A Final Resolution to My Car Problems

Most of this post was written months ago.  I waited for the final resolution before editing and finishing the story.

Back in October, my car began acting up.  Here's the car in a 2022 photo.

Update on Autoimmunity, Selling, Reading, and Car Trouble

I had this issue in October where the check engine light kept coming on.  The check engine light was on because the battery wasn't receiving enough charge.  This resulted in a battery cable being replaced (in hindsight a battery cable that should not have been replaced).

I got the car back at the end of October, and the check engine light came back on intermittently.  In December, I finally took the car back in to be checked.  The check engine light was displaying for the same reason as previously.  They were stymied, since the battery cable had been replaced.  The battery was still good, and the alternator was in good working order.  They contacted General Motors, eventually sending my vehicle's diagnostics to the head engineer at General Motors. 

General Motors reported that a "handful" of Chevrolet Malibus display the check engine light erroneously due to an error regarding the battery's charge.  They hadn't figured out why.  Unfortunately, my vehicle was behaving differently than the rest of the handful of vehicles so they had even less of a clue regarding mine.

The service department spent a week running every diagnostic test possible on my vehicle while in communication with General Motors, ultimately telling me that my vehicle was in perfect running order and that nothing bad would happen.  I was told to keep driving it and that I should ignore the check engine light. 

It should be noted that the reason I took the vehicle in during both October and December was to avoid something bad happening.  You just never know what a check engine light could mean and how bad it might be.  I didn't want to experience something bad...

On the afternoon of February 1, the check engine light displayed briefly and for the first time since it was in for repairs in December.  Around 20 minutes later, the car turned itself off at a red light.  I was able to shift into park and get the car back on.  I drove home without anything else happening.

The car started as normal on the morning of February 2, and I didn't see the check engine light.  As I drove, the radio volume began fluctuating.  The power steering felt off at one point.  And then the car turned itself off at a stop sign. 

This time I had to try for several minutes to get the car started again.  I tried to get to my destination, which was just a few miles away.  The car turned off at a red light and would not restart.  I couldn't turn on the hazard lights, so this was a dangerous situation.  The car was completely unresponsive.  I had to call a tow truck.  

The car was towed to the dealership.  It started just fine for them, and they were not able to reproduce the problem.  Can you believe that?  They were in contact with General Motors again, and nobody knew what the problem was.  They all agreed that something was wrong, and they did find what they called "strange error codes" referring to problems with unidentified computer modules. 

For me, the car was toast.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  Even if the vehicle were fixed, I would never trust it again.  I could not risk driving a vehicle that could turn itself off at any intersection and render itself unresponsive to where the hazard lights couldn't be activated.  

I vowed never to drive the vehicle again, regardless of whether it was fixed.

Due to my autoimmunity, I like to stick with what I know, which is why I continue to purchase Chevrolet Malibus.  This has to do with the Spoon Theory.  Please read the link if you don't know what that is.  I need my life to be as easy as possible so that I can maintain a job and sell books online while dealing with a serious autoimmune disease (thyroid) that is only partially controlled.  That is why I continue to purchase the same make and model car. 

Note:  You might have heard that the Chevrolet Malibu will be discontinued in November.  I've already figured out what I will purchase in five or six years.  It will most likely be a Chevrolet Trax, which is a very similar vehicle.  So, back to the story...

While they worked on the vehicle, I decided that I was done with it.  I looked into getting a new Malibu.  The problem was that none of the Malibus in stock had a satellite radio.  Several solutions were presented, including a dongle for the satellite radio (nope, since I know how that would work), or getting a satellite radio from another vehicle and putting it in one of the Malibus on the lot.  They offered to pull one out of a 2022 Malibu and put it in a 2024 Malibu.  I declined.  I should get a new radio, right?

We ordered a car from the factory.  Meanwhile, my Malibu left the shop in March, and they claimed to have fixed it.  Maybe they did, but the check engine light was still coming on.  I refused to drive the car other than driving it home.  I had another vehicle to drive, so I waited patiently for the new car that I wanted.

I won't go into all the details of this saga, which includes failed dealer trades and two order attempts.  The upshot of it is that the car order fell through for various reasons.  In the intervening months my original salesperson left the dealership as did the sales manager who ordered the vehicle.  This resulted in a break in communication which is a large part in why this process has taken so long.

In late May I ended up with a second salesperson who should have kept an eye on the order for me.  He didn't seem too interested in the situation.  I'm going to skip the details.  He didn't value that I was a guaranteed sale, or perhaps it he took it for granted.

