Actually, the quote – from Shakespeare – is “A sad tale’s best for Winter,” but I tend to disagree; I think we have plenty of S(easonal) A(ffective) D(isorder) around these parts already during the too-short days of Winter. So the stories I select for Thrilling Tales: the Storytime for Grown-Ups, our regular lunch hour story readings at the Central Library, tend to provoke and excite, stirring up the vital juices and raising the pulse. There’s a little something for everyone this Winter, from explosive action to psychological suspense, contemporary thrillers to Russian classics, and we step into Spring with something completely different, a mermaid’s tale.
Monday, Jan 2: The Adventure of the Giant Rat of Sumatra, by John Lescroart. Made public at last after a century, the great lost case of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Monday, Jan 30: The Bodyguard, by Lee Child. The pay’s good, but that’s one brutal severance package. Also Revenge, by Samuel Blas. All she knew is he had ruined her life, and he must pay.
Monday, Feb 6: Not One of Us, by Patricia Highsmith. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can really kill you. A chilling story of everyday cruelty, from a master of the macabre.
Monday, March 5: The Queen of Spades, by Alexander Pushkin. Hers was a foolproof system for winning at cards, and he was just the fool to try it. Also The Bet, by Anton Chekhov. Would you go to jail for two million rubles?
Monday, April 2: A Touch of Strange, by Theodore Sturgeon. Something fishy about this tryst, as the rising moon tugs at the tidal amours of two curious seekers.
Thrilling Tales happens at 12:05 in the Microsoft Auditorium on Level One of the Central Library, and is concluded by 12:50. You’re welcome to bring your lunch or knitting. Admission is free, of course.
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