Thursday, February 19, 2015

Feb. 19, Thursday: Snowing Again!

The Monogram MurdersThe Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This "new Christie" was well-written, but so densely and ponderously plotted that I gave up 1/2 way through and skimmed to the end. Hannah adds a confused, flawed police officer as narrator, thus adding another layer to Poirot's traditional "I know everything, and I can't believe you haven't figured it out" approach. Catchpool's self-doubt and incomprehension slowed everything down enough that once I had two or three other books I wanted to read, my impatience won out and I skimmed to the end to find out, more or less, "whodunnit." I would say that true Christie aficionados would enjoy this book, but I think a slimmed plot, more directed narration, and about 100 fewer pages would've worked better for me. That said, it's a high quality imitation with lots of moving parts.

View all my reviews



and also:


Much delight in all quarters, as the endless sweater is completed, and N wore it most of yesterday! I jiggered the neckline to our mutual delight--no neck irritation at all! Hope I can do this for other versions of this!--and tho it is looser in the body than he usually wears, I think the overall blanket-like approach will work well. And. . . it's DONE. Yay and whew! 

So we/I have settled into a calm and pleasant vacation mode, after hunkering down and feeling regretful about last weekend. Tuesday was cold and sunny; I drove down to Lewiston to see Dad during his last day in the hospital, helping him to fill the boring hours of a quiet morning, and then had lunch with Mom at a new restaurant in Lewiston, Rails--good food, and a nice visit! I was home by 5:45 after a quick browse around the Augusta Target, and that was a day very well spent. 

Yesterday I spent some time hanging out in the Library, waiting for N to finish his newspaper delivery sub gig, and that was really a pleasure--it's been a long time since I sat and read a paper or a book there, and it felt great! Then we went to Governor's for a snack (we got two desserts, and they ended up providing FIVE servings--ample servings--as we divided and doggy-bagged and shared with Andy!) and then to TJ Maxx, where we bargain-browsed: N got a nice paisley shirt, and I got some wool sox, some tights, and. . . . a pair of red sequin Converse--JUST the kicks for Spring, once it comes! Tomorrow we plan to go to Bangor for a movie and some errands, and then it will be Saturday. . . wow! It's been a low-key but very pleasant time. 

Today: a few letters, 12 papers, and planning for MDIHS Readers&Writers. A swim. Possibly lunch out? Work on A's to-be-felted Valentine mittens. We'll see. 

Some thoughts: it's Lent now, and I hope to avoid FB except on weekends; Easter is April 5; time changes March 8th (I think), and we have one week of February left when we get back to school. Nate's play is the weekend of the time change, and March is, of course, a crazy month at school, with several exhausting night-time commitments. However: the light is increasing, we are spinning toward Spring, and, after all, my mantra is "Enjoy." So I will try my best!

No comments: