Category: Books

WTRW: And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

10/16/2019

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This week for What to Read Wednesday I’m recommending another author who has great mysteries and thrillers: Agatha Christie.

It’s hard to say what her most well known work was because her accomplishments include Hercule Poirot stories, Murder on the Orient Express, The ABC Murders, and my personal favorite And Then There Were None.

And Then There Were None

nd Then There Were None is a perfect story to read around Halloween. It takes place in a big mansion, brings together strangers with questionable pasts, and a murderer no one can see picking off the 10 guests one by one.

And Then There Were None has many adaptations and parodies. You may feel like you’ve seen this done 1000 times in movies or books but Christie is the originator of this story and the original is worth a read.

It’s a story that will send shivers down your spine and leave you guessing until the end to figure out who the murderer is.

And if you like And Then There Were None, check out Christie’s other novels and short stories. You won’t be disappointed!

The old movie, Ten Little Indians, was based on And Then There Were None.
(And watch Clue. It was definitely inspired by Christie’s story but is more hilarious than scary).

More Movies Based on Agatha Christie Stories:

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WTRW: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

10/9/2019

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

With Halloween quickly approaching I am in the mood to be spooked. I’ve never been a fan of gore but thrillers and good old fashioned ghost stories are fun for me! (It’s why I enjoy The X-Files so much).

So today we thought we should share some classics written by the Master of Macabre: Edgar Allan Poe.

The Tell Tale Heart

A widely known story, and often parodied, The Tell Tale Heart is a story that of murder and guilt. It’s considered a classic Gothic story.

I love this story because it has you wondering what is real and what isn’t. The narrator (also the murderer) isn’t the most reliable and can’t give us a good reason for the crime he’s committed. The tension built through the story makes it a fun read for a fall night.

The Pit and the Pendulum

In high school we had a competition in our English class to write a new ending for this Poe story, and I won. I don’t remember what I wrote at all but I do remember this story and the fear I felt while reading it.

The Pit and the Pendulum is more of a thriller than a horror story to me. It tells of a man Sentenced to death by the Inquisition, Who wakes in a completely dark room. Through his explorations in the dark and good luck he finds a deep pit in the center of his cell. This is just the first of his many encounters with death in his cell.

I love this story not only for the suspense that builds or because I won a contest associated with it, but because, despite the scary aspects of it, hope is at the center of the story. It makes it different than other Poe stories. And adds another layer to the story.

The Raven

Arguably one of the most famous poems in existence, The Raven tells the story of a man tormented by a talking raven. The raven only repeats “Nevermore” to the man as he laments his lost love Lenore.

The Raven has a lyrical quality that keeps you intrigued by where the story’s headed. It has elements of the supernatural without being an outright ghost story. Like The Tell Tale Heart it leaves you with an uneasy feeling of trying to figure out what was reality and what wasn’t.

Poe had a masterful way with words and if you love these three works you’ll probably enjoy more of his stories and poems.

So are you going to read Poe this Halloween season? What other scary or suspenseful books do you love? Let us know in the comments below!

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Handmade Monthly: DIY Bookmarks

10/2/2019

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For Handmade Monthly in September I made some bookmarks on Canva. But it's not getting posted until October, because well life! I'm sorry! But I do have it here for you and I think it turned out pretty cute!

The fun thing about this DIY is even if you feel like you are not good at crafting or artsy things, it's actually easy to get a good result. And I think the bookmark would make a great gift for the book lovers in your life. Or a fun thing to give to your book club members. It's an inexpensive gift that can be personalized a million different ways, and surely loved by the voracious readers in your life.

Making a Bookmark on Canva

We aren't sponsored or endorsed by Canva in any way but I like to use their site to design little things like this because it's easy and I like the variety of templates, stickers, and fonts. I love how things are customizable without being difficult to use. To help you out I have made this video describing how to make a bookmark on Canva.

I only used pictures and digital stickers on my bookmark, but it would also be cute to have a favorite book quote or reference to a favorite book on the bookmark as well.

Once your bookmark is finished being created you can print it off on cardstock, photo paper, or regular paper, and get it laminated. I actually used regular paper and clear packing tape to laminate mine! I think it turned out pretty cute. I love how Sofía's cute little face is peeking out of the top of the book.

If you're going to print it at home you will want a good printer. I love my Canon because it does wireless printing from the computer and my phone. AND it does automatic double sided printing, so I don't have to go figure out which way to reload the paper in to make sure it prints correctly on both sides. It's my favorite feature.

So hopefully you found this tutorial helpful and a great way to make your book gift giving a little more personal this year!

PS for What to Read Wednesday, consider this your recommendation for A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It's an amazing book and a classic for a reason, you will not regret this read!

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WTRW: And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

WTRW: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

The Tell Tale Heart

The Pit and the Pendulum

The Raven

Handmade Monthly: DIY Bookmarks

Making a Bookmark on Canva

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