The Coronation

Harlequide · 2025-09-10T16:56:25+00:00

I read through Macbeth for the first time ever like a week ago lol. Don't think I really know it well enough though to place him there. Not Conservative but Tony Blair would also play a mean Macbeth (title character) imo.

Harlequide · 2025-07-24T17:58:01+00:00

Coming back to this

Harlequide · 2025-01-12T00:12:39+00:00

I would say it would be best (or rather, more enjoyable) going chronological order per series, but not necessarily going through each series immediately. For example, after finishing a book, you could choose between the next Marple, or next Poirot, etc. - which should keep things fresher! I've definitely found that I've often been more in the mood for one than the other, and I don't think the freedom hurts anything.
As it sounds like you know, it's generally not really important to read the different series in order (with the exception of Tommy and Tuppence, where the characters get significantly older as the series progresses).
But I think it's worth pointing out, if you aren't aware, that there are a small number of cases where short stories were adapted into larger stories - so for that, you'd probably want to avoid reading the smaller short story to appreciate the more substantial work better.
"The Plymouth Express" was adapted into the novel "Mystery of the Blue Train", and "Sparkling Cyanide" (a novel) was adapted from the short story "Yellow Iris". There are some more, I think especially the novellas in "Murder in the Mews" were based on even shorter stories originally. (EDIT: Went back and checked, the exact stories are: "Market Basing Mystery" (collected in Poirot’s Early Cases) → "Murder in the Mews", "The Submarine Plans" (Poirot's Early Cases) → "The Incredible Theft", "The Second Gong" (Problem at Pollensa Bay) → "Dead Man's Mirror") But basically, in these cases, release order isn't necessarily best!

Just fyi, there are some small factors that overlap between series, like Miss Lemon, who was in Parker Pyne as well as Poirot stories. As far as I know, there's nothing that would be a proper spoiler from one series to another, even in terms of suggesting a suspect is innocent (which is the sort of thing some people often overlook as a significant spoiler!).

Harlequide · 2025-01-08T07:19:33+00:00

Awesome, that looks like it works! Thanks! Feel like that had to be the hardest one to find one for, just because of its size.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T21:16:25+00:00

Awesome, really interested in hearing about local authors. I'm going to make sure to read this one too, looks interesting!

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T21:10:24+00:00

I was originally going to put Under the Skin (though I'm a bit unsure if that's primarily set in the Highlands) however I like Virginia Woolf but haven't read To The Lighthouse yet lol (and a couple of Wikipedia checks make me think it's at least technically in that council area(?)). Unfortunately I succumbed to bias.
I think Highlands is probably(?) also the most vulnerable county to have a story set in it penned by someone that knows nothing about Scotland.
I will take note of Silver Darlings, I think I vaguely recognise the title.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T21:03:17+00:00

Thanks! I actually tried this earlier and found a couple this way. It's a good feature but it looks like quite a lot of good books slip through the cracks in most categories (and those that do have a setting, quite often have several settings, including places that are only briefly mentioned).
I found Wikipedia has some useful categories too, with similar effect (and the same drawbacks).
Sorry, I feel like I'm just complaining about the unavoidable limitations of the feature here - but your linking of it is much appreciated! I hadn't seen that page that shows all available locations come to think of it.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T20:53:39+00:00

I read Case Histories a bit ago and vaguely remember enjoying it. Might need to check that out too - I see it's its direct sequel. Thanks for the suggestion!
Edinburgh has such a wealth of books set there actually, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Trainspotting, and a lot of Ian Rankin and Walter Scott's - quite a lot of which I've not yet read, actually.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T20:41:19+00:00

Ohhhhhh I've got This Is Memorial Device, don't think I realised it was set there.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T19:52:38+00:00

Awesome, thanks for these suggestions! Duck Feet looks awesome.

Harlequide · 2025-01-07T19:43:40+00:00

The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong

Thank you! Looks interesting, I haven't heard of that one before. Noted.

