An ex-CEO "Sponsored" Me Some Christie Kicks

Sooooooo. As many readers here know, this blog acts as a reading journal of sorts. I document bits and pieces of life and this and that and books and bric à brac. Therefore, quite frequently, a story relating to a purchase pops up. Or, in this case, a Christie Kicks book haul "sponsored" by a retiring CEO. Here is what I was blessed with this week. The CEO of the company I work for has retired, right? He is the owner and all that jazz. So, he has gotten to where he wants to give his chair over to someone else. Cool, stuff? Now, the really cool stuff is that he has given his employees $100 times however many years they have worked for the company. In my case, I'm in my fifth year. You can do the math. So, what can a book lover do with a bonus check a week before payday (besides knock out some bills early) …?

Go invest in these leather-bound Barnes & Noble Agatha Christie collection books–that is what.

Listen, I was playing no games today. I finally read The Murder on the Orient Express; I am 25-pages from the end of And Then There Were None.  Needless to see, a particular hunger to study Christie's techniques have sat in. Besides, I have been doing super well in completing coursework toward finally finishing my degree program. No, for real.  I have busted my tail these past two weeks just so I could have the weekend free to read and not work on writing papers.

Heck, I deserved this treat. So, I took it.  In the famous words of Pattie Labelle circa the Be Yourself album of 1989: I can’t complain…

THANKS, Mr. ex-CEO, man. We will talk about the raise with the new guy. But in the meantime, I like this kind of stuff.

BOOKS! It's what's for dinner. MYSTERY BOOKS! It’s the delicious poison on the steak.

Bon Appetit, homie!

A Quick Rundown of my Christie Kicks Feelings

 Day ONE

What’s going on with me attempting to read Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles?  I’m 28 pages into the book and find myself uninterested.  Two things are occurring to me:

1. Given that Christie pretty much created every mystery trope, the reading is feeling rote (see what I did there).  I don't think it's necessarily the book, per se.  But the mood generated from the experience feels rote–I guess that's the word for it.  Here I was attempting to officially take on a Christie novel.  Yet, I've read so many mysteries and am so late to her that I'm bored with the template presented here.  I already know what is about to happen in Styles, not necessarily who will do it.  This leads me to my other problem…

2. Christie's characters are flat.  Now I experienced this realization before when attempting to read her first Miss Marple book before abandoning it.  Nevertheless, I thought I would get over this in Christie's first Hercule Poirot book.  Nah, man.  These characters are flat, 2D, and uninteresting.  Another problem I have, which is usual with me with any type of book, is the lack of illustrations behind characters, scenes, settings, everything.  There is no color here.  Just automatons are doing their master's bidding.  Heck, my reading of the first two Sherlock Holmes novels came close, but at least Holmes and Watson had character.  That's it, Christie's characters lack character... well… let’s just say dept.

So what shall I do next?  Mmmmmm.  I think I’m going to give myself more pages.

 

Day TWO

So, I managed to scoot up closer to the table and read up to fifty pages and found my interest in the book drastically improved.  Between the first 28 pages until now, the actual death has occurred and what an exciting scene it provided.  All the bells and whistles that tickle my mystery-loving fancy are on full display.  I am now on board.  I am now interested.  The death scene and Poirot's character/personality finally taking stage broke from the initial stale taste the book was giving me.  I am still not engaged with Christie's light writing style; as matter-of-fact, her style makes me hungry for some more of P. D. James's work.  I kept glancing at one of my shelves, wondering would it be appropriate to plug in another Adam Dalgleish book after The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  P. D. James is undoubtedly an evolution of Christie with both her literary style and emphasis on characters.  I stress characters.  James does character.

Friday Book Purchases...

As I write this, I am ready to crash. I spent all of Saturday and the majority of today (Sunday) writing and beating down a course paper and journal.  My plan was to make a lasagna today, but I was so tired of writing and rewriting this paper that I just ordered a pizza, all else be darned. I'm so tired that my joints hurt! And I was only using my brain (or what's left of it) and my fingers. It goes to show the mind-body connection is real. But the second I post this, I'm back to reading A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  It's my first Sherlock Holmes reading ever.  I can honestly say it is good, especially the second half.

Nevertheless, Fridays are my jam.  Off days always usual are.  However, if God blesses you to have Fridays off... well... don't waste it!

Got paid. Bookstores to curve my mental health in a positive direction.

And just because I like the atmosphere and hoarding books, I went to Barnes & Noble (what else is new, homie?).

Anyway, before the weekend is up, here is what I picked up Friday. A bit of old with a mystery classic/pioneer force in The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.  Previously, I had a children's book version of the book and have since decided I needed the whole enchilada experience.

Secondly, I grabbed a new release I've had on my watchlist since last year in Dead Dead Girls by NeKesha Afia.  Who, by the way, is a black woman debuting her Harlem Renaissance-themed mystery here. This is perfect because I'm always in the bookstore looking at newly released early 20th century era mysteries, but the ones that are released never look interesting.  The covers are always some woman looking over a horizon with a big ole wide-brim hat on and an evening gown making them ALL.LOOK.LIKE.THE.SAME.BOOK! Go look for yourself and tell me I'm lying!

Anyway, I was NOT going to walk out without NeKesha Afia having my support. I buy the book. The store replaces the book. Keep the cycle going, people. Now the real question is, when will I catch up with my backlog with all that I have purchased recently.

Well, I'm off.

Tired. Drained.  And still have to go to work tonight.  But I just came to put you all up on some game–book hoarding wise. Six courses left before graduation.  The good news is that I'm ahead, so I have Monday all to myself to make tea and read (and leftover pizza so I don't have to worry about what to eat). Wish me well, and take care yourself, chile.

The Leavenworth Case Quickie

I had to plot down my thoughts on Goodreads after finishing this book.  Very quick, very simply.  

"One of the elements of crime fiction/mystery novels that appeal to me most is how well the author can capture and capsulate what led to the resolution. Specifically with the confession of the culprit. WHY he/she committed the crime as well as HOW it was done walked backwards for the reader is HYPER important to me. It can ruin the entire experience when taken lightly by the author. A culprit's position is equally as important as the victim's. Anyway, The Leavenworth Case was the absolute BEST example of how I believe it can be done. I was about to throw four stars on it until Green stationed a whole chapter featuring the culprit's voice. She illuminated not only the machinations of the crime and why it was committed, through the killer's own flawed and backwards reasoning. But also how the individual's past left the susceptibility to have become a killer in the first place. So enthralled by it, I gave the book another star. :)"

My Mystery Reading Compatriots, I Have PLANS (June Kinda-TBR-But-Not)

 

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