed indeed!

Uh-ohs

Now, the disappointing news. I caution anyone who watches the series first that if you're reading the book, you will recognize some major deviations in the storyline of each of the episodes. I got slightly confused, for example, that the story of one person in a Netflix episode is actually a mishmash of the stories of 2-3 people. Credit to the screenplay writers of the series, though, to be able to cram in so much detail into one episode. I like to think of the two media as separate experiences in themselves. I simply choose to immerse myself into the written word at the moment but will no doubt rewatch the series again.

Verdict

Read the book. Watch the Netflix series. Be provoked and inspired.

Links

• Jennifer Worth Biography on WIkipedia
• PBS Call the Midwife website 
• Call the Midwife Episode Guide (Wikipedia)

Book Depository*

A glimpse of Lyra after the trilogy {Lyra's Oxford by @PhilipPullman}

A glimpse of Lyra, and a promise of things to come.

Back blurb of Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman: Lyra's Oxford opens two years after the conclusion of Philip Pullman Amber Spyglass in the comfort and familiarity of Jordan College.

Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, sit on the sun-drenched roof looking out over all of Oxford, but their peace is shattered when a strange bird - a witch's dæmon, on its own - tumbles out of the sky, in search of a healing elixir to cure his witch of a strange new disease. Lyra and Pan decide to help - witches are friends, of course - but the closer their winding walk leads them toward the infamous Oxford alchemist, the stronger Lyra's sense that something is amiss.

My two cents

Forgive me if I'm reviewing a supplementary book and this will likely only resonate with readers and fans of the His Dark Materials Trilogy. This trilogy is one of my all-time favourite fantasy books and unfortunately remains unreviewed for the same reason that I would find reviewing Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings maybe a little ... sacreligious.

As a quick background, the trilogy consists of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. It is about a young orphaned girl called Lyra Belacqua who travels through parallel universes -- universes that include witches, people who have dæmons (kind of like your soul in animal form), politics of an almost theological flavour which spur on historic wars. Maybe you've heard of the movie The Golden Compass, which captures some of the grandeur of the books (but I realized early in the movie -- with a sinking heart --that fails to stick the storyline in the books).

This particular book is a little glimpse of Lyra's life back in Jordon College, set in a parallel universe that sounds eerily of London, following the conclusion of the third book The Amber Spyglass. The story is extremely simple that it makes me wonder why it was even presented as a separate book! It is basically Lyra's run-in with enemies that she unwittingly made as a result of her actions in the trilogy (you see, no spoilers).

This is so obviously a reminder for fans that the trilogy is not over. It whets the appetite for a reread of the trilogy ... and for the magically detailed universes that Lyra move in. Since it was early 2000 when I encountered this series, I am just reacquainting myself, quite by serendipity when I bought this book in the thrift store. While looking up this book for this review, I was a little surprised to learn that there is actually a fourth book in the making since 2005! Called The Book of Dust, and apparently not part of the trilogy but a companion book, it is supposed to be released in 2016.

Pullman's huge draw with this series is his amazing world building where alternate universes become so detailed that you can almost imagine them to be real. I can only liken the series to the complex worlds built by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings. One little perk of this slim book -- you can probably see why I can't resist any of Pullman's work -- is this fold out map of Oxford. Tracing Lyra's paths, it makes an imaginary world feel so much more tangible and is only a taste of what lies for any reader daring to pick up these books. I hope you're one of them!

You can travel Oxford by train, river and zeppelin ... how else!?

Am always impressed with the artwork in Pullman's books, many of which he illustrates himself.

Verdict

I liken reading this book to meeting an old, dear childhood friend on the street: it's like nothing has changed, but everything has. But it doesn't stop me from getting nostalgic. And while one can't relive the past, I can certainly reread the trilogy again ... a treat I relish! I am also anticipating the release of Pullman's The Book of Dust!

Do you have any books that remind you of dear friends?

Room by Emma Donoghue

Tedious, absorbing, unputdownable.

About Room by Emma Donoghue: To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

My two cents

Here's yet another book I held off on reading because of the hype. All I've heard are raves; it's gotten so many awards; it's now a movie. I also held off because based on the synopsis, was I ready?

But I decided. It was time. And now I'm glad I did.

This book is unlike any I have ever read. I disliked it from the beginning - the tedium, the child-like voice, the horrors. I remember wanting to stop but Jack's voice, his love for his mother, and his mother's ferocity were so compelling, I couldn't stop until I found out what happened to them. I wanted to know that they would be ok.

