Upthread I mentioned Lisa Simpson. It dawned on me that Scout, Jem and Dill are very similar to Lisa, Bart and Millhouse. The similarities (between the book and the show) end after a handful of ways the kids are similar, but I wonder if that was on purpose. Troublemaker brother, overachieving sister, and friend of the brother that likes the sister.

But I suppose two friends and a goody two shoes "I'm gonna tell dad" 5th wheel is probably an archetypal group.

Wasn't the character of Dil based on Truman Capote? Has he ever commented on the actor who played Dil in TKAM?

It is. Lee also helped with the legal aspects of In Cold Blood. It's my understanding that TKAM is partially auto-biographical. At least in that the characters were based on people around her. Capote was Dill, Jem was her IRL older brother, Atticus was her dad who was a lawyer that defended a couple of blacks, one time. I think she said, other than drawing on what she knew growing up, that's the only similarities you'll find between the book and her life, just those few characters and how they interacted with each other.

I haven't read to kill a mockingbird in many years. Remember loving it. I revisited Capote's short stories earlier this year. I loved the creepy story "Miriam". The basis for Scout is in his other voices, other rooms... I remember her as more tragic as a cracked wish to see the world a breathable way.

I'm reading maiden castle by John Cowper Powys.

Everyone seems to love it. It's really dragging for me though. I don't know if I've been too tired lately or I'm just at a slow section or what but I could put it down without a second thought right now. Of course, it helps that I've seen the movie enough times to know what's going to happen.

Faithful movie versions have dulled me for books too. Or the other way. The Virgin Suicides movie was so faithful I didn't get anything out of the new visit.

That happens to me with some books. I see no reason to reread Gone With the Wind, or even LOTR. I'd rather watch the movies. (in the case of LOTR, the EE versions only, FFing through all the stuff that bores me). Blasphemy, maybe, but life's too short around here.


Reading more of Susan Hill.

Something weird about reading on the Kindle is that I often forget the title of the book I'm reading. With paper books, you're reminded of the title every time you pick it up. But with an e-reader, you're taken to where you left off.

On the Kindle I'm reading a post-apocalypse series by someone nobody's ever heard of, a WWII thriller set mostly in Spain by somebody last name Furst, and a new fantasy by Joe Abercrombie.

Also reading Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins, which is a paper book.

What post-apocalyptic series? Is it the Last Policeman series? I liked the first one okay but I haven't gotten around to the next two.

Oh, and Alan Furst is hugely popular (though I've never gotten around to reading any of his 8,000 WWII-era thrillers).

just finished Agatha Christie's Remembered Death and even though I have read it in the past I did not remember who the murderer is.

a very good read, one of those Not Miss Marple/Not Poirot books.

Yesterday's Gone by Sean Platt and David Wright. I'm barely into it, just being introduced to several characters waking up to a world where people have simply disappeared. No bodies, just no people.

I liked The Last Policeman but don't plan to finish. Ticked me off at the end to find out it was a series.

Let us know if it turns out to be good. I'm always on the look-out for a good post-apocalyptic book.

It's starting out great, but the foreplay is always the best part of PA fiction. :)

Too true. Have you read Dog Stars? That's my favorite recent PA novel.

Yes, and I really liked it. Not the run-of-the-mill PA novel, and the characters behaved like real people might.

And it's not part of a freakin' series! :)

Read Persuasion earlier in the month. It was a very good book, but I guess I'm a romance reader at heart & Frederic Wentworth wasn't on enough pages for my tastes!

Also finished the Case of the Sulky Girl by Erle Stanley Gardner. Big improvement on the first book (although still some editing mistakes) It will be interesting how many I can read in order & if Gardner's style & skill improves with each one.

I started the Burden. It was a good book but the story appeared to start taking a different tack than what I expected from the start. Wasn't for me.

Joey that Wiki bibliography I linked to upthread also shows which books had which detectives. I disagree :) with Eleanor she had quite a few different detectives. But I agree with her that not every Christie is a winner.

I'm now reading a knock off of Austen with Georgiana as the main character. I'm enjoying so far.

Ok this book seems to have lost its way. & is featuring characters like the de Burghs & Caroline Bingley where I have no interest in what happened to them. I'm going to put aside for a while.

Through Bookbub I downloaded This Doesn't Happen in the Movies by Renee Pawlish. Cover looks like it might be a bit Noir. I'll try that.

American Notes for General Circulation by Charles Dickens.

Just finished Tales from Jabba's Palace. I think The Courtship of Princess Leia is next.

There were Tommy and Tuppence, and the execrable Mr Harle Quin, but who else? I can't believe I've missed a Christie book… :confused:

Reading Susan Hill's series in Lafferford. Good, but dark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_...e_bibliography

The other main one was Superintendent Battle. He was in at least 4 of her books. Colonel Race was the main detective in two books, but a sidekick in others. Endless Night had Sergeant Keene. But there are more.

& I thought I had a memory of Ariadne Oliver being the lead detective in one book or short story, but not according to this bibliography. Anyone able to help me on this?

I set aside the PA because NetGalley had the new one by Joe Abercrombie -- Half A King. First in a trilogy, the standard young man cheated out of his throne, gathers a ragtag band of followers, overcomes adversity, etc.

But it's Joe Abercrombie. No matter that it's been done before. Joe will change it up. And he does.

Adriane Oliver was the main detective in Elephants Can Remember, but she "took advice" from Poirot. She also featured heavily in another one set in Gossington Hall where she was present when the murder occurred, but I can't recall the book title off-hand.

I have read all of those--I just didn't count them as "other detectives". Lord knows why, since they clearly are… :(

I confess to not liking Austen knock-offs, but have a slight fondness for the mysteries that feature Jane Austen as the detective.

Did you see that Mary Stewart has died at the age of 97? Love, love, love her books. MaryStewart

I know I've read some of her books (definitely this rough magic) but not in a long time. She did live to be a good age.

Mary Stewart's This Rough Magic - even though you know who the murder is only halfway through it's still suspenseful, very good.

I will be looking for more by this author.

thank you to whoever recommended her. was that here?

Jackie, may have been here. I mentioned reading Stewart's The Ivy Tree and Stewart fans appeared as if by magic.

I'm reading a semi-autobiographical novel by Oscar Hijuelos, but it's on the damn Kindle so I don't recall the title. It's quite good. Cuban immigrants in NYC and Florida in the 40's and 50's. But see, my perception of Cuban women (Latin American women in general) is that they don't take shit from anybody. But this book has a woman who is severely bullied and mistreated by her sister-in-law. She may well kill the bitch later in the book but for now, she's not even trying to defend herself.

Hello? ;) Read them all, Jackie. I'm especially partial to Nine Coaches Waiting.

thanks, Riggs!!

Read Clive Barker's thief of always. Neil Gaiman said he didn't read the 1992 book.... So he just happened to recreate (er) much of the same ideas/details in Coraline. Yep coincidence....

Liked the cover more than the book!

Just started breakfast at Tiffany's last night