Friday, August 30, 2013

Review: Life of Pi


Life of Pi
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The Life of Pi holds a special place in my heart because it was the first book we read when I started what we called Books & Brunch, but what was really either drunk or hungover people showing up late, talking graphically about the weekend shenanigans, a bit about the books, and turning green while eating their eggs. Our second book was After Dark by Murakami and one dude read a different book with the word Dark in the title and we didn't notice for about a half hour of discussion. I never did figure out what the island was supposed to represent.



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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Review: The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History


The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I LOVED the Great Influenza. Read it while doing a round the world trip (Seoul - Italy - Accra - Lome - Toronto - Vancouver - back to Seoul) because it amused me to see the looks on people's faces when I went through customs. Swine flu was big at the time.



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Review: Moo


Moo
Moo by Jane Smiley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I read this too long ago to make for a good review, but what I do recall is that immediately upon finishing I sent it to my friend, Jas. She and I used to talk about how in high school we pictured ourselves at university sitting around in coffee shops talking philosophy and such (perhaps even wearing black turtlenecks) and then we got to university and... Well, it was underwhelming. Something about this book struck a chord with me at the time.



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Monday, August 26, 2013

Review: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again


A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



DFW has an ability to make me interested in things I'm not interested in, though two essays on tennis was stretching that a wee bit. He made me laugh. Out loud.

More later when I have internet and my kindle at the same time.



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Friday, August 23, 2013

Review: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again


A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



DFW has an ability to make me interested in things I'm not interested in, though two essays on tennis was stretching that a wee bit. He made me laugh. Out loud.

More later when I have internet and my kindle at the same time.



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Monday, August 12, 2013

Review: The Blind Assassin


The Blind Assassin
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I highlighted a lot of stuff I wanted to comment on in my Kindle. It's at home, but since we moved I don't have internet there. Hopefully I'll remember to come back and add more to this.

In the meantime, I loved this book. I loved that it had me thinking several things about who wrote the alternate stories or even who was with whom at various points in the story. I liked the fantasy bit well enough, but I loved the stories of Laura and Iris. I wish I'd read this sooner - I've had it since I lived in Scotland, which I know because I had it signed at a reading in Edinburgh when Oryx and Crake came out.



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