Monday Motivation

It has been waaaayyyy too long since I did a Monday Motivation quote, so here we go! I have loved Dr. Seuss since I was little, and his quotes still ring true. 

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My Year With Agatha: Hercule Poirot Books 1-3

Good Afternoon! 

I hope Y'all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year! 2019 is going to be our year, I just know it! 

My Year With Agatha continues with the Hercule Poirot series. I am a little behind on posting, so I am posting three books a week until I get caught back up. ;) 

I adored the Miss Marple series, she and the inhabitants of St. Mary Mead started to feel like my friends by the end of the series. The wonderful thing about fictional friends is that they are always there, waiting for you to pull them back off the shelf, dust off the cover, and revisit them. No appointments necessary! 

I'm already making new friends with the Hercule Poirot series! The eccentric Hercule Poirot and his sidekick, Captain Hastings, are just delightful! Here are my spoiler-free reviews of the first three books:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot #1
Published in 1920, this was the book that put Dame Christie on the map! Introducing Hercule Poirot, the world-renowned detective from Belgium, and his sidekick Captain Arthur Hastings, this was a phenomenal start to a new series. Another dysfunctional family where everyone is a suspect, this book will keep you guessing until the end! 

The Murder on the Links (Poirot #2)

A man is found murdered, his body dumped in a shallow grave on a golf course. It's up to Poirot and Captain Hastings to find out who killed the man before the murderer claims another victim. I'd not heard much about this book (it's overshadowed by The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express) but I LOVED it. I really don't understand why this one isn't more popular. 

Poirot Investigates (Poirot #3)
This is a collection of short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings. This contains eleven short stories (which are just so darn fun to read!) perfect for snuggling down with a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blanket and reading the winter away. However, I would like to point out that all of the short stories in this book can also be found, along with many others, in The Complete Short Stories which I will also link below). If you are already loving this series as much as I do, just get the collection. :) 

            

Here is a list of the eleven short stories, for those of you who choose the collection route: 

1. The Adventure of the Western Star

2. The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor

3. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat

4. The Mystery of the Hunter's Lodge

5. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

6. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

7. The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

8. The Kidnapped Prime Minister

9. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim

10. The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

11. The Case of the Missing Will

It's hard to choose a favorite, but I think The Western Star and the Cheap Flat were my favs, in this set at least. 

Thank Y'all for reading! I wish you all a very Happy New Year filled with happiness and books! <3

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Merry Christmas from Pines and Peaches!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas filled with fun, joy, and books! 

My Year with Agatha: Miss Marple Series Wrap-Up

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Good Afternoon Everyone! 

Wow, what an Autumn/ Winter this has been. My family has been going through a rough time dealing with family issues, illness, and the passing of my grandfather. During it all, I've managed to squeeze some reading, but not much writing in. Hopefully, the next few months will be more peaceful and I will be able to post regularly again!

While bouncing back and forth between hospital visits, I was able to wrap up the Miss Marple series. I adore Miss Jane Marple! You know you've read a great series when you miss the characters once it's over. Here is a brief summary (spoiler-free, as always!) of the last few Miss Marple books! 

Nemesis

This one ties in with A Carribean Mystery. Mr. Rafiel leaves Miss Marple an inheritance upon his death, with strings attached. If she can solve a mystery, she will inherit a large sum of money. However, in his mischievous manner, Mr. Rafiel leaves her almost no clues to work from. Can Miss Marple figure out the puzzle Mr. Rafiel left behind? 

Sleeping Murder

Ok, this one might be my new favorite in the series. When a young couple purchases a house, it triggers strange memories in Mrs. Reed. Is this a memory of hers? Or is it a message from beyond? The Reeds call upon Miss Marple's expertise to help discover the secrets of the house they have purchased. 

Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories

I love short stories. This included a ton of stories, including those I previously read in The Thirteen Problems (which I wish I'd know before I ended up buying them twice... lol). The short stories don't spoil anything in the books, so if you aren't sure where to start, you could start with this one. :) 

Have you ever read a book/ series where the characters start feeling like friends? I'm already missing Miss Marple, Raymond West, and other members of the St. Mary Mead community! Oh well, I guess I'll make new friends in the Poirot series! ;) 

Happy Reading! 

