Book Review: Murder With Mirrors

A Miss Marple mystery by Agatha Christie, Murder With Mirrors is also published under the name They Do It With Mirrors. While visiting her friend Carrie Louise Serrocold, Miss Jane Marple senses that all is not quite right. Carrie Louise and her husband Lewis run a 'College' for young criminals to try and turn them away from their life of crime. Someone seems to be trying to poison good-hearted Carrie Louise, but she herself can't believe that anyone would try to do such a thing. Suspicion in such cases would naturally fall to the husband-- but Mr. Serrocold seems genuinely concerned for her health and appears to love her very much. Is it one of the young criminals, who are not allowed outside after dark? Or is it a family member after Carrie Louise's money? Everyone has a motive! Miss Marple must find out what's really beneath the surface before it's too late.

finished scarf!

It *only* took me six months or so, but it's finished at last! The scarf is made of 3 full skeins of Sugar 'n' Cream yarn, and the fringe consists of 35 pieces of yarn per side, varying color depending on the color of yarn in the rows above it. Not at all bad for a first-time knitter, and I now have something I can wear in the winter! I'm especially excited about this because I rarely complete projects I start (I usually grow bored about halfway through), but a friend encouraged me to finish and this is what I produced. :)

Book Review: And Then There Were None

Also published under the title Ten Little Indians, this is an thrilling page-turner that will keep you up at night if you don't finish it in one sitting! Ten people are invited to a house on Indian Island. Slowly it's revealed that each of them have a rather sketchy past. One by one they are murdered-- but who's killing them, and why? (I can't say more or I'll spoil it entirely!) This is probably one of Agatha Christie's best works, and overall a chilling but excellent read.

Book Review: Shanghai Girls

Initially, this book caught my eye when I was browsing in a bookstore with a friend. I picked it up and began reading it (something I never do in a store), and found myself intrigued. I didn't buy it because I don't buy books I haven't read before, but did get it from the library. Upon completing it, I was very glad that I hadn't bought it...
This historical novel is set in China in the 1930s, and portrays two girls, Pearl and May, who consider themselves modern Shanghai girls-- until their father tells them that he's gambled away the family fortune and that they must travel to America to become Chinese brides. However, then the war begins as Japanese bombs start falling on their beloved Shanghai... The girls' flight from China brings them together in a way that nothing else ever could.
Unfortunately, despite all of their trials, I never really got to the point where I could care about what happened to the characters. Perhaps it was done intentionally by the author to represent the Chinese aversion to touching, but overall, the book seemed flat, empty, and depressing, and the ending left me dissatisfied. I didn't realize it was over until I turned the last page and found that there wasn't any more ("That's it?" I thought). There seemed like there should be another chapter at least, because there were a lot of loose ends. Not really worth reading; much less actually buying.

you say goodbye, i say hello

old phone...




...new phone!


(it seems like everyone and their mom has the same phone as me; but that's okay... I'm definitely pleased with it!)

Book Review: Airborn

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel is my very first venture into the steampunk genre. (I've known of steampunk for several years, but hadn't been interested in it at all--until now.) The book is set on an airship called the Aurora, which gets its lift from the fictional gas hydrium. The main character (and narrator), fifteen-year-old Matt Cruse, is the ship's cabin boy. He is an extremely likable character--funny, daring, and easy to relate to. This last point deserves a bit more attention, as your average fifteen-year-old probably isn't a cabin boy, and he certainly wouldn't one on a luxury airship. Oppel has done an especially good job with this particular character, as well as the other main and support characters (I enjoyed the Captain and crazy Chef Vlad in particular).

It's been long time since I've read a new book that appealed to me as much as this well-written adventure. It's fast-paced, with action scenes in just the right places, and the technicalities of the airship aren't done to the point of incomprehension. The excellent way that Oppel has penned Airborn makes Matt Cruse's story completely believable, as well as a must-read (and for me, a must-own!).

Book Review: A Fairy Went A-Marketing

This beautifully illustrated version of Rose Fyleman's original poem is a nice change of pace from the ordinary. The artist, Jamichael Henterly, draws his inspiration from nature and creates a beautiful fantasy world. This is one of my favorite books from my childhood, so I'm a little biased in its favor... but if you can find it, the illustrations are wonderful!