This Resolution of Mine

Well, we find ourselves at the end of another year, looking into the beginning of a new one.  At the beginning of 2016, I wrote about Sherlockian New Year's resolutions over on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, but conveniently didn't publicize what my particular goals for the year were. 

I'm a To Do list kind of person, so to hold myself accountable, here are my Sherlockian goals for 2018:

First things first.  Sherlockiana is all rooted in the Canon.  Every time I return to one of the original stories, I thoroughly enjoy my time there and realize that I don't know them as well as I think I do.  But it's so easy to get distracted by other writings, media interpretations and discussions about Sherlockiana.  So, I am resolving to read one story a week this year: 52 short stories by the end of the year.  Even if I fall short, I still feel like I'm going to be sitting pretty.  For anyone interested, here is my schedule for the first few months:

Jan 7      The Adventure of the Three Students 

Jan 14    The Adventure of the Copper Beeches 

Jan 21    The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual

Jan 28    The Adventure of the Reigate Squire

Feb 4     The Adventure of the Crooked Man

Feb 11   The Adventure of the Gold Pince Nez 

Feb 18   The Adventure of the Resident Patient

Feb 25   The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter

Mar 4     Silver Blaze 

Mar 11  The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter 

Mar 18  The Adventure of the Naval Treaty

Mar 25  The Adventure of the Final Problem

Apr 1     The Adventure of the Empty House

Apr 8     The Adventure of the Norwood Builder

Apr 15   The Adventure of the Abbey Grange 

Apr 22   The Adventure of the Dancing Men

Apr 29   The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist

May 6    The Adventure of the Cardboard Box 

May 13  The Adventure of the Second Stain 

May 20  The Adventure of the Priory School

May 27  The Adventure of Black Peter

And now that The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street is out and the initial promotion is over, I wanted to come up with something novel to keep it interesting for folks out there.  For that, I've created a Facebook page for The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street.  Starting on January 1, you will start seeing updates from Sherlock Holmes himself reminiscing about his adventures throughout the year.  If you haven't already checked out the page, give it a follow!

Speaking of writing projects, I've had my next writing project on the back burner for a few months now, and my goal is to start working on it in the next month.  It's going to be geared towards younger readers, and my research will start in earnest this winter.  My hope is that I will be ready to start the writing process by the spring.

But my big goals this year are to contribute to the wider world of Sherlockiana.  I am chair of The Beacon Society's program committee, and the committee is working hard to gather resources to make teaching Sherlock Holmes to all ages easier for educators.  My hope is that our work with The Beacon Society will help educators who are passionate about Holmes (or even those who are casually interested) be able to easily find ideas and lessons that can be used in their classrooms, libraries and other settings.

A list of my Sherlockian resolutions wouldn't be complete without mentioning The Parallel Case of St. Louis, my home scion.  We are on a good roll lately, with great discussion and steady attendance numbers.  My goal is to keep that momentum while being open and inviting to any other Sherlockians in the St. Louis area that might be interested in joining us.  We are also planning a conference for sometime in the late spring/early summer, titled "Holmes in the Heartland."  Just thinking about this conference and the great group of people at these meetings makes me giddy.  

And last, but not least, is my stretch goal.  I am a huge fan of The Baker Street Journal, and am like a kid on Christmas each time it shows up in my mailbox.  I am in awe of the scholarly research regularly printed in those pages, and for years I have hoped to write an article for the BSJ.  In fact, the idea for The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street originally started out as an article for the Baker Street Journal, but it quickly ballooned to too large for an article.  So, my goal is to muster up the courage to submit something to the BSJ.  Will it be good enough to get in?  Who knows.  But, as Holmes tells Watson in THOR, "we can but try."

Let Me Recommend This Book

Last week, I highlighted a few great books from MX Publishing, the publisher of The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street.  Today, as another piece of my year in review posts, I want to highlight some of the best Sherlockian books I've read this year.  Not all of these were necessarily published in 2017, but they are all worth adding to your collection, if you haven't already...

From Holmes to Sherlock by Mattias Bostrom

I've already spoken at length about how great this book is.  But, no Sherlockian year in review will be complete this year without mention of this book.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this book should be in every Sherlockian collection.

Arthur and Sherlock by Michael Sims

This history of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his most famous creation was all we could talk about at two meetings in a row this summer for The Parallel Case of St. Louis.  Michael Sims takes this history of literature's greatest detective and turns it into a page-turner in his own right. 

About Sixty: Why Every Sherlock Holmes Story is the Best edited by Christopher Redmond

Chance are, you probably know someone who wrote an essay in this book.  Because editor Chris Redmond made it a point to find 60 diverse authors to pen essays making an argument on which Sherlock Holmes story is the best.  Of course, we all know that SIGN is the best, but the other 59 authors' work are insightful and informative looks into how we view the different stories in the Canon.

The Whole Art of Detection by Lyndsay Faye

The only pastiche on this list, because after reading Lydsay Faye's Sherlockian writing, nothing else will ever compare.  Fifteen short stories are collected in this book, and each one is better than the last.  Faye not only makes you feel like you are reading a story that Doyle misplaced a hundred years ago, but makes you truly appreciate the friendship between Holmes and Watson as her stories take you through their lives together.

The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library edited by Leslie Klinger

I admit that I have only read 5 out of the 10 volumes in this collection, but oh man, do I love these books!  Exhaustively researched and annotated, this collection is a cornerstone for a scholarly collection on Sherlock Holmes.  Even if you have read every story in the Canon over and over, Leslie Klinger will bring new insights and research to you on every page.

