Thursday, October 18, 2018

A Pair of Shorts...Reviews, That Is


I recently read two short books that I wanted to share with you, but I didn't have enough to say about each one to merit a full-length review, so I thought I'd combine the two.


First Line: Where does an idea come from?

I love word play, so when I came across this compendium of collective nouns, I had to read it. After all, I wanted to add new ones to the ones I already know: murder of crows, den of thieves, etc.

Sacher's work is filled with illustrations, and he lists many of the origins of these collective nouns. Ranging from the very old to the very new, I found this a very enjoyable-- and even inspirational-- read.

A Compendium of Collective Nouns: From an Armory of Aardvarks to a Zeal of Zebras by Jason Sacher and Woop Studios
eISBN: 9781452129525
Chronicle Books © 2013
eBook, 236 pages

Non-Fiction
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.




First Line: "That van needs a new paint job."

This novella is a perfect introduction to one of my favorite mystery series, Vaseem Khan's Baby Ganesh Agency set in Mumbai, India. (How many private investigators do you know who have a baby elephant as a sidekick?)

The Premier No. 1 Garage has been burgled. A million-dollar classic race car owned by a gangster has been stolen right out from under their noses. No one can figure out how it was done, so retired police officer Ashwin Chopra is called in before the gangster finds out his car is gone and goes ballistic. 

Unfortunately, I solved the crime well in advance of Chopra, but that didn't keep me from enjoying this fast-paced story. Don't be surprised if you read this and find yourself looking for the other books in this series that just keeps getting better with each book. Khan's characters, stories, and settings are wonderful.


Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car by Vaseem Khan
ISBN: 9781473650152
Hodder & Stoughton © 2018

Novella, Inspector Chopra series
Rating: B
Source: Purchased through Amazon.



 

4 comments:

  1. I like this idea of the mini-review, Cathy. And, as someone with a language background, that compendium looks awfully tempting. So, by the way, does the other. That's a series I need to know better.

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    1. Yes, you do, Margot. I think you'd really enjoy it.

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  2. I like mini reviews too. You can say all what you want and what the reader wants to know in a few words.

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    1. I'm glad readers are enjoying these short reviews. I'll have to do them more often.

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