by Jamie Davis Whitmer

Non-fiction

This is a record of paranormal investigations at several hotels in the U.S. where significant ghostly activity has been reported, sometimes over hundreds of years.

The author acknowledges in the prologue that traveling to these places around the country can be expensive and their team has limitations on what they can actually do to investigate, but they are able to collect stories and legends and leave themselves open for possible experiences.

The first stop is a hotel in Louisiana called The Myrtles where paranormal activity is frequently reported. The various stories and investigations of living people who might account for what people have claimed to see was interesting, but the investigators personal experiences were auditory on this one. These were fairly significant.

We are then taken to the Queen Mary cruise ship which has many stories attached to it, followed by a visit to Brisbee Arizona which the author suggests is the most haunted town in America. A hotel in Arkansas provides some pretty chilling stories as do several of the other examples our armchair tour takes us through. Many of the stories are substantiated by multiple people interviewed and the authors do report a few experiences themselves, though they point out in the conclusion that ghosts don't appear on command and ghost hunting is largely down to luck and random behavior of the subjects.

I liked that the addresses and contact information were given for the locations, so that interested readers can look into these places themselves if they have a mind to. It's not a sensationalist book with pictures of apparitions at every location, though one mirror photograph is worthy of scrutiny. It would make a good starting book for someone who fancies the idea of doing some investigating themselves.

The background information of each location is thorough and prices at the time of writing are included in the contact information.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek and fly back by Helicopter Tour or ABC Helicopter Trek is alternative trekking of the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. All trekkers might not have 2 weeks' time for the trekking so, these trekking packages significantly reduced the trekking time period. Peregrine Treks and Tours make a customized itinerary as per the trekker’s requirements. Also, we do not charge a single supplement charge with clients even there is only one person on the trek. Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Trek is the popular trekking tour package amount the trekkers.

Highlights of Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Trekking Tour

• Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill or direct
• Fly back to Pokhara by helicopter which saves at least 3 days time
• Panoramic Mountain view from Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and during the trek
• Terrace farming land, Gurung and Thakali ethnic community
• Spectacular view of Mount Annapurna I, II, IV, South, Mount Fishtail, Dhaulagiri Range, Manaslu, and many trekking peaks

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is popular trekking in the world and thrilling helicopter rides make this trekking more adventurous. The trekkers can see the mountain views as well as the ethnic group settlement from the landscape view via trek and bird's eye view from trekking. The Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter trekking tour offers you the awe-inspiring views of colossal peaks from different sight that you have never explored. Possibly the most naturally gorgeous and floral rich area of Nepal –Annapurna Region is blessed with coruscating of the Himalayas of Annapurna Range enhanced marvelously with the region’s astonishing landscapes.

We will start this Annapurna Base Camp Trekking tour from Kathmandu by bus or scenic flight to Pokhara. During this trek, we cross the eye-catching lush and green forest of the Rhododendron, pine oaks, and legendry Gurung villages. Poon Hill – famous vantage point for exciting sunrise and sunset is another attraction of this trek. You can see the Annapurna massif panoramic view, mount Dhaulagiri, Mount Manaslu, and many small peaks.

Get pleasure from the natural charisma of distant gigantic mountain peaks making a manifestation while trekking on the trail to ABC and be the very center of the relaxing environment filled with charming sights and paradise-like magnificence. During this trek to Annapurna Base Camp, we will enjoy the city of paradise Pokhara. The Pokhara city is situated in the lap of the Phewa Lake and from here we can see the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan range and Peace Stupa. 

During this trek, we can do sightseeing in Pokhara and Kathmandu. In Pokhara, we will visit Gupteshwor Cave, Davi’s fall, boating in Phewa Lake, suspension bridge, International mountain museum and many more. Similarly, in Kathmandu, we will sightsee in Pashupatinath temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and other destinations.

Annapurna base camp helicopter tour flight from Pokhara

If you are unable for the trek because of any reason, you can take a direct helicopter flight from Pokhara. This is a 1-hour tour (15 minutes to go there, 15 minutes to return back and half an hour free time at Annapurna Base Camp.

Annapurna Helicopter tour cost

The Annapurna Helicopter Tour cost is based on the traveler’s requirement. It would be better to take the full Package with us. Please write an email at info@peregrinetreks.com for the detailed Annapurna Helicopter Tour Cost.

