Synopsis:Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are about to face their most important challenge.
Their ten-year-old son, Hudson, is struggling at school: he’s socially awkward and not fitting in. Don’s spent a lifetime trying to fit in—so who better to teach Hudson the skills he needs?
The Hudson Project will require the help of friends old and new, force Don to decide how much to guide Hudson and how much to let him be himself, and raise some significant questions about Don’s own identity.
Meanwhile, there are multiple distractions to deal with: the Genetics Lecture Outrage, Rosie’s troubles at work, estrangement from his best friend Gene…
And opening the world’s best cocktail bar.
Review: This book lands somewhere between 3 stars and 4 stars. I opted for 3 stars since I liked it less than the previous two books.
Not sure what happened with The Rosie Result; I think there wasn't enough that was new in this book, so the novelty might have worn off. This plot is a lot messier than in the first two book; a lot of characters involved in a whole list of issues. Don even lists them all out at the end of the book; it's literally a list of issues.
Bill Gates's love for Don Tillman series hasn't gone unnoticed by Simsion; he mentioned Bill Gates directly in the book as well as mentioning the Microsoft and Melinda Gates Foundation. Thought this was an interesting fun fact.
Overall I feel very lukewarm about The Rosie Result. I put reading on this book on hold because I just wasn't interested in the story. If you are a fan of the other two books, you can give this book a try, but I believe the series ran out of steam.
Synopsis:Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they’re about to face a new challenge because— surprise!—Rosie is pregnant.
Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he’s left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie.
As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most.
Review: I almost always like sequels significantly less than its predecessor. However, I found this book to be equally, if not more, emotionally engaging than the first book.
Since Don is not your average guy, Rosie and Don experience some unique challenges during the period of their impending parenthood. It is STRESSFUL. I was griped to this story because I was worried about Don and Rosie and wishing that Don could just UNDERSTAND what the issues were but could only read helplessly as he dealt with each problem the only way he knew how.
Definitely not as funny to me as the first book since I was stressed almost the whole time, but since it affected me emotionally, I decided to give it the same rating as the first book.
If you enjoyed the first book, I would also recommend the sequel. In case you didn't get the notion from what I've said previously, it's a bit stressful.
Synopsis:Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
Review: I would never have expected this book to be recommended by Bill Gates. It's even classified (and sometimes reads like) a chick-lit!
Don is one of the characters that seems totally unrealistic; he is able to do anything he puts his mind to in a very short amount of time, smart, even good looking (subjective??) but has the one major challenge of following social conventions. One major "flaw" but otherwise a perfect/amazing guy? This is classic chick-lit stuff.
That being said, this book was hilarious. The main difference between this book and most other chick-lit books is that I didn't feel annoyed with this book. Yes, Don is an unrealistic character, but following him and Rosie through their journey was entertaining and funny. If you are not super logical like Don, I will surely be able to connect to him through his complicated journey in navigating his emotions. Both Don and Rosie are incredibly likable, which really helped with my impression of the book as well.
Overall a great and enjoyable read. I would recommend!
Synopsis: The Lord of Laughter, The Monarch of Mirth—if only the bumbling 17-year-old Sebastian Darke could be a successful jester like his father. The problem is, Sebastian’s not funny. But after his father’s death, with no choice but to beg in the streets, the half-human, half-elf teen sets off with Max, his father’s slightly cynical Buffalope, to offer his services as a jester to King Septimus of Keladon. On the way, they meet Captain Cornelius Drummel, small in stature, but the fiercest of fighters. The three rescue the fair princess Kerin, who’s being held captive by brigands, and happily escort her home. If only Sebastian knew the kidnapping was engineered by the evil King Septimus!
Review: The key to enjoying this book is to not take it too seriously.
Yes, the plot is predictable, but as the saying goes, "it's about the journey, not the destination."Sebastian, Cornelius, and Max form a group of unexpected adventurers, and there is plenty of humor as they work to protect the princess from the evil King. The whole story was very Princessbride-esque to me, although with significantly less romance. The dialogue might not seem entirely natural, but this is fine for a book that is considered a comedy!
