Game of Thrones

August 28, 2013

Dear Readers,

Two book reviews for you today. I hope you find them helpful.

1. A Storm of Swords (Book #3) by George R.R. Martin:

Mayhem, treachery, betrayal, and death, lots of death, dead dead dead….everywhere! End of review. One more book to go and I will have finished the boxed set I so foolishly bought. It's been excruciating.

2. A Feast for Crows (Book #4) by George R. R. Martin:

Finally I’ve slogged through nearly 4000 pages of mayhem, treachery, betrayal, and death. Thank goodness it’s over…but wait, there’s more. Book five? I don’t think so, I bought the first four in a boxed set, and I persevered until I finished the last page.

When I set the book down I reflected on the series as a whole, and I realized I couldn’t think of one incident in the entire four book set where the author made me feel good about anything. I don’t want to beat this donkey to death, but there is no one to like, and there is not one character I can latch onto as a hero or heroine. I don’t want to be part of their fellowship; I don’t want to get involved in their lives on any level, and there doesn’t seem to be any goal beyond surviving another horrifying twenty-four hour period.

Every time I find a character I might be able to like, or pity or care about. They die, or get maimed or turn out to have a poisonous side, one which makes them no better than anyone of the dozens of disreputable, treacherous, disloyal, villainous, heinous….characters that populate every volume.

Man’s inhumanity to his fellow man and woman, is front and center at all times. Not only do these characters kill and maim, they feel thoroughly entitled to do so, and without any compunction.

So why did I read all four books? Why would I subject myself to 4000 pages of misery? Since I can’t answer those questions, I can only assume I need professional help. Was I hoping at some point Mr. Martin would bring me some joy, that the last stale cookie in the box would be sweet and fresh?

Fool me once, twice, three, four and no more. Thank you very much, I appreciate that you put a lot into these books Mr. Martin, but I’m so depressed now that I don’t think I could endure another. Besides how can there be enough people left in the ravaged kingdoms, to plant, harvest and produce food. Seems to me, winter is coming and there are only killers, connivers and villains left.

I’m headed out to find a good comedy to cleanse my palate, bring back my joy and remind me that the sun will come up tomorrow. 

     Thanks for reading, tomorrow chapter four in my fiction story with Coren, Ramsey and Able.

 

Take care,

Shelley Riley

www.shelleyriley.com where you can find information on Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure

Back to the Races

August 26, 2013

Dear Readers,

        Back to the races today, and first up the Triple Bend Handicap. Seven furlongs run on June 29^th over the synthetic cushioned track at Hollywood Park in Inglewood California. The sixty-second running of the Triple Bend and another of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, was won by the five year old Smarty Jones Gelding, Centralinteligence.

        Allowed to relax off the earlier leaders by jockey Edwin Maldonado, Centralinteligence took the turn on the outside of horses and unwound down the lane to win the race easily. It’s always impressive to win by three and half lengths in stakes company, but somehow this race didn’t convince me that Centralinteligence is the horse to win the Breeders Cup Sprint. If there is enough speed burning up the front end and he gets a good trip he will definitely be in contention nearing the wire on Breeders’ Cup Day.

 

 

 

        Also on the same day at Hollywood Park was the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, and it was contested on the turf course.  This is the last year there will be a racing meet at the Hollywood facilities; the turf course looked like they hadn’t put a lot of work into it before the race meet started. Dry and patchy it wasn’t a pretty backdrop for the five horse field, although I didn’t see a cloud of dust either.

        I’ve never been a fan of short fields, and in particular those races going further than six furlongs, they tend to unfold a lot like a match race does, where the speed is very hard to catch. This race didn’t disappoint, but one important difference—I loved this horse. I liked the way he looked running, I like his conformation, I liked the way he galloped along on the front end and when asked he just went faster.

        The five year old Irish-bred gelding by Choiser, was ridden with supreme confidence by his regular rider Joe Talamo. Winning the Shoemaker Mile gives Obviously a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, a nice caveat, especially since his camp will have their collective eye focused squarely on that particular Breeders’ Cup race.

