Second chance pile - read it or unhaul it #3

 This is going so well that I'm continuing this challenge a third time. The last two had me keeping one book of five - twice. I have less than a dozen books on my second chance pile right now. Let's keep going. 

Courtesy of Wallpapers.com

As usual, here are the rules. 

1. I pick up a book at random from the pile. 

2. I read at least 5 chapters. 

3. I decide if I keep going or DNF (do not finish) it. 

4. I review it. 

The process above is what'll happen to these books. I'm trying to do at least three per blog. If I DNF two in a row, I pick five. If I'm not enjoying myself and I'm not compelled to keep reading I will put it down. Onward!

Sherlock Holmes and the Egyptian Hall Adventure by Val Andrews

Courtesy of bakerstreet.wikia.com

This is another Sherlock Holmes. It wasn't Arthur Conan Doyle obnoxious, refreshingly enough, but I wasn't sure of it two chapters in. To clarify, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't screaming "read me" either. By chapter four I was hoping chapter five came faster - and not because I was interested in the storyline. This is a clear donate/unhaul. 

As Sherlock Holmes' adventures go, this one wasn't that bad. I also didn't get overly into it and need to know the culprit. It took place at a magic hall that had magic and illusionist acts. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for Holmes, nor did Watson seem stupid (like he sometimes does in other stories). I simply wasn't compelled to keep reading. 

Courtesy of simonandschuster.com

In The Company of Sherlock Holmes by multiple authors

This was an anthology of short stories from other authors - all inspired by Sherlock Holmes. In this case, five chapters will equal five short stories. I have some confidence in this one, since Jeffrey Deaver is included in the anthology and I like his Bond novel. After three-ish short stories, I decided to keep it. I'm reading it slowly and at my leisure. 

One thing to note is the variety of authors and the variety of stories. You've got stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes, so not everything is a Sherlock Holmes story. I'm not giving it a star rating. There are too many stories to rate, so I won't. I'm pretty sure I'll like the majority of them, but I also know I might not. I'm keeping it and I made my decision. If it gets to the point that I only like five of them, I'll still keep it for those five alone and mark the good ones. 

Donna Parker Secret Agent by Marcia Martin

Courtesy of abebooks.com

This is a story about a high school-age girl. The book itself is from the late 1950s. I'd say it reads like a Nancy Drew combined with an afterschool special on voting. It isn't exactly in amazing shape as a physical book, so I'm careful with it. The cover was falling off. It's a fun read. It centers on Donna Parker in her journalism class. She's having a conflict with her best friend, who wants to join another club and doesn't do everything with her anymore. Different classes and clubs get in the way. The journalism club leads Donna Parker to a different crowd of people. Basically, Donna is growing up. 

I'm keeping it. It's not only a fun read, but an antique to add to my collection. I'll put it with the Nancy Drews. It's from 1957 and I can see the influence of the Cold War in it, including a plot to steal helicopter plans from Tommy (a character who won an award for his new plans) and an Uncle who pops up out of nowhere. It seems spies are about. Also, Donna grows apart from her friend Ricky (a girl) who seems to be growing up, too. To her surprise, though, Ricky helps her mother throw a massive surprise birthday party. Also, we have a sketchy janitor and a whole theme about voting, complete with voting for a school Mayor and getting a 90 percent vote for the actual election in their community (by campaigning to get everyone to vote). They really push the "everybody vote" theme, without being obnoxious. They even babysit so the women can vote, and interestingly enough, a woman says her husband doesn't support her voting but she's doing it anyway. 

I won't spoil anything else, in case you actually find a copy and read it. It could be read in a solid day or maybe one afternoon (if uninterrupted). It isn't common to find these in antique stores. You might have to check online. There are four in all and I think they flow into each other. The ending seemed to hint at that. There was a character from the previous book and it seems to be about Donna Parker growing up. If I find another I'll pick it up. It might be worth getting the whole set. This was a four-star read. 

Conclusion

At the end of all this reading, I found some good ones. The short stories are marked as both read and unread because I want to savor them instead of binging them. Donna Parker fits in nicely with my Nancy Drews, as she is a lot like Nancy Drew (an ordinary girl doing amazing things). I only found one dud, and that was Sherlock Holmes. As the pile grows smaller I find fewer duds. We'll see if that's true for round four. I have a strong chance of finishing my shelf clean-up before Christmas because I keep doing this challenge. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

A silent film review - Girl Shy from 1924

 Girl Shy, starring Harold Lloyd, is from the year 1924. Right now Beta Reading is in full swing, so I'm back to researching the 1920s again. I just watched Girl Shy and can give you a review. I give it 9/10 stars. 