Fast forward to now.  I needed to get this resolved.  It was on July 28 that I searched the inventory of local dealerships, as I had been doing all these months.  Finally, I found the unicorn.  A dealership in a nearby city (25 miles away) had the exact Malibu that I wanted.  

I had decided in February that I would settle for nothing less than a red 2LT Malibu.  The nearby dealership had one.

The next day I went into my dealership to verify for certain that the car order was gone.  I will tell you that I was tempted to just drive to the nearby city and buy that car, but I like to do the right thing.  I wanted to make certain that there was no longer a car order.  Besides, I really hoped they'd negotiate a dealer trade for me.

I did mention the second salesperson's name to the third salesperson who greeted me at the door.  Fortunately, the inept second salesperson hadn't arrived for the day, so I didn't feel guilty at all to take up with the third salesperson.  He verified that the order was gone.  I mentioned my unicorn that I had found and that I had almost driven to that dealership to purchase it. 

The salesperson got the sales manager, and I said that I'd prefer to purchase the car from them but that I was prepared to drive to the other dealership to get it.  They knew I was going to purchase that car one way or the other.  Within 15 minutes, a dealer trade had been negotiated.  By late afternoon, I had my new car.

This car was assembled in June.  The other dealership had only had it for a few days.

And my silly black Malibu can annoy someone else with its intermittent check engine light.  That's why I don't purchase used cars.  I don't want someone else's problem.

Mystery of the Lobster Thieves by Elaine Macmann Willoughby

Mystery of the Lobster Thieves was written by Elaine Macmann Willoughby.  It was published by Weekly Reader in 1978.

Summary:

Annie and Wallace stay at Blue Shutters, a cottage off the coast of New Hampshire, with their mother and baby sister.  Their father goes back to the city to work.  The cottage is in a deserted area, which Annie finds unsettling.

The children hear about stolen lobsters, and Wallace decides that they will solve the mystery.  With their new friend, Dave, the children try to find out who is taking the lobsters.

On page 29, Wallace and Annie prepare breakfast for their mother's birthday.

On the counter was a used box of blueberry muffin mix and something was baking in the oven.  On the stove was some very crinkled black-brown bacon, which Wallace was trying to get onto a paper towel to drain, while with the other hand he was trying to stir some scrambled eggs.  

I helped him with the eggs, and we were going to cook some more bacon, but Mother said she liked black-brown bacon.  I'm not so sure about this, but it was a relief to us.  Then the timer rang and Wallace got the muffins out of the oven.

Mother is quite tactful!

This is a short book, just 56 pages. 

I purchased this book at the same time as The Riddle of Raven Gulch.  Both books were found together in a local store a couple years ago.  Unfortunately, this book isn't nearly as good as the other book.

I found the story just okay, and I never really cared.

Deleted Scenes from Keeper of the Lost Cities Books

This post is mildly spoilerish, so it's best not to read it unless you've read all the books.

My last post had deleted lines which were short passages posted on Instagram by Shannon Messenger.  This post is about deleted scenes, which are in PDF files on the official Keeper of the Lost Cities website.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Extras

Scroll down the page to find links to the deleted scenes.  

A Tumblr user has transcribed the deleted scenes here:

KotLC Deleted Scenes

The transcriptions are useful to those who rely on text-to-speech.  I verified that the Tumblr content matches what is on the official site.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I verify all online Keeper content attributed to Shannon Messenger since so much incorrect information is online.

Two of the deleted scenes contain passages that are quite interesting.

Original prologue to Keeper of the Lost Cities #1

Shannon wrote this about the original prologue:

"I decided it didn't work for readers to have more knowledge about Sophie's past than Sophie did.  It made her character feel a bit annoying, since it took her so long to catch up to everyone else.  So I cut this and made the series third-person limited (meaning I only include a scene if Sophie is in it)."

From the original prologue:

"You couldn't get anything else?" Alden asked, still studying the hologram. 

"I tried," Quinlin assured him. "But Prentice's mind was particularly strong. I had to shatter his sanity in order to extract the one piece I recovered." 

Alden nodded gravely.  "Such a waste."  He held the hologram closer to his face, his eyes narrowing. "I'm no expert on these, but this one looks strange, doesn't it?" 

"It's been altered somehow," Quinlin agreed.  "The system couldn't even process it."  Frustration dripped off every word. 

Alden took a turn at pacing. "I assume there was no match…"

Quinlin laughed darkly.  "I ran it five times." 

Alden ran it a sixth to be sure. "Well… at least we know it's a girl." 

