A Note about Listings, Reading, and Reviews

I have been very unmotivated to write reviews of the books I have read.  I lost my interest in reviews in August.  I finally ran out of reviews this week.

I lost interest in reading two weeks ago, putting my goal to read 365 books this year in serious jeopardy.

I also hadn't used many of my allotted 250 free listings on eBay.  The deadline of September 30 for the eBay listings was the most pressing, since that was a concrete deadline.  I took care of the listings gradually during the last week, finally finishing up today.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

I haven't listed on Etsy in some time, and I'll get around to that eventually.

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

By Thursday, I knew that I had to figure out how to get started reading again.  Two weeks ago, I was ahead of the required pace to read 365 books by around 12 to 14 books.  Since I had read very little in two weeks, I knew that I needed to get back on track fast.

I want to read Augusta Huiell Seaman's books, but I'm saving them for a few months from now.  I really want to reach 365 books, but Seaman's books are long and will likely take a couple days per book.

I could think of three possibilities, none of which appealed to me.  I won't tell you the other two possible choices since I am not going with those, but the one I decided to try was Sweet Valley High.  I really wasn't interested, but I made myself start the first book.  I have never particularly cared for the first book, probably because I didn't read it as a teen.  So I read it, not really caring.

I have always liked the second and third books, but they have lost their charm for me.  Too much was too stupid.  I tried the fourth book, and yes, this is all since Thursday.  When I get started reading short, modern books, I do read very fast.  Finally, I liked the fourth book as much as before.

As a result, I will probably be reading Sweet Valley High for the rest of the year, which will guarantee that I will make it past 365 books.  For the record, I have read 276 books so far this year.  I need to read 89 more to reach my goal, and there are 92 days left in the year.  I'm on track, and I'm amazed considering the length of some books that I have read and how few books I have read in the last two weeks.

I have struggled to finish reviews since August.  I made myself finish some that were published in the last week, then I had none left.  I managed to finish out my Mary C. Jane reviews today, but I have no drive or interest.  I usually set the reviews where they will publish in the order that the books were originally published.  This won't be the case with the remaining Mary C. Jane reviews, since I didn't get them grouped right.  I don't feel like changing them around.

I also am not very pleased with my Mary C. Jane reviews, but it's better to publish something than nothing.  I like to have some written record of how I felt about a book, even if vague.

I'm now starting on Doris Fein reviews and will try to get caught up.  I'm trying, and I have more hope that I can get back on track than I had a few days ago.

By the way, I have had two requests for lower prices since my post of three days ago.  Oh people, you are being ignored.  I have other concerns.

A Purchase Not as Described

I usually do not purchase books when I see signs of water damage, but in a moment of weakness, I chose to take a risk on a lot of Hardy Boys books. I saw visible water stains on the dust jackets. This was the only photo provided by the seller.

I have seen many books in good condition with similar water stains to the jackets. Since the seller's description stated that the pages were in very good condition, I figured that the books were fine. That was my mistake.

The books arrived. I discovered that the entire stack of books was stuck together except for one place where the stack had come apart. The books smelled strongly of mold and mildew and had that grimy, seemingly moist texture to the outside that books with severe water damage always have. The next photo shows the damage from where the stack had separated.

I often keep books when not exactly as described, but this case was too significantly not as described for me to consider keeping the books.  I was quite disgusted and annoyed.  How can a seller think it okay to sell a stack of books that is stuck together and not mention that rather significant problem? 

I immediately asked to return the books, despite the fact that the seller's terms indicated no returns.  I happen to know that eBay sellers who don't offer returns actually do offer returns.  They just don't know it.  By this I mean that eBay will make the seller accept a return when an item is significantly not as described.

I was pleasantly surprised when the seller immediately accepted the return.  I had to get the books packed again, and the seller's packaging was too skimpy for me to be able to use it after having cut it open.  I found a box.  I kept the seller's packaging around the books and placed it all inside the box.  I got it sealed and ready to send.

