Lance Greenfield's Blog, page 94
January 23, 2015
Review: Ride for Rights
Ride for Rights by Tara Chevrestt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The story is based on characters who truly existed and on events which really happened. There are contemporary snippets from the New York Times throughout the book. However, the author has changed the names of the characters and used her creative license to turn the story into a work of fiction. This makes it much more interesting than a non-fictional presentation would have been and puts the book firmly into the historical fiction genre.
The reader is captured by the action from the very beginning, and I was held captive by the pace of the story to the very end. The dialogue and the development of the characters is superb and there was no huge challenge to my imagination. What I mean by that is that the images were conjured up very vividly by Tara’s style of the writing.
The characters Angeline Hanson and her younger sister, Adelaide, are based on the teenage New York society ladies and suffragettes, Adeline and Augusta van Buran. These two young ladies actually did ride their Indian Model F Power Plus bikes from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1916, to both publicise the equality of women, promoting the cause of the suffrage movement, and to demonstrate that women should be considered for the role of dispatch rider in the First World War, with the consquence of freeing up more men for front line duties.
The adventures of Angeline and Adelaide are tremendous fun for the most part, although there are a few hairy moments. Twice they are held captive, but I don’t want to spoil the read for you by telling you any more than that.
One aspect that really appealed to me were the diary entries of Angeline which were interspersed throughout the book. This was not overdone, which can be a danger, but they definitely added a seemingly personal touch from the heroine herself, and they confirmed the story as was being narrated by the author. A very nice touch!
Another brief, yet delightful inclusion, was when the sisters met up with the dancers, Fred and Adele Astaire. As the author points out in her notes at the end of the book, she made that bit up and it may never have happened, but I loved that piece, anyway.
One addition to the book that I’d like to suggest, which would have been of great benefit to the readers, would be a map of the route that the sisters took. Many of us foreign readers, and even some Americans, are not familiar enough with the geography of the USA to conjure up a picture of their progress on the journey purely from the textual narrative.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it to all of my friends and family, and I shall look out for Tara Chevrestt’s next novel.
January 22, 2015
Some quotes that I like
No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.
Aristotle
Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.
W.B.Yeats
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain
A teaspoonful of semen contains the same amount of protein as the white of one egg. However, the consumption of semen can be much more fun.
Dr Miriam Stoppard
I only have one prejudice, and that is against those who are prejudiced.
Lance Greenfield
What rubbish anyway, he thought with scorn, an all-powerful god that was everywhere at once yet nowhere to be seen. These grunts believe anything, he thought with distaste.
Howard Loring: Beyond the Elastic Limit
#Blogging101
January 21, 2015
Review: A Tale of Oak and Mistletoe
A Tale of Oak and Mistletoe by E.B. Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I expected this fourth book in the Timewalker series to be every bit as good as the preceding three, and it did not disappoint me.
The story of Maggie and Winn and all the complex relationships that they have across time and blood ties. It is essential that you read this story in its correct sequence as many of the twists and turns of this final episode will confuse you if you don’t.
There are extremes of love and cruelty. There is grief and sadness, and happiness and joy. Close bonds are brutally broken; sometimes to be repaired and sometimes impossible to repair.
There is so much emotion in this book, right up to the very last pages. There are many unexpected twists and turns, but it all makes sense in the end.
The characters are so well painted by the author that I found myself falling in love with them. Occasionally, one of my favorites would be killed off, and I would curse E.B Brown for taking the life of someone I loved. Being a novice author myself, I can imagine how emotionally challenging writing such scenes must have been for her. I’d be willing to bet that she wept as she typed. I certainly wept as I read.
The whole series is terrific and I recommend it to all who read this review. I repeat my advice: read them in order, one to four.
January 20, 2015
Eleven Miles: A New Facebook Page
My editor, Boikanyo Trust Phenyo, has returned from a month-long visit to her homeland of Botswana and set straight to work on promoting Eleven Miles. The result is today’s launch of a brand new Facebook page for the book.
Eleven Miles: The Facebook Page
I cordially invite you to visit the page and “Like” it and share it on your own Facebook timeline and on your blog.