This is extremely tense reading. Horrors are revealed in unlikely ways as Jack narrates his day to day. The days roll on and it seems like nothing changes. Repeated names of Things, like Room, capitalized, as this was the only world that Jack knew. Routines being explained from a 5-year-old viewpoint, with five-year-old language.

I couldn't help getting absorbed in getting to know Jack and his Ma. But descriptions of Old Nick made my skin crawl. The simple horror of the situation with the child's voice really messes with your head -- a psychological journey for a reader.

There is nothing pleasant about reading this book. Nothing. But what kept me going was the hope and the palpable love of mother for child, a love that never allowed hope to die.

Verdict: One of the most difficult books I've ever read. If you don't flinch at difficult subject matter, the first person, five-year-old voice in which this story was told will surely make you weep. Highly recommended.

One plus one = heartwarming +feel-good. {One Plus One by Jojo Moyes}

One plus one = heartwarming +feel-good. 

About One Plus One by Jojo Moyes: Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

My two cents

What a pleasant surprise. Was I expecting fluffy .. maybe. Was I expecting cheesy ... I think so. Was I expecting lots of tugging on the heart strings ... absolutely. This defies the genre of chick lit or women't lit. (What's in a genre anyway? Plus I was fresh off reading this, which I frankly wanted to throw out the window.)

Told from multiple perspectives, the story is about the life of a struggling single mom -- with a misunderstood teenage stepson and a math savant of a daughter -- just trying to grab opportunities and make things happen for her kids. But the challenges along the way are many and conspire against her.  Money is always tight and there is never enough despite working multiple jobs. The ex-hubby is equally elusive ... and useless on all fronts. Until her path crosses with a well-to-do techie slash not much of a businessman who she happens to clean house for. Unwittingly, both save each other from mundaneness and find some semblance of happiness.

Slyly reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine's roadtrip, and alternately hilarious and poignant, I loved all the characters, felt deeply involved in their personal struggles, and read often with bated breath. I loved the feeling of falling in love with this book, and with Jojo Moyes's voice.

Verdict: Ahh ... I want to read it again to the power of ten.

P.S. Sometimes reviews don't need to be long to say "I loved it."

Book Depository

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

Missing monarch alert! What fun!

Synopsis of Mrs Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn: After decades of service and years of watching her family's troubles splashed across the tabloids, Britain's Queen is beginning to feel her age. She needs some proper cheering up. An unexpected opportunity offers her relief: an impromptu visit to a place that holds happy memories—the former royal yacht, Britannia, now moored near Edinburgh. Hidden beneath a skull-emblazoned hoodie, the limber Elizabeth (thank goodness for yoga) walks out of Buckingham Palace into the freedom of a rainy London day and heads for King's Cross to catch a train to Scotland. But a characterful cast of royal attendants has discovered her missing. In uneasy alliance a lady-in-waiting, a butler, an equerry, a girl from the stables, a dresser, and a clerk from the shop that supplies Her Majesty's cheese set out to find her and bring her back before her absence becomes a national scandal.

My two cents

The Queen takes a day off! In a momentary lapse of bad judgment, nostalgia, and a funny set of incidents, the Queen decides to take the public train to her decommissioned ship, the Brittania.

Unknowingly she sends all her staff abuzz in a bid to get her back, safe and sound, without calling undue attention to the paparazzi.

There's the shy, red-haired Rebecca who takes care of the horses, who realizes that the Queen must've decided to get some of the cheese the horses so love. Then there's the besotted Rajiv, part time paparazzi and cheese seller, who decides to help Rebecca out.

Then there's Shirley, the Queen's personal dresser. She joins forces with the snooty lady lady-in-waiting, Lady Anne Bevil. There's also the long-time butler, William, who decides someone has to help out the Queen's current equerry, Luke, when he discovers the Queen is missing. 

Come along for a ride with the Queen! It's actually much more fun than I expected!

***

This is a cute, fun read. Of course it's highly unbelievable and totally fictional! But that's part of the fun! This is a light-hearted and fictional depiction of an aging Queen Elizabeth in this modern world. After all, the Queen is in with the times too; she takes yoga (love the warrior pose!) and has her own Miss Twitter and sort of understands Paste err Facebook!