Helicopter ride in Pokhara price

Helicopter ride in Pokhara price starts from USD 350 per person. This includes land transfers to Pokhara airport from your Pokhara hotel and a one-hour helicopter ride. We will provide a group discount too for this tour. It would be better if you email us at info@peregrinetreks.com

Annapurna base camp trek 5 days

From Pokhara, you can complete Annapurna Base Camp trek 5 days by using the helicopter to return back. We will provide a customized itinerary for this Annapurna Base Camp trek 5 days trekking tour.

Annapurna base camp helicopter tour cost

Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Tour cost depends on the number of the participants on the group, service level like accommodation standard, meal plan, trekking support staff. Please write an email at info@peregrinetreks.com for the Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter tour cost.

Annapurna base camp helicopter tour from Kathmandu

Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter tour from Kathmandu will be slightly costly because of the helicopter from Kathmandu. It would be better to take a regular flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and a helicopter ride to ABC and fly back to Kathmandu from Pokhara on the regular flight.

Annapurna base camp helicopter landing tour

Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter landing tour is a helicopter tour from Pokhara to the base camp of Annapurna. This is a private tour and needs at least 4 people at one group and cost is USD 1300 per flight from Pokhara and USD 4500 per flight from Kathmandu.

When you boil it down, QualityLand is simply the epic tale of a man trying to return something he didn't order (and doesn't want) to an online retailer. Peter Jobless's tale involves a paranoid hacker, a blackmail scheme, an armed stand-off, a smitten sex-bot, a TV news panel show, a revolutionary tablet computer, swaying a presidential election, and a revival of interest in the films of Jennifer Aniston. We've all been there, right?

There's no way I could describe the plot in a way to do it justice—so we'll stick with the broad sweep. Before much gets underway story-wise, there's a lot of set up required. When the dominoes start to fall in earnest, they go quickly. But so much of the book is devoted to setting them up, establishing/explaining the culture, government and everyday life of the QualityLand's citizenry.

Here's the best part about the set-up time: it's totally worth it, and the way the dominoes are being placed is enjoyable/entertaining enough that even if the results were duds, I wouldn't really have minded all that much. The icing on the cake is that the plot works well (we've all seen too many examples of elaborate worldbuilding that accompany a story that's not worth it).

This is a world given over to algorithms, a world where the algorithms of various retail entities know so much about their customers that they no longer have to wait for a customer to order something to provide it—no, the algorithm will know what you're going to want and will deliver it before you know you want it.

Not only are all your possessions provided for you in this manner, the algorithm decides what kind of career you will pursue, but it will also guide and govern your romantic life, your health care, and so on and so on.

It even gets into politics—so much so that during the course of this novel, there is an android running for president—because, we're told repeatedly (mostly by the candidate), "machines don't make mistakes." An android chief of state (the theory goes) will better all of society because the android will know what's needed.

At each step of the way, as each aspect of society is introduced and explained, as each character appears for the first time, it's done in a way that will make you grin, chuckle, or laugh. The world is so zany, so...out there—and yet, completely recognizable as a natural progression of our world/society/culture.

Unlike so many satirical novels, the ending of this novel doesn't get out of control. The plotlines come to natural conclusions and resolve in a satisfying way.

The characters—from the Everyman Peter Jobless, to the campaign manager (she can give Malcolm Tucker some lessons on the use of words as weapons), to the history teacher's trouble-maker daughter (in-person to public officials or in online comments), to Peter's collection of electronic companions—are wonderful. They're a little better rounded than I'm used to in satires.

There's a wonderful playful quality to the language, making the whole thing a barrelful of fun. I'm assuming that Searle captured the feel of the original in that, and did a great job. There's an acronym that's used a couple of times, that I think may be funny in the original, but doesn't translate into anything (at least as far as I can see). That one thing aside, the ability to make a translated text feel so natural, so easy is no small feat.

QualityLand is a fun read t's a thought-provoking read, it is (occasionally) a frightening read as you realize how close to this dystopia we are (and how fast we're running to it). I strongly recommend this one.

Asperfell - Mark Smith;Jamie Thomas

***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Uproar Books!***

I wanted to like this book. I really really wanted to like this book. It is exactly the type of book that I normally enjoy. A young, spunky female lead character. Magic. Society that seems to be based on a Victorian standard. Mysteries. Prisons. Other planes of existence. But I just couldn’t like it.

The writing is very good and thus why I gave this a two star rating over a one star. The dialogue is engaging, the plot moves at a fairly good pace, and the narrative flows beautifully. The first half of the book seemed a bit on the slow side while the second half was very rushed but that is my only complaint about the writing.

WARNING: From this point on there will be lots of spoilers, consider yourself warned.

