Reading in the Garden

Murder Returns on the Big Screen Get ready, it's almost here!   The movie remake of Agatha Christie's  Murder on the Orient Express  is due to be released in theaters on November 10, and I, for one, can't wait to see it!! I loved the book and am reviving my review below from a few years ago.  As for the movie, it's packed with a star-studded cast including:   Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot the master detective; Johnny Depp as American Samuel Ratchett; Judi Dench as Princess Dragomiroff, Michelle Pfeiffer as Mrs. Hubbard; Penelope Cruz; Willem Dafoe and more.  From the trailers, it promises to be a visual treat that is probably best seen on the big screen. Although books usually tend to be better than the movies, this one just may rise up to equal it.  You still have time to read the book.   Murder on the Orient Express  by Agatha Christie,  is a quick but captivating ride packed with one mysteriously dead Amer...

A Glimpse of Great Britain, Bryson-Style Notes from a Small Island is Bill Bryson’s travelogue from the mid 1990s when he made a farewell tour of the U.K. after having lived in England for twenty years. In his humorous trademark style, Bryson informs readers of his likes and dislikes of the British people, the places he visits, the culture, the food, and the architecture.   It’s his keen observation and a sharp wit, that kept me turning page after page. I had to laugh as he pointed out how British life is touched with a kind of genius for names of prisons (Wormwood Scrubs), to pubs (Lambs & Flag) to flowers (Lady’s bedstraw), to the bizarre names of towns:   Whiterashes, Wigtwizzle, Blubberhouses, Titsey, Lickey End, and more.   Bryson praises the Britons’ cheerfulness and uncomplaining manner as they smile and laugh easily, yet they can also been unyielding in their ways and you could be a target of t...

Yo, Ho, Ho. A Barrel of Fun! Shiver me timbers, what a great book!  This is one of those books that I loved from page one. The writing is witty and descriptive; the story is original; and the book is highly entertaining.  Set in 1819, Owen Wedgwood is kidnapped by the notorious Captain Hannah Mabbot. This fierce, red-headed fiend, villain, vixen, monster, and pillar of menace orders Wedgwood to cook one delicious meal for her every Sunday—in exchange for his life. And when Mad Hannah Mabbot wants something, everyone better listen. She’s a ruthless and respected leader. “A scowl from Mabbot is like the sleet-needled wind off of a frozen lake.” [1] Before killing Wedgwood’s employer, Ramsey, Hannah roared “Tell the devil to keep my tea hot. I’m running late.” [2] Without the benefit of a well-stocked pantry, stuck in a tiny, woefully inadequate galley kitchen Wedgwood gets creative and manages to produce some mouth-watering meals such as herring pâté with rosemar...

A Key to the City of Light Paris is a magical place.  It’s a place of good food, art, fashion, love, and history. Known for the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triumph, and more, it’s one of the most beautiful and one of the most visited cities in the world. It has an undeniable draw, an allure that keeps tourists coming in droves. For Genevieve, going to Paris is more than a vacation, in The Paris Key . After her marriage crumbles in California, Genevieve moves to Paris and takes over her late uncle’s locksmith shop in an attempt to start a new life for herself. Having spent time in Paris in 1997 after her mother’s death, she has a special connection to this city.   But just as it brings back memories of her mother, it also unlocks unexpected secrets.     Medici Fountain in Luxembourg Gardens. By Francis Bourgouin - originally posted to Flickr as DSCN0141, CC BY 2.0, ...