Week Thirty Four (B): Edcuated

I had no intention of finishing two books this week, but this one just took hold of me and would not let go until it had torn me to shreds.

Holy shit what a book, what a ride and what a raw emotional experience this is.

Full of so much that it left me crying as I read it, shaking when I finished it.

Thank you to everyone who recommended it, I cannot even comprehend how affecting this is just yet.

Week Thirty Four: Back Story

Entertaining enough but I think it pales in comparison to his comedy partner's book. Which is a very unfair comparison to make.

Harder to read because he speaks in more complicated sentences, with caveats for almost every thing he says.

Where it really shines is the second to last chapter where he suddenly, unexpectedly and most importantly, charmingly, falls in love with Victoria Coren.

A good laugh, light enough to read through and not particularly deep or meaningful, which I more than suspect is very deliberate, he pretty much states that he's not deep at all.

I think it's probably much better in audiobook format as he writes like he speaks, which is somehow harder to read than you'd think.

Week Thirty Three: The List

It was well written but annoying. I guess that makes it closer to Salman Rushdie than whoever wrote Twilight... I really enjoyed the style of the book and the writing, got caught up very quickly and could not put it down .... at first.

Loads of cliches about the end of the world and eco-disasters, evil dictators whose logic defies logic, and whose capacity for stupidity is parallel to their capacity for spitefulness.

The language-reduction-premise sounded good, but by the time they start explaining it it fell apart rapidly.

Also not sure of this book's message or politics here? The world is heading to an ecological disaster, but the people trying to stop/save the world are evil pricks? So they're right but also inhumane and insane?

Also, Flood, Ark and a protagonist called John Noa? Get a sledgehammer, it would be more subtle.

Ok that last bit was a bit bitchy, but I also just watched the end of the Maze Runner series and it does the whole 'evil-leader-end of the world-stupidity-torture-porn' the same way.

Week Thirty Two: Flashpoint

Busy week this week and while I am reading too many things at once (in reviews to come when I'm done) I put some time aside to finish a Graphic Novel that's been on my list for years.

Flashpoint. Worth the hype, very well composed and realised.

Week Thirty One: Frankenstein in Baghdad

Umm.

Not sure about this. It was very good in it's portrayal of a bunch of people, though most seem superfluous to the larger story which it was very hard to keep track of.

However it did sound very much like middle eastern people tell stories, at least based on my experience. Every person has a backstory that tells you something about them, something hidden and something related to the thing that just happened.

Dark though, and oddly compelling even if it ended abruptly with the old 'and it's all true as told to me the author' bit.

Not particularly funny, but definitely interesting and powered by the image and sense of war.