I then got to thinking about how I was pretty sure I had just packed seven books.  However, the seller's picture showed eight books.  Hmm.  I pulled the books back out of the package and checked the situation.  There were seven books.  I looked around, making sure I hadn't somehow laid one book on a table or in an odd location.  I couldn't find an eighth book.  This concerned me, since there were supposed to be eight books.  If I had received eight books, then I had to make certain that all eight books were returned to the seller.

I investigated the packaging.  The seller's packaging consisted of a large white plastic envelope that had been wrapped tightly around the books with lots of tape on it.  At first I thought that an eighth book would have fit inside and that I needed to look around some more.

I weighed the package, finding that it weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces.  I looked at the seller's address label.  The seller paid for postage for 3 pounds.  So the seller defrauded the post office.  I guess that makes sense, considering that the books were not as described.

I then checked the package again.  I had to pull tight to get the shipping label to come together where I had cut open the package, so I concluded that an eighth book could not have fit inside the package.

I packed the seven books up again and sent them back to the seller.  I have now received my refund.

I find it interesting that the seller did not disclose the severe water damage, did not send all eight books, and even defrauded the post office.  I consider myself fortunate that I got out of this one without taking a loss, aside from the time lost while messing with the return.

Conversations with Prospective Buyers and Sellers

I frequently have people contact me wanting me to buy their books.  I almost always decline, since I am constantly in a position where I have too many extra books.  I can't take everyone's extra books.  It's not like my home is a huge warehouse.

Depending upon how busy I am, I may or may not respond to requests to purchase books.  Sometimes I am exhausted or very busy, and those are times that I read and then ignore the message.  Other times, I try to take the time to decline politely.

In the cases where I don't respond to the messages, some people get pushy, demanding a response.  And of course, the only proper response to those people is apparently "yes."

I took screen caps of a few conversations with identifying information removed.  This first one came from someone in the Philippines.  The only way I would purchase books from the Philippines would be to get neat international editions.  The postage cost is high.  I didn't respond to the first message, so the person tried again.  After I declined, he tried yet again.

I have also had several people try to manipulate me into purchasing books by telling me that the books will be destroyed if I don't purchase them.  Here is one example. Note that I did not respond, so they then became obnoxious.

I don't understand why, if someone purchased a book to make into a journal, they would contact me asking me if I want the book.

There are also the people who have desperate requests.

It's funny to be asked for the ending of a book that is actually available for free on Gutenberg.  All he needed to do was view the file on Gutenberg and read the ending.  I felt like he was writing a book report and needed someone to feed him the information really fast.

I also have prospective buyers try to negotiate prices with me on eBay and Etsy.  I don't have "best offer" activated for my listings.  That's a big sign that I don't want to negotiate prices.  However, an increasing number of buyers try to get me to lower my prices to fit their needs.  Sometimes I respond and politely decline.  Other times, I do not bother to respond.  I sometimes get harassed, since some people do not understand that a lack of response means "no."

Several people have annoyed me with the tone of the request.  In one case, my mind was closed as soon as I read the first message, yet that person continued to try to beat me down, sending multiple messages even when I did not respond. 

There are rare cases when I might respond favorably, but the books have to be more expensive books for which I am aware that I will almost certainly have to gradually lower the prices.  I will not do a drastic price reduction.  Some people want me to take 50% or more off when they inquire, and I ignore those people.

Other people have no chance of success because they offer the information in a difficult fashion for me to process.  A list of item numbers is obnoxious and means nothing to me.  I will not take the time to paste each one into eBay's search.  A list of titles is almost as obnoxious.  If you want me to consider a price reduction, then place the links to the items in the message.  eBay allows links to its own site in its message system.  Make it easy, or I'll ignore you.

Even if you do make it easy, there is a high chance that I'll still ignore you.

Mystery on Echo Ridge and Mystery Back of the Mountain by Mary C. Jane

In Mystery on Echo Ridge, David, his sister, Barby, and his friend, Jonny, live near Echo Ridge, upon which stands the old Lampier house.  Mrs. Lampier moved away because of a scandal involving her late husband, who may have stolen a large sum of money.

Now Mrs. Lampier is back, and Jonny fears that his family will be forced to move away.  Some people believed Jonny's father was responsible for the theft, and Mrs. Lampier's presence may cause those feelings to resurface.  The children begin a search for the missing money in hope of clearing Jonny's father of suspicion.

