Tag: bookworm

Sarah (The Canaan Trilogy #1) by Marek Halter

Sarah (The Canaan Trilogy #1) by Marek Halter
sarah

A historical fiction about the early days of Abraham from Sarah’s (Sarai’s) point-of-view.

I think that this novel wasted an opportunity for a great story. Like a majority of women in the Bible, Sarai’s life was largely untold. So, Marek Halter had a blank slate to work with.

And what he wrote for Sarai was a life of waiting. Waiting for Abram to talk to his god. Waiting for Abram to come back from war. Waiting to become pregnant. Waiting and wandering, looking for a home.

If I had written this story, Sarai would have been so busy doing something spectacular that she would have hardly even noticed Abram’s absence or presence. Maybe she invented a new form of weaving. Maybe she started her own business selling those herbed loaves that she was so proud of. Or, to introduce a fantasy twist, maybe she was secretly a vampire hunter, like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

My point is: for a story about a woman, it was mostly about the men in her life. Which makes it not very different than the source material. And, in my mind, a disappointment.

Thanks for reading!

Bizarre Books: a Compendium of Classic Oddities by Russell Ash

Bizarre Books: a Compendium of Classic Oddities by Russell Ash
bizarrebooks

Though it relies too heavily on puns and doubles ententes, Bizarre Books is a humorous look at titles, subjects and author names in published materials. It is a must-read for any book lover or professional who deals with the printed word on a daily basis. *cough* Librarians. *cough*

“All the books recorded are real titles, with real authors. All of them were published with the serious intention of informing, not amusing. In this, they have signally failed.” introduction, pg 7.

I don’t think that ALL of them were meant to be informative. Take this entry from one of my favorite genres, science fiction: Planet of the Knob Heads. Stanton A. Coblentz. Science Fiction, Atlas Publishing, 1939. “Jack and Marjorie are brought to the distant world of their captors. In far Andromeda, they struggle against “favors” of the knob-heads – but hope fades as they face the High Knobule!” pg 40. Almost irresistible, isn’t it?

If science fiction isn’t your thing, how about this (I’m guessing) thriller: What Farrar Saw. James Hanley. Nicholson & Watson, 1946. “No story by Mr. Hanley is without its moral implications; here we have a glimpse of nightmare horror and chaos in a monstrous machine ridden world. It starts simply enough as chaos does. A young couple set off for a holiday in Scotland.” pg 44. Sounds at least as promising as The Girl on the Train, wouldn’t you say?

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Those were some of the fictional books that caught my eye. On to the non-fiction. If it was on a shelf in front of me, I’d pick up Carnivorous Butterflies by Austin Hobart Clark, pg 62.

In the most ineffective category, the prize goes to: Atomic Bombing: How to Protect Yourself. Watson Davis, et al. New York: William H. Wise & Co. 1950. One of its suggestions was: “Curl up in a ball as you hit the ground.” pg 166.

By far, my most favorite selection is: The New Guide of the Conversation in Portuguese and English in Two Parts. Pedro Carolino.

Familiar phrases: Let us go on ours feet. At what o’clock is to get up? At which is this hat. Have him some children? pg 54. And so on. The authors dedicated another three pages to this gem alone.

Highly recommended from this bookworm. It made me laugh a lot and that is not easy to do.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to The Help Desk! Book reviews and musings on life by Heidi Wiechert.

Welcome to The Help Desk! Book reviews and musings on life by Heidi Wiechert.

Hello world!  My name is Heidi and I’m a public librarian.  I work at a desk with a huge help sign over it.  Hence, the name of this blog.

I’m going to record my book reviews here.  I may also write some job related posts too, but nothing too serious or scholarly.

I love to read fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, memoirs, historical fiction, business books, and metaphysical or New Age books.  Frankly, if it’s been written, I’d probably read it and, most likely, love it.

I utilize Goodreads and, if you’re on there too, I’d love to connect.  See you there: https://www.goodreads.com/HeidiWiechert

Thanks for reading!