Even though this content did not appear in the book, I'm going to accept it as canon.  One of the major plot holes in this series is how nobody knows who Sophie's parents are even though they have her DNA.  That has never made sense.  This deleted prologue indicates that Sophie's DNA was altered in some fashion and that they couldn't match it to anything.  If I accept this as canon, then that plot hole is resolved, so far as I'm concerned.

"Who knows?  Maybe it will be good for her," he said, mostly to himself, before glancing at Quinlin. "I'll let you know when I find her." 

"Don't you mean if you find her?" Quinlin couldn't help asking. 

Alden shook his head.  "Oh, I will find her.  I just don't know what we'll do with her once I do."  He gave a half bow and stepped into the beam of light from his wand. 

Some fans think that Alden is evil.  In discussions about this deleted prologue, they say that his comment about not knowing what to do with Sophie sounds ominous.  I don't think that's it.  Alden just doesn't know what they will do with the mystery elf raised by humans, once they find her.

On the way to Alluveterre in #4 Neverseen

Mr. Forkle glanced at the eckodons circling in the river, looking very conspicuous and sea-monster-y and sure-to-be-spotted-by-someone-if-they-didn't-hurry, before he heaved a sigh of his own and pointed to her purple backpack.  "Is Ella in there?"

Sophie nodded. 

She peeled back the slimy membrane and unzipped the bag, showing him the bright blue, Hawaiian shirt-wearing elephant. 

Mr. Forkle reached for Ella almost tenderly.  "Her head had more stuffing when I bought her." 

He smiled when Sophie sucked in a breath.

"Looks like your mother held true to her promise. That's one of the reasons I chose your parents. They were good, loyal people.  The best humans I'd met, in fact—but I digress.  I bought Ella at the hospital gift store after I'd triggered your telepathy.  I knew it was far too early for you to carry such responsibility, so I wanted you to have something to bring back the security I'd taken away. But I thought you would respond better if the gift came from your family.  So I gave it to your mother and made her promise to claim it as her own."

He sounded so sincere—it took Sophie a second to remember there was a darker side to his little anecdote.  "Why did you trigger my telepathy when I was five?" 

"That is a story for another time. For the moment"—he held out Ella—"this is who I am.  The person who bought you your favorite blue elephant, because he wanted to make sure you'd be able to sleep."

I wish this scene had stayed in the book.  It's really touching, especially considering what is most likely true about Mr. Forkle.

The Riddle of Raven's Gulch by Mary Francis Shura

The Riddle of Raven's Gulch was published by Weekly Reader Books in hardcover in 1975.  The book was also reprinted by Scholastic in softcover under the title The Riddle of Raven Hollow.  Both editions are very common.  

Summary:

The first time Bart hears that Raven's Gulch is haunted, he laughs.  After all, Bart visits the gulch every day.  His newspaper route takes him past the gulch, and his friend, old Mr. Bergen, lives right by the gulch. 

The rumors begin to bother Bart, because they taint his good feelings about his favorite place.  He decides to look into the situation.

Bart learns that a strange car has been seen near the gulch.  Neighbors have reported odd sounds and lights.  Bart sees a shadowy figure in the gulch and soon realizes that something dangerous is going on.  He must find out what it is.

Here's how Bart describes Raven's Gulch on pages 14 and 15.

Everything changes at once when you leave Maple Street.  My bike tires stop that funny singing noise that they make on pavement.  The sound is hidden and muffled as I hit the rutted road.  I can hear my canvas paper bag hit my side soft like a dog's tail wagging.  Instead of green lawns there are deep grassy pastures held back by fencing that staggers raggedly along the roadside.  Even if the sun is shining back on Maple Street, those big trees whose branches meet above the road make it seem like twilight all the time.

I figured they must have laid that road out by an animal trail because it wanders around a lot instead of going straight.  Even though it's bumped and curvy it isn't too hard to bike on because there is never any traffic to watch out for.  I can just wheel any old place in the road. 

After a couple of fenced off pastures, I come to Raven's Gulch.  Maybe it sounds silly but I always think of Raven's Gulch as being my very own place.  Sure, it  has NO TRESPASSING signs posted all along the fence, but Mr. Burgen put them up and he and I are friends.  

More times than I can remember he has told me in his heavy foreign accent, to "Pay those signs no mind."

I take him at his word, too, because there's no time of the year that Raven's Gulch isn't just great.

The spring is the loudest time.  The place is thick with birds and though they sing like everything, they can't drown out the rush of the melted snow water making that little stream into a small icy river.  All sorts of bushy plants bloom and the place is wild with bees.  