This book has great atmosphere and is interesting from the very first page.  This is an excellent story.

In Mystery Back of the Mountain,  Anne and Steve's family inherits a farm.  Anne and Steve hope to live there, but their parents plan to sell the property.  The children's Uncle James was hated by many because he kept land that belonged to others, and the family soon realizes that they are unwelcome.  Strange events occur on the back of the mountain, and the children hope that they can solve the mystery and find a way to get on better terms with the neighbors.

This is a very good book.

Virginia's Venture

In Virginia's Venture, Virginia's Aunt Martha may lose their family home.  Aunt Martha's deceased husband owed a large sum of money to Mr. Rand, who has come to collect on the debt.  He gives Aunt Martha a short amount of time to raise the money.

The family home is on a highway, and Virginia decides to open a tea room.  Virginia gets her friends and Aunt Martha as well as Aunt Martha's cook and handyman to help her, and soon the tea room is opened.  Profits are not great, and Mr. Rand continues to harass Aunt Martha.

This book is pretty good, but it is not as compelling as most of the other books in the series.

I overall greatly enjoyed the May Hollis Barton Books for Girls.  Unfortunately, the books are scarce and hard to find at decent prices and in decent condition.  I was fortunate that I was able to build the set in a short amount of time from online listings, but I had to settle for some poor condition books and had to purchase some expensive copies.

Mystery in Old Quebec and Ghost Rock Mystery by Mary C. Jane

Mary C. Jane wrote a number of children's books from 1955 through 1970.  While some of Jane's books are common, others are difficult to find.  Wildside Press has begun reprinting Mary C. Jane's books, but not all books are available.  The books tend to run around 120 pages.  All stories involve at least two children solving a mystery together.

Mystery in Old Quebec, 1955
The Ghost Rock Mystery, 1956
Mystery at Pemaquid Point, 957
Mystery at Shadow Pond, 1958
Mystery on Echo Ridge, 1959
Mystery Back of the Mountain, 1960
Mystery at Dead End Farm, 1961
Mystery Behind Dark Windows, 1962
Mystery by Moonlight, 1963
Mystery in Longfellow Square, 1964
Indian Island Mystery, 1965
The Dark Tower Mystery, 1966
Mystery on Nine-Mile Marsh, 1967
Mystery of the Red Carnations, 1968
Mystery in Hidden Hollow, 1970

In Mystery in Old Quebec, Kerry, Mark, and their father spend their vacation in Quebec. The family stays in an old boarding house. During the first night, Kerry hears someone crying in the room next door.  Meanwhile, Kerry's jacket disappears and reappears the next day.  Kerry discovers a paper in one of the pockets.  The paper has a series of drawings that tell a story.  Kerry and Mark figure out that a boy is being held captive in the house and follow a series of clues in order to help him.

The story starts out quickly and has no boring expository information.  I like it when a book is interesting from the very first page.

This is an excellent, fast-paced book.

In The Ghost Rock Mystery, Janice and Tommy visit Aunt Annabelle's guest house in Maine.  The guest house is in a deserted location.  The children become fearful when they learn about a ghost story involving the house.

When a man stays at the guest house, the children discover him sneaking around upstairs in the middle of the night.  Even stranger, the children hear hoofbeats coming from a rock in the middle of an empty field. What can it all mean?

This is a very good book.

In Mystery at Pemaquid Point, Elisabeth's father has taken a job remodeling the Sea Winds Hotel at Pemaquid Point, Maine. Elisabeth is very lonely, and the only child who lives nearby is Henry Freeman.  Henry is from a very poor family, and many people think that Henry and his brothers are thieves.

Elisabeth has the chance to become acquainted with Henry, and she feels confident that Henry and his brothers are innocent.  Unfortunately, additional thefts occur, keeping the Freemans under suspicion.  Elisabeth helps Henry find the real culprit.

This is also a very good book.

