The Introverted Detective

 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...

 I've done the read it or unhaul it challenge before, but right now I have two piles of books I need to go through. I'm motivating myself to finish my book cleaning project. I intend to finish it this year. If I'm going to do that, I have to rid myself of the second chance pile before Christmas. Today's challenge is only the second chance pile.  Courtesy of Dreamstime 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! Sundays In Fredericksburg by Key, Sowell, Stevens, and Vawter Courtesy of Ebay.com I read five chapters and didn't dislike it. However, I was not compelled to keep reading any further, mostly because it was just okay. I...

 Ever been in a situation where you need to finish the open books on your shelf faster? I have. I didn't finish books for two months at one point this year. Today we discuss the strategies you can use to finish that open book pile. Courtesy of Pixy.org So you have five books open, or three or two. Let's get those finished quicker, shall we? Today I give you multiple strategies for reading a book faster (whether you have one open or five). I typically have at most three open, which is bad because my reading speed gets chopped in half with every added book. I have two open right now. I need to finish and review Eragon and read my Second Chance pile (literally, donate or keep pile).  Some of these methods require time or multi-tasking. I know some of us don't do well with either. If you're so busy you don't have time to sit down and read, I understand. Life kicks us hard sometimes. And sometimes we just don't have the motivation to do anything, even if time is avai...