In summer I like the berries.  Nobody has ever trimmed those old blackberry brambles and they sprawl around in thorny mountains.  There is no way you can reach the inside ones (which always look the fattest and blackest) because the thorns are curved and mean.  But even just picking on the outside I get quarts and quarts of berries.  Last summer I sold twelve boxes to Mr. Kovacs at the store and took four or five pails to Mr. Burgen's housekeeper for deep dish pies.  After the berries are gone and it gets hot, I like to just sit there in the green cool by the stream and watch the slivers of minnows flicker in the dark of the water and catch tadpoles in my fingers to take home.

The author had me hooked at this point.  This excellent description gave me a reason to care.  Raven's Gulch sounded fabulous, and I wanted Bart to solve the mystery so that he could continue to enjoy his special place.

I like this remark from page 29:

"Things like that don't exist," I said, almost sounding angry without meaning to.

"What really is don't scare people," he said quietly.  "It's what they think is."

This book was written in a fashion that makes it pleasant to read.  It hits the right tone and is interesting from start to finish.  The story is pretty simple and has just 124 pages, but it reads like a series book.  I really enjoyed it.

Deleted Lines from Keeper of the Lost Cities Books

This post contains a spoiler from late in the series and hints at other late series spoilers.  Do not read this post unless you have read ALL of the Keeper books. 

SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER

Back in 2020, Shannon Messenger posted deleted lines on her Instagram.  A Tumblr user compiled them.  The Tumblr posts are a handy way to see the posts at a glance without having to scroll back through years of Instagram posts.  I did exactly that just because I wanted to verify that the captured posts are from Shannon's Instagram.  And they are.

There is a lot of misinformation about this series that has been spread online between fans.  For instance, if you ask Google who Sophie's father is, Google gives a wrong answer based on a fake story someone told in an online forum.  Google even quotes the fake story, so that is how little we can trust online content about this series.  When someone says that something came from Shannon Messenger, I make certain.  I take no chances.  

Here are the Tumblr pages that compile Messenger's posts giving her deleted lines.

Exile Deleted Lines
Everblaze Deleted Lines
Neverseen Deleted Lines
Neverseen Deleted Lines Part 2
Lodestar Deleted Lines
Lodestar Deleted Lines Part 2
Nightfall Deleted Lines
Flashback Deleted Lines
Legacy Deleted Lines
Stellarlune Deleted Lines

I transcribed three of the deleted lines posts that I consider to be pretty interesting and important.

From Shannon Messenger's Instagram, deleted scene from Everblaze:

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kenric said, shaking out the scroll harder and filling the room with more crunching and crackling.  "Am I distracting you?"

"You know very well what you're doing," Bronte snapped.

"I do," Kenric agreed.  "I'm making notes on everything I see happen today."

Bronte sighed.  "There's no need.  I'll be giving the Council a full report tonight."

"Oh this isn't for the Council.  This is for Grady.  I figured he'll want to know exactly how you're treating his daughter." Kenric grinned when Bronte scowled.  "There's nothing quite like an angry Mesmer, is there?"

Sophie had never been more tempted to hug him.

I wish that this part of the Kenric, Bronte, and Sophie Inflicting scene had stayed in the book.  It's great!  Some readers struggle to understand why Sophie is so heartbroken about the loss of Kenric.  This shows why.

Shannon also posted some additional deleted lines from the same scene.

From Shannon Messenger's Instagram, deleted scene from Everblaze:

"Try to imagine yourself somewhere peaceful," Sophie told Bronte.  "Like... a babbling brook."

He snorted.  "That is not a peaceful place, Miss Foster.  It's a haven for trolls."

Sophie sighed.  "Fine.  Then think of somewhere you like to relax."

She fully expected Bronte to tell her it was his job as a Councillor to never relax.  

Instead he said, "Okay I'm picturing a library filled with books I've never read."

"That's... good," Sophie mumbled, surprised that Bronte's peaceful place actually sounded peaceful.  "Now try to relax."

"Done.  What now?"

"Uh, you don't sound relaxed," Sophie noted.

"Shocking, given that I'm currently taking Inflicting lessons from a untrained child!"

From Shannon Messenger's Instagram, deleted scene from Neverseen:

"I think you need a day off," Sophie told Calla.  "Let me cover your 'To Do' list."

"You cannot sing to trees.  And you should be training.  Not washing dishes."

"Hey, my human mom used to say, 'if you have two hands you can put them to work.' "

Calla smiled at that.  "I'm glad they gave you a good mother—mothers, actually.  Lady Ruewen has always been one of my favorites.  As has your genetic mother."