Sallie's Test of Skill and Charlotte Cross and Aunt Deb

In Sallie's Test of Skill, Sallie, Frederica, and their friends are at summer camp.  One girl, Peg, goes out of her way to be mean and nasty to everyone else.  A new girl named Laura joins the camp, and a boy who Peg likes immediately becomes interested in Laura.  Peg plays lots of nasty tricks on Laura.  Meanwhile, a mysterious wealthy lady, Mrs. Grimshaw, lives in a home near the lake.  Mrs. Grimshaw is reclusive, but she seems drawn to Laura.

This book is lacking.  The title refers to a boat race, but I never cared about that.  It also is unclear who the main character of the story is.  It seems that the entire group is of equal importance, but that makes the story less compelling.  Laura should have been the main character, but we get very little of her viewpoint.  Laura was the only character that I really liked, but I didn't get enough of her.

This book is just okay.

In Charlotte Cross and Aunt Deb, Charlotte is invited to go on a trip to Italy with Aunt Deb to look for the family treasure.  Soon after Charlotte's arrival at Aunt Deb's home, Aunt Deb is knocked unconscious when her head hits an attic rafter.  Aunt Deb wakes up paranoid, convinced that everyone knows about the treasure and is trying to take it away from them.  During the trip, Aunt Deb behaves outrageously and rudely, embarrassing Charlotte greatly.

Charlotte meets a nice young man during the trip, but Aunt Deb orders her to stay away from him, since she is certain that the man is after the treasure.  Charlotte feels like her life has been taken over by her aunt, and she wishes she could just leave and go home.

The beginning of the book is quite boring. The book opens with Charlotte and her roommate, and their entire conversation is uninteresting and pointless.

The story gets slightly better when Charlotte arrives at Aunt Deb's house, but the story does not become truly interesting until the two depart on the trip to Italy.  Once the trip begins, the book is excellent.

The story is wrapped up too easily, as I expected.  Aunt Deb goes crazy when she gets hit on the head shortly after the book begins.  I was not surprised that Aunt Deb gets hit on the head again near the end, and of course this cures her.

Diana Winthrop #5 Legacy of Lucian Van Zandt and #6 Threat of the Pirate Ship

In Diana Winthrop #5, The Legacy of Lucian Van Zandt, Megan has a splendid idea for Founder's Day at Van Zandt High School.  She wants Diana to research Lucian Van Zandt and the mystery of his heirs, then Leslie will write a play based on Lucian's life.

Diana and Leslie demur at first, but then they get into the spirit of the project.  Both girls will receive credit in their English course for their efforts. Meanwhile, protesters appear in front of the school.  Word has gotten out that the school might be sold, and the residents who live in the buildings owned by the school will lose their rent-controlled apartments.  The principal and the board of trustees have received threats.  Something sinister is afoot, and Diana's research becomes the key to solving the mystery.

On page 36, Diana snaps pictures of a live television broadcast to get pictures of the protesters.  It's amazing that Diana has time to get her camera passed to her and somehow manages to shoot the pictures before the story is over.

Nothing is mentioned about a VCR, which would have made the situation easier on Diana, because she could have snapped pictures later of the recording.  This is in 1984, and my family already had a VCR.  Perhaps they weren't yet common, but the Winthrop family is extremely wealthy.  They would have had a VCR, even if many people did not yet have them.

This is an excellent book and is my favorite title in the series.

In Diana Winthrop #6, The Threat of the Pirate Ship, Gran Culhaine is in Tampa, Florida, and has broken her leg.  Gran sends an urgent message to Diana, requesting her presence in Florida.  When Diana arrives, Gran can hardly speak, but she manages to convey that Diana must take possession of her belongings and inspect them. Gran also tells Diana that the accident occurred during the night at CHS, the company for which Gran is on the board of directors.  Even more important, somebody pushed Gran, causing the accident.  Diana also learns from others that someone is threatening the Gasparilla Day events. Diana shrewdly concludes that the threats and Gran's accident are connected.

This book has a few too many characters, but I was mostly able to keep them straight. Fortunately, they were not introduced all at once, which helped.

This is a very good book.

Overall the Diana Winthrop series is a very strong mystery series.  The plots are fairly complex, so the stories are for older children or young adults.  These books are more sophisticated than the average series book aimed at children.