 

       Obviously ran third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile behind first place finisher Wise Dan who was named Horse of the Year, and Animal Kingdom who went on to win the 2013 Dubai Cup. Those credentials alone should give Obviously one-of-the-favorites status in the 2013 running of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

 

Benoit Photo

       Thanks for reading and be sure to come back for my July Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Cup Series recap.

Take care,

Shelley Riley

Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure

www.shelleyriley.com

My Favorite So Far - Novellist

August 10, 2013

Dear Readers,

        Back to the races, and today I watched a video of Novellist win the GI Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, run on the turf course at the Hippodrome de Saint-Cloud on June 23^rd. Built by Edmond Blanc and opened in 1901, the facility is located on the far side of the Pont de Suresnes bridge from Paris France. Spread over a luxurious grass covered hillside, the Saint-Cloud Racecourse offers an extraordinary and panoramic view of western Paris.

 

Novellist a four year old Irish-bred, German-trained son of Monsun and out of the stakes winning mare Night Lagoon, won under heavy urging by Ryan Moore, his jockey.

       After one of Novellist’s three year old losses, his trainer was reported to have said the colt was a bit phlegmatic that day. Phlegmatic? I consider myself to have a fairly good vocabulary, and frankly it seemed rather strange for a trainer to use such a word to describe his horse. So I went to my online dictionary and looked up the word, and I would say without reservation that Andreas Wohler, Novellist’s trainer, used the perfect word to describe his horse.

In fact I think the word describes the style and persona of this horse in both of the races I have watched him win. The other being the July 27^thKing George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, an extremely prestigious GI, held over a mile and half at Royal Ascot Racecourse in the United Kingdom. Novellist won this race by five lengths, and in course record time. This gave him a second guaranteed "Win and You’re In" designation for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.

Watching Novellist running in a race is not going to take your breath away, well unless you’re one of his connections. He breaks well from the gate, and then he runs along, unhurried and unflappable. He doesn’t look like he’s just galloping along and much the best, although he looks good, and that is all I can say. It’s almost like he’s just thundering along in the traces, a member of the team. The jockey isn’t wearing himself out, or his mount, trying to rate him, because Novellist doesn’t appear to need rating.

When the rider deems the time is right to ask Novellist to run, he un-cocks his whip, waves it at his mount a couple of times, and commences bootin and scootin. This horse seems to like enthusiastic encouragment, though I only saw the whip connect one out of every four swings in the Saint-Cloud race, the rider was very busy. I can almost imagine a Comanche yell coming from the jockey to further motivate Novellist.

Wohler has stated the main goal for this colt is the Qatar Prix d’Arc de Triomphe, which runs on October 6^th this year. And I suppose hoping he would then fly to Los Angeles, and run less than four weeks later, would be out of the question. But I would so love to see this happen. I wouldn’t hesitate to travel to Los Angeles to see this horse run.

Now that I think about it, I have a lot of air miles; maybe I should go to Paris for the Arc. And boy do I love Paris, almond croissants, espresso with a small dark chocolate, and then a stroll down the Avenue Victor-Hugo headed for the shop with the best goat cheese I've ever found. Weekends in Paris at the drop of the hat, are what I miss most about no longer living in England.

I love the way this horse runs, he is so impressive to me and in such an understated way, that I think, barring injury, we are going to be seeing a lot more from Novellist.

Take care,
Shelley Riley
www.shelleyriley.com

Can't go wrong? Men and Dogs.

August 6, 2013

Dear Readers,

Here is a review I just posted on Goodreads and Amazon. The book is by the New York Times Best Selling author, Katie Crouch whose best seller was Girls in Trucks. This book is named Men and Dogs. 

I was having lunch with a group of friends last week, and one of the ladies gave me a book she’d discovered for a dollar. For only a dollar she’d figured she couldn’t go wrong, and when I took it out of her hand, my thought was; free, how could I go wrong?

The jacket verbiage informs the would-be reader that the story is about the heroine and her efforts to find out what really happened to her father when he disappeared while on a fishing trip with the family dog, two decades earlier.

We are taken through memories of a dysfunctional childhood, memories far too long left unquestioned and unresolved. The author is going to share the trials and discoveries of Hannah, our protagonist, on her trip of discovery and healing. Ok that sounds good, should be entertaining. 

