Book Review: And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
(Last read March 31, 2004)

In the book world, Agatha Christie is to mystery what Stephen King is to horror. It’s simply not possible to discuss good mystery stories without bringing her name into the conversation, and chances are some of her memorable characters, such as Hercule Poirot or Jane Marple, also would be mentioned. But And Then There Were None -- also published as Ten Little Indians -- was Christie’s masterpiece.

When I was in middle school, I bought a copy of And Then There Were None from a library fundraising drive. It was yellow, dog-eared, and some of the pages had come loose because most of the spine’s glue had lost its stickiness, but the words were still legible, and the book’s decrepit state certainly didn’t take anything away from the story’s genius. I read it three times in a row, cover to cover, determined to figure out who the murderer was, who had killed those people on Indian Island.

I had all kinds of theories, one I was absolutely certain of, but always thought Christie gave it the best ending by giving it no ending at all. Of course, the reason I never knew who the killer was is because my copy, with the deteriorating spine and loose pages, lacked the final chapter! So, nine years later, I read a different copy, whose pages are all accounted for and whose spine still has its integrity, only to learn that the theory I spent so many years refining, what I thought was as good as fact ... couldn’t be further from the truth.

She's a tricky one, that Agatha Christie!




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Eleven Months

Eleven Months Old.

Emma could've been a March baby. 

At our appointment March 9, I was only 1 cm dilated and 10% effaced at that point, so the midwife sent us home, satisfied with where things were.  At our next appointment not even a week later, however, I was 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced with Emma's head at -2 station. Braxton Hicks contractions hit a few days later, so I spent a lot of time relaxing with my feet up and drinking lots of water. The midwife thinks that helped us make it to April; she had predicted a March 25 due date.

But we're not celebrating Emma's first birthday just yet - she made it past the midwife's prediction.

Likes: Animals! Especially dog-dogs, ducks, lions, and Elmo. Doors! Mostly closing them on your parents and laughing maniacally. Sippy cups - now with straws - and feeding yourself. Books, bubbles & bath time (our nightly routine). Playing outside - especially running free or being chased in Abuela & Baboo's backyard.

Dislikes: SWINGS - man do they scare you. When it rains and you can't play outside. Being in the dark by yourself (like when you close yourself in the pantry). When your parents won't let you climb onto the coffee table, kitchen island, or dining room table. Most vegetables all of a sudden - what gives?

I'm preparing for next month's party - we're only inviting close family to keep things from getting too out of hand, but that still means we'll be cramming more than 10 people into our little duplex. Carl & I are making cupcakes and chicken, beef, and veggie kabobs; doing some serious cleaning; and getting a few decorations Emma will appreciate (Dora, of course).

I'm prepared for all that. I'm totally unprepared to be mother to a 1 year old, though. How did this happen?