Ebooks I have read - Goodbye Mr Chips

Yes, I'm on a James Hilton kick at the moment. This is the review that I just posted on Goodreads.

"This is a short book, a gentle book and a great book.

In a very short time and space, James Hilton introduces us to a man, an unexceptional man, and makes us care for him so much that if you're not in tears at least a couple of times before the end then you need to consult a cardiologist to make sure that your heart hasn't been removed.

This is great writing in the service of a touching tale that, no matter how small, is no small matter."

Ebooks I have read

Lost Horizon is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read. It is a discussion of a delightful philosophy and an examination of the inner workings of an exceptional man all framed in the pretence of an adventure novel.

The real triumph of Lost Horizon, though, is in the way that Hilton weaves the spell of Shangri-La on the reader even as he is detailing the very spell that he is conjuring. The Lamasery in the book is the most relaxing place on the planet and the passages set there relax the reader wonderfully, except for the jarring interruptions of the character Mallinson, who is meant to be jarring.

There is a reason why this story has been so lasting, why Shangri-La is a name memorable for more than the many B&Bs it has given name to, and why the musical film of the 70s is such a horror and that is that this book is a book about the soul, about the mind, about the heart and about the yearning for peacefulness.

In current times, it's a book I keep returning to and continually feel restored afterwards.

(The Ronald Colman film version is also sublime)

For the kindle, it can be found on the australian project gothenburg site and downloaded as a webpage to be transferred to kindle for reading.

To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) New review posted

The website www.starsandaliens.com has reviewed To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) - I'm having to use the full title now since the sequel now has the title of To Infinity (and maybe just a bit further). It's good with a slight reservation, and here it is:

"Concept/World
The worlds on which To Infinity (and maybe that’s far enough) is set are imaginative and entertaining.  I particularly liked the floating palaces of Bliss 3.

Story
The plot moves along at a good pace with lots of adventurous action.  I liked the unexpected changes of direction and the way the plot developed.  I was a little disappointed by the twist at the end.  Twists that reframe the whole situation can strain credibility, particularly when you’re deeply involved in the story.

Characters
Kaymer Haynes is an interesting character, a con man with a sense of humour.  I found him very engaging, with a sense that there was always a lot more going on than he was letting on.  Other characters are lightly but effectively drawn.  I loved the stroppy computer and the bonkers Dennis Crump.

Presentation
There is an error in the book description; “ever copy” instead of “every copy”. There are similar grammar/punctuation errors in the book (I noted 13), such as “Huge blocks of plas-wrapped cargo was floating free”.   If small errors of this kind irritate you when reading then you may find that detracts from your enjoyment of the story.

Overall           
I was intrigued by the title of this story and slightly puzzled by the end of the book because it wasn’t clear why it was called that other than as a jokey take on “To Infinity and beyond”.  I enjoyed the humour and adventure in the story, and I liked the characters, too.  The first couple of chapters are brilliant and it is a very entertaining read.  If it hadn’t been for the imperfect proofreading and the credibility-straining twist at the end, I would have given this 5*."

First Man From UNDEAD review

The first Man From U.N.D.E.A.D. review was posted on Amazon.co.uk today.

It runs:

"Squid Gods, Sirens and Sex bombs - whats not to like?,

This is the latest instalment of fabulous fun from the amazing Darren Humphries! Well it is loads of fun - his books just keep getting better and better. This one reminds me of the old hard-boiled, wise-cracking American private eye books, but with futuristic technology and some decidedly un-earthly characters.
It starts off with a flash and a bang, and keeps on going until the end with lots more flashes and bangs. There are many twists and turns and unexpected revelations, and the whole thing is very satisfyingly absurd and exciting. There are dramatic deaths and betrayals - all the right ingredients for a truly tasty dish.
I am reliably informed that there is going to be a sequel to this book and I am already eagerly waiting for it. The world needs more of this insanity."

All of which is more than enought to make me blush.

First Review for The Great Rock N Roll Doomsday Tour

The Great Rock N Roll Doomsday Tour has been pretty much unregarded amongst the books that I've put onto Amazon and Smashwords. Maybe it's something to do with the title, or the cover or the blurb. I don't know.

Still, I finally got my first review for it on Amazon.co.uk

"If you like a good laugh read this.
Full of whacky characters like a gunman from a western, to the devil and a guardian angel who doesn't act very angelic!
Never a dull moment and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
A great romp and a bargain as well."

There is nothing better than knowing that someone liked what you've produced and I'll be able to float on this for a while.

Kindle final test not so easy

When it comes to self-publishing on Kindle it's pretty easy if you have any sort of computer literacy, but I've come across a slight glitch in the final step.

My latest book, The Man From U.N.D.E.A.D. - The Curious Case Of The Kidnapped Chemist had gone through all the various pre-checks and even the dtp online preview.

All I needed to do was to publish it, buy it and then unpublish it whilst I checked it out on my own kindle as a final check.

Unfortunately,  the system doesn't allow for that. The book was published and became available to download almost immediately, but on the dtp platform it is still marked as 'publishing' hours later and I am unable to upload a new version that deals with two very minor formatting issues that have somehow cropped up in the final dtp translation until whatever process that denotes is completed.

This is one of the few times that I am hoping that nobody notices the book until I can get the new file uploaded and the issues resolved.

Ebooks I have read - Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

Stories I Only Tell My Friends

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rob Lowe played Sam Seabourne in THE WEST WING and left after four seasons. My whole reason for buying this book was to find out why and I had to wait to the end to find out why. Before that, I had to get through his youth, his early attempts to break into acting, his early films and successes, the sex tape scandal (somewhat glossed over) and his drinking problems/rehab. Throughout the book, he is engaging, funny, entertaining and unapologetic, although as with most autobiographies there is more than a little 'it wasn't really my fault' going on.

There is more about his politics and his career than about his bedhopping and most of the stories are fun to share. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to have learned after reading it, but I'm off to rewatch all seven seasons of the best TV show ever (TM) THE WEST WING.

My Goodreads Reviews