And then there were none is the first Agatha Christie novel I read! I planned to read one of her books for a while and I finally got to it. Of course, the author is legendary so I was very curious. I have been looking into more (English and Dutch) classics lately, so perhaps you will find more reviews on them soon.

Book cover

‘1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous hosts Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime. When one of the party dies suddenly they realise they may be harbouring a murderer among their number.
The 10 strangers include a reckless playboy, a troubled Harley Street doctor, a formidable judge, an uncouth detective, an unscrupulous mercenary, a God-fearing spinster, two restless servants, a highly decorated general and an anxious secretary. One by one they are picked off. Who will survive? And who is the killer? Copies of an ominous nursery rhyme hang in each room, the murders mimicking the awful fates of its ‘Ten Little Soldier Boys’.

My first impression

Ha, this is language of the olden days. And I am not even talking about the initial title (and the one after that). This book is like a time machine, where everything is ‘queer’ and proper. That said, I am enjoying it. Her writing is very fluent, so I will probably finish this quickly.

The story

Ten strangers are invited to stay at an isolated island. They all agree to go. The strangers are all invited due to various reasons, varying from work to leisure. However, the Owen family who invited them were not present to welcome them when they arrived at the island. They have to settle in the house themselves.

Things get more strange when a record suddenly starts to play accusing one of the strangers of murder. It turns out everyone has their own little secret. And then the murders begin, exactly in the same order as the nursery rhyme about the ten little soldiers that they found earlier…

My opinion

It’s an interesting little story. I finished it in one morning because I really wanted to know who the murderer was. However, the characters were not well developed, nor did the great reveal feel very satisfying because you couldn’t have guessed it really. It does not really matter though, this is not the best book ever, but it is pretty awesome anyway.

Conclusion of And then there were none

I like this book because it feels so old, like your travelling with a time machine. Moreover, Agatha Christie’s writing style is very nice so you just have to keep on reading. I will surely read more of her books, not for the brilliant plot twists, but for the suspense and nice writing.

Verdict

When the hardcover edition of The travelling cat chronicles was only a few euros more than the e-book, I decided I needed to have it. I read it quite quickly after I received it, but because I was in the mood for a cute story. Whether it was indeed such a story, read the review below.

The picture above is my cat with the book. He spontaneously lay on top of it while I tried to take a picture. 🙂

The book cover

‘It’s not the journey that counts, but who’s at your side. Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn’t know why and Satoru won’t say. Set against the backdrop of Japan’s changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana’s story explores the wonder and thrill of life’s unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take.’

The story

Satoru is fond of cats and feeds a stray in his neighborhood. As a child, he had to give up his cat Hachi due to traumatic reasons. Slowly Satory and the cat get acquainted. When one day, the cat even comes to live with him. He names the cat Nana, for the number 7, which is the shape of his tail.

Although they seem to make a happy home together, Satoru takes Nana on a trip across the country to find him a new place to live. Driving through the Japanese landscapes to get to several friends, you both read from Satoru’s and the cat’s perspective. During his visits at his friends, you learn more about Satoru and his past. Eventually, you also learn about his present and future.

My opinion

It was both a cute and sad book. I think it’s really written for cat/pet lovers, because Satoru goes through lengths for Nana. That’s probably a bit much for people who don’t like or care for animals. I liked the book, the writing and the atmosphere. To be honest, I had not expect the sadness in the book and I thought it was kind of a pity. Although it did make it a memorable book.

Conclusion of The travelling cat chronicles

I enjoyed reading it and I recommend to people who love cats as well. It was nice that some parts were written from the perspective of the cat. Also, it’s a cute story and an easy read. The ending had me feeling feelings. 😉

Verdict

When I searched for funny books, this title came up multiple times. Sometimes, you’re just in the mood for something funny. Therefore, I decided to get A dirty job of Christopher Moore at the library. Did I think it was funny? Find out below!

Book cover

“Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, more of a Beta than an Alpha Male. Charlie’s been lucky, though. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a second-hand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He’s married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normality. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child.

But normal service is about to be interrupted. As Charlie prepares to go home after the birth, he sees a strange man dressed in mint-green at Rachel’s hospital bedside – a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird. . . .

People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yep, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death.”

My first impression

His writing style is very pleasant! I had a few smiles, but I didn’t really laugh yet. I am curious to find out why people think this book is so funny. It starts rather sad.

The story A dirty job

The book revolves around Charlie, he has a second-hand store in San Francisco and is about to have a kid with his wife who he loves very much. When his wife is in the hospital, he sees a strange figure next to her bed. His wife passes, his child makes it, and from that moment on his life changes. And not only because he is a new father and single.

It turns out he became Death. At first he refuses to collect the spirits, but as life gets stranger and ravens and demons start to show up, he understands he has a task at hand. Along the way he meets more Deaths and people. Moreover, hellhounds show up to protect and take care of the baby. Why would that be? We find that out at the end of the book with an interesting plot twist.

My opinion

It was a fun read, but I couldn’t really get into it. I think it was not funny enough to be comical and that the story/plot was not thick enough to be a strong fantasy book. I didn’t have long afterthoughts after this book, nor do I think that I will ever read it again. However, it was entertaining enough to finish the novel.

Conclusion of A dirty job

It was a fine read. As many people recommend this book as a funny book — it might even be the book you’re looking for! However, I had higher hopes for this book. It was entertaining, but I didn’t laugh out loud. However, entertaining is enough to enjoy the read.

Verdict