Appointment With Agatha discussion

Let's select our themes for next year! I'm looking for 12 themes - we can recycle prior themes because coming up with 12 new "themes" is hard.

At this point, let's get one nomination per member. If we end up with more than 12 themes, we'll figure out a way to decide between them. If we don't have enough themes, we'll do a second round (or third/fourth/etc) if necessary!

JANUARY:
FEBRUARY: Authors of Color
MARCH:
APRIL:
MAY:
JUNE:
JULY:
AUGUST:
SEPTEMBER:
OCTOBER:
NOVEMBER:
DECEMBER:

Go!

What about non-white authors?

Michaela wrote: "What about non-white authors?"

That's a great idea - I'm going to take the liberty of dedicating February to that theme, since it is also Black History Month in the U.S.

We might want to expand the publication year requirement for this theme, but we can come back to that when we get into the selection process.

Christine PNW wrote: "Let's select our themes for next year! I'm looking for 12 themes - we can recycle prior themes because coming up with 12 new "themes" is hard.

At this point, let's get one nomination per member. I..."

If we can generate the right books, I'd be interested in a side read that excludes books set or written by UK writers. Perhaps books translated into English. Perhaps North American or ANZ authors from the same period?

What about a female sleuth/detective?

--American authors such as Ellery Queen, Mignon Eberhart, Mary Roberts Rinehart.

Mike wrote: "Christine PNW wrote: "Let's select our themes for next year! I'm looking for 12 themes - we can recycle prior themes because coming up with 12 new "themes" is hard.

At this point, let's get one no..."

And also excludes, at least for 2022, Ngaio Marsh, since we have read a number by her this past year.

Mike wrote: "Christine PNW wrote: "Let's select our themes for next year! I'm looking for 12 themes - we can recycle prior themes because coming up with 12 new "themes" is hard.

At this point, let's get one no..."

Looking at this article, I think American Golden Age would be possible and fun

https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/...

I wonder if we could take a look at some Golden Age Realist writers. Chandler, Hammett, Croft, Helen Mccloy

https://mikegrost.com/realist.htm#Cha...

Mike wrote: "Looking at this article, I think American Golden Age would be possible and fun

https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/.."

That's a great selection of authors.

And, btw, that blog is well worth following as well! For those who don't know, this is the blog of Curtis Evans, who wrote many of the introductions to the recent series of Dean Street Press republications of classic mysteries (e.g., by Brian Flynn, Moray Dalton, etc.)

I've sort of fizzled out on the planning for next year.

I have a bit of a proposal, though. What do you think about an overarching theme of American golden age, per Mike's suggestion, for 2022. We can choose a broad range of books by US writers, published between 1920 and 1970.

If this sounds good, I'll put up a nomination thread in a few days.

I like the idea of America's Golden Age. I've read a few already and enjoyed the majority of them.

Rosemarie wrote: "I like the idea of America's Golden Age. I've read a few already and enjoyed the majority of them."

Thanks for the feedback, Rosemarie! I think it would be a nice counterpoint to Agatha!

Christine PNW wrote: "I've sort of fizzled out on the planning for next year.

I have a bit of a proposal, though. What do you think about an overarching theme of American golden age, per Mike's suggestion, for 2022. We..."

Sounds good!

I'm starting to work my way down The Passing Tramp's list, looking to see what titles are available in audio format. First I'm looking for the exact title and then I'll look for anything by the author.

My first find (I worked all of five minutes but that is all I have right now) was a title by Carolyn Wells. Disaster. Horrible narrator (male monotone with down voice at the end of every phrase) plus a "movie-style soundtrack" running constantly in the background. Thirty seconds was all I could tolerate. I hope this is not a prediction of the future, because I like the idea of focusing on American authors in the coming year!

https://smile.amazon.com/A-Chain-of-E...

Peregrina651 wrote: "I'm starting to work my way down The Passing Tramp's list, looking to see what titles are available in audio format. First I'm looking for the exact title and then I'll look for anything by the aut..."

I can warn that the one Carolyn Wells mystery that I've read was absolutely terrible: The Clue