Courtesy of tcm.com

The Harold Lloyd films always have a flare for drama in them. Our main character is an underdog and an awkward kid all around. That's what you have to expect in a Harold Lloyd film. We have Harold Meadows working at a tailor shop with a crippling fear of women and a crippling stutter. A whistle will end his stutter for a while, as the film illustrates right from the beginning. He's also writing a book (a serious book in his eyes, comical in others) about women and how to get them to love you. I wouldn't try any of his techniques, solely based on the two chapters we see acted out. That's our main character for you. 

Our love interest (the woman) is a rich girl named Mary with a jerk boyfriend she calls a friend - and refused to marry at least 6 times. I guess they were engaged too, so I'm somewhat confused. You see her jerk boyfriend with a woman in town saying "When can I meet your family" (paraphrased), and he brushes her off. Our love interest has a small lap dog that Harold saved and helped her hide on the train. It was a loud lap dog, too, and had no interest in being hidden. It was adorable, probably a pomeranian. 

It starts out being cute, then gets dramatic around the last third of the movie. The manuscript he dropped off at the publishing house was rejected - then unrejected and retitled something rather insulting "A boob's Journal". Due to this rejection (he didn't know they'd reconsidered) he self-sabotages his own romance because he thinks he's a loser. I did not enjoy seeing that part. It was heartbreaking. He later gets a 3000 dollar check and the note with it. He's insulted and says they can't have it if they are making fun of it.  

Mary, our main lady, almost marries the jerk boyfriend. The day of the marriage the woman from earlier shows up again, only to announce and prove she is the WIFE of the jerk boyfriend. Oof. Harold then goes on a long, long, long scene of hopping and stealing transportation (including a bootlegger's car) to get to the wedding. He crashes it just in time to show her the proof and ask her to marry him (stuttering while doing so). A successful wedding crash saved Mary from dating a cheater and redeemed our main character. Hooray!

Courtesy of manchesterinklink.com

What I Liked

This one was cute, adorable even. I loved the little lap dog incident, which actually had our main character eating a dog biscuit to cover for why Mary had the biscuits at all. They were trying to hand it into the bag that hid the dog because it was yapping. It was silly and adorable. I also loved the two main characters - except for when Harold decides he's worth nothing and tries to throw away a good thing. 

This one had all my attention, as opposed to the other Harold Lloyd I watched (The Freshman, 1925). This was more of a rom-com (romantic comedy) than anything. I liked that. You see a lot of jokes and physical humor in these. It takes a special kind of acting to pull all that off. There was nothing I disliked enough to even have a section on what I disliked. Even the long segment of hopping transportation was entertaining. 

Overall Thoughts

This one is worth watching. I'm putting a link here for you to watch it (🎬 Movie - Harold Lloyd in Girl Shy - (1924) (youtube.com) ) 

If you want a cute film that has a rom-com feel, but some dramatic tension, you'll love this. It's wholesome and fun. You get a lot of cute animals thrown in at random, too. I will say you see some bare bottoms (some kids swimming in a river while Harold tries to find a romantic spot to sit with our main lady) for a brief minute. The animals include pet birds, piglets and mother pig, kittens and mother cat, and the lap dog that makes an adorable ruckus through the train. It's worth watching. 

As for the book he wrote, our main character was fantasizing and it was hilarious. The Caveman methods are pretty much throwing anything in your way on the ground and being a barbarian (literally smacking someone on the butt with their own shoe). That method was for flappers. The vampire romance was basically indifference. Quite dramatic and not helpful if you really wanted to find love. Those two illustrated scenes are funny. What's also funny is the jerk boyfriend saying "They say the 7th time is lucky. I'm going to try proposing again", only to annoy her and cause her to crash her car into a ditch. One man is writing bad fiction and the other is just an idiot. All the same, Mary chose the right man at the end of the story. Fortunately, his book wasn't published. And fortunately, none of the methods he wrote about were used to romance our main lady. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Second Chance Pile - Read or Unhaul It Challenge #2

 I'm doing it again. I need the motivation and help. The pile is still too deep. If you don't know what this is I'll explain. I'm reading five chapters of a book, randomly selected from the Second Chance pile of my personal library, and deciding whether to finish or DNF (do not finish) it. Let's dive in. 

1. I pick up a book at random from the pile. 

2. I read at least 5 chapters. 

3. I decide if I keep going or DNF (do not finish) it. 

4. I review it. 

The process above is what'll happen to these books. I'm trying to do at least three per blog. If I DNF two in a row, I pick five. If I'm not enjoying myself and I'm not compelled to keep reading I will put it down. Onward!

