The Introverted Detective

 Oh boy, I don't know how to describe this one in words, but I can describe it in laughter. Let's talk about the controversial film The Flesh and The Devil, from 1926. It starred Greta Garbo and it was something else.  Courtesy of Fanpop I didn't know I could laugh this hard at a drama. I could see all the plot twists coming a mile away. I was right on the money with each one. This film had kissing and making out in it, which is controversial for 1926. I call it comedy, really, and it's so bad it's good. Watch this for a good laugh at a melodramatic film.  Plot? Right, let's get into it. It comes down to two best friends and starts with introducing their close, blood-brothered friendship. It establishes that they came back from the military in Germany (not Nazis, I promise). Leo (mustache) and Ulrich (clean-shaven) come home via the train. Leo has the bad luck to run into a woman (Felicitas) who is a serial cheater. He ends up getting caught with her, challenged...

 The more I promote my book, the more weird people show up in my DMs. Cold messaging out of the blue is not uncommon for book promoters with legitimate services, but scammers have the same behavior, which is annoying. Let's talk about what to do about all this, and how we can play detective to avoid giving our information to predators and scam artists.  The internet is a scary place. Most child human trafficking starts online, as grooming, when people pretend to be the age of the victim. Either they want to be a lover, a protector or father figure, or promise luxury they don't give. They figure out which by a short conversation that lasts nearly three minutes. This was what a representative from Safe Harbor told us. I will have the website for Safe Harbor right here:  SAFE HARBOR  .  Adults, too, are groomed, but it is easy to get underaged boys and girls (I said boys, you heard me) to interact with a "peer". Given all this information, we need to know if our ch...

 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 ch...

 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 a...

 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'...

 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 ...

Reading routines will get you through more books than just the open pile by your shelf. It'll get you into a habit of reading, something that will get you more into reading, provided you like the books you pick up. Let's start with how to get those habits going.    Courtesy of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls I have so many books I couldn't possibly read them all in my lifetime. I keep buying them like a book dragon. I impulsively picked up book 2 of Eragon (Eldest) and realized how thick that series is. It'll be a while before I even reach for Eldest. This is why a reading routine may aid me in my quest. We'll start with practical, easy ways to create habits and move forward from there.  Practical Tips Keep a planner, if you haven't already done so, and add your reading to it. Because no one likes leftover tasks, you should add your book to your list (even if 15 minutes is all you can spare). Any time in a book is good. Some have created book journals, if you want...