Burying myself in classic mysteries!

I am pleased that my work to make book reading a habit again continues on well. I've been enjoying getting back into classic British mysteries, specifically Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Years ago I read several of Christie's plays, and I did pick up Murder on the Orient Express and Murder in Three Acts at some point. When I was a kid I read Sayers's Murder Must Advertise and at least one other. But this is my first time really diving into both of their considerable bodies of work. I have very much enjoyed the Interwar settings-- so many of my favorite writers write from a position of the trauma of World War I, and I really like that Lord Peter, for all his flippancy, suffers from honest-to-God PTSD flashbacks. And I've always loved a twisty mystery to unravel. It's been great fun following Hercule Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Jane Marple through libraries and along the River Nile and across the moors of England. At some point I should expand my horizons and endeavor to take in a larger subsection of written art than that of upperclass English folks personally offended by World War I, but right now I'm just enjoying letting books be fun rather than work again. Death on the Nile was truly thrilling-- I especially can't wait to see the next Kenneth Branagh film adaptation, since I loved his take on Orient Express.

I've also let myself start listening to audio books. I am maintaining my rule of reading from an actual written book at least ten minutes every day, in order to continue building back the skill. But I avoided audio books for years because I didn't want to let myself use them as an excuse not to work on my reading. Now that I've reasonably built up the habit, I'm enjoying having them to listen to as I go about my day. There's a special joy in a particularly good reader. I loved listening to David Suchet, the most famous actor to play Poirot, but honestly I was even more impressed by Dan Stephens's rendition. He's the guy that played Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey, and he created a dozen different characters and nailed every accent. Ian Carmichael, famous as Lord Peter Wimsey, does a great job with the Sayers books too. Some of these I've found uploaded to Youtube, but I recently started using the Libby app and am really impressed with it.

As far as I understand it, Libby allows you to access and borrow the digital resources offered by your library. You can borrow ebooks and audio books that are available, and place ones that are checked out on hold, which the app will automatically borrow for you when it's your turn on the waitlist. It's really clear and easy to use, and it's really invigorated my excitement about libraries. I highly recommend it if you've got a library card and would like to borrow digital resources on your phone. I got a Miss Marple, Murder in the Library, read by Stephanie Cole of the wonderful "Cabin Pressure" audio comedy, and she is truly delightful!

While I'm not exactly reading fast, I'm reading so much more than I have been in years it feels like I am. I feel shockingly expansive, like I can read ALL THE BOOKS, rather than thinking with despair that I'll never get to all the books I would like to have read. It's a lovely feeling, and one I thought I would never have.

I think I'll move on to Georges Simenon, when I can get a hold of one when my library gets it back in. I shall enjoy my mysteries while I can!