Here are the Rules: Grab the closest book at hand (no fair going out of your way to get something intellectual, just what’s within arm’s reach of your keyboard). Turn to page 56, go to the fifth sentence and post the results - include the sentences that follow to provide some sort of context. (The tagging of five other bloggers is the part I'm omitting. Call me a rebel.) The closest book to hand is the one I'm currently reading, Christopher Fowler's "Ten Second Staircase," a murder mystery. Here's from a different sort of police procedural:
'You told me the exhaust had fallen off.'
'It has.' Bryant looked at him blankly. 'What of it?'
'You can't drive it like that. It must sound like a Lancaster Bomber.'
'That's right, I have to turn my hearing aid off while I'm driving, but at least people know I'm coming. I made a vicar jump into a hedge this morning. I was in Vauxhall visiting my psychochiropodist,' he explained. 'She reads feet. Apparently I'm about to have an unexpected brush with death. Either that or I've got a bunion.'
The rules ended up yielding an accurate sample of the wackiness that pervades this series, which I find so appealing. (I have a finely tuned sense of the absurd.) They're also good mysteries. I've finished two others of these and I have yet to guess the villain. I love books, I love good mysteries, and I love interesting characters. Feel free to join in or not. In any event, read a book!
18 comments:
A fun idea. I have done this meme before. I love to read. I will see about doing this.
Looks like a good mystery. British too, right? Always a plus.
I'm embarrassed that I had such a typical gardening book--but it was closest, though I'm not really reading it right now. I plan to-
It's a fun meme but I don't think I'm going to join in just right now as I am currently reading a book in my own language, Dutch. If I posted that you'd all go: huh? ;-) Except for the few Dutch readers I have.
Obviously, I'm a rebel too since I didn't name five people. I think memes should be optional.
I think I'd love those mysteries, and you know I like the absurd also. I like the idea of others joining in if they feel like it or not. Plus, I see more books I need to read.~~Dee
I love this type of mystery book. I wonder if you have ever read anything by Charlotte Macleod. I think you would enjoy her, too.
I am so going to participate in this meme...I wanted to when I saw Dee's post. What was funny is that I had cleaned all my books up...company was coming over and all that was near by were cookbooks for our dinner party! Anyway, this sounds like a fun book. I love mysteries! Couldn't we all have a great book exchange!
OOH! demon is the word verification word! More Steven King then mystery book!
Gail
Hi MMD, what, you loving the absurd? No, you do go on. HA This sounds like one I would love, thanks for the teaser!
Frances
Lisa - I think it was around the garden blogs in the spring or summer, when I had too many other things about which to post.
EAL - The Bryant & May Peculiar Crimes Unit mysteries are very British. As for you having a gardening book closest, that just makes you look like a more serious gardener.
Yolanda Elizabet - it's funny how the Dutch generally all speak at least 2 languages, but nobody else in the world speaks Dutch. It's a bit too tricky for me.
Dee - that's what I like about this meme, is finding new books. I'm always trying to find something new to read because I devour books.
Flydragon - thanks for the tip! I'll check to see if my library has any.
Gail - "demon" reminds me of the books of Christopher Moore, which Cindy & I were discussing on plurk. His 1st book was "Practical Demonkeeping." I highly recommend it.
It's hard to find books where the protagonists are over 80.
This is so pathetic. Right next to my computer is the instruction manual for Salix's cell phone, the instruction manual for our car's navigation system, a sudoku book, and a book called "Reading CSI" (about the TV show). There are a couple of cookbooks in a bookshelf about 10 feet away--the nearest book I could pull an interesting passage from is upstairs. Is that cheating? (Geez, and I'm an English teacher . . .)
MMD,
I have read several of his books...he is quite an interesting writer...
Gail
I am really glad that the rules call for noting those additional sentences as well... otherwise I would wonder to what (in the world) "You told me that the exhaust had fallen off," referred!
I'm a little cranky about this. I am traveling on business and stuck in a hotel room. I managed to forget my book on the bedside desk. And there isn't even a Bible here in the hotel room. Grrrr.
Early to bed for me...
Robin
National Gardening Examiner
Blogging at http://bumblebeeblog.com
I did a similar meme last spring, but I may take you up on this in a week or two. I'm a mystery lover, too, and am always looking for a new author to enjoy--this sounds like a great read! "A brush with death or a bunion"...too funny:)
I don't usually do these types of things, but this one sounded interesting, and, well, since I'm a lover of books, I just couldn't resist.
My sentence is extracted from, are you ready for this?, "The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism." And, yes, it was within arms reach, at my knees, at the top of a pile of other books I keep close by.
The 5th sentence on page 56, taken from Plato's "Republic," Book III reads: I'm sure we're right about this.
Context: In "Republic," Plato "describes an ideal well-regulated community in which the educational curriculum promotes respect for law, reason, authority, self-discipline, and piety."
More context: There were gardens there.
Cosmo - that's what happens to people who have a desktop computer. I just have a laptop & I was typing in bed because the kids were watching TV in the familyroom.
Gail - I've just discovered Christopher Fowler, so I'm reading all the books in chronological order (within the stories). I kind of got burned out on straight police procedurals after reading all of the Inspector Morse books. They were great, but there were so many of them.
Blackswamp Girl - context is everything. As I mentioned this is a murder mystery, it might have referred to an exhaust fan involved in some death by poison gas.
Robin - you poor thing! I'd be going nuts without a book. Once when I was flying home from Europe I needed a book. I was so desperate I bought a Whitley Striber book in the Schipol Airport & had to read that on the plane.
Rose - I'm on a humorous/satirical book kick. At this time of year, I need a good laugh, and these fit the bill. I remember reading your post on this meme last spring.
TC - deep thoughts there. I haven't read "The Republic" in a very long time. Definitely not bedside reading.
These are always fun. I was actually tagged to do one of these a while ago but I still haven't gotten around to it. I'm in the middle of reading 5 books right now. Does that make me weird or do other people do that too?
Hi MMD, Hmmm. . . I thought I left a comment. . . maybe I got the word verification wrong.
Anway, I bit on this meem, although I did break a couple of the rules.
Cinj - I read multiple nonfiction books at the same time, but I like to be completely immersed in a story, so it's only 1 fiction book at a time for me.
Gardengirl - I already read your submission. I have no problem with choosing a different point in a long book. I guess most books have at least 56 pages.
Post a Comment