England: To infinity and beyond! OR I really like learning about England.

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook is a step-by-step instructional manual on how anyone can mold themselves into a consulting detective just like Arthur Conan Doyle's creation. More than that, Riggs provides the reader with trivia, factoids, and beautiful drawings of the detective in action. This book is excellent for anyone whether they're just being introduced to the famous detective or if they've been a diehard fan for many years. It's always fun to revisit old friends and bone up on the tricks of the trade. ;-)

Jane Austen lived during the Georgian era in England and her stories are a reflection of the time and the places she visited. She tended to focus on the areas she was most familiar with unlike many of her contemporaries who decided that far flung locations were much better suited for novels. Jane Austen's England: Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods by Roy & Lesley Adkins takes a look at this time period and focuses on all aspects of the country. From wedding practices to the stratification of the classes this is a comprehensive look at all the minutiae not covered by Austen herself.

I spend way too long creating the titles for these posts

So as I mentioned in the last post I really love Agatha Christie (particularly her Hercule Poirot mysteries) so predictably I zoomed through The Clocks. This was written very differently and the plot development was unique also. For starters, the narrative voice changed several times from third person to first person (and it wasn't Poirot as first person either). I thought at first this might create problems like with time jumping but after a few chapters the transitions felt familiar and smooth. Secondly, Poirot never set foot on the crime scenes and he never spoke to any of the suspects. From what I've read, this is the only time Christie employed this tactic and it was mostly to show that it was possible for the Belgian detective to accomplish such a feat. As per usual, I thought I had the whole thing figured out only to discover that it was all a pile-up of red herrings and I'd been duped again. Oh, Agatha!

And because I felt like I just needed more Poirot in my life I checked out a short story entitled Wasps' Nest which I thought might keep me occupied for a few days. However, when it said 'short story' it meant incredibly quick. I finished that bad boy in about 15 minutes on the train home this evening. It was so short I have no idea how to even review it. Basically, there's a man named John Harrison (Star Trek Into Darkness, anyone?) who Poirot visits out in the country. He tells him that he's on a murder case...a murder that hasn't been committed yet. Dun Dun DUUUUUN. Yeah go and read it. It's a quick, delightful read (and I was still surprised by the conclusion because apparently Christie is a wizard).

Then I decided that I wasn't done with mysteries, detectives, and crime because I resurrected a book I had started a zillion years ago but got too distracted to finish: The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs (see Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children & Hollow City for more by him). This book is the Holmesian-How-To-Manual (that sounded ultra cool in my head) which explores the methodology of the fictional detective as well as current forensic science practices. Basically, if you're a Sherlockian then this is the book for you. We shall soon see!

Science!! Mystery!! Tuberculosis?

It's no mystery (see what I did there?) to you, dear reader, that I'm a science nerd. I've reviewed enough scientific nonfiction to lend credence to that statement. That being said, I have to give props where props are due. The Remedy was superb. Goetz brings to light the achievements of 19th century scientists that were instrumental in modernizing medicine which at the time was seen as imprecise and oftentimes dangerous. Robert Koch, a man known to science mostly for his methodology postulates, was also one of the fathers of bacteriology alongside his nemesis, Louis Pasteur. Koch's triumphs and downfalls in relation to TB are brought to light right alongside the magnificent story of Arthur Conan Doyle and his journey from dissatisfied doctor to acclaimed author. While these stories seem to have no relation to one another, Goetz illustrates that these two scientifically minded men have more in common than meets the eye. For anyone looking to learn more about ACD's creation of that illustrious detective Sherlock Holmes or for those yearning to learn more about the deadly disease of Tuberculosis, this is the book for you!

PS TB is still a major threat to humanity and kills large numbers of people every year.

To give you all a glimpse into my mind, the next book on the list is just as up my alley as The Remedy. I'm reading D is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl, compiled by Wendy Cooling, and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Roald Dahl is, simply put, one of the greatest children's authors of all time. If you haven't read any of his books then you are truly missing out on an extraordinarily delightful reading experience. Who can think of a more beguiling adventure than a tour through a chocolate factory such as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Who could possibly be nastier than the Grand High Witch from The Witches? The man was a genius and when his books were joined by the illustrations of Quentin Blake the characters fairly leaped off of the page and into the imaginations of children and adults the world over. Therefore, why wouldn't I want to read random facts and trivia about the man himself (with the bonus of QB illustrations littering the pages)?!

