This is my final post of the year, and for what you are about to receive . . . well, I apologize for the lack of originality! But this is what we bloggers do: we write and write and write and WRITE for you, and then at the end of the year we drag ourselves, … Continue reading BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE LISTS . . . Brad’s Top Ten Reads of 2025
今年最後に読んだ本 (MY FINAL READ OF THE YEAR)
"To all the English-language readers, I hope you enjoy it slowly to the end. Or perhaps better to say, enjoy it at your own pace. Since time is indeed something precious to us all." (author Masateru Konishi on his new novel) Time is indeed precious, and while in many ways this has felt like the … Continue reading 今年最後に読んだ本 (MY FINAL READ OF THE YEAR)
“WE GATHER TOGETHER” . . . Twelve Days of Ensemble Films
Ah, Christmas! A chance to assemble with our loved ones for some spiritual reflection, the trading of presents, a table laden with feasty things round which our beloved family sits. Such joy! Such peace! Such bliss! Unless your table is packed with drunken uncles, sullen teens and a clan that angrily encompasses both ends of … Continue reading “WE GATHER TOGETHER” . . . Twelve Days of Ensemble Films
BOOK CLUB TAKES ON THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Every once in a while, my Book Club likes to shake things up a bit. Instead of a “book of the month” format, we delve into things thematically. In truth, it’s really an extension of the conversations we enjoy once discussion of our monthly title has extinguished itself; plus, it gives us a chance to … Continue reading BOOK CLUB TAKES ON THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
THE POIROT PROJECT #15: Peril at End House
“Peril at End House was another of my books which left so little impression on my mind that I cannot even remember writing it.” (Agatha Christie, An Autobiography) Christie might not remember writing 1932’s Peril at End House because it was relatively easy to write. After the emotional drain of the late 20’s, Christie had put the “sorrow, despair … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #15: Peril at End House
THE 2025 REPRINT OF THE YEAR: Brad’s 2nd Nomination
Every year, when Kate Jackson presents us with the list of republished classic mysteries and tells us to “pick our pair” for the annual Reprint of the Year contest over at Cross-Examining Crime, some of us play jump ball with the “big noise” titles in the hopes of coming up with the year’s winner. By “big noise,” I mean … Continue reading THE 2025 REPRINT OF THE YEAR: Brad’s 2nd Nomination
WHAT’S PAST, AT PRESENT, IS PAST: Death at Morning House
YA mystery author Maureen Johnson is obsessed with the past. At least, that is my impression after reading a number of her books. The Truly Devious trilogy tells the story of wannabe forensic scientist Stevie Bell, who grapples with murders and other horrific events at a gifted school in Vermont, which was also the site of multiple … Continue reading WHAT’S PAST, AT PRESENT, IS PAST: Death at Morning House
“WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD . . . ?” The Case of the Waylaid Wolf
Can I just say how much this animal lover has enjoyed our year-long excursion through the Perry Mason Menagerie! Heck, any chance to hang out with Perry, Della, Paul, Lieutenant Tragg, and even D.A. Hamilton Burger are just the cure for what ails you in these troubling times. Are the Mason books formulaic? You bet they are … Continue reading “WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD . . . ?” The Case of the Waylaid Wolf
WAKE UP, DEAD MAN: A Knives Out Mystery
Here’s a mystery for you: why is Netflix trying to murder the filmgoing experience as we know it? Don’t worry, you don’t need to provide me with any clues. The solution, as in so many classic mysteries, comes down to greed. Produce a film and then control the distribution – that’s the business model for … Continue reading WAKE UP, DEAD MAN: A Knives Out Mystery
THE 2025 REPRINT OF THE YEAR – Brad’s 1st Nominee
Around the middle of this year, my Book Club compatriots staged an intervention meant to curb my out-of-control habit of . . . buying books?!? Yes, folks, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, and for me the term “gummy” refers to store-bought tapioca. But I do feel a deep yearning every time a new title … Continue reading THE 2025 REPRINT OF THE YEAR – Brad’s 1st Nominee
Ah Sweet Mystery! 