Sophie froze.  "You know who she is?"

"I suggested her.  Please do not ask more than that."

Okay, now this is very interesting.  Shannon had this to say about these deleted lines:

I realized as I got deeper into writing the middle of this series that sometimes it’s better to hold off making something "canon" until I really need to, because it gives me the option of pivoting to a better idea (you know, if I *get* a better idea) as the story develops. So in this case, I'd already given several huge revelations about Calla and didn’t NEED to add this one in. I was also nowhere near to the point in the story where I'd be having Sophie looking into her genetic parents, so I decided to cut this out just in case, when I got to that point in the story... I'd have the option of changing this detail if I needed to. 

Based on what I believe must be true about Mr. Forkle's true identity as well as that of Sophie's father, I do not believe that Calla suggested Oralie to be Sophie's mother.  It had to have been Mr. Forkle's plan all along.  There is no other explanation based on what is revealed in the Forgotten Secrets of Book 9.

However, I really like these deleted lines.  Going off of them, I feel that it's likely that Mr. Forkle had Calla approach Oralie about donating to Project Moonlark.  Calla would have had a great chance of success.  So, that's what I think would be canon.

You can find all of my Keeper posts at this link:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

Protecting My Nancy Drew Action Figures

Last year, Wandering Planet Toys had a Kickstarter.  I was one of the backers, and my action figures arrived on June 1.  If you missed out on the Kickstarter, some action figures should show up eventually on the secondhand market.

I had left the action figures in the shipping box until tonight.  I didn't want them to collect dust, and I hadn't felt like getting them protected.  

Here are some pictures.

Click on images to see them at a higher resolution.

I also received the Nancy Drew novela, Case of the Curious Collection.  The novela was only available through the Kickstarter.  I do have some extras, and eventually I will sell them.

Last year, I purchased a roll of cellophane on Amazon.  

100 ft Clear Cellophane Wrap Roll

The cellophane is fabulous.  It was exactly what I needed.  I had some larger collectible items that I needed to get protected, and the cellophane was perfect for my application.  The cellophane is crystal clear and very thin.  It is exactly like the cellophane that is wrapped around gift baskets and similar items.

I did not want my Nancy Drew action figures to be collecting dust, so I finally wrapped them in the cellophane tonight.  This way when dust collects, it will instead be on the cellophane.  I can gently wipe the cellophane to remove the dust.

In the next photo, all of the action figures are wrapped in cellophane.

While visible, the cellophane is not obtrusive.  I like knowing that dust will not collect on the action figures.

I highly recommend this cellophane wrap if you have any larger or irregularly shaped items that need protection.

eBay and Etsy Books are 15% Off

All of my books on Etsy are now 15% off.  Most of my books on eBay are 15% off.  I have withheld some eBay store categories from the sale.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

My problem is that I need to straighten my eBay and Etsy shelves.  Each time I try, I quit.  I have too many books for sale, and they are in a bit of a mess.  I'd like to get some more sold before I close my stores for the start of school.  If I can get the number of books down some, then I can better straighten the shelves and get the books all nice and compact for however long I'm closed.

These photos show some of my listed books.  The first two photos are of books on eBay, and the last two are of books on Etsy.  I also have books on some other shelves as well.  Click in images in order to see them clearly.

I didn't photograph what really bothers me.  I have quite a few bulk lots, and those lots are stacked in various locations.  Bulk lots just aren't selling like they did in the past.  My bulk lots have tended to go to people buying to resell, and those people are having trouble selling books, so they aren't buying books.  I'm stuck with the bulk lots until the right person finally comes along.

I will close both stores no later than Wednesday, August 7.  I might shut down slightly before then, depending upon what's going on and how I feel.  Since we have new textbooks this year, I expect to be working on some stuff in the week before I go back to work.  I could decide to shut down sooner than August 7.  I go back to work on August 9.

The current sale ends on Sunday, July 28.

Campus Murder Club by Kristi Rose

Campus Murder Club was written by independent author Kristi Rose and was published on October 6, 2023.

Publisher's summary:

Step into a world of intrigue, suspense, and secrets as the Campus Murder Club takes you on a heart-pounding journey through a chilling cold case in Kristi Rose's thrilling young adult mystery novel.

College can be murder.

Nestled in the woods of a Pacific Northwest town, a prestigious college becomes the setting for a chilling murder.  When nursing student Jaime is brutally killed in her exclusive private all-girls room, the authorities quickly abandon her case, dooming it to the cold case files.  But fate has other plans.