You Will Find Some Books Over There

Last week's post centered around a Sherlockian book that didn't click with me.  I'm going in the complete opposite direction for the next two weeks and highlighting some Sherlockian books that I've really enjoyed over the years.  This week's post will focus solely on books from MX Publishing, the publisher of The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street.  Next week, my best Sherlockian books of 2017.  In no particular order, here are some of my favorite titles from MX:

56 Sherlock Holmes Stories in 56 Days by Charlotte Anne Walters

This is a whirlwind tour through the canon's short stories.  The title says it all.  Charlotte Anne Walters set the goal for herself to read a story a day for almost 2 months straight.  Sounds easy, right?  Well, life has other obligations.  So whether she's trying to keep her eyes open at night or fitting a story in on her subway ride to work, Walters charges ahead.  The result of her efforts is a concise and pleasant synopsis of each story with just enough personal details to relate to us all.  This is a book I find myself dipping back into repeatedly if I just need a quick refresher on a certain story.  It's a great resource and a fun read for anyone out there.

Sherlock Holmes on the Roof of the World by Thomas Kent Miller

After dispatching Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, Sherlock Holmes disappeared, spending two years traveling in Tibet. Thomas Kent Miller's "Sherlock Holmes on the Roof of the World" is the first in a series filling in those missing years in the great detective's life. This is a quick and very enjoyable read. In the book, we find Holmes under the guise of Sigerson, a Norwegian explorer, meeting up with Horace Holly and Leo Vincey from H. Rider Haggard's novel "She" in a protected Buddhist library. From there, our three characters are the focal point of a fast paced mystery. Because Dr. Watson was not around during this point in Holmes' life, this story is narrated by Leo Vincey, and the narration style is more in the way of Haggard's adventures than Doyle's mysteries. This book was a delight to read, and if you are a Holmes fan, H. Rider Haggard adventure fan, or just a fan of a well told tale, you should give "Sherlock Holmes on the Roof of the World" a shot.

A Professor Reflects on Sherlock Holmes by Marino Alvarez

I've had the chance to work with Marino Alvarez on a writing project this year and have been very impressed with his canonical knowledge and professional demeanor.  So when I saw he had a book, it immediately jumped to the top of my TBR list.  I read his book this summer and the variety of essays in this collection were all a delight in their own different ways.  One essay may delve into the educational importance of the Sherlock Holmes stories while another analyzes Ronald Knox's influence on our hobby.  No matter the topic addressed, each essay is an insightful look into a facet of the Sherlockian world, and one that leaves the reader more informed after having read it.

A Scandal in Bohemia: A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel by Petr Kopl

Now, for something completely different!  Petr Kopl's colorful take on one of the best Holmes stories is one that will leave you wanting more.  That's good, because there's more in the series!  This graphic novel merges A Scandal in Bohemia with The Speckled Band, and inserts just enough new plot elements to make even an old school Sherlockian wonder what's coming next.  For a quick, fun read, this is the book for you.

Baker Street Beat by Dan Andriacco

Probably more well-known for his McCabe & Cody mystery series, Dan Andriacco's book "Baker Street Beat" is a true delight to read.  The contents of this book vary greatly.  From scholarly essays to scripts for radio plays to short pastiches, Andriacco does it all.  I read this on a car ride down to Texas this summer, and it made the time fly!

The Macdougall Twins Series by Derrick Belanger

Full disclosure: I've only read one of these books.  But to my credit, that's because my fifth graders keep snatching them up!  Derrick Belanger's series is aimed at young readers and introduces Sherlock Holmes to a new generation by using him as a character in a fun series with ten year old twin detectives.  They are a high interest series and although they are targeted to kids, they will bring a smile to the face of Sherlockians of any age.

I May As Well Give Up the Attempt at Once

Before I get started with this week’s blog post, The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street got some nice shout outs recently. Dan Andriacco gave it a next review in his website, and I was interviewed by Derrick Belanger for I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. 

Alright, I’m done rooting my own horn....

This week found me reading two  books that gave me very different feelings: one that I loved, and one that I fought and fought until I finally gave up and abandoned it.

The book I loved was Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp This book was the basis for my favorite Christmas movie, Die Hard. It was a fast paced read that was similar enough to the movie to make me smile in recognition, but different enough to keep me wondering what was next.

But this isn’t a blog about Die Hard (but it is the right time of year for that sort of thing....), which brings me to my other book. It was a Sherlockian book that many people have liked. But, man, it didn’t click for me. I am a believer in the idea that there are too many books in the world to read something you don’t want to. I knew early on this book wasn’t a good fit for me, but I kept coming back to it a few times a day for a few days until I finally gave in.

I kept at it because it was a Sherlockian book, and the author cares about this hobby as much as I do. They were very knowledgeable in their research and the book was well written, it just didn’t click for me. Had this book been on another topic and I had the same response, I would’ve bailed after 30 or so pages when I knew it wasn’t working for me.

But I’m willing to give all things Sherlockian the benefit of the doubt. To be honest, I think Sherlock Gnomes looks terrible. Nothing in that trailer looked interesting to me. But I’m excited for it to come out and introduce Holmes to new viewers who may one day become new readers.

There are plenty of other subsets of Sherlockiana that don’t particularly get me excited, but I’m glad they are out there for those people who do enjoy it. This may seem like a negative topic, but I’m happy that whether we are Johnlockers or chronology fanatics, we can all find a common ground in the 60 stories.

And when it comes to being a Sherlockian, as long as you enjoy the canon, welcome to the party, pal!