Monday Motivation- January 21st

Good Morning and Happy Monday! 

This is one of my favorite quotes! As time passes, friends and family drift away, but the people who really care will always be there! This week, let the people who have remained in touch know how much they mean to you! 

My Year With Agatha: Poirot 7-9

Good Afternoon! 

Happy reading! This week, I am reviewing Poirot series 7-9. These three are my Christie favorites so far! :)

Peril at End House
Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings meet the vivacious Nick Buckley, the reckless young owner of End House. While on a train ride, she confesses to having several recent attempts made on her life. Hercule Poirot vows to keep her safe and uncover the would-be murder before they succeed in killing Miss Buckley. I'm don't know why this one is not more popular! I loved it! 

 

Lord Edgware Dies
Loved this one! An actress hires Hercule Poirot to convince her husband to divorce her so she can then marry her lover, the Duke of Merton. She jokes that if he doesn't agree to the divorce, she will have to kill him herself. The next day, Lord Edgware is found murdered in his home. Lady Edgware is the obvious suspect, but she has a rock-solid alibi. Poirot must determine who else could possibly have means and motive to murder the victim. 

The Murder on the Orient Express
I've read (or listened to) this book at least three times already, and it never gets old. A mystery classic, this story centers around the murder of Mr. Ratchett, who is later revealed to be a well-known criminal in the U.S.A. How to determine the murderer when the man had so many enemies? Hercule Poirot must interview the train's passengers to find out who had the most likely motive and opportunity to take out Mr. Ratchett. A must-read for both Christie fans and for fans of mystery novels in general! 

 

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My Year with Agatha: Hercule Poirot Books 4-6

Good Afternoon! 

Hope your 2019 is off to a great start! I've been working on getting as much reading time in as possible (as usual :) )! Today, I am going to review books 4-6 of the Hercule Poirot series! 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Wow! This is one of Agatha Christie's better known and loved books, and no wonder! This book is almost tied with And Then There Were None on my mystery favorites shelf. I miss Captain Hastings who did not feature in this book, but this story is amazing even without Poirot's beloved sidekick. Poirot has retired and is seeking peace and quiet in the village of King's Abbot. All this comes to a halt when a wealthy local widow commits suicide. The plot thickens when it is revealed that she recently confided to her fiance, Roger Ackroyd, that she was the victim of blackmail. Shortly afterward, Ackroyd is found stabbed to death! Who could have taken his life? Poirot must set aside his vegetable gardening and retirement and put his "little grey cells" back to work! 

The Big Four
In this book, Poirot is investigating a worldwide criminal organization. Hastings and Poirot become enmeshed in a world of intrigue and espionage. I'm going to be honest, I didn't love this one. I later found out that it began as a group of short stories that were published separately, which makes sense. The story feels loosely meshed together. Even though it was a shorter book, it took me longer to finish because it was hard to get into. 

The Mystery of the Blue Train
This was so much better than the last book! While taking a luxurious train ride, Ruth Kettering was murdered. When it is discovered that her rubies have gone missing, Poirot is called upon to discover who was the murderer!  I just love these train mysteries! If you loved the Orient Express, try this one as well. 

Thank you for reading! Is anyone else taking the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge? If so, what has been your favorite so far? Feel free to leave comments in the comment section! :) 

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10 Quotes for New Year's Day

Good Morning and Happy New Year!!!

New Year's is a time for reflection and goal-setting. It's a time when we really sit back and think about the things we did great last year and the areas that might need a little improvement in the upcoming year. 

I am a huge fan of motivational quotes, as you may have noticed, so I have put together ten quotes about new beginnings. This was one of the most fun posts to do research for! I am super motivated and encouraged now! The hardest thing was narrowing the list down to just ten so you may be seeing more "10 Quotes for..." posts in the future. :) 

Hopefully, these will inspire you as much as they have me. 

1. Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing at all. - Helen Keller

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2. Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. - George Bernard Shaw

 3. Fall seven times and stand up eight. - Japanese Proverb

4. Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be. - Grandma Moses

5. The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a small step. - Chinese Proverb

6. There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.- C. S. Lewis

7. New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. - Lao Tzu

8. Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and enjoying it for everything that it is. - Mandy Hale

9. And suddenly you just know... It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. - Meiser Eckhart

10. And now we welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been. - Rainer Maria Rilke

Happy New Year's from Pines and Peaches! I wish Y'all a wonderful year filled with love and joy! 

Thank you for reading!