My Year With Agatha: Miss Marple Part V

Loving My Year With Agatha Reading Challenge! If anyone is reading along, feel free to leave comments about how it's going! 

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The Thirteen Problems
So, I read this one out of order. I don't know why, but the Miss Marple ebook bundle doesn't list this one until the end. I was browsing Goodreads and noticed this one was listed as the second book, so I went ahead and read it lol. That being said, you don't really have to read any of the Miss Marple books in order, aside from reading The Body in the Library prior to reading The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side. That being said, I loved The Thirteen Problems. It was a collection of short stories within a larger story. Miss Marple attends a dinner party where all the guests tell the story of a mystery and see if anyone can figure out whodunit! :) Of course, there are a lucky thirteen stories! 

At Bertram's Hotel
Miss Marple is on holiday again! Poor Miss Maple, she just can't go anywhere without something chaotic happening around her. While taking a peaceful vacation at the luxurious Bertram's Hotel, a clergyman goes missing...At first, everyone assumes he has just been absent-minded (again) and gotten lost, but the truth is much more sinister. The police must enlist Miss Marple to save the day! 
This one was a bit different than the other Miss Marple books (a murder didn't occur in the first chapter lol). The bank robbery side plot added some enjoyable variety! As much as I love murder mysteries, it was nice to mix things up a bit. :)

Thank Y'all for reading! Be sure to enter your email address to get all the latest updates from Pines and Peaches! 

Five Amazing Books on Kindle Unlimited!

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Good Afternoon! 

I am always on the lookout for a great new series, and my Kindle Unlimited account has been fabulous for trying new authors and series. Here is a couple of amazing series that I discovered using Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program. Hope Y'all try a few and love them as much as I do! I read a lot of different things, so I tried to include something for everyone. ;)


The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

This is the first book in an awesome series by Charlie N. Holmberg! I adore magician stories, so it was a treat to get this one on Kindle Unlimited. And then, there are more of them! I have read the first three so far, and each one gets better than the last! Bonus: When you download the eBook, you get access to the Audible version too! :)    For fans of Fantasy

Love the first book? Check out the rest of the series here: 

Pines by Blake Crouch

Delightful sci-fi series! I wanted to read this series before watching the Wayward Pines TV show. I am a huge fan of the sci-fi and horror genres as well, so I loved the eerie setting! This is the first book in a series. 
For fans of Horror/ Sci-fi





Love the first book? Check out the rest of the trilogy here:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Ok, I know everyone loves these... But, if you love YA and dystopian fiction, you have got to read these. If you've only seen the movies, then OMG the books are so much better!!! ;) Also, these come with the Audible version as well! 
For fans of YA/ Dystopia

Love the first book? Check out the rest of the series here: 

A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

If you love Jane Austen, read this book. If you love YA romances, read this book. I'm not even a big romance reader and I enjoyed this one! That being said, I'm a huge fan of Melanie Dickerson's Fairy Tale series (more about those in an upcoming post), so I jumped on this one as soon as I saw it was on Kindle Unlimited.
For fans of Romance (particularly Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer)


Love the first book? Check out the rest of the series here:

Emerge: The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven

New YA series by an amazing new author! This is the first book in a great series about teenagers with superpowers. Think Agents of Shield meets The Mortal Instruments. For fans of YA/ Dystopia/ Superheroes. 

Love the first book? Check out the rest of the series here: 

These books are all currently available using your Kindle Unlimited subscription! I LOVE using Kindle Unlimited. If you don't know about this program, you basically pay $9.99 a month and can have up to ten books out at a time. Some even come with the Audible audiobook linked for no extra charge.

Kindle Unlimited is a must have for book lovers! If you don't have it yet, but would like to give it a try, follow the link below to get your first month for free. If you don't totally love it, you can always cancel.

Thank Y'all for reading! Be sure to enter your email to get all the latest updates from Pines and Peaches!