Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie with David Suchet (Narrator) (Hercule Poirot #10)

Reread. My partner had not read this but he had watched the most recent movie adaptation but forgot the ending. As I’ve watched a few adaptations and read this, I remembered the plot and twists well. What surprised me was how I enjoyed it less than the previous Poirot novels. I gave it 5 stars back in 2019 which seemed very high to me. Now that I’ve read more Christie, this was good but not as well written or as well paced as the others. Still a unique and good twist.

July 19-26, 2026.

The Hollow by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #25)

This was my bedtime reading at first but it took me awhile to get into it. Christie spent more than usual time on the victim. He’s not that likeable as he cheats on his wife and seems to be want his mistress to only think about him. There were also less likeable or dull characters. One of the characters has a form of ADHD was I found amusing considering how classic and well done the portrayal was. Disappointingly, Poirot does not show up for 60 pages and was not in this mystery much at all. The writing was decent as usual and I liked the small romance subplot.

July 18-26, 2026.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Manga): Part 4 Volume 2 by Hikaru Katsuki, Miya Kazuki, Quof (Translator)

It’s always good to go back to this series. I am trying not to catch up too quickly. Part 4 of this series is one of the best ones so it was fun to see the illustrations. I adore Rozemyne. I am glad I got some merch from this series when I was in Japan.

July 28, 2026.

First Crush by Cassandra Calin

Graphic novels and manga are a great way for me to read during the work week. I really like Calin’s illustration and story telling style. This was middle grade so a lot of the themes are far removed from my own life. I do think Calin captured the doubt and intensity of being a preteen. I liked the diversity cast of the characters as well.

July 31, 2026.