The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barratt

Courtes of moonglotexas.com

This was given to me by a coworker, who loves historical fiction. I trust this coworker's taste, but I'll admit that I dropped this book 19 pages in. The book was not poorly written, nor was it bad. It's about the students in Germany who resisted the Nazi regime. It came highly recommended and this was the copy I was gifted.  The problem is me; I didn't want to sit through the hard emotions this book was serving up only 19 pages in. I was not here to be depressed, I was here to be entertained. This is why I don't pick this genre up without a friend's suggestion. Given that, I didn't make it to chapter five at all. 

You'd love this if you like historical fiction, the 1940s era, and history from the time of Hitler. You'll put this down (like I did) if you don't want to wade through the dark emotion this serves up. It comes right out with it in the first chapter alone. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas vibe is what this gives you. Please decide accordingly, now that you know. Anything this heavy should have a warning on it. It has left my library. 

The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin

Courtesy of lostinbookland.com

I got bored at chapter two. I will not lie. I wasn't invested in the main character and couldn't care less. I'm not the audience for this. You might protest that this book was great, as would my coworker who gave me the book, but I'm not the audience for this. 

The basic idea is that a woman moves to London in wartime to work at a bookshop, amidst London getting the brunt of the war at the time. I don't know any other details. Really, I skimmed chapter three, and the interest in the book, for me, wasn't any better. I feel bad because the same coworker who gave me the book above gave me this, yet, I have no will to finish it. 

Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin

Courtesy of Audible.com

Again, I see that historical fiction is not something I'm an audience for. I was only in the prologue. I stopped reading. The mental distress of WWII era books is not my thing. I'm learning more and more what I don't want to read for leisure. Again, this book was given to me by the same person as the books above. I feel bad, but now I know our tastes differ (which isn't a bad thing). 

The basic plot is about three women during the WWII invasion, set in the Netherlands. If you like hearing about the underground you might like it. I was not bored, yet the emotional weight was already present in the prologue. Keep in mind this isn't going to be a light reading experience. I've learned that I don't want to sit with this heavy, dark emotion. The world is already dark enough without reliving WWII. 

The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln By C. A. Tripp

Courtesy of Kobo.com

Do you want to know if Abraham Lincoln was gay? I don't. I picked this up with no thought whatsoever and have no idea why. The writing was also geared toward researchers, so there you have it. It was not written for leisure reading. My eyes glazed over at the wording alone. I'm not keeping it. It'll be in the little library with the rest of them. 

If you have an interest in knowing if Lincoln was gay and sleeping with a man, go ahead and try it out. I don't have any interest in such things. I can freely admit it makes no difference to me what he did with his free time and why his marriage was like it was. He was a president who ended slavery. That's all I need to know. 

Storm Front by John Stanford

Courtesy of Goodreads

I listened to chapter one and was already intrigued. I did look up if I needed to read it in order of series, but thankfully I don't. It has the feel of Philip Marlowe without the Noir-style flair. It starts with a stolen archeological stone and gets more complicated from there. They end up chasing this stone and the man who stole it all over the place. You've got a rough, hardboiled detective feel in a small community in Minnesota. It's connected to Israel (as the dig stone came from near the Jordan River). It has a possible Israeli operative in it. It's a quick, easy read for an afternoon or morning. 

Do keep in mind that the F-bomb is spoken. Please note that if you hate cussing. Also, there are minuscule traces of sexist dialogue (some dialogue that irks me a little), but it isn't as bad as I thought. It isn't out of the ordinary for the hardboiled detective genre. It's easy to get past. Specifically, it is usually attached to or about a character nicknamed "Ma" (who is a mother, but not to our main character). Side characters often comment on her boobs. I was at least happy they didn't describe her body in detail while she skinny-dipped - they let your imagination fill that info in. The same goes for sex; they did not describe it, just hinted that it happened. 

Another thing that irked me is specifically ball/crotch/testicle-related dialogue or figures of speech - all of which happens way too often, and never in a sexual connotation. If it happened once I wouldn't be commenting on it, but it happens at least 8 times in the book. I cringe at it every time. Also, I cringed every time they mentioned Ma's boobs. Seriously.  Stop! 

All that aside, it was a 3.75-star book. It was above average and I liked it. I'm keeping it. It's the only success story in this blog. If you like Marlowe and don't mind a rough Minnesota Agent, you'll like it. Also, if you dislike reading sex scenes, you'll be happy with it.  

