Agatha Christie Fun Facts

Happy Tuesday!

 Today I decided to do another fun facts about an author post, since I have done one in a while. Today I am going to be providing fun facts about Agatha Christie, who is known to be one of the best mystery writers. Not a lot of people know a lot about Agatha Christie, and I hope that some of the facts I provide today will help people understand her and read more of her books.

Let's get this list party started!

• The first novel she ever written she wrote on a dare from her sister.
• Her character Hercule Poirot was based on a strange man she saw one day, when he was boarding a bus.
• She once disappeared for 10 days without telling anyone where she was going. Turns out she just went to a spa to have some time away from her relationship.
• She loved to surf with her husband.
• She didn't like taking author photos, because she didn't want to be recognized in public.
• You can actually rent her home for $500 a night.
• She was educated at home by her mother and her governess.
• She is the only female dramatist ever to have had three plays running simultaneously in London’s West End.
• In 1922 she traveled around the world.
• She was a huge dog lover.
• When her male detective Hercule Poirot "died" he was given a full page obituary in the New York Times.
• Green was her favorite color.
• On the day she died the West End theaters dimmed their lights for one hour.
• For many years she was the President of the local amateur drama society in Wallingford.
•  In 1931 she read one of her own stories on BBC radio.
• She was the first crime writer to have 100,000 copies of ten of her titles published by Penguin on the same day in 1948 - A Penguin Million.

I hope that some of these facts about Agatha Christie helped interest you in her as an author. I have read a couple of her books and couldn't put them down, because with her writing you don't know who the murderer is until the very end when she wants the reader to know the truth, and how the murder was committed.

References:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/85723/15-mysterious-facts-about-agatha-christie
https://www.agathachristie.com/about-christie/christie-experts/john-curran-75-facts-about-christie

Under Different Stars Review

Happy Monday Readers!

  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and is ready to start another week! Today I wanted to review a book that I recently read and loved. Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol had me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat to see what happened next. I could't put this book down that I actually finished it in a couple of days, because it is that good!

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket's gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?"

Kricket just wants to make it on her own until her 18th birthday, so she can be free to live her life without having to worry about case workers. She wants to be able to settle down and find a home to call her own. However, when she is on her way home one morning from work, she discovers that her identity has been compromised and people are after her. She has to figure out how to hide from the two groups that are trying to grab her to take her to her rightful home, and another group who wants to take her home to answer for her crimes. When she is taken by one of the groups lead by Trey, she is taken on one wild adventure that will have her guessing everything she knew about her family and everything she knew about herself. Can Kricket learn to trust Trey or will she be betrayed and have to save herself like she always does?

Kricket is a strong female character, who has survived so much that she doesn't know who she can trust, and knows that she has to protect herself at all costs. She doesn't take any crap off of anyone, and some of the things she says and does will have you laughing and crying. Amy brings the reader into an imaginative futuristic world, that you will believe you are experiencing Kricket's journey and emotions right along with her. Trey is a complicated character, however along the journey you get to understand why he acts the way he does, and somewhere along the line you start to fall in love with him a little. If you like adventure, romance, strong female characters, and a story line that will leave you guessing until the very end, then this book is for you!

Happy journey under the stars my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul Review

Happy Wednesday!

 I will be the first person to admit that I am not that big on poetry, however when I was walking down the book aisle in Target one day, I came across this book cover that drew me to it. When I picked up the book and read the description, I knew that this book had to come home with me, so that I could read it. And let me tell you, this was one of the best impulsive buys I have made in a while. Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill, made me feel so empowered, and made me think about my life, and how I was able to relate to some of the stories.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous re-imagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation."

These stories have strong female and male characters in them that will make you see a lot of Fairytales and the world in general in a new light. The poems and stories do deal with some difficult topics, and will have you thinking about some of the Fairytales you know in a different light. This book will make you think about your life, and will help you find your inner strength to face anything the world may throw at you!

For Example, one of the poems in here that spoke to me was titled "Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management", which I have provided below from the book:

"I had to give up on their remedies. They kept trying to make me less angry, but I refuse to surrender my rage. Because whole kingdoms have already spent millennia trying to keep women subdued, only to be discarded in old age. My fury gets things done, it has saved lives, it has made the world listen where I could not speak, my anger has screamed. Think Helen of Troy when they took her freedom. Think the Rani of Jhansi leading rebellions. Think Joan of Arc leading armies on what she dreamed. So now I love my tinderbox heart so easy to light up, all it takes is half a spark. A woman's anger can change the world, I know mine can and this is not a gift I will give away. I am small and I am angry, it is how I channel my energy and I like me that way."

If this moved you in some way or lit a spark inside your soul, than go pick up a copy of this amazing book, because I promise they just keep getting better and better!

Go find your inner light readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.