What I noticed from the very first line, is the authors penchant for writing sentences that are very staccato. I felt like I was marching in step through the pages. For me as a reader, there is a big difference between cleanly constructed sentences and chopped robotic lines. It felt like the editor had gone through and cut out all the fat. Advising the author not to use so many conjunctions! I can imagine the advise; "Use the find function in Microsoft word and see how many times you’ve used as and was."

Then there were sentences that ground at me like a fingernail on a chalkboard. Example; “Hannah, now thirty-five, remembers some details perfectly clearly…….” Perfectly clearly?

Or the following; “You broke a rib and fractured your skull slightly.” Slightly? Is that like being sorta pregnant?

 

This wasn’t a terrible book, but I can see why it was a dollar.

Take care,
Shelley Riley
www.shelleyriley.com

Review of The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

August 6, 2013

Dear Readers,

I’ve been reading more than writing lately. Can’t seem to inspire myself to sit down and be creative, so I read, and the only writing I do is for reviews. To that end I have added several reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.

A review of Ted Dekker’s The Bride Collector is included today.

I picked up a copy of Ted Dekker’s The Bride Collector because it was a hard copy, and it was on sale for $6.98. I love a bargain, almost as much as I like a good read, and as stories go this one was ok. It was a cross between a thriller and a mystery, and with a little romance thrown in. Unfortunately the characters’ weren't entirely believable for me, not enough to stop reading the book, but enough that it didn’t sit well with me either.

Quite frankly I think Mr. Dekker should have taken the story into the realm of science fiction, or even fantasy and embraced it wholeheartedly. The character of Paradise was crafted to be special but flawed, and she was, but she could have been so much more. If Paradise’s talents had transcended the bounds of normalcy, then for me, the story would have jelled, become more believable and a really good read. After all, as sci-fi and fantasy readers, aren’t we asked to suspend our believe system so we can enjoy the fertile imagination of the author?

Other reviews have referred to Mr. Dekker as an author of Christian fiction, something I wasn’t aware of, and in my opinion this book is definitely not Christian fiction. There are references to god and to religion, but I didn’t think spiritual awareness was a main driver in this book.

I would buy another Ted Dekker book…if it was on sale.

Thank you for reading and I will be taking a look at the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, another Breeders Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series race.

Take care,

Shelley Riley

www.shelleyriley.com

Flat and Colorless

August 4, 2013

Dear Readers,

I like the young adult genre and I am working on a YA novel, so when I was encouraged to read this well-received series, I felt I should start with the Shadows novella, a prequel of sorts. The author obviously penned it to introduce Dawson and Bethany, two characters that affect the plot in the books that follow this one. Her intent is clear, she wants Shadows to replace tedious back story in Obsidian, the first book in her Lux series, and urban fantasy.  

I get it, unfortunately I didn't like it. It went on and on about how beautiful Dawson and Bethany found each other. The insecurity each was feeling over how the other could find them so attractive, and how concerned they were that their personal secrets could affect their budding relationship in a negative way. Not that there were any gargoyles hidden in Bethany’s closet waiting to be revealed.

Bethany is pretty, but not gorgeous, and she is a good artist. But other than Dawson telling his siblings that she's a really good painter, there is nothing to make us find this talent of hers remarkable. Dawson, has green eyes, he has dark hair, he has great abs, he's not as good a fighter as his brother, and other than the fact he's a glowing alien… Yawn! 

I think the basic problem, is there’s no real plot. There were no shared obstacles to overcome, other than the whole relationship building process. There wasn't a story arc to speak of, characters are introduced, and then there's the repetitive narrative of Bethany and Dawson getting to know each other. This bonding goes on and on for the biggest part of the book. The action picks up when the author throws Bethany off a cliff, and then she has the horror struck Dawson breathe new life into Bethany. From the cliff to the end of the story barely covers a heartbeat, just a few page fillers. And in a rushed together, lightly narrated confrontation with the stories antagonists, she leaves us to believe Bethany and Dawson have both died.  

Ah, but I don't believe it, and worse I don't really care if they died. I can cry over someone losing their pet goldfish, and yet I felt nothing. Ms Armentrout never managed to get me involved with these two vanilla characters. The writing wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either, and it needed another edit. There were just a few awkward sentences throughout, but they hung me up. 