This novel breathes charm, old-lady dithering, and lots of elegance into the Queen's woes -- from her viewpoint -- as a monarch dealing with the pressures of duty and public perception. It also gives us a bittersweet look into how she feels about  becoming obsolete in this modern world. We also become privy to some of her private thoughts as a wife, as a mother, and how she was quite hurt by her alleged indifference to Diana's death.

The author, a biographer and historian, was able to walk us through the dynamics within the royal household. But the story has a twist in it as the once strict protocols of interactions between the royals and the staff, and how these were breached, showed that people come together during time of need. If you like Downton Abbey, you'll probably get a kick out of this!

Verdict: This is a novel that blends tradition with modern life all within the setting of the British monarchy. If you'd like a fluffy and fun read that pokes fun at, yet has a soft spot, for the Queen, read this! I recommend it to those who enjoy chick lit, and lovers of anything British.

Links:

• William Kuhn's website
• Q&A with William Kuhn on American Bookseller's Association

A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie

About A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie: Motives for Murder: A fortune in uncut diamonds, hidden by an eccentric old man
A woman's love, too freely given
A business empire built on ruthlessness

Each of them may have been a motive for the brutal slaying of wealthy old Simeon Lee. Coupled with Lee's family, each member of which hated him and wished to see him dead, they presented Hercule Poirot with a baffling challenge--one which the astute detective solved only through his uncanny ability to see "the little things."

My two cents

A re-read of my uber-ratty copy! Love Agatha Christie!

The Christmas season is not the time for good cheer, in fact it is a murderous season. Simeon Lee's puzzling murder (a closed door, a wail from hell, lots of blood, and seemingly no means of escape for the murderer) puts each his family members under suspicion. Money? Power? Revenge? Who killed him ... and how? Poirot comes in and gives us another surprising solution to the mystery. The clue: the character of the man murdered.

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

Summary of Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie: At a Hallowe'en party, Joyce -- a hostile thirteen-year-old -- boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no-one believes her, she storms off home. But within hours her body is found, still in the house, drowned in an apple-bobbing tub. That night, Hercule Poirot is called in to find the 'evil presence'. But first he must establish whether he is looking for a murderer or a double-murderer...

My two cents

The setting: a children's halloween party complete with bobbing for apples, looking in the mirror to see your true love, a "real" witch ... and the presence of a well-known writer of mystery stories. A child boasts that she witnessed a murder, and hours later she is drowned. See how a murder committed years ago comes back to haunt a community.

With Christie's characteristic references to Greek mythology of a bevy of characters, a beautiful garden .... and a complicated plot of money and saving beauty for beauty's sake. And Poirot saves the life of yet another just in time!

The Shadow of the Sun by A.S. Byatt

Serious summary of The Shadow of the Sun by A.S. Byatt: Written when A.S. Byatt was an undergraduate, THE SHADOW OF THE SUN is the story of 17-year-old Anna Severel, daughter of a lionized novelist. As Anna struggles to get a grip on her own life, she knows that, in order to survive, she must somehow throw off the influence of her father. A classic coming-of-age story, Byatt's first novel introduces one of the themes that will inform her later work: the artist's relentless search for identity. 

My two cents

OK bits:  I actually bought the book for its cover (don't laugh) because Van Gogh has always been a favorite. Kidding aside, the prose is lovely! I like the whole metaphor upon which the book is based:  think about it, a sun can never have a shadow.

Boring bits: Be prepared for really long-winded descriptions. In fact Byatt herself says that her first piece is "overwritten" but she has a lovely way of saying things.  

Maybe the whole story is a bit of a cliche too. If I had read it when I was in my early twenties I could have related a bit more or maybe oohed-ahhed some. But this has the cliche crush on the good-looking guy, cliche affair with a middle-aged man who "saves" her throughout the novel, and the cliche pregnancy. 

Verdict: Quite good! Find out why Byatt is such a celebrated writer, her first book reveals quite a bit already!

***

First line: The house was waiting; low and still and grey, with clean curtains in the long windows, and a fresh line of white across the edge of the steps. 

The book in one sentence: A rebellious daughter finally comes into her own after struggling to escape her famous father-writer's shadow.

Who would you recommend it to: Any fan of A.S. Byatt, as this is her debut novel! And if you like coming-of-age stories, this is a good one!

Random quote:

Love exposes one so, she thought, one is so dependent on it, and maybe one will never be intimate enough not to care if anything goes a bit wrong. I can see one would be, she thought vaguely. (p. 45)