Catching a killer can be deadly.

Five unsuspecting students receive cryptic invitations that thrust them into a dangerous game of cat and mouse.  Drawn together by an unknown hand, these citizen sleuths are about to embark on a perilous quest to unearth the truth behind Jaime's murder.

As they delve into Jaime's past, her journal emerges as the key to unraveling the truth, but it also puts their lives in danger.  With every corner filled with lurking peril, the stakes rise, forcing them to confront the deadly consequences of their pursuit.

Will they unmask the killer hiding in plain sight, or will they become the next victims in this deadly game of deception?

The book opens as follows:

The challenge came as a letter, stuffed among the magazines and flyers in their mailboxes.  There was no postage.  No address for the sender or recipient.  Just their names scrawled across the front in a thin, jagged cursive.  Inside was a single sheet of paper.  At the top was an image of a red splatter, the word murder, and a magnifying glass.  The paper could easily have been mistaken for a cheap advertising flyer, an old-school practice gone the way of the dinosaur as smartphones and tablets became the primary source for information and advertising. 

Is There a Killer Among Us?

Do you feel safe on campus?  In your dorm?  Nursing student Jaime Sullivan was raped then strangled in her dorm.  The campus police responded by adding a few extra patrols at night.  The Sheriff's Department has moved on.  Jaime Sullivan is an unsolved case.  Soon to be cold and forgotten.  How does that make you feel?

Who out there cares enough about those who no longer have a voice?  You?

But do you care enough to make a difference?

Come Thursday the 13th Journalism Building 9 p.m.

Five students respond to the letter.  These students were each chosen for a reason, and the author gradually reveals information about each student as the story progresses.  Clues about Jaime's final day and her death are gradually doled out as the students investigate.  The clues are steadily revealed, and the book never has any slow or uninteresting parts.  The book also contains multiple mysteries, which the reader won't see coming.  

The book is written in a mixture of third-person limited and third-person omniscient.  Sometimes the reader only knows one character's thoughts during a scene, and at other times, the reader knows the thoughts of more than one character at the same time.

The mysteries were fully solved at the end of the book, but the Campus Murder Club's future is left slightly open-ended so that a sequel is possible.

If you enjoyed One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, then you should enjoy reading this book.

This is an excellent book.  I was sorry to reach the end, but I felt quite happy about my reading experience.

Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison

Only She Came Back was written by Margot Harrison and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on November 14, 2023.

Publisher's summary:

A chilling thriller about an unlikely friendship between a true-crime fan and a former high school classmate suspected of murdering her influencer boyfriend, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Courtney Summers.

On July 28 at 6:30 p.m., Kiri Dunsmore walks out of the desert wearing her boyfriend's sweatshirt, covered in his blood.  Dazed and on the verge of unconsciousness, she tells a cashier that he's still out there and most likely dead.  The disappearance of Callum Massey, a "survival guru" with hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers, rocks the nation.  And Kiri is a prime suspect.

Back in Kiri's hometown, true-crime fanatic Sam is completely hooked on the case—especially now that she recognizes the suspect as shy Katie from high school.  Although they didn't know each other well, that doesn't stop Sam from reaching out to befriend her old classmate.

But when Kiri starts to confide in her, Sam realizes there's more to the story than she had imagined.  Can she keep Kiri's secrets even though revealing them could put her where she's always longed to be—at the center of the story? 

The premise intrigued me.  The public is fascinated with true-crime stories, particularly when the case is unsolved.  This book offers up an unsolved case.  Callum Massey is missing.  He might or might not be dead.  His girlfriend Kiri might have done something to him, but perhaps she's innocent.  What's certain is that the reader doesn't know the whole story and that the mystery will gradually unfold as the book is read. 

The protagonist, Sam, is obsessed with true-crime stories.  When she befriends Kiri, she finds herself in a questionable role.  Should she be a real friend to Kiri, or should she post what she knows online?  In the end, Sam finds herself enmeshed in the case, resulting in dangerous consequences.

After the end of the story, the author, Margot Harrison, opens her acknowledgments with the following passage:

True crime is a fraught subject, for good reason—one that has always made me feel fascinated and queasy in equal measures.  I want to thank everyone who helped me navigate the quandaries of exploring our culture's fascination with murder stories in Only She Came Back.

This book has some strong similarity to the Gabby Petito case, and I felt a strong sense of déjà vu during the opening chapters of the story. 

The online reviews are lukewarm, with most readers giving the book 3 stars.  Many reviewers complain about the similarities to Gabby Petito. 

