taking the train

 

The next Books & Beyond (BAB) meeting will be on Tuesday, February 28th at 6:30pm and the topic up for discussion will be retellings, books and films that put a modern spin on classic and modern classic novels.  Please join us!  

Looking for possibilities?  Visit the Shelf Care page and scroll down to the Books & Beyond section here: https://oneallibrary.org/adults---reading-recommendations

If you’d like to attend online, register here for a Zoom link: https://emmetoneal.libnet.info/event/6648591

BAB met this week to chat about trains and train trips!

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

An absolute delight of a debut novel by William Kuhn—author of Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books—Mrs Queen Takes the Train wittily imagines the kerfuffle that transpires when a bored Queen Elizabeth strolls out of the palace in search of a little fun, leaving behind a desperate team of courtiers who must find the missing Windsor before a national scandal erupts.

The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes by Anthony Sadler

An ISIS terrorist planned to kill more than 500 people. He would have succeeded except for three American friends who found heroic unity and strength inside themselves at the moment when they, and 500 other innocent travelers, needed it most. There is also a film adaptation.

Riding Britain’s Railways (streaming on Disney+)

Britain's railways were key to the development of Britain - they helped facilitate the Industrial Revolution, the suburbs- and the commuter - and created popular holiday destinations. They've even inspired poetry, film and song. Combining contemporary train journeys with ITN's extensive archive this series provides a unique and revealing history of Britain's railroads and our engineering evolution. In each episode our presenter will take a different rail journey across the UK, use historical rail guides, board classic trains, experience captivating views and explore fascinating histories and personal stories. We'll hear stories of success - and learn about the disasters which pushed the engineering forward.

Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000 Adventure by Monisha Rajesh

When Monisha Rajesh announced plans to circumnavigate the globe in eighty train journeys, she was met with wide-eyed disbelief. But it wasn't long before she was carefully plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles - almost twice the circumference of the earth - coasting along the world's most remarkable railways; from the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet's Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Strangers on a Train (1951 film)

In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller, tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) is enraged by his trampy wife's refusal to finalize their divorce so he can wed senator's daughter Anne (Ruth Roman). He strikes up a conversation with a stranger, Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), and unwittingly sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Psychopathic Bruno kills Guy's wife, then urges Guy to reciprocate by killing Bruno's father. Meanwhile, Guy is murder suspect number one.

Violet by S.J.I. Holliday (not in the JCLC system, request from Interlibrary Loan)

When two young women – strangers – end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express, a strange friendship develops, one that can only have one ending. A tense, nerve-shattering psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation and toxic friendships, Violet also reminds us that there's a reason why mother told us not to talk to strangers...

The Taking of Pelham 123 (The 1974 film is not in the JCLC system, but other adaptations are available.)

In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless "Mr. Blue" (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.

Unstoppable (2010 film)

When a massive, unmanned locomotive roars out of control, the threat is more ominous than just a derailment. The train is laden with toxic chemicals, and an accident would decimate human life and cause an environmental disaster. The only hope of bringing the train to a safe stop is in the hands of a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine), who must risk their lives to save those in the runaway's path. Inspired by true events.

Silver Streak (1976 film)

While on a cross-country train ride, overworked book editor George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) begins an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman named Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). His vacation is interrupted, however, when he witnesses a murder for which he is then accused. The true villains kidnap Hilly and eject Caldwell from the moving train. Desperate, Caldwell teams up with car thief Grover Muldoon (Richard Pryor), and together they must save Hilly while avoiding the police.

The Railwayman’s Wife by Ashley Hay

Written in clear, shining prose, The Railwayman’s Wife explores the power of beginnings and endings—and how difficult it can be to tell them apart. It is an exploration of life, loss, tragedy, and joy, of connection and separation, longing and acceptance, and an unadulterated celebration of love that “will have you feeling every emotion at once” (Bustle).

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again. Then the nanny disappears. As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…

Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)

Having concluded a case, detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) settles into what he expects will be a relaxing journey home aboard the Orient Express. But when an unpopular billionaire is murdered en route, Poirot takes up the case, and everyone on board the famous train is a suspect. Using an avalanche blocking the tracks to his advantage, Poirot gradually realizes that many of the passengers have revenge as a motive, and he begins to home in on the culprit.

The Great Train Robbery (1978 film)

Edward Pierce (Sean Connery) is a master thief of the Victorian Era who's never found a heist he couldn't pull off. For his next criminal operation, he plans something that has never been done before: to rob a moving train. Working with a master safecracker (Donald Sutherland) and a seductive woman (Lesley-Anne Down), Pierce devises an incredibly complex plan to break into the train's safe and steal the thousands of dollars' worth of gold that are contained within.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Here is the toilet documentary: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ftazg

Descriptions were pulled from Amazon and Rotten Tomatoes.