And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

5 stars
WOW

What can I say at this point, Agatha is literally the mystery queen! I keep saying this each time I read her books. This was brilliant. The way she ended it, the epilogue, the characters...chef's kiss!

This is one of the more darker ones I have read by her but it was still so good! I was invested in each character, loved the history behind the mystery, and loved listing to the audio by Hugh Fraser alongside my reading of the 1972 book copy I found on Pango Books.

We essentially follow 10 people who get summoned by a letter to go to this island to meet the Owen's. When they all get there, they see the poem for 10 little soldier boys (old edition said Indian instead of Soldier, but was changed to Soldier in the mid-20th century). The poem soon becomes the guests reality....which leads us to a wild and crazy whodunit case. We also learn along the way why each person was chosen to be there, which in itself was WILD.

I loved how the cast of characters were each trying to figure out whodunit and pointing fingers, trying to figure out the clues....I wasn't 100% right with the ending but I did have my right suspicion I guess with whodunit, for once. I even watched the adaptation (2015 BBC) and loved it, even though the adaption added odd romance tension bit with two characters.

Highly recommend as an Agatha standalone read. I loved the twists and turns and how invested I was in it.

Content/Trigger Warnings: death, suicide, crimes explained such as murders/death of a child by drowning/gun violence etc., language several d*mn and 1 GD. 

If you watch the 2015 adaptation, there is obviously flashbacks of the crimes shown for each character that are a bit more graphic than the book and a closed door sex scene randomly placed, lol. but that is not in the book at all.

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores):
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cbCefT

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The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

5 Stars

It's been almost 2 years since I picked up an Agatha book and I am so glad I picked this one up! Agatha Christie is who I always consider the QUEEN of Mystery! This was her debut novel and it's exactly the kind of classic mystery that shows just how she became that QUEEN! :)

This is book 1 in the Hercule Poirot series. We have a country estate, a sudden death, a house full of complicated relationships and a detective who sees what most people will overlook.

I love how Agatha lays out the puzzle, she gives you clues, red herrings and character dynamics that you becomes so interested in. Hastings, the narrator of the story, adds a layer of humor too. 

Did I figure it out, NO LOL - no surprise! But I am so glad I read it. I have read a few of hers before but it's been almost 2 years since I have read one, and getting back to it was such a JOY! I have been struggling with some of the books I have been reading to love them and this was just an awesome change of pace. I found myself looking up words I didn't understand and really learning!

It's short, clever and unique. Looking forward to more! 

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Poisoning, Nothing Explicit in Nature

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores):
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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

🌷🔑 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett🌷🔑
5 Stars 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OK - why have I waited so long to read this my friends?! Such a good, timeless children's classic. This has beautiful themes of healing, friendship and nature. You know I had to watch the 1993 movie adaptation as well, which I LOVED. I never read or watched this as a child, and this still felt like a piece of my childhood somehow. I felt like a little kid again while reading and watching.

We follow Mary Lennox, who is a very spoiled and neglected child, sent to live with her Uncle at his manor after her parents pass away. She is used toa life of privilege and loneliness, so she struggles with the change. She is curious when she finds a hidden, locked garden on the estate. She has the help of a new friend, Dickon and her sickly cousin Colin, who is unable to walk due to health conditions. Mary goes on this journey to restore the garden and she, along with her friends, find more than they could have ever imagined. 

I LOVED the vivid descriptions of nature in this - this was just a COZY book! It truly felt like the garden was alive, especially in the movie. I loved the way it ended, we really see Mary's growth too, which was great. 

Anyone would love this!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1970006704

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DthZM0

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Persuasion by Jane Austen

 

Persuasion by Jane Austen

3 Stars

OK here are my thoughts:

2.5-3 stars, generously

I wanted to love this book y’all lol I feel like I was supposed to love it, and I loved Northanger abbey and P&P butttt this one —I found it really hard to connect to the romance, characters and whatnot. The romance —it didn’t completely make sense to me.

I also think because I struggle in general with second chance romances, depending how they’re done, that could be part of what affected my enjoyment.

