The Naked Reviewer

The Micro Era is a short sci-fi story from the anthology The Wandering Earth by Cixin Liu. I loved this story.

What does the humanity do when threatened by a solar flare that completely destroys the earth's crust and its atmosphere? Of course it just clones a miniature human race who can survive the apocalypse by burrowing deep underground!

Well, I definitely love the author's imaginations, as well as the tender poetic feelings permeating his stories. There is so much depth in his writing. This is a must-read recommendation from me for the die-hard sci-fi fans out there!

Alright, I had to share this!

~ Henry David Thoreau (Walden: Or, Life in the Woods)

🔰🔰 Book Review 🔰🔰

Title: A Caribbean Mystery

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Mystery / Detective / Whodunit

My Rating: ✳️✳️✳️✳️

I read this story after about two decades, and thankfully the ending escaped my memory. So it was a reread in the true sense of the term.

Miss Marple is enjoying a quiet holiday in the sun in the Caribbean., when one of her fellow travelers, full of boisterous stories, dies. Miss Marple is vaguely uncomfortable that his death was brought about by one of his stories, one of a murderer, whose photo he boasted he carried in his wallet. The photo goes missing, and Miss Marple is worried another murder is soon to take place. Her premonitions are proved right, and she fights against time to catch the murderer before an innocent life is lost.

This story, unlike many of Agatha Christie's stories made clear who the murderer was after a point. However, the murderer has been portrayed in such a sympathetic light, that the reader seriously doubts their own intuitions. The story is an entertaining whodunit. It portrays the characters well, looks into the nuances of human nature, which is a characteristic of Agatha Christie's writings.

I was very interested to find the mention of queers in this story as well - albeit in passing. My 20-year-younger self had not noticed the fact, being unaware of queers, especially in our country, as a kid. It is not clear what the author's stand was on the subject. It is, however, refreshing that she accepts queers in society as a fact.

Overall, this is a trademark Agatha Christie whodunit. You will definitely enjoy it as a lighthearted read. I, being an ardent fan of the author, absolutely loved it.

QOTD: What's your favorite whodunit series/standalone?

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budded and full-blown,

their swoops and dips, their gloss and poses,

the satin of their darks.

~ Margaret Atwood (Dearly)

~ Gina Marinello-Sweeney (Peter)

The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,

And in the glade a light was seen

Of stars in shadow shimmering.

Tinuviel was dancing there

To music of a pipe unseen,

And light of stars was in her hair,

And in her raiment glimmering.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)