Half of the profits from the sales of this book will go towards the purchase and maintenance of a school bus for the remote village children of north west Botswana.
Also, if you do decide to read it yourself, please post your review on goodreads.com, amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, other book vendors’ sites and on your own blog.
Thank you in advance for your support and for re-blogging this post.
Review: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Brilliant, inspirational and very funny!
There can be no argument that Richard P Feynman was a genius. He has been a hero of mine since I was very young, probably because my father also greatly admires him and spoke to me about Feynman and his unique personality from time to time.
There are some great stories in this book and they will make you laugh out loud. Feynman was always so full of life and he was curious about absolutely everything from a very early age. He would always want to know, “How does that work?” or “Why is that the way it is?” or “Is there another way to do that?” He would also latch onto something and decide that he wanted to do it, and to do it really well. For example, witnessing the bongo-playing in Brazil inspired him to learn to play like that and not like some studio-taught purist. He achieved it through dedication to his objective and sheer passion.
What made Feynman a genius? Well, there were lots of factors that contributed to his status, many of them discussed in other reviews of this book, but, my reason for putting him into that classification was that he was capable of explaining the most complex of matters to a five-year-old. That is TRUE genius.
I have read this book many times. It is a short book and will remain amongst my collection until the day that I die. If you haven’t read it already, you should. You really need to read this book. I can guarantee that it will change at least one aspect of your life!
January 19, 2015
My Dream Dinner
I like to play the game: “Who would you invite to dinner? No limits”
I even ask the question at interviews. The answers can be quite revealing.
So let me expose myself. You may interpret my answer as you wish.
My first two guests would be Louis Armstrong and my mother, June Lawrence, who was an accomplished classical and jazz pianist. What a brilliant duet they would make for our after dinner entertainment. Could it get any better?
Well, yes, it could!
I would also invite Richard P Feynman, my lifelong hero. This man was a true genius with so many facets. If you don’t know him, or you don’t understand why I can make such a statement, I suggest that you read Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman!
In addition to all of his other amazing talents, Feynman also played the bongos to a very high standard. Perfect backing percussion for Louis and Mum!
I recognise that my personal level of intellect is inadequate for such august company. So I need one more guest to take the mealtime conversation into the stratosphere and beyond. In my mind, I have only one choice. It would have to be….
…. Archimedes.
As Satchmo himself would sing, what a wonderful evening; what a wonderful world!
#Blogging101
This post is in response to the Daily Prompt: Seat Guru (13th July 2014).
January 15, 2015
Fitness Programmes and Discipline
As part of #Blogging101 yesterday, I searched for blogs that might interest me by looking for tags and topics. As a keen participant in weekly parkruns, one of the tags I searched for was #parkrun.
I came across a very interesting and inspiring blog post by Allison, aka The Running Princess, which told the story behind her training for the Marathon de Paris 2015.
The connection didn’t stop at the parkrun, and her recent parkrun debut. It just happens that she lives in Perth and is a teacher. My Gran and Granddad lived for most of my life in Perth. I lived there for a while and went to school at Kinnoull Primary School. My Mum went to Perth Academy and was later a music teacher in schools in and around Perth. I love the Fair City!
The article reminded me of my own marathon training for the Sheffield Marathon and two London Marathons back in the early nineties. She has it all planned out, and it looks like she will stick to it. I also planned my training and was very disciplined about every step along the way, literally. It pays off.
This takes me to the present day. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Since leaving the Army, I had gradually let myself go. I was shocked to discover that I was fifty pounds (23 kilos) overweight. My GP spoke to me about diet and fitness and changes in lifestyle. I told her that I would work out a programme and execute it. I could see that she was skeptical.
My plan was to control my diet and to use my indoor rowing machine to take my weight down to a level when I could start running without fear of injuring my hip and knee joints. My aim was to lose the weight in 19 weeks. I achieved my target in 16 weeks and I have maintained my correct weight range ever since. To accomplish this, you really MUST exercise great self-discipline. Believe me!