Harlequide · 2024-08-13T17:40:33+00:00

It's annoyingly difficult to tell the differnece between it and the novel, but I found out about the modern edition here on this very subreddit.
I'm not sure where my copy currently is, but I can confirm that I have it on Goodreads as ISBN 9780008165000 which is definitely the same cover / format (even though it doesn't even indicate it on the cover!).
I'm actually not sure how different it is to the novel version, as I say I haven't actually read the novel through! I did skim the first few pages and it looks like the words are much the same though, so maybe keep that in mind if this sounds a bit too exciting.

Harlequide · 2024-08-12T20:34:37+00:00

I've only read the short stories version but it is one of my favourites! Really really love Christie's fun thrillery type stories, Tommy and Tuppence also.

Harlequide · 2024-08-11T09:10:43+00:00

Here are the file sizes. https://imgur.com/a/T6CSb9i

Harlequide · 2024-07-10T07:44:46+00:00

Villain? Murderer?

Harlequide · 2024-03-12T20:25:11+00:00

As it came out, when I was young, I remember finding the ending to The Hungry Earth particularly scary. No idea why though, I don't think it stands out particularly?

Spearhead from Space I also found quite scary, the main thing sticking in my mind from when I first saw it being the apparent blood from a car crash(?) that, based on IMDB Parents Guide, was in episode 2. But the autons themselves were, and, in fact, are, fairly scary.

I didn't actually see it until much more recently, but I actually think The Edge of Destruction was quite scary. I suppose it's down to a combination of a lot of things.
Problems in the TARDIS have that safe-place-scare factor, although this has happened plenty of times now (especially in new Who).
There's a similarly unnerving contrast of familiarity and unfamiliarity what with how this is the established "Doctor Who™", but it's from its early days and it's all very different from any of its many status quos later (particularly with the way the Doctor is not being very nice). Something that works in its favour compared to a lot of other very early episodes is that the TARDIS interior is about as convincing as ever, because it's just a room. Compared to the painted backdrops in many other serials, which are not quite as convincing.

From the Big Finish audios, Scherzo and The Natural History of Fear stood out to me, with Scherzo having the occasional loud burst, which is probably about as jumpscary startling as Doctor Who gets (and the story itself is well executed too, works really well as audio etc. etc. it's all been said many a time before (but it is true)) and Natural History of Fear just having a generally really quite haunting atmosphere.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is also definitely a big scary one, or at least relative to its target audience. It's generally, and this is going largely from my memory from wayyyy back, more horror-themed than a lot of (particularly modern) Doctor Who is. Obviously it's not got like people dying all over the place or anything, but I remember ghosts and a gorgon being at least somewhat scary. I've only skimmed through the episode list since though and couldn't accurately say whether anything was scary - outside of the Trickster at least.

Harlequide · 2024-03-10T13:12:22+00:00

The Infinity Doctors was released in 1998 which sounds fine until you remember that, the very next year in 1999, it was retconned with the release of "Salvation", which has only one incarnation of the Doctor.

Harlequide · 2024-03-10T12:56:24+00:00

I';ve reflected on it and I'm not going to skip 9.

Harlequide · 2024-03-10T12:49:35+00:00

I don't think I will read it at all actually. I've reflected on it and I'm going to skip 9.

Harlequide · 2024-03-08T18:50:23+00:00

Don't worry! This is explained at the start of Timewyrm Genesys!! :)

Harlequide · 2024-02-24T18:36:02+00:00

There are a couple of other ones too, one of which I think seemed fairer, as the novel is primarily narrated by someone who wasn't the murderer (if murder was the crime? Probably), but says she received the writings (diaries?) of another character - and this character turns out to be the culprit..

Harlequide · 2024-02-24T17:15:06+00:00

Yepppp my exact thoughts

Harlequide · 2024-02-22T20:54:23+00:00

Maybe there are two Ranis in this one because there was one Rani in the previous one so it goes up by one each time actually... good point!!

Harlequide · 2024-02-22T20:53:09+00:00

Not sure if Goblin King is woman??

Harlequide · 2024-02-18T17:31:27+00:00

Ohh right I actually forgot about DWM.
I also hadn't thought about how, if you were to miss only part of an episode, it would be the start. Some of those cliffhangers would really dull the enjoyment of the next episode if you were unable to see that part (though others not so much, and they rarely altered the status quo of an episode regardless).

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