Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (1949)
Not long after his parents’ deaths in a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Patrick Ashby disappears. He leaves a vague farewell note and his folded jacket near a cliff well known as a suicide spot, but his body is never found. Eight years later, cash-strapped Brat Farrar is recognized by a friend of the family as a dead-ringer for Patrick and together they scheme to reintroduce “Patrick” just in time for him to collect a large inheritance. Will Brat get away with it?
An excellent book. I loved it.
Dead Famous by Greg Jenner (2020)
An examination of celebrity (mostly human, but also the odd animal) from every possible angle.
Fun, fast-paced, really enjoyable.
Mike and Psmith by PG Wodehouse (1909)
Mike and Psmith meet at boarding school and hijinks ensue immediately. Like some of Wodehouse’s early work, it’s a bit heavy on the cricket for someone who does not know or care about cricket, but it’s still a lot of fun.
An A+ Christmas present from Charlotte!
Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie (1940)
Audiobook narrated by David Suchet.
Elinor Carlisle is accused of poisoning Mary Gerrard, her late aunt’s companion, after Elinor’s fiancé confesses he is in love with Mary. The case against Elinor couldn’t look more bulletproof, but Poirot investigates anyway.
David Suchet is a great narrator.
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1848)
At almost 700 pages (of very small print), I started Vanity Fair last November and read a chapter per day, aside from a couple weeks at Christmas when my girls were home. Best friends Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley leave their girls’ school and head out into very different futures. The book’s original subtitle was ‘A Novel Without a Hero’, which is absolutely true since almost everyone in it is terrible. They scheme, lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, boast, blame, condemn, shun, and bootlick in a constant jostle for social superiority.
It’s a bit wordy, yes, but hilarious. I honestly looked forward to reading it every single day.