This book has never met a young adult trope that it didn’t like….and utilize…..frequently. Let me preface where my opinion is coming from on this novel. The very first sentence, before I even hit the first chapter is that the author wants to “smash the patriarchy one novel at a time!”. Now, I will also explain that I am rather tired of reading militantly feminist literature, it seems to be everywhere these days. Normally I can overlook an author’s personal views or opinions about the book and just take the book for the story it presents. But not when that’s what you open with. The very first thing you told me about your story is that it’s smashing patriarchy with its strong female characters so you need to live up to that. You have now infused that idea into your novel and need to deliver.

This did not deliver. Instead I got the same old tired tropes of the young adult genre that feminist readers complain about constantly. How exactly are you smashing patriarchy? By presenting me tropes that I’ve been reading since I was 13 years old?

Briony is just like every young adult female lead character. She is spunky, sassy, strong willed, and bucks the patriarchal system that she was born into. Her older sister is the perfect lady of the court. This isn’t a new dynamic and it can be a good one when used correctly. I didn’t actually mind this because it set up Briony as a character who is questing to be knowledgeable. Knowledge and wisdom will be her weapon in the fight against what society has said her place is. That’s all well and good.

My problems start when Briony gets to Asperfell. Naturally she instantly dislikes Prince Elyan. He is dour, brooding, and wants nothing to do with her and largely he is exactly what one expects from the young adult male lead. I assumed Briony would be on a mission to find the answer to take him home whether he protested or not. But…..she doesn’t. Within the space of a chapter she seems to have completely forgotten about her mission and just goes along with working in the gardens and learning magic all while throwing a glare at Elyan when he deigns to make an appearance. He, of course, is primarily there to ridicule her efforts before disappearing again.

It wasn’t until about the last forty pages that Briony suddenly remembers that she is supposed to be getting Elyan back to their homeland. And only because someone whacked her across the head with the information that would lead her to that goal. She was far too busy trading gossip, learning magic, gardening, and making sarcastic remarks at Elyan to actually discover the answer on her own.

Another trope, instalove. Authors think that they are avoiding this if their characters start off hating each other. But Briony and Elyan go from coldly tolerating each other to gazing at each other affectionately literally in the space of a single dance. So not quite instalove but maybe 3 1/2 minute love? Microwave love? Be sure to wait for the ding!

Briony was also revealed to not be that strong or much of a feminist either. The most offensive example of this is when another character attempts to sexually assault her. Okay, we kind of have to assume that’s what he’s doing because it doesn’t get very far but I’m fairly confident that’s where this was headed. Briony courageously defends herself. She fights off her attacker and escapes to safety before the situation escalates into anything much worse. I was cheering for her! I was so proud of her for reacting in her own defense so decisively and swiftly. But then she decides to have a whole inner monologue about how she feels shame about the situation. Why exactly? Surely you would be feeling scared but also proud of yourself? She even says to herself that she has nothing to feel ashamed about…..but then concludes that thought with “but I do” and moves on. Is this really an example of a strong woman? Feeling shame about something that you recognize should not be causing you shame and during which you admirably protected yourself? I was highly disappointed.

Next we have the other young adult trope that I despise so much. Briony does something very stupid and reckless. She recognizes internally that it was reckless and stupid. But when Elyan points out that it was reckless and stupid then she yells at him about it. Because, how dare he think that he can control her! He doesn’t own her! She can do what she likes without him! Does anyone actually think that this is the makings of a strong woman? Actual thoughts that she had. No one was trying to control her or prevent her from doing anything on her own. She made a reckless and foolish decision, but because a male confronts her about it then he’s controlling. Then later he, naturally, apologizes for daring to question her reckless, foolish behavior because he was just so scared of losing her. And she gets to walk away feeling smug. Strong women rejoice! Patriarchy smashed!

Finally, the ending. We spent a very long time getting to Asperfell. We spent an equally long time gardening and learning magic in Asperfell. That left about 60 pages for the conclusion. I thought the conclusion was supposed to be the rescue of Elyan from Asperfell and delivering him back home. Except that didn’t happen. The book ends with them in the woods. On their way to a potential way to get home, but they aren’t actually sure it will work yet. And of course, it ends with a kiss. Frankly, it left me wondering what exactly the point was? We couldn’t spare another 30 pages to actually get back to Tiralaen? And then end it once they have successfully left Asperfell? I recognize that we’re setting up a sequel here, but the sequel works just as well starting with the moments after they escape Asperfell as the moments before.

Overall, this story reminded me of every single bad young adult novel I’ve ever read. Exactly the same characters. Exactly the same plot devices. Exactly the same tropes.