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.
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| 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
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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.
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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
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| 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.
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