23 September 2008

Agatha Christie Reading Challenge - setting up

I'm a novice here. I don't know much about setting up a reading challenge, so I'll probably make all sorts of mistakes. Any advice is welcome.

Anyway, I've decided that, even if no-one else joins me, I am going to read my way through Agatha Christie's novels, in the order in which they were written. I'm not sure how long this project is going to take, but quite a long time at about 100 books at maybe 1 or 2 a month.

I am going to use the list at Wikipedia of novels and collections of shortstories

So that means I'm looking to read them in this order

1. 1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles
2. 1922 The Secret Adversary
3. 1923 The Murder on the Links
4. 1924 The Man in the Brown Suit
5. 1924 Poirot Investigates (short stories: eleven in the UK, fourteen in the US)

So if you are into crime fiction, or cozies, or murder mysteries, I invite you to accompany me on this "journey."

I have set up a block over in the right hand column called Agatha Christie Reading Challenge where I am listing the books I'm currently reading and those I've finished.
The challenge will be called ACRC so each review will be preceded by by those letters.

If you want to follow my progress through your RSS reader, then the RSS URL is
http://www2.blogger.com/feeds/8273911883856580200/posts/default/-/Agatha%20Christie%20Challenge

So if you think you'll join me, by all means leave a comment, and then watch for my progress.
I warn, I may not get to read them all, but let's see if we can read 5 or 6 by Christmas!

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry Kerrie but Christie is just not my thing. Good luck with your challenge though.

Jaime said...

I'll join you, as long as there's not a time limit! I've read 6, but I've been planning on making my way through them all eventually anyhow.

Kerrie said...

Your excused Bernadette.

jaime, feel free to use the image on your blog. Have you read Styles? Come back and comment on ACRC #1 anytime you like once you have.

Vanda Symon said...

I've taken upon a similar marathon, but I'm doing a self-imposed Ngaio Marsh reading challenge, to work my way through all her books in the order of publication. That's 33 novels. We're going to be reading a looooong time!

I hadn't thought of setting it up as an official kind of thing on my blog though, may be I should.

Kerrie said...

Good to hear Vanda. I thought blogging about it might get me a reading partner or two, as well as keep me honest.

Who sells your books in Australia - my library doesn't stock them.

Jennifer said...

I'd like to join also. I have read a few of them. I will check my reading journal and let you know which ones. I think I've read Styles I'm just not sure.

Kerrie said...

You are very welcome Jennifer. Just come back and comment on ACRC#1. Perhaps even re-read Styles if you have the time/inclination

Vanda Symon said...

I don't know specifically who has my books in Australia, just that they're distributed through Penguin.

One of the cool side-effects of doing my Ngaio Marsh reading challenge is scouring the second-hand book shops and finding old editions with cool covers. I think I'll show some of them on my blog too. In saying that, some of them have been butt-ugly.

Kerrie said...

I have discovered your books are stocked by Angus and Robertson Vanda

Colleen said...

I would join you if I had more time. I love Agatha Christie. Is it bad that I became hooked on her at the age of 6?

Juliet said...

Oooh, good luck. I read about 30 of them in my teens and twenties. I'm not sure I've time to start all over again now, though! My 14-year-old daughter is gradually working her way through the Miss Marples, but rather to the detriment of school set texts, so I'm not going to encourage her to join this challenge either!!

btw there is a different kind of bookish challenge over on Musings at the moment to which you and/or your readers might feel inspired to rise: http://julietdoyle.blogspot.com/2008/10/musings-sorted-book-challenge.html

Thoughts of Joy said...

There's a group of us (20 or so) that have been doing an Anything Agatha Challenge since the beginning of the year. If you want to check it out, you can find us HERE. We'd love to have you join us! :)

Anonymous said...

Kerrie, you'd invited me to comment after I finished Styles - and so here I am. I was like you - it had been so long that I had forgotten many of the details. I picked out a lot of what I thought were obvious hints to Hastings and enjoyed Hastings' reactions. The time period is of interest to me - after World War I. I have enjoyed the Jacqueline Winspear novels set then, more serious books, less stereotypes.

I will now look for the 2nd book on your list and see how that appeals - again, I have read it but very long ago.

Kerrie said...

I'm glad that you remembered to come back Nan. I had the same thought about the comparison with Winspear. I think it will also be interesting to see what themes emerge in the books as the war becomes more distant. And then there will be the second world war, a must less "romantic" event.

Anonymous said...

I actually read nearly every Agatha Christie novel between the ages of 8 and 18, but I want to re-read them in order now that I understand more about how the stories fit into history. I embarked on this project several years ago and am looking forward to getting back into it!

Kerrie Smith said...

That is more or less what I am trying to do Stina. Great minds think alike

Flo said...

I found Agatha Christie when I was 9 and have loved her work ever since. I love finding old penguin copies of her books when I am rummaging in second hand book shops. I just found your blog today so will have a read through your ACRC posts. I love the idea of reading things in order, I am doing this with Virginia Woolf and loving it

Flo

Kerrie said...

You are very welcome to join in Flo. Reading them in order seems to have real benefits to me. When you write a review don't forget to sunmit it to the Blog Carnival
http://acrccarnival.blogspot.com/

Intergalatic Bookworm said...

I belong to the Yahoo! book group Agatha Agape. We do not read the books in order. Will you accept me?

Judy/Inergalatic Bookworm

Kerrie said...

Certainly I will Judy. And anybodyelse from your Yahoo group who publishes reviews about Agatha Christie novels.

Heartbeatoz said...

I'm laid up with a broken Leg so this will really relieve the boredom, I will do it in order so I can see the Characters develop.
Cheers from Jacki also in Adelaide :)

Kerrie said...

I don't like the idea of a broken leg Jacki. Hope you are not laid up too long! BTW are you looking for a face to face crime fiction book group to join in Adelaide? email me if you are kasmith9@esc.net.au

Birdie said...

Oh, oh, pick me, pick me!
I think I've already been doing some of this. I'm so glad to have a reason for my rather extreme consumption of Christie mysteries this year :D

And I see that your icon is a cockatoo! Much love for that--good choice!

I snitched your button. I hope you don't mind. I'll put it on my sidebar with a link here.

\o/ Happy Birdie is happyy

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