And they said it couldn't be done!

Of course, "they" refers to everyone who said that I should be more focused on my thesis than reading for pleasure. I say to them, "PHOOEY!" :o)

Now, to recap (because it's been awhile) I've been reading Ben Macintyre's The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief which chronicles the life of the man who inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor James Moriarty of Sherlockian fame.  I admit that I chose this book primarily because of that fact alone.  However, I've recently discovered just how much I enjoy non-fiction that discusses Victorian England and this book was chock full of data about this fascinating era of history.  Also, there was a large dose of Pinkerton history which  found fascinating as I read that book all those months ago about the history of the Pinkerton agency.  So, if you're interested in true crime, Victorian England, or maybe you just like non-fiction this book is just the one for you.

I'm what one might call a bookaholic.  This essentially means that I am constantly buying new books and adding them to my "Must Read" list which is steadily growing longer.  This also means that when I finished reading The Napoleon of Crime I was at a loss as to which book I should start on next.  I employed the help of my best friend and she decided me on The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  Unless you've been living under a rock I'm sure you've at least heard about the movie which was adapted after the book.  In essence, the book is about "the help" or the African American women who raised white children in the South.  What were their lives really like?  Well, I can't wait to find out!

I hope you guys are cracking open those books because you never know what mysteries you'll find within its pages!!

Mystery Solved: Fantastic Read!

While traveling via the big metal bird, I finished up A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon.  It was a great read! If you're a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle and his infamous Consulting Detective, Sherlock Holmes, then you'll enjoy this book.  I think the one that I liked the best was written by Thomas Perry and entitled "The Startling Events in the Electrified City" which talked about what really happened when President McKinley was assassinated.

Now I've decided to start up The Napoleon of Crime: The life and times of Adam Worth master thief by Ben Macintyre.  Adam Worth, an infamous thief, is the title character of this book and the sole reason that I chose this was that Professor James Moriarty (of Sherlockian fame) was based off of him.  I think this will be just what I need to get through the long airplane ride back to NYC.  Of course, the update might be a while in coming as I have to work on my thesis for the next several weeks.

Keep those pages turning!!

I laughed, I cried, I questioned my sanity...

Well, I can tell you this about It's Not Me, It's You by Jon Richardson: it's dark humor.  I definitely found parts of it humorous (I even laughed aloud at several points) but I did not agree with the majority of his beliefs about relationships or indeed the human condition.  It is the author's belief that we should strive to make every day perfect and in order to do that we must all be focused on doing everything the right way.  I emphasize this because I don't think it's possible that there is a right or a wrong way to do certain things.  An example would be eating a meal.  He has a system whereby there are a specific number of mouthfuls and the last bite is absolutely perfect.  I believe that food must be eaten clockwise and that each round must be finished with a swallow of drink.  The difference here is that I don't begrudge others for not following in my footsteps because I know that would be insane (and in fact typing here that I have to eat in this manner makes me realize I might be insane anyway).  I don't want to discount all that he has to say because I think that he is generally trying to make the point that he tries inordinately hard to be happy and to make others happy and yet he fails spectacularly in both regards because he is such a perfectionist.  If you want to get a taste of his humor before you delve into this read I recommend watching this clip: http://youtu.be/iQvQqw1j8vk

If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.  I have loved virtually every incarnation of these characters and have read several articles and books which were based off of his works.  After finishing the above, I decided I would start A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon.  This book is a collection of stories by a variety of authors including Neil Gaiman (totally why I picked this up), Colin Cotterill, Jerry Margolin, and Alan Bradley just to name a few.  These authors have all written stories which have some Sherlockian aspect whether it be a continuation of a story only mentioned by Doyle, an alternate universe with these characters, or modern day mysteries at 221B Baker St.  I cannot wait to delve into this book and uncover the mysteries that lie within!!