I don't use a number rating system, but I would probably go with 3-3.5 stars for this book.  Using my own description system, I will go with a rating of good to very good.  I enjoyed reading the book, even though some parts are a bit weak.

The Compound and The Fallout by S. A. Bodeen

The Compound duology was written by S. A. Bodeen and was published by Feiwel & Friends.

1.  The Compound, 2008
2.  The Fallout, 2013

Publisher's summary:

Eli and his family have lived in the Compound for six years.

The world they knew is gone.

Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. Now, they can't get out.

He won't let them.

This is a pretty short summary, but it's really all that can be said in order for the book to be appreciated as intended.  I heard about this book via a thread of YA dystopian book recommendations on Reddit.  I opened up the free sample on Amazon and began reading. 

Something struck me as a little odd, and I'm sure that the author wanted readers to pick up on it.  This caused me to want to know more.  I was compelled to keep reading.

As soon as I finished the sample, I closed it and hit the purchase button immediately.  I opened up the Kindle app on my iPad and continued reading without pause.

Usually, I finish the sample and take a few minutes to assess whether I enjoyed the sample enough to purchase the book.  Sometimes I skim the first few reviews.  In this case, my decision came with no thought required.  It likely was the fastest I have ever purchased a book after reading the sample.  

I read the entire book in less than 24 hours and immediately continued with the second book.  I also read it in around 24 hours.

If you think you might be interested in reading The Compound, do not go looking for more detailed summaries, and avoid all online reviews.  Most importantly, stay away from anything having to do with the second book, The Fallout.  The publisher's summary of that book spoils the first book.

Just read the free sample found on Amazon, and make your decision based on how you feel about it.

In reflecting about my reading experience, the early part of the first book contains many mundane details, so it's not that exciting.  I didn't much mind, since I was focused on figuring out whether I was right about what I suspected.

The Compound and The Fallout are highly suspenseful books.  The Compound is overall outstanding, and The Fallout is excellent, just a step down from the first book.

Many Books Listed on eBay and Etsy

I have managed to list a rather large quantity of books on eBay and Etsy in the last week.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

The new eBay listings include:

Icelandic, Finnish, and Spanish Nancy Drew books
Beverly Gray at the World's Fair
2 issues of Mystery & Adventure Series Review
2 Biff Brewster books
some Judy Bolton picture cover books
some first printing Judy Bolton dust jacketed books
Vicki Barr #11 in picture cover
hardcover Judy Bolton #39 The Strange Likeness
signed Leo Edwards books
Applewood Nancy Drew books
early printing of Nancy Drew #9 in dust jacket
Dana Girls Guide
book with Judy Bolton #1 and 2 original manuscripts
3 Nancy Drew textured flashlight editions
a Nancy Drew book signed by Harriet Adams
some bulk lots

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

The new Etsy listings include:

a variety of Trixie Belden hardcover books
Nancy Drew books in dust jacket
tweed Nancy Drew books
paperback Nancy Drew books
original text Nancy Drew picture covers
revised text Nancy Drew picture covers
books by R. L. Stine
Rick Brant Danger Below!
tweed Dana Girls books
Dana Girls beige spine picture covers
solid blue Nancy Drew books
tweed Judy Bolton books

This is about all that I will be listing for the foreseeable future.  I might list a few more items, but this is about it.  The next time I list books will probably be around October.  

In around three weeks, I will be closing both of the stores temporarily.  I do this just before school starts each year.  The stores are usually closed until around October, depending upon how everything goes.  And I do not expect things to go well at all.  We have new textbooks this year, and there's some other stuff going on that doesn't bode well.  If you want to buy any books from me, make sure you do so by the first few days in August.

The Michael Vey Series by Richard Paul Evans

The Michael Vey series is written by Richard Paul Evans and is published by Simon & Schuster under the Simon Pulse imprint.

 1.  Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, 2011
 2.  Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen, 2012
 3.  Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere, 2013
 4.  Michael Vey: Hunt for Jade Dragon, 2014
 5.  Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning, 2015
 6.  Michael Vey: Fall of Hades, 2016
 7.  Michael Vey: The Final Spark, 2017
 8.  Michael Vey: The Parasite, 2022
 9.  Michael Vey: The Traitor, 2023
10.  to be released late 2024

Publisher's summary for Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25:

To everyone at Meridian High School, fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette’s syndrome.  But in truth, Michael is extremely special—he has electric powers.  Michael thinks he is unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers.  With the help of Michael's friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up with their abilities, and their investigation soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric teens—and through them, the world.