Concluding Thoughts

I know some of you might be in a similar position to me, that you might be given books you aren't sure of. My best advice is to try them. If you love it, great, but if not you tried. That alone is a mark of friendship. I also advise you not to lie about your thoughts and tastes to spare feelings. It'll help your friend find books you'll love later on when you are honest. Maybe they don't even ask your thoughts, for all you know. 

One of the original books I had for this challenge is the second in a series, so I'm keeping it. It's no longer on the second chance pile, at least until I read the first one. I had to change my book selection mid-challenge. This is the fastest I've burned through the pile, yet. Only one is staying, and that is Storm Front. Despite some of the cringe, I am keeping it. It passed my test (whether it is better or equal to 3.5 stars). I learn more about my reading tastes with every challenge. I might get through my books before Christmas, at this rate. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Eragon - A Review

 I picked up Eragon from a little library while I was cramming duplicate books into the empty spaces. I exchanged 9 books for one. Today we review that one book. Let's get to it. 

Courtesy of pics.alphacoders.com

I watched the Eragon movie in 2006 and did not fully understand some of it. It turns out what my parents remembered is about what I remembered, too. Which wasn't much except a few scenes. Of what I remember, we have an old man dying on a flying dragon, the dragon and egg itself, a scary scene with someone being interrogated while our main character hid and watched, and a weird cursed woman who was cursed by some weird guy. This is what I remembered in a nutshell. I picked this up purely on the knowledge I enjoyed the movie when I was 11. 

I read this book and was immediately hooked. It began with an excellent prologue and a likable protagonist. After a few chapters, I knew I'd made a good choice. I had a signed copy, too, so I don't know who or why someone put this in a little library. Not everyone is a book dragon, I guess. 

What I liked About It

Let's start from the top. It has similarities to Game of Thrones in the format, but only the format. Both have a prologue that is intriguing but doesn't reveal all. Both introduce you to the world the author built while introducing the characters, making you attached to the characters before the action even begins. Before everything gets intense you know the character and life of your protagonist. You know the town, the people in it, the family, and what their normal life is like. This then gets turned upside down by the events leading into the main plot.

This book is clearly meant to be the first in a series, setting up how the main character learns about his power and abilities. He tests out magic, gets trained by Brom, and learns more about his dragon as they travel to get revenge for his Uncle's awful death. Brom is teaching Eragon what he needs to know for the future plot and future books. This means the next book will likely explain Eragon's and the dragon's abilities less than the first. This is a long, but entertaining, training segment until Brom dies.  

After Brom dies, you see a more mature Eragon. He buries him, has a new companion with secrets he's not sharing, and saves the elf he saw in his dreams after a brief stay in prison (and a rescue). This is where the training montage ends. We get real life smacking him into adulthood as soon as Brom dies. He's 16 and now of age (according to the story). He's making decisions and not impulsively using magic as often. He's learned to use his knowledge. He still makes mistakes, but he's much more cautious. 

To save the elf Eragon rescued, they travel to the Varden, where Murtagh starts getting really temperamental fast. He reveals that his parentage is the reason he's running from both Varden and Empire. Basically, he becomes a problem and an ally at the same time. He ends up, because he didn't split company, trapped into joining Eragon to see the Varden. This is where all the crap hits the fan, in case you were wondering. It's just gotten worse for this traveling party. 

With the Varden, hostility still comes. The elf is being cared for. The Varden doesn't know about Murtagh's secret at this point. The prologue with the elf courier connects directly to this elf, Arya. She was the courier from the prologue. They say it directly. She'd been heavily tortured by a Shade (a race with pointed teeth) by this point in the book. Eragon had seen visions of her in her prison cell before he rescued her. At this point Murtagh is kept separate for his own safety (in a cushy room) and the elf is now healed. Then the crap really hits the fan in an epic battle where Eragon defeats the Shade from the beginning, earning himself a long scar (that looks similar to Murtagh's back scar) and glory, as well as a vision of a strange man in white. The man warns him to keep the mental interaction secret. 

It has not gone Game of Thrones dark, which I was afraid of when it began like Game of Thrones. It's definitely young adult fantasy. It touches on darkness without diving into it deeper than it needs to. You get the point when it does get dark, though. Already our character is damaged, yet when I read this book it isn't a heavy, dark read. It's dark enough to get the point across without scaring its younger audience. 

Courtesy of Amazon

Our Main Characters

Eragon, our protagonist, starts off reckless and then grows up as he's trained. By the end of the training montage portion of the book and Brom's death he's grown into the age of adulthood(16) in the book culture. He's not as reckless. He's on his own and he knows it. He and Saphira are a team, an unstoppable one at that. By the time of Brom's death, he's seen some stuff. He's even saved an elf soon after. He's not a "perfect" protagonist and I like that. He's relatable. 

