The County Library discussion

Happy 2020 everyone!

Sherlock Holmes' fictional birthday is January 6, 1854 (although, some say 1853) but either way, definitely January! So, your challenge is to read a Sherlock Holmes story like A Study in Scarlet, or something from the Sherlock pastiche like A Study in Scarlet Women, or The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or The Case of the Missing Marquess (which is being adapted into a film). I know we have some dedicated Book on CD listeners, so a radio play will definitely work too.

"Come, Watson, come! he cried. The game is afoot." --The Adventure of the Abbey Grange

I will be reading The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, the first Holmes novel in 125 years to be authorized by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate.

If I were deciding right now, I would probably go with "The Hound of the Baskervilles". But since this is January's challenge, I wait to decide for sure.

I checked out some of my favorite Laurie R. King titles in anticipation. Happy new year!

The House of Silk is amazing! It's like reading Conan Doyle himself. I'm listening to the audio book and the narrator is Sir Derek Jacobi. Who better? He really does have the pace and voice of it. So if you haven't chosen, it is a good option. And I'll be done soon enough that someone else will be able to do the audio book before the month is out, but probably only one other.

I've never touched a Sherlock Holmes novel; so I'll start at the start and read A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, himself.

This is a most unexpected and original challenge. Very nice choice!

Greg wrote: "I've never touched a Sherlock Holmes novel; so I'll start at the start and read A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, himself.

This is a most unexpected and original challenge. Very nice c..."

Never? Ever? Wow! Good choice for a start.

I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book either. I picked The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas

Greg is so widely read that it surprises me for him.

Debbie wrote: "Greg is so widely read that it surprises me for him."

Aw, that's very kind of you to say!

It's a little bit surprising to me, as well. I've never really thought about how I've never actually picked up a Holmes. I've seen a few movies, and I've certainly heard a synopse or two. So this will be fun!

If I really enjoy it, it might spark a whole list of adds to my to-read list. That's already a long list; so, I'm not sure if I hope I enjoy it that much, or not!

Greg wrote: "Debbie wrote: "Greg is so widely read that it surprises me for him."

Aw, that's very kind of you to say!

It's a little bit surprising to me, as well. I've never really thought about how I've neve..."

The vast majority of Holmes tales are short stories, not so much a major hit on you list. I may be wrong, but if I remember rightly, the only actual novel is The Hound of the Baskervilles. As an audio book, A Study in Scarlet is under 5 hours, thus a novella. Hound of the Baskervilles is 7 hours. The Sign of Four is also a novella length. My favorite story is The Speckled Band.

Debbie wrote: "The vast majority of Holmes tales are short stories, not so much a major hit on you list. I may be wrong, but if I remember rightly, the only actual novel is The Hound of the Baskervilles. "

I'm sure I'll knock it out in short order.

Incidentally, I'm very tickled by this book, already, but not for the story itself. I just looked at the list of chapters.

My name is Greg. I have a son named Tobials. The sixth chapter of A Study in Scarlet is called "Tobias Gregson Shows What He Can Do."

I don't know what he can do, yet, but if he's anything like my Tobias Gregson, it's solve a Rubik's Cube.

I looked through Sherlock Holmes audio books available and spent my New Years Day listening to The Sherlock Holmes Theatre, a recording of two Sherlock Holmes plays written by Arthur Conan Doyle with an extra one-act play with Sherlock Holmes by someone else. One of them was an adaptation of the story Debbie mentioned "The Speckled Band."

Greg wrote: "Debbie wrote: "The vast majority of Holmes tales are short stories, not so much a major hit on you list. I may be wrong, but if I remember rightly, the only actual novel is The Hound of the Baskerv..."

He's a detective. Holmes declares him to be the smartest of the Scotland Yarders. Sounds about right.

Debbie wrote: "Greg wrote: "Debbie wrote: "The vast majority of Holmes tales are short stories, not so much a major hit on you list. I may be wrong, but if I remember rightly, the only actual novel is The Hound o..."

:)

I'm glad you guys are having fun with this challenge. I hope you enjoy delving into something new!

Finished A Study in Scarlett. Not really my cup of tea.

Greg wrote: "Finished A Study in Scarlett. Not really my cup of tea."

Try the Speckled Band. It's a short story.