Michael discovers that he is part of a group of 17 teenagers who all have electric powers—basically superpowers.  The teenagers call themselves the Electroclan.  A group called the Elgen are responsible for their existence.  The Elgen are money- and power-hungry terrorists.  I cannot overstate how evil the Elgen leader Dr. Hatch is.  He tortures, maims, and kills people in the most horrific ways imaginable.  

The writing is simple and heavy on dialogue.  The books fit best into the young adult category due to the age of the characters, the violence, and the overall plot.  However, these books could be consumed easily by middle-grade readers.

Michael's best friend, Ostin, is a walking encyclopedia.  He knows everything and spouts off knowledge about any location visited by the Electroclan.  In the early books, I found Ostin's commentary to be fun.  Later in the set, way too much text is devoted to Ostin's knowledge.

The story moves very fast with minimal descriptions.  Something is always happening.  The books also have great humor.  I read very fast and found the story to be extremely engaging.

Even though I greatly enjoyed the story arc, the books are wearying at times.  There is a lot of repetition in how the plots unfold.  In every book, Michael and his friends attack the Elgen and do so against insurmountable odds, like attacking the Elgen when they have thousands of troops in place.  The teens predictably lose and nearly die (sometimes a teen or other character does die) but then somehow most everyone miraculously manages not to be killed.  Rinse, repeat for each subsequent book.

Books 2 through 4 are quite repetitious, then the reader starts to learn new information at around book 5, which adds interest.  

I quit reading the series after I finished book 7, for several reasons.

First, much of book 7 centers around new secondary characters who are of little interest.  I skimmed through most of the parts that center on these characters, certainly at least 100 pages of text.  This was just filler for a thin story.

Second, the series jumps the shark with book 7.  Michael's power develops to the point where he is insanely unstoppable.  He is absent for most of book 7 and is presumed dead, but I knew he wasn't dead.  The Michael Vey series has additional titles, so I knew Michael had to be alive.  It is apparent for much of the book that Michael will reappear near the end and save the day.  That keeps the book from being truly suspenseful.

Third and most important, book 7 is the end of the original story arc.  Book 8 was not published until five years later.  It's apparent that the author decided to cash in with a new story arc tacked onto the existing series. 

While I enjoyed my reading experience (except for book 7), I want to leave the story where it ends with book 7.  That book does have a distinct and satisfying conclusion.  After the series is truly finished, I might go back and read the later books, but I probably won't.

The Chaperone by M. Hendrix

The Chaperone by M. Hendrix was published by Sourcebooks Fire on June 6, 2023.

Publisher's summary:

"Hendrix's dystopian society is somewhat of a Handmaid's Tale for YA, and offers a dark world with a glimmer of hope."— Booklist, STARRED review

Like every young woman in New America, Stella knows the rules:

Deflect attention.

Abstain from sin.

Navigate the world with care.

Give obedience.

Embrace purity.

Respect your chaperone.

Girls in New America must have a chaperone with them at all times.  Because of this, Stella is never alone.  She can't go out by herself or learn about the world.  She can't even spend time with boys except at formal Visitations.  Still, Stella feels lucky that her chaperone, Sister Helen, is like a friend to her.

And then the unthinkable happens.  Sister Helen dies suddenly, and Stella feels lost.  Especially when she's assigned a new chaperone just days later.

Sister Laura is... different.  She has radical ideas about what Stella should be doing.  She leaves Stella alone in public and even knows how to get into the "Hush Hush" parties where all kinds of forbidden things happen.  As Stella spends more time with Sister Laura, she begins to question everything she's been taught.  What if the Constables' rules don't actually protect girls?  What if they were never meant to keep them safe?

I am quite familiar with The Handmaid's Tale story even though I've never read the book.  I tried the Kindle sample of the book in 2022, but I did not care for the writing style.  It was too disjointed for me.  Instead, I watched the Hulu television series, which I enjoyed, even though the show is crazy.

As I began reading The Chaperone, I saw the obvious similarities to The Handmaid's Tale.  While I found the early part of the story to be interesting, I also felt like I was reading a story that I already knew.

Stella goes to one of the "Hush Hush" parties.  It's quickly apparent to the reader that the parties are for sex only, and mainly so that the boys can rape the girls.  Stella is a bit slow to figure it out, which I found annoying.  She comes very close to being raped.

After that, Stella decides that she wants out, and this was where the story finally became compelling for me.  I was quite engaged from that point on.

Overall, this book is very good to excellent.  It is set up for a sequel, so hopefully another book will be written.