Saphira is a dragon. She's wise beyond her age. Not only is she sassy and witty, but she's an excellent source of help to Brom, Murtagh, and Eragon. She's bonded to Eragon deeply, something that makes her far more than a pet. She's speaking in thoughts to Eragon. It's a great way to give her more agency than just being an animal. It turns out that dragons had their own society way back when. Not surprising when you see how wise Saphira is. 

Brom is short-lived in this saga. He functions as a mysterious mentor, trains Eragon, and dies in battle. He had secrets for a significant portion of the early chapters. When he revealed all at Eragon's urging Eragon was ready for it. His death transitions Eragon into full adulthood, ending all training montages. He's a wise man who berates Eragon for his serious mistakes early on, driving home that magic is no joke and can kill you if misused. Brom is also reckless in some ways, making his bond to Eragon make more sense. 

Murtagh is a mystery, too, but not a mentor. He's a traveling companion who's hiding from both Empire and Varden, and we don't know why for chapters at a time. Eragon tries to look in his head and sees an impenetrable wall for his trouble. He saved them all, minus Brom who was far too injured to make it. He's been a great help in troubling times. He doesn't ask about Eragon's past and Eragon doesn't ask about his - that is until they need to go to the Varden. He's become a friend and traveling companion. The only thing that he won't do is go to the Varden, due to an issue with his parentage, which causes no end of conflict when the elf they rescued needs a poison antidote. At that point, he became a bit of a problem and was more of a liability. He does battle with the group, but I still am not sure of him. 

Arya, the elf they saved, is unconscious for much of the plot. She then becomes an unstoppable force in the end book battle. She allows Eragon to take out the Shade that controlled the Urgals. Not only that, but she's no damsel in distress. She's a powerful elf and is stronger magically than anyone at the battle. She's amazing and Eragon is enthralled by her. She's no weakling. I love her. 

What To Note

The first thing you need to know is how long this book is. It is a thick fantasy of about 500 pages. If you can barely finish a 200-page novel you'll have a hard time finishing this. The second book is even thicker, 768 pages (not counting the pronunciation guide and elvish/dwarven dictionary). Pick it up when you have time on your hands, not when life is too busy to sit down for fifteen minutes. 

The second thing to note is the genre, which is young adult high fantasy. This was aimed at Young Adult audiences, which means you don't go as hard (or as dark) as Game of Thrones or adult fantasy. High fantasy is more out there. Think epic quests, dragons, elves, dwarves, and magic systems. It doesn't blend real life and fantasy, instead, it creates its own world. This is a good start to getting into fantasy if you want to do so. 

The third thing to note is the book is not the movie. It isn't even close. It was a fun watch, but it didn't explain as much as it could have. It didn't help I watched it when I was a little young for the series, too. I was in elementary school for reference. I kind of want to rewatch it to see it more clearly, through adult eyes. My experience aside, you do need to know the movie and book don't match. 

There are now five books, counting the newest one "Murtagh". The fifth focuses on Murtagh after the events of the first four books. I do want to continue, and I intend to, but I don't know that I'm picking up book 2 right away since it is so long and I have so many on my bucket list. Don't be shocked if the review for "Eldest" shows up on my blog in the next two years. I'm reading these slowly, at my pace. I don't have all day to sit with a book these days. Adulthood is hard. 

The little dictionary at the back is nifty. You'll want to use it. It includes some pronunciation help and translations (so you know what someone said). Use it when you are reading out loud. Not all the words are intuitive and I got some pronunciation wrong while reading. 

Overall Thoughts

This a five-star fantasy and I was nearly compelled to start the 768-page book that was next. I highly suggest picking it up, especially if you want to dip your toes in high fantasy. It doesn't go Game of Thrones hard, so you can get a sense of the genre without struggling through the cruel darkness. It doesn't shy from dark ideas, but it doesn't dwell on them too long. It's the perfect blend of dark and light ideas. Check it out next time you see it somewhere. It's worth the hype and worth the reading time. 

My overall thoughts on all of it have a lot to do with what the storyline sets up. Basically, I am excited to see if Murtagh is actually trustworthy. Eragon may trust him, but I'm still not sure. Arya is amazing and I want to see more of her. Eragon is a bit naive when it comes to people and sees the world through a positive lens, which is unique in such a dark world. I love that. I nearly picked up the next one, the page count being the only reason I didn't. 

***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.