Back in February, I had the opportunity to purchase a ton of books for my classroom. Well, okay, not a ton, but it did take two Old Navy shopping carts to get out of Barnes & Noble and I’m not just talking any old navy shopping carts, I’m talking the kind that could withstand a barrage of cannon.
I got a lot of books is all I’m saying.
I tried to pick ones that my kids would want to read so I got an eclectic mix of young adult, genre, poetry, and classics many of which I had never read, especially the YA and some of the genre stuff. The books were a hit and silent reading days suddenly became quite popular. Often the kids would want to talk about what they read, but I was too often clueless and so this summer I took home a large bucket full of the books that were especially popular.
My wife and I are blazing through that bucket and finding the joys of young adult fiction. My wife was even able to brag that she read five books on Saturday. Five whole books, I swear to God, five books. Since I’m also writing a book, I’m moving a bit slower on the reading, but I did just finish my first book from the Summer Bucket: Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
I’ve never read any other of Christie’s novels (or any detective novel for that matter other than Isaac Asimov’s Caves of Steel), but it was fun. It’s about Hercule Poirot, apparently Chritie’s recurring detective who finds himself snowbound on the Orient Express with a murder to solve. It’s a clever story with a surprising ending. It’s an easy quick read also, which is why, I think, several of the kids found it so appealing.
I’ll probably read a few more Agatha Christie novels (including Evil Under the Sun, which is on my Lost list) simply to see if this was typical or a particularly unique work. Either way, Murder on the Orient Express had me turning the pages and looking forward to spending a little time each day on that fabled luxury train of the mid-30’s, trying and failing to stay one step ahead on Monsieur Poirot.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
You should rent the very enteraining movie, too, with a truly all-star cast, from Ingrid Bergman to Vanessa Redgrave.
I think I’ve read most of Christie’s books. There was a summer at the lake that I believe I read 25 of them in 2 weeks. Hmmmm — maybe one should spend more time in the water when at the lake. Regardless, I’d like to recommend “Elephants Can Remember” which is my favorite of the Miss Marple collection, Christie’s other detective in her books.
Sounds like you are having a perfect summer of puppies, books, and birdies…Peace! CLD
George, I’m intrigued. I figured a movie would be cheesey, but that sounds cool.
Heather, Reading by water is great fun. Almost as fun as drinking by water.
Christina, Birds and books do seem to have taken over the blog, but then the blog reflects current interests…
[…] wasn’t as good as the only other Christie novel I’ve read (Murder on the Orient Express) but I did enjoy it, although I started to have a sense of how the murder had occured before Poirot […]