For most of the book, Wentworth is cold and distant, borderline dismissive of Anne. It bothers me, along with all the other women he is around more than Anne 🤣 and then Anne was just too passive during these moments. Of course, this may be historically accurate of women in the time, I’m not sure..

Now all of this may be the whole point leading up to his letter but when he suddenly reveals his lingering love in his famous letter, it feels abrupt and random. Where were the gradual moments of reconnection that would make me believe in their second chance after 8 years…Not sure…either way I like second chances to be more believable I guess lol

I also had a hard time understanding why Anne’s feelings for him were so unwavering. They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in years and yet she’s still consumed by her love for him. While that can be romantic in theory, I need more reasons of whyyyy she still adored him after all this time, especially when he seemed indifferent for much of the story.

I did find some moments funny and entertaining and whatnot but yeah it was just OK. Sorry😭😭😭

Either way I’m not sad I read it! I’m proud I finished it!

Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

 

Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard - 5 Stars 

"I will write upon her a new name, the name of her God. The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11 

What can I say about this book? It has transformed my heart. I have cried. I have felt conviction. I have felt the warm hugs from the Lord. I have felt seen and heard and loved. I am Much Afraid and she is me. When I feel unworthy, when I feel left out, when I feel less than, when I feel unloved and lonely....HE IS THERE. THE LORD IS THERE. He has always been there. In my pain, suffering, sorrow, grief, struggles...JOY COMES IN THE MORNING. He will not forsake you. He will not leave you. And when you doubt or think He has left you, HE HAS NOT. When you feel the Lord delaying or changing your circumstances - delay does not mean no. You are right where you are meant to be in His ultimate plan. When you are in the valley of humiliation and suffering, the Lord is at hand. He is there - all you have to do is call upon the name of the Lord and He will answer you in your trials and tribulations. 

Little Amanda was blessed and healed reading this book. I continue to seek healing from the Lord on so many things in my heart and I fully see His goodness, His mercy, His GRACE forevermore upon me. WHOM SHALL WE FEAR? No one when the Lord is on our side.

This is a Christian allegory book that everyone should read in their lifetime. It's a timeless classic and you will look beyond your current struggles and trust in the promise of reaching the High Places in eternity with the King of Kings.

Thank you Krista at BooksandJams for hosting this readalong in the month of August. It's been a beautiful reading journey and I will be re-reading this in the future. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6714478399

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Mida9h

Krista's Channel with Live Streams: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_fvBclONpc&t=29s (Aug 11)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKBPcIvor4&t=2s (Aug 18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0T0KH7pRz0 (today Aug 25)

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Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery

 

Anne of the Island - LM Montgomery - #3 in the Anne of Green Gables Series - 5 Stars

Ya'll I loved this one so much! Anne goes on a new adventure as she packs her bags and heads for Redmond College. We see Anne really making her own choices and living life with friends and I just loved seeing her realize there was still good things to come in her next stage of life. I love the secondary characters and Davy made me laugh so much with his questions to Anne.  I also love Anne and Gilbert SO much! Excited to read the next one.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - 5 Stars 

Little Women is a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. It certainly captured my heart from the very first chapter. From its very first page, we have themes of sisterhood, love, and individual growth that resonates profoundly. I loved the four March sisters. They each have their own unique personality and dreams. We see each of the sisters individual journeys, witnessing setbacks, struggles and the unbreakable bond that ties them together. I love the Christian themes throughout the story that we see such as forgiveness, the importance of gratitude and being content, compassion for others, trusting in God, etc. Marmee (their mother) was one of my favorite characters as well - she is such an inspiration to me as a mother. 

Set in the Civil War era, this book has a lot of thought-provoking commentary that remains relevant today. The novel encourages readers to reflect on their paths and the importance of staying true to yourself, helping others, being independent where possible, being self-sacrificing, etc. Chapter 40 made me cry - I will say that. Such an emotional impact!

Overall, the writing is enchanting and has such a timeless quality to it that will leave you captivated. Full reading vlog to come with more thoughts on Dec 24!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5911536576
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GOhwCe
YouTube Review to come and vlog. 

