My high school library was weird.

Small, crowded, and a little stuffy, it wasn’t the best library in the world and as a result, I never found myself there much in my teenage years. No wonder so many kids don’t like to read, I’d thought. If the library sucks, they’ll never go in there!

In contrast, my elementary and middle school libraries were awesome. To the naked eye, it probably didn’t seem like much. A bunch of wooden shelves, dusty covers that smelled like old people – what gives?

But the content was good, the quality and variety of books that were on those shelves. It also helped that the libraries were adequately spacious, and the air conditioning allowed for proper airflow. It’s all in the experience, people!

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In middle school, I was blessed (or cursed) with a strangely high reading level. Though I might’ve scored high, I found it difficult to read the books that came with it. They were all too thick, the print too small, and my young, impatient self, found it difficult to even get through the first few chapters without yawning.

The librarian decided to help me find a book to read for the monthly requirement. She pulled out Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie.

Spoiler alert, I did not end up finishing the book at all. “It’s too old,” I’d complained, tossing it aside. I would later find the Sammy Keyes series at the same library, and the rest was history. But the notion of Agatha Christie had already been planted in my head.

Years later, the seed would sprout.

After being stuck in the engineering wormhole for a good 4-5 years, I found myself crawling back to books. I was craving a good mystery, something I hadn’t read before. Who better to turn to than the Queen of Mystery herself?

Agatha Christie remains as the best-selling novelist of all time, only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her work embodies the cozy mystery genre, but don’t let the word “cozy” fool you. Her plot points are hard and driven. She keeps you guessing but intrigued in the best way possible, without being overwhelming. Her writing style is eloquent, yet efficient. No frilly details, no fluff. Just a good, hard-hitting mystery with a likeable protagonist, a twisted plot, and intriguing, suspicious characters. Truly a classic! Once you start reading her books, movies like Knives Out will seem a mediocre rendition.

David Suchet remains by many fans, including myself, as the best portrayal of Hercule Poirot. The series is worth watching if you come across it. It is already quite difficult to adapt a book into action, as mentioned here often on the blog. Despite the obstacles, Suchet’s Poirot series truly does Christie’s work justice, which cannot be said often about Hollywood.

Some personal favorites:

• And Then There Were None
• Death on The Nile
• Five Little Pigs
• Three Act Tragedy

Be sure to watch the corresponding Poirot episodes after for maximum enjoyment!