Parkrun friends
When I started my running, I thought I’d give the Andover parkrun a try. I became addicted! This Saturday, I will complete my 107th parkrun. Most of them have been at Andover, but I have also completed two at Graves Park Sheffield and two at Greenham Common, Newbury. I love New Year’s Day, because the organisers change the timings so that it is possible to do the double: Andover at 9 am and Newbury at 1030. The weather is never too good at that time of year though.
Whilst exploring blogs, looking for references to #parkrun, I also came across another really interesting post called When Stats Don’t Matter by Steve Bonthrone. Steve’s profile is even more inspiring than Allison’s. You should read it. Coincidentally, Steve also parkruns in Perth. Allison’s husband is called Steve. Could these two Steves be one and the same person?
My 50th parkrun
Although I have visited around eighty countries in my life, and struggle to name my “home,” if I were forced to do so, I would say that Perth is my home city. So I will be following both Allison’s and Steve’s blogs, and will definitely be making the effort to get to the North Inch at 9 o’clock one Saturday morning when I next visit my sister in Fife.
Note: In the featured image, I am on the right with the orange sleeves and the black (parkrun 10th anniversary) t-shirt.
#Blogging101
January 14, 2015
Review: Skallagrigg
Skallagrigg by William Horwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Easily makes my top five
I have always been a prolific reader and sometimes have as many as five books on the go at any one time, picking up the one which most suits my mood.
This book is absolutely brilliant and so beautifully touches the emotions of the reader. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I cried often and long and deep.
It is clear that William Horwood has been close to cerebal palsy and his daughter, Rachel, does suffer from this condition.
The central figures are Arthur, a sufferer from the early part of the twentieth century, and Esther, a sufferer from the latter part of the same century. It explores the massive differences between the ways that they were perceived and the ways that they were treated because of those perceptions.
Esther embarks on a quest to find Skallagrigg, without knowing what it is, and you must read the book to find out if she succeeds and what it means.
The reader is drawn into the characters and I found myself living the rollercoaster emotional existance of both of them.
I am constantly recommending this book to friends and family. Many of them find it difficult to get into the story but I encourage them to persevere. Whilst I can understand their difficulty, I had no trouble whatsoever and was captured from the first paragraph.
If you are only ever going to read one more book in your life, it would have to be this one and no other. Trust me!
January 13, 2015
Last Chance to See
Last Chance to See is the title of a wonderful book by the late Douglas Adams. It is not Science Fiction. It is his account of his travels around the globe to observe some of the planet’s most endangered species. It also contains liberal smatterings of his customary humour.
But today, I am borrowing the title of his book to tell my followers that today is your very last chance to see the Kindle edition my anthology, When Pleasure Blooms, on a free offer. This offer will never be repeated.
What have you got to lose? Download for free today, so that you don’t need to pay in the future. But when you eventually read it, I would really appreciate your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.
You can click on the menu item in my blog header to find out more about this book
I’d also be very grateful to any of you who feel inclined to re-blog this post.
Review: The Door into Summer
The Door into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book from beginning to [almost] end. The reason for the “almost” will become apparent.
The story of time travel by various means was excellent. When reading this story, you should remember that it was written in the 1950s. Some of Heinlein’s predictions are amazing, and some are way off the mark. It’s amazing to follow his line of thinking though.
You can see an outline of the plot in the description. It is fairly predictable, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story at all. It was fun, and it was refreshing to read such innocent prose.
Although some people might be offended, there was some narrative that would be considered non-PC these days, but was just part of life in the ‘fifties. I actually found that quite refreshing too. I get so irritated by the over-sensitivity to political correctness these days. You can’t even tell a good Irish joke, or drop your pants in a US bar to proudly show off your British tattoo, these days, without drawing comments from the puritans.
The story was great right up until the final chapter. This was a bit of a damp squib, Heinlein felt that his hero had to justify and explain his actions and how several instances of himself could coexist. I would have been far more satisfied with the explosive ending which could so easily have been there.
Having said that, I would strongly recommend this book to all lovers of time travel and sci-fi books.