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links. 

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - 5 Stars - A World of witty social commentary, endearing characters and playful satire. 

I had so much fun diving into this book! Classics can be hard for me to read but thankfully the audiobook + the physical book together, plus many chapter summaries and videos online, helped me grasp what was going on in each chapter and I am SO glad I finally got it! I LOVED Pride and Prejudice so when Jane Austen July came up this year, I wanted to try another Jane Austen read from her main novels, and Northanger Abbey did NOT disappoint!

Jane Austen invites us into a world of witty social commentary, endearing characters and playful satire. This is a beautiful coming of age story of Catherine Morland and it offers a unique blend of romance, mystery and Austen's witty dialogue! 

This is set in the town of Bath, England and follows the adventures of Catherine Morland. She is our heroine of the story as a young, average girl. She leaves to travel with the Allens and meets several people along the way, including making the acquaintance of the Tilneys and Thorpes. Her journey is filled with humorous misunderstandings and a touch of Gothic intrigue. 

I loved Catherine, Henry and Eleanor most of all. Catherine is a realistic and relatable character who truly shines in this book. She is naïve abotut life but with her lively imagination, she truly captures you in the reading experience as she learns many valuable lessons about life. Henry is DASHING!  Eleanor is a kind friend! And then we have the Thorpes --- LOOK HERE JOHN THORPE, I am giving you the side eye....right along with Isabella Thorpe. They were very rude, lying and manipulative people and Catherine starts to see how unchecked assumptions can have consequences with them. 

Overall, Northanger Abbey is a delightful and witty novel that gives us a glimpse into the social landscape of Regency England and has charming characters with timeless themes. Jane Austen truly was a genius for storytelling and satire. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5667863040
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46IUOHi
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mj7Hz0PH6w&t=5s

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4) - Agatha Christie - A PERFECT MYSTERY!

WOW I DID NOT SEE THE ENDING COMING YA'LL! WHAT A PERFECT MYSTERY! So much fun trying to piece all this together (of course, I am no sleuth LOL) but it was so clever and she is truly the QUEEN of Mystery! The ending is what made this a 5 star read truly.

Hercule Poirot has retired when a murder occurs - everyone is shocked when a welathy local widow commits suicide and the next day her fiance, Roger Ackroyd, is stabbed to death. Poirot comes in to help solve this crazy murder with SO many suspects! The narrator of the story, Dr. James Sheppard is helping assist Poirot in solving the case and we go on from here.

This is truly my favorite Agatha Christie so far! I can only imagine how amazing this way for its time when she wrote it. Such a classic. I kept trying to figure out who the killer was but boy, I did NOT see it. I would LOVE to re-read this and see all the clues I missed :) I love how Poirot keeps his secrets until the end. Very entertaining and you really can play detective right along with Poirot in this story!

I see why this was sweet Janelle's favorite from TooFondOfBooks. Janelle, thank you for everything you did on BookTube. For being such a light and beautiful soul in this corner of the internet and inspiring me to pick up one of your favorite Agatha Christie novels. We will miss you.

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5648191363

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PMXXji
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlfoIBkAmlc&t

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

 

Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne - 4 Stars - Fun adventures with Phileas!

What a fun adventure! I loved following Phileas Fogg around the world in 80 days! He was so kind and kept moving on his journey, no matter what life threw at him. I did get bogged down sometimes but overall enjoyed it and it makes you want to travel the world! I want to watch an adaptation now, because I think it would be so much fun to see this travel story come to life! I listened to the Jim Dale audiobook narration and it was amazing. Jim Dale can narrate so well! I feel like the characters really make this story! The whole plot of the story is Phileas Fogg has wagered 20,000 pounds (and his honor) to go around the world in 80 days. He says it can be done so he sets out to do just that. So many people doubt him but he plans to make this happen, no matter what. It's also a beautiful ending, that last page was so beautiful to read. This book had me laughing and just pulling for Phileas the entire time!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5315186606
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46HsrcJ
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0