Despite the illustrations throughout, I would recommend this book to early YA readers and above. It's a light, quick read (and a lucky find hidden amongst my other books; I'm not sure exactly how I got this book but am glad to have read it).
Synopsis:Noah was born a crime, the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Review: I've watched Trevor Noah on The Daily Show and seen clips of him on Youtube. One of the things that always stood out to me was that he was an amazing storyteller. Even on the most difficult topics, he can spin them into something lighthearted/comedic. But most importantly, it makes people listen.
I've only read one other comedian's autobiography before this (Ellen's Seriously...I'm Kidding), but Noah's just hits different. His narrative is infused with humor, but humor is not a central part in this story. Growing up half black, half white in South Africa gives Noah a whole set of struggles that many people wouldn't expect from someone hosting The Daily Show: an unconventional and (at times) dysfunctional family, abuse, racism, to mention a few. But this best part is that it never seems like Noah is telling use these stories to gain sympathy; he is just telling his story as he remembers it and even includes analogies to help Western audiences understand each situation he describes. No matter what life threw at him, he seemed to be able to roll with the punches.
My favorite parts of his book were when he talked about his mom. I loved hearing how strong and independent she is and how they interacted during the ups and downs of his childhood. There is this charming push and pull between mother and son; Trevor being naughty and his mother correct his behavior through tough love, letters, and religious backed arguments.
This book is not written chronologically. Rather Noah takes a topic from his past and tells the tale all the way through, sometimes reiterating parts of stories already told or hinting at stories yet to come. As a monologue, this is a great format, but in book format I would have preferred if he did not skip around his timeline so much. Although his casual writing style, I felt like I could not immerse myself into his story with him jumping around so much.
Overall, a very good read. I would definitely recommend this book; it has exceeded expectations and is a quick read!
Title: Good Omens Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman # of Pages: 412 (paperback) Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Humor Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis:According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist... Review: This book just wasn't my cup of tea.
I only decided to read this book because the TV show just came out, and I saw that Neil Gaiman is one of the authors (although I've only read one of Neil Gaiman's books). I just don't understand the British humor, and my biblical knowledge is pretty limited. It took me a while to finish (over a week), which means I just didn't want to read it.
There is third POV switching between multiple people, and it is VERY sloppy. It was hard to keep track of all of these people, especially since some of the character's POV would only come up once (because the character is insignificant beside the one moment they describe from their POV).
Title: Kill the Boy Band Author: Goldy Moldavsky # of Pages: 320 (paperback) Genre: YA, Contemporary, Humor Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:Just know from the start that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near them. That’s why we got a room in the hotel where they were staying.
We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially not the most useless one. But we had him—his room key, his cell phone, and his secrets.
We were not planning on what happened next.
We swear. Review: This is going to be a stream of consciousness review!
(As in, I'm going to include some of my thoughts I had as I was reading the book and thoughts I had after finishing).
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"Why did I love The Ruperts? It was a fair question, and one that I got all the time from schoolmates, randoms on the street, concerned parent, but it was still a difficult thing to answer. Was it their music? It was fun, and I listened to it almost exclusively, but even me, a die-hard Strepur, could admit that it wasn’t anything groundbreaking. I’ll be the first to defend The Ruperts when people say that their music is just bubblegum (who doesn’t enjoy the simple deliciousness of gum sometimes?) or that it didn’t merit any accolades because none of it was written by them (most of the greatest singers in the world don’t sing their own music). But I can also call The Ruperts’ music what it is: catchy, mindless pop."
"Did I love them because they were hot?Because they were hot, minus Rupert P., of course. Rupert K. would always be my favorite, but the others had their charms. Rupert L. was a beefcake. A babe. One hundred percent bona fide. And Rupert X. may have been the most conventionally blond-pretty boy I have ever seen."
Thoughts on the excerpts during reading: I’m a die-hard fan who hates it when my favorites’ music is called bubblegum, so