Book Reviews (Formerly "Favorites"): A Study in Charlotte*

Hello, Friends!

I decided to change the title of this section to "Book Reviews" because, recently, I read a book I wanted to write a review on, but did not like.

This book, however, I did like. I have decided to start writing my book reviews slightly differently. First, I will give you a description of the book, then my rating, then pros and cons. So, here goes.

A Study in Charlotte, by Brittany Cavallaro, is told from Jamie Watson's perspective. Jamie is descended from the original Watson, Sherlock Holmes's friend and writer. At boarding school, Jamie meets Charlotte Holmes, a descendant of Sherlock. When a classmate of theirs is murdered, and they are framed, they have to work together to discover the real murderer before they both end up in jail. I rated this book four stars.

Pros:

I really like Jamie's voice.

Jamie and Charlotte are both similar enough to the original Holmes and Watson so you can clearly see the resemblance, in their personalities, their actions. . . However, unlike all the new books and TV shows of Sherlock, you can't complain (like I do) but Sherlock wouldn't do this, or Watson wouldn't say that, or Sherlock is too kind. . . because, they're the descendants of the original Holmes and Watson, so while they maintain some aspects of the original characters, all the things that don't fit in with the original personalities are attributed to Jamie and Charlotte having their own personalities, and being quite different.

The mystery was well-done and made sense.

Charlotte's deductions were thorough, and she made them the same way Sherlock made his, which was very nice.

There were multiple references to the original Sherlock Holmes. :)

The mention of Watson's errors in "The Speckled Band" left me curious to see a list of all the errors he made in recording Sherlock's mysteries.

Cons:

Swearing. Lots of swearing. I mean, I know they're in high school, and most high school kids swear a lot, but still. Really?

Drugs and alcohol. I know Sherlock was addicted to drugs, but, still. Sigh.

Inappropriate. There are ways the author could have avoided this. However, I understand it was part of the story, which gives it a little leverage, but. . .

Mixed messages. I'm not going to explain more of this. I don't know if certain messages were intentional. I don't know if the mixed messages were intentional. It seemed the book was supporting one major message which I don't agree with. Maybe I read it wrong, but that was a disappointment.

Overall, I am happy I read this book and I do not regret reading it. I thought it was really cool to write a book about Sherlock's descendants, and therefore avoid unhappy readers because, well, there will always be something wrong if an author other than Conan Doyle writes a Sherlock story.

However, if you read this book and enjoyed it, I recommend you do not read the second book. Well, at least until you read my review about it. I'll post it next month. :)

Thanks, and have fun reading!

Spruce Nogard

*Post actually written on June 25th. See here for details.

Attributions: https://www.amazon.com/Study-Charlotte-Holmes-Novel/dp/0062398903

Books: Favorites: Sherlock Holmes

Good day, Friends!

Today, I am going to explain in more detail why I love the Sherlock Holmes series. There are three main reasons I love them:

1) Logic
Sherlock Holmes uses an enormous amount of deduction and logic. This leads to thinking and realizing things I would not have otherwise realized because of Sherlock's unusual thought process.

2) Enjoyment
Watson's retelling, and the highly unique variety of cases Watson chooses to write about, makes for good reading.

3) Familiarity
I've read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote twice, and some three or four times. Even though it is odd I read them repeatedly because they are mysteries, and some are murder mysteries, it is always comforting to return to 221B Baker Street.

Almost everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes, but if you haven't, look him up. :)

On a side note, Sherlock Holmes is popular today because of many shows, like the BBC Sherlock, and others. However, I do not prefer these shows because they never depict how I imagine Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, or anything else accurately. I believe if you want to know what the real Sherlock Holmes is like, you have to read the original stories.

Do you like Sherlock Holmes? Have you seen any of the Sherlock shows?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes-Arthur-Conan/dp/0486474917

Writing: Genre of the Month: Mystery

Greetings, Detectives, Criminals, and Witnesses!

This month's genre is mystery. How many of you have read a mystery novel before? It could be a simple first- to second-grade chapter book, or it could be the stories of the most famous detective ever: Sherlock Holmes.

Whatever it is, mystery novels are all characterized by one main thing: mystery. Here are some of the mystery books I have read;

The Cat Who Got Carried Away is a very simple chapter book, for kids who are just learning to read. It was my first chapter book, and I got it for my sixth birthday. The summary on the inside of the jacket cover is as follows:

"In this Grand and Gripping story, Gus and Gloria have a lot of running to do, Mrs. Gaskitt hardly ever gets out of bed, and something dreadful happens to Horace!

Also starring: a brainy rat named Randolph, a barking baby carriage, and a considerable number of penguins."

Although it is the third book in the Gaskitts series, it reads well as a stand alone.

A to Z Mysteries is a mystery series I read in first to second grade. Basically, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are three kids who solve mysteries. They're really fun books!












I read the Nancy Drew Mysteries in fourth grade. They are about Nancy, a teenager, and her friends. She is an amateur detective, and these books are kind of like an older version of A to Z Mysteries, or any other younger mystery series. This is my opinion, however, and so is debatable. Nancy Drew books have more frightening things happen, like being threatened, almost getting killed, and getting kidnapped. They are a couple years older, both in writing style and in content. Have fun reading them!








Sherlock Holmes. Absolutely amazing. I have read every single Sherlock Holmes story Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote at least twice. Some stories I have read three or four times. They are amazing and educational. However, not everyone thinks so. Some people think they are dry, dull, or too confusing. I disagree. They are extraordinary. However, they can describe murder scenes, etc. in extreme detail. . .so beware. These are some of my favorite books.





Other mystery books/authors/movies I did not have enough room to write about: author Agatha Christie, the TV show Murder, She Wrote, The Boxcar Children series, The Question of the Missing Head, and the movie Zootopia, as well as others I'm probably forgetting about.

Have you read any of these? Which ones are your favorite? Do you like mystery?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Who-Got-Carried-Away/dp/0744598435

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Clock-Nancy-Drew-Book/dp/0448095017?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_lmf_tit_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jaguars-jewel-ron-roy/1100488918?ean=9780679994589

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barnes-noble-leatherbound-classics-the-complete-sherlock-holmes-arthur-conan-doyle/1106658800