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COPING 20/8/24 - DEATH ON THE NILE - AGATHA CHRISTIE

Today I have finished reading Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. This is a comfort hardback in more ways than one.

It is the first Agatha Christie I ever read. This was at Christmas when I was a student and I remember devouring it overnight. It was an old paperback (no longer with me) tie in with the 1978 Peter Ustinov film.

Nowadays I have my comfort hardback plus a recent paperback. I also have the Peter Ustinov, David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh film versions.

In recent years I would read a Christie and then Philip and I would watch it together.

Even though I know Death On the Nile very well, this morning I am surprised and moved to read:

‘You should look on death as the Chinese do. It’s a mere incident - hardly noticeable.’ (Christie, 2020,p.267).

Indeed. I have read similar lines since Philip’s death.

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REFERENCE

Christie, A. (2020 [1937] ) Death on the Nile. London: Harper Collins.

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THIS IS WHAT I READ 1/8/24 - IN JULY

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK 29/7/24 - CROSS MY HEART AND NEVER LIE - NORA DASNES

AFTER PLANNING 15/4/24 - CROSS MY HEART AND NEVER LIE - NORA DASNES

I had originally planned to use Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dasnes for QUOTE OF THE WEEK 29/7/24, for my son’s BON VOYAGE departure to America to take up a teaching and research post in Children’s and Young Adult Literature at a Texas university. My son had shown me this graphic novel after buying it for his teaching.

I then changed my mind and was going for Bella Mackie’s How To Kill Your Family instead.

On reflection it was then back to square one and this is what I did. (Mackie is coming later for Mr Dusty’s birthday WOOF WOOF BIRTHDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK).

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NOTES 24/7/24 - TAKEN AT THE FLOOD - AGATHA CHRISTIE

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COPING 24/7/24 - CHARLOTTE’S WEBB - E.B. WHITE

Today I have finished reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I have never read this children’s classic (other than aloud to my children both of whom still love it).

This was a present from Philip Christmas 2022 (he gave me several children’s classics that year and I remember being touched that he had checked our collection in the loft).

It is a lovely book (Philip liked it) but the ending is almost unbearably sad. Plucky spider Charlotte’s dry manner saves the day though:

‘After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.’ (White, 2022, p.222).

Shortly after Philip died I began noticing quotes expressing just this sentiment. This is obviously one of my ways of dealing with it.

REFERENCE

White, E.B. (2022 [1952] ) Charlotte’s web. London: Puffin.

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NOTES 21/7/24 - CHARLOTTE’S WEB - E.B. WHITE

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NOTES 20/7/24 - RESTORATION - ROSE TREMAIN

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PLANNING 15/7/24 - HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY - BELLA MACKIE

FOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK - 29/7/24 - BON VOYAGE TO MY SON AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK

How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie for today’s QUOTE OF THE WEEK is my second plan for this QUOTE OF THE WEEK.

This is for both BON VOYAGE to my son bound for America to take up a teaching and research post at a Texas university:

God bless these pointless academics who spend years doing some mind-numbing survey that nobody will read but helpfully tack on a footnote which summarises it all in two minutes. (Mackie, 2022, p.74).

plus HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

I read books, I follow world affairs … (Mackie, 2022, p.17).

My original plan is for Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dasnes but I am keen to use Mackie because it was passed on to me by a book group member.

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NOTES 14/7/24 - CARDS ON THE TABLE - AGATHA CHRISTIE

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CALENDAR 14/7/24 - CARDS ON THE TABLE - AGATHA CHRISTIE

Today I finished reading Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie. This is July’s book on the Poirot 2024 CALENDAR.

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I have only read this once before but remembered enjoying it. It is the ultimate closed room mystery.

I love my comfort hardbacks and it is only on completion that I realise I have this …

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These were the old Harper Collins hardbacks (original covers?) before the new editions started. I used to buy them in Torquay as a treat. This one is inscribed:

December 2019

Sunningdale Flat 16

Happy days (but not always … there was a lot of mental health stress on occasions in Torquay).

I will have to read this hardback edition in December (I now tend to read an Agatha Christie’s every weekend so that shouldn’t be difficult).

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NOTES 12/7/24 - HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY - BELLA MACKIE

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READING 12/7/24 - THE ZONE OF INTEREST - MARTIN AMIS

A GOOD READ - RADIO 4

This morning I hear them announcing A Good Read on the radio. Today’s programme includes The Zone of Interest. I read this last month but have not seen the film. I have not listened to the programme either but I have saved it here.

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NOTES 10/7/24 - THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT - AGATHA CHRISTIE

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THIS IS WHAT I READ 1/7/24 - IN JUNE

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NOTES 29/6/24 - THE ROAD TO WIGAN PIER - GEORGE ORWELL

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NOTES 13/6/24 - AGNES GREY - ANNE BRONTE

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