What? Ask people for blogging advice? I think I've officially given up on Armchair BEA (if my last post being on Tuesday didn't clue y'in). But it was fun while it lasted, right, folks! And by "while it lasted" I mean "Before my internet ADD kicked in and I wanted to do something else."
I arrived at my workplace today to find a mountain of suitcases sitting in the reception area (have I mentioned I receptionize?). We have a bunch of guests in for a meeting, and when the coat closet filled up, rather than take them with them, they decided to just dump their bags out in the open. So one of the assistants and I had to scuttle them into an empty conference room, because THE RECEPTION AREA IS THE FACE OF THE COMPANY. As am I. My face = company face. Man, this could be one of those metonymy things. Or synecdoche or something. THOSE ARE BOTH WORDS, SPELLCHECK, STOP UNDERLINING THEM.
Due to Christina's post over at Reading Thru the Night, I'm gonna update about Lord Peter Wimsey, because I LOVE THAT MAN. You really can't avoid loving him. Because he is Lord Peter Wimsey ("your logic, it is circular").
Lord Peter Wimsey was invented by Dorothy L. Sayers. He's an English nobleman in the 1920s who solves mysteries, usually in a witty, aristocratic way. He has a manservant named Bunter. They are BFFs. While maintaining their class-induced distance, because Dorothy L. Sayers KNOWS HOW THE WORLD WORKS and doesn't try to write things falsely. I love her.
So, if you're not a crazy chronological-or-nothing person (which I unfortunately am), you can skip Whose Body?, because it's Dorothy L. Sayers finding her sea-legs, and it's ok, but not great.
CLOUDS OF WITNESS. There's been a murder! At a shooting lodge! In Yorkshire! Will there be witticisms and banter? YES THERE WILL BE. Still not the best, but better than Whose Body?.
UNNATURAL DEATH. An old lady dies. Surely it's a natural death. BUT NO THE TITLE INDICATES OTHERWISE. I love this one. Love. I don't even remember why, because I read almost all the Wimseys like five years ago, but this is awesome in my memory. Also it introduces Miss Climpson, and if you don't know Miss Climpson, your life is missing that certain something that makes the world brighter.
STRONG POISON. (I'm not sure why these're all in caps, except to communicate my EXCITEMENT over the Wimsey series, which I never talk about here) Strong Poison introduces Harriet Vane, who is the BEST Mary Sue ever. She is totally Dorothy L. Sayers (oh, a female detective novelist in her 30s who was in an illicit relationship? WHO COULD THIS BE). And there's a murder and a trial and Lord Peter being occasionally serious, which is always fantastic, and oh, I love Strong Poison.
HAVE HIS CARCASE. Oh what a lovely seaside vacation! But what's all this! A DEAD BODY ON THE SHORE? Goodness me, and Harriet Vane forced to cope on her own for a bit before Lord Peter shows up. So much flirting. So much detecting. Sigh.
GAUDY NIGHT. As mysteries go, it's not the best, but this is one of my favorite books. Like, of all books. Because it takes place at one of the women's colleges at Oxford (there was more than one back in the day, right?) and OH did I mention DLS went to Oxford? But Harriet Vane is TOTALLY NOT HER. No. Also there is immense intelligence and humor and more banter and amazingness in this. But one should read some others first to get a grounding in the characters. This is one of those books I stayed up until 2 am reading. AND:
"How fleeting are all human passions compared to the massive continuity of ducks
Sigh. I love him.
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| Because how can you not love that monocle? |
There're also Five Red Herrings, Murder Must Advertise, The Nine Tailors and Busman's Honeymoon, but rest assured I have discussed the ones you should read. People do seem to like Murder Must Advertise, but I wasn't really into it myself. Partially because a large scene takes place during a cricket game, and WOW, do I know nothing about cricket. Oh, there's also The Unpleasantness at the Ballona Club, which was QUITE good, but I remember almost zero about it.
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