I don't usually jump in on these challenges, but, hey, I liked the Cumberbatch/Freeman Sherlock series, and I've never read any. I'm going to listen to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which contains 12 stories. I don't have a complete list, but it includes titles such as The Speckled Band, The Blue Carbuncle, and The Five Orange Pips, among others. I'm excited to try it!

Darin wrote: "I don't usually jump in on these challenges, ..."

Welcome to the challenge(s). Warning...they're addictive.

Greg wrote: "Darin wrote: "I don't usually jump in on these challenges, ..."

Welcome to the challenge(s). Warning...they're addictive."

Aye, that they do be.

I've been wanting to read The Study in Scarlet Women since it was a Reader's Choice nomination a couple years back. I'll have to request it this month!

Rebecca wrote: "I've been wanting to read The Study in Scarlet Women since it was a Reader's Choice nomination a couple years back. I'll have to request it this month!"

Sherry Thomas is pretty awesome. I really like her romance novels the best, although the mystery ones are pretty good too. She's recently released a YA that's the story of Mulan. It's on my list to read.

Greg wrote: "Finished A Study in Scarlett. Not really my cup of tea."

I asked a friend, who's a Sherlock connoisseur, if there was an awesome audiobook that you might enjoy. And she recommended this one:

Sherlock Holmes' rediscovered railway mysteries & other stories

It's narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. She also doesn't really like the one you read, but enjoyed these. I just thought I'd throw it out there. If you want to give some of the shorter stories a try.

I have finished The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. It was nice to read a Sherlockian tale that doesn't have Moriarty as the main villian, although I'd have liked to read one without him at all. After all, Moriarty was in only one Connan Doyle tale.

So far I've used this challenge to reread some of my favorites by Laurie R. King. I've read, Oh Jerusalem, The Game, Locked Rooms and I'm working on Pirate King. We'll see if I finish it, I've only got it for one more day on Overdrive, so I might not, but I got a good start on it.

I'm listening to Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye. I'm enjoying the whole 'what if' of it. She stays true to Holmes and Watson's personalities.

Teresa wrote: "I'm listening to Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye. I'm enjoying the whole 'what if' of it. She stays true to ..."

I thought "oooh, one I'd like to read". I went to add it and I have already read it and gave it 4 stars.

Debbie, I do that too, lol.

I'm reading European Travel For The Monstrous Gentlewoman and Holmes and Watson are in the story. I totally forgot that in the first book of the series, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, the women help Holmes and Watson solve the Jack the Ripper murders.

Thanks, Teresa! I've added it to my Wanna Read list.

We just got in two new arrivals that look fun, so I thought I'd share them here.

The Devil’s Due by Bonnie MacBird and All Roads Lead to Whitechapel by Michelle Birkby

Oooh! They look really good. And The Devil's Due is the third book so there are to others ... Perhaps my reading plan for next year should be Sherlockian tales as a theme. This year my fiction theme this year (and was last year, too) is Books I First Saw As a Movie.

What a fun theme Debbie! If you haven't read the Laurie R. King books they are FANTASTIC, and I love them (most of them).

Thanks, Elizabeth. They look really good. I feel particularly drawn to The Moor. But I'll have to be patient. Looks like I need to create a sherlockian shelf here on Goodreads

I finished The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas. I really enjoyed it. I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book. It was a children's book and I may read another in the future.

Elizabeth wrote: "What a fun theme Debbie! If you haven't read the Laurie R. King books they are FANTASTIC, and I love them (most of them)."

Agreed! I am in the midst of one now.

Utah Hornbakers wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "What a fun theme Debbie! If you haven't read the Laurie R. King books they are FANTASTIC, and I love them (most of them)."

Agreed! I am in the midst of one now."

Ooh, which one? Let me know when you finish it, so you can be entered into the prize drawing!

Island of the Mad, which I finished earlier this week.

I listened to The House of Silk and I enjoyed it. The author Anthony Horowitz had a knack for making the voices of Holmes and Watson sound authentic.

Read (well, listened to) Study in Scarlet Women. Definitely interesting, though it did feel like an awful lot of exposition. I need to look up the next one.

I listened to "A Study in Scarlet". Thanks for the recommendation!

I was short on time this month and so went with a graphic novel--"Muppet Sherlock Holmes." Oh, the fabulousness! See http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2020... for details...

Alyson is our prize drawing winner for January 2020’s reading challenge for reading Muppet Sherlock Holmes. Congratulations!

Hooray Alyson!