So I guess that spells doom, at least as far as me buying the next book in the series...right? Wrong! Included with my e-book version, was a preview chapter of Obsidian. I wasn't going to read it; I felt those few minutes of my life could be better spent walking my dog Nigel. And then I thought, what the hey, after all I paid for it, and besides it was too hot outside for a walk. So I read it. OMG! I Loved it! I went to Amazon to see if the preview was longer and it was. Two chapters were in the preview, I loved them! I was cranky when I couldn't read the next page. I wanted it now, and I wanted to keep reading. I tried the library, it was checked out. I checked the half priced book store, they didn't have it. So I will buy the e-book version. I will let you know if the rest of the book is as engaging as the first two chapters were. 

In conclusion, I can't believe the same author wrote both Shadows and Obsidian. If my experience gives a clue, I would say Shadows is not going to encourage people to read the series, just the opposite. Readers who have already read and loved the series will like it, no matter what, as true fans tend to be more forgiving...at least for awhile.

I ordered a couple of new books from Amazon, I am anxiously awaiting their arrival later in the week. One is The Woman Who Loved Horses, by Don Walters, and the other is This Town, by Mark Liebovich. I will post a review when I complete them.

Take care,

Shelley Riley

www.shelleyriley.com

 

 

 

 

 

Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series Takarazuka Kinen Japan

August 1, 2013

Dear Readers,

As promised I researched the Grade 1 - Takarazuka Kinen run over the turf course at Hanshin Racecourse in western Japan on June 23, 2013.

Take a look at the size of that Toteboard and that’s just the one for the walk ring, impressive. Built shortly after the end of World War II, Hanshin boasts two turf courses, a jump course and a dirt course. With a patron capacity of nearly 140,000 and only 12,600 seats, that leaves a lot of people standing. Didn’t seem to matter on the day Gold Ship won the Takarazuka Kinen, the place looked like Times Square on New Year’s Eve and the atmosphere was just as festive.

The gray 4-year-old by Stay Gold and out of the mare Point Flag, was Japan’s Champion 3-year-old male of the year for 2012. Breaking sluggishly from the ten post, the jockey Hiroyuki Uchida had to hustle Gold Ship to get him lined out and into the bit. Cruising along on the outside, the horse never seemed particularly focused in my opinion, and his rider seemed content to stay close to Gentildonna.

The opposite was going on with Silport whose jockey was committing racing Seppuku on the front end. Sprinting to an early lead, Silport separated from the field by more than fifteen lengths, and when the inevitable came to pass, he faltered badly and ultimately finished well out of the money. Unless you’re Secretariat, you can’t open up on a field of this quality, and expect any other outcome than that which came to pass.

Gold Ship, with a good deal of adjusting of the reins and continued urging by his rider, charged up the slight rise to the wire and finished with his ears flopping around, a clear but unenthusiastic winner. The course was rated good but I have to say it was really chewed up, and clearly in need of a season break to repair the damaged turf.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for a dappled gray horse, and Gold Ship is a particularly pretty color. But pretty dapples don’t make a horse run faster, and I don’t know why, but I didn’t get the feeling that this was a particularly impressive race for this horse; perhaps he didn’t find the course condition to his liking. The jockey certainly earned his fee, having to keep up the pressure on his mount throughout the race. Winning the Takarazuka Kinen made Gold Ship eligible for the $3 million dollar Breeder’s Cup Turf at Santa Anita this fall. He wouldn’t be my pick to win it, but then I have been wrong before.

Here is a picture of Gold Ship after the race, and I would point out the massive bridle teeth on this horse. You can see them, about two inches in front of the bit. You can see a bigger picture by Googling it. Granted I’ve seen bigger, but certainly not on a racehorse. Bridle teeth have no use, other than to interfere with the bit, and are easily removed by the vet or equine dentist when they first appear. I’m just saying…it’s a curiosity.




Thanks for reading. Tomorrow I'll add a book review.

Take care,
Shelley Riley
www.shelleyriley.com

Casual Lies-A Triple Crown Adventure