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Friday, February 6, 2015

Friday Linkups: Peril at End House













It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

This Week's Blogger Hop Question:
Is there anything that turns you off when reading a blog post?  For example two posts in one post such as the answers to two memes?

My Answer:
Well obviously multiple answers don't bother me :).  There's not much that really turns me off but I have come across very rarely blogs where the review seems kind of hostile to the book or other readers.  Kind of like "this book sucks and if you don't agree you're an idiot."  That's a little harsh but the same general feel.  While I'm a strong believer in fair reviews which do include negative reviews ones that are hostile to the book make me a little uncomfortable.

This week's book is an Agatha Christie which for me is the equivalent of comfort food or taking off uncomfortable shoes at the end of the day and slipping on fuzzy socks!  I just read Sophie Hannah's The Monogram Murders and while she was respectful to Poirot it feels good to get back to the real thing!

The Beginning:
"No Seaside town in the south of England is, I think, as attractive as St. Loo.  It is well named the Queen of Watering Places and reminds on forcibly of the Riviera."

My Thoughts:
This gives us a nice set up for one of Agatha's vacation books. Maybe it's because I've already read this one countless times but I can see the beaches and hotel lawns stretching out.

The 56:
"Oh! I don't know." The girl flung aside with a petulant gesture, but I had caught a curious curl of her lips as though of pain. "Why does one do anything?"

My thoughts:
I know what happens so my thoughts are influenced by that!  It definitely sounds like the girl is hiding something.  All is not what it seems!

So would you keep reading?

45 comments:

  1. I agree. Any one can run their blog how they like. Post what they want. But I think you have to separate the art from the artist and attacking the author just because you didn't like their book is not okay. Hopefully I have never done that. I do know it's hard to do that. Especially when some "artists" can be awful people in real life. But you're not reviewing them, your reviewing their work.
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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    1. Exactly! While everyone has a right to do what they want on their blog it does make me a bit uncomfortable when it feels hostile.

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  2. Hmm, I have to say that first line didn't do much for me. How is the rest of the book?

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    1. It's good though a bit lighter than her usual mysteries. It's a fun read!

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  3. Oops, and I forgot, I wanted to share my BB post for this week in my comment. Here it lives: http://www.bookpunks.com/begins-elysium-jennifer-marie-brissett/

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    1. Oh it always drives me nuts when I forget stuff. I enjoyed your beginning this week!

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  4. I feel those hostile reviewers are that way because something in their own live sucks. So give them the power of the pen/keyboard and they can make themselves feel better by tearing someone else apart. They don't care that the author is a person with feelings and their work is their heart in print. These people can't even be called reviewers. They are simply the school bully who uses his/her meanness on those who will not defend themselves and then goes hme to their own miserable life and wait for the next person they can pick on.

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    1. It does make me uncomfortable when a review gets what feels personal.

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  5. I totally agree with you about not dissing the author or other readers who might enjoy a book via comments in a review.

    I have seen that...and nothing turns me off more.

    Great excerpts! Thanks for sharing...and here's mine: “THREE DAYS TO FOREVER”

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    1. I definitely agree! It does make me uncomfortable.

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  6. I am soo guilty of hating a book and not writing a good review. I just have strong thoughts every once and awhile. I don't diss other readers but I warn them. "Don't buy it!" Nothing in my life sucks I just feel there is something about writing that should be a learned trade and not something every Tom, Dick and Harry can do because they have a laptop.

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    1. I do think negative reviews are important because let's face it not every book is a winner. And there's definitely nothing wrong with hating a book. I don't mind negative reviews. In fact I lose faith in a blog that never says anything negative!

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  7. I belong to two book groups where I've discovered that people who I consider to have a very similar outlook to me in life have completely different opinions on the books that we discuss. For that reason, while I'm perfectly happy to say why I do or don't like a book, I never tell anyone else that they will love or hate it. (But it's always great when they share my enthusiasms!)

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    1. Oh I agree. While I can say a book is worth reading I'm always hesitant to be too enthusiastic in my recommendation!

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  8. I love the opening. It brings back memories of a summer I spent as a teenager in Cornwall.

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    1. Sounds lovely! Cornwell is on the list of places I really want to go!

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  9. I'll probably never read all of the Agatha Christie books but will have fun trying. This sounds like another good one:)

    My 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/02/06/the-friday-56-51-the-promise/

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    1. This is a fun one though not her best plotted. It's definitely worth reading!

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  10. I agree with you about toxic reviews. There's no reason to be nasty! That completely turns me off.
    Peril at End House sounds like another great Agatha Christie mystery. I like the way she describes the setting in the opening, and the "curious curl of her lips" make me think the girl is hiding something.
    By the way, I loved your comparison of the book to comfort food and fuzzy socks. So true!
    My Friday post features ROSE’S GIFT.

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    1. Oh thank you! There are some books that you just sigh with relief when you pick them up and this is definitely one!

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  11. Oh, I'm pretty sure the girl is holding back a little. All these Agatha Christie excerpts have me playing detective! Which is never a bad thing...I like fuzzy socks too.

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    1. I do like fuzzy socks both literally and in book form! This is a fun Agatha!

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  12. My grandmother was an avid reader of Agatha Christie. I would get to read them after she was done. Every time I see Agatha's name, it brings warm memories to light. Gotta be a good read in my book. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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    1. Oh what a lovely memory! My grandmother is very much a reader and is one of my favorite people to talk books with!

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  13. This is one Agatha Christie I haven't read! I love anything she's written so no convincing needed here!

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    1. It's not one of her best but it's a really fun read!

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  14. Can never go wrong with Agatha Christie!
    Happy weekend!

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  15. Love the words, 'petulant gesture.' I would definitely keep reading to find out what's around the corner with my fuzzy socks on! :-)

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    1. Isn't that a great phrase! Definitely a fuzzy socks and a cup of tea kind of read!

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  16. Another great Agatha Christie book!

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  17. Hostile comments with harsh, inappropriate words are turn offs.

    I am loving everyone's answers. They are as different as everyone's blog and personality as they most likely would be.

    Good answer.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. This was an interesting question. It's interesting to see all our different answers but also how similar we are!

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  18. I love Agatha Christie - she's definitely a comfort read for me.

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  19. I love Agatha's vacation books too so that start excites me. And it sounds funny to call a book about murders a comfort read but I know exactly what you mean :O

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  20. I keep thinking I should really read an Agatha Christie novel and the imagery in the opening line has set my mind to reminding myself to do it soon. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  21. Agatha Christie is so great. Everything she writes is so atmospheric!

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  22. I feel the same way about multiple memes in a post :) Oh and by the way, I love Agatha Christie! Although I have to admit that I have not read this one!

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  23. I also don't mind if there are multiple memes in a post. And I agree with you about hostile reviews. Those reviewers I tend to ignore.

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  24. I haven't read Agatha Christie in a long time, so I would definitely continue. I used to enjoy her work many years ago.

    Thanks for visiting The Busy Mom's Daily on Friday.

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  25. Yes, harsh reviews are not cool. I am sometimes bothered by more than one meme in a post, but only if the post is long and drug out.

    Brooke at Brooke Blogs
    Book Blogger Hop Answer

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  26. I hate those reviews too. Though everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course they cant say I am an idiot for not agreeing with them right? Hihi!

    NYZE@EverythingNyze

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  27. Yay, another Poirot! I am so glad I've finally started reading this series.

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  28. I am not a big fan of those types of reviews either. I understand that not everyone will like a book, but when it's implied that anyone who does like the book a person hated (or disliked a book that the reviewer loved for that matter) that the reader is less than, it makes me very uncomfortable.

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