Showing posts with label Agatha Christie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agatha Christie. Show all posts

Friday, October 30, 2009

Book memories meme

The following meme comes from Kirsty at Other Stories

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest.

As with most people this will be a children's book probably one of my Dean Reward Classics like The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.


A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time).

Frederica by Georgette Heyer. When I was thirteen my mum passed me a copy and said, "I think you'll enjoy this." And I did! I have read and re-read all Heyer's works. They are great stress-busters. They are also a wonderful prelude to Jane Austen. I am sure I 'got' Austen more quickly in my teens because I had read so much Heyer. The moment when my mother passed me Frederica is also a reminder of how reading is a kind of club. When you share a literary habit with someone it is a real bond.

A book you acquired in some interesting way.

My habits of acquisition are very boring. I have not found books belonging to an author under the sofa like Kirsty did, though I have sold books back to their authors on more than one occasion, not unlike the old J R Hartley advert for Yellow Pages.

The book that’s been with you to the most places.

I was going to suggest another one of my childhood books but, thinking about it, my childhood books probably stayed in the family home when I was away at university, so the one that has been with me most is probably an early adult acquisition from my late teens, either Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon or the Gone to Earth by Mary Webb.


Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next.

My last read was Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie. I am re-reading a lot of Christie at the moment, in the order in which she wrote them. My current read is Arthur and George by Julian Barnes and my next read will probably be another Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit.

If you have a go at this meme on your own blog please leave me a message in the comments, or if you don't blog please feel free to do this meme yourself in the comments below.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Agatha Christie - The Complete Miss Marple


A new volume of the works of detective fiction writer Agatha Christie has set a new world record for the book with the thickest spine. Measuring over a foot long, with 4,032 pages, the volume contains the complete Miss Marple stories which means all twelve novels and twenty short stories.

Produced as a special limited edition the volume is bound by Cedric & Chivers Period Bookbinding, cased in Winters Wintan leather, blocked in gold on the front and spine, with head and tail bands, four silk ribbon markers to keep your place. There have been just 500 made and each volume comes complete with a suede-lined wooden box and copy of the Guinness World records certificate.

The Complete Miss Marple contains a newly commissioned map of St Mary Mead by Nicolette Caven who based her map on Christie’s description of St Mary Mead from The Body in the Library with additional details from other Miss Marple works.

The Complete Miss Marple limited edition retails at £1000 and are obtainable from Harper Collins +44 (0)844 576 8112 or weborders@harpercollins.co.uk

HarperCollins have been busy as also up their sleeves is the publication of a book based on the contents of Agatha Christie's 73 working notebooks. Written by Agatha Christie archivist, John Curran, in close conjunction with the Christie Archive Trust which owns the notebooks, this new book not only uncovers the details behind many of Agatha Christie’s famous books but also includes for the first time two complete Hercule Poirot short stories that have never before been published. This book lifts the lid on Agatha Christie’s biggest secret – how her pencilled notes, lists and drafts led to her many successful books, plays and stories. Alternative plots, titles and characters, deleted scenes, even her plans for the books she didn’t get to write – John Curran’s investigation reveals a wealth of unpublished material, including two complete Hercule Poirot short stories never before published: "The Mystery of the Dog’s Ball" and the unseen "Thirteenth Labour of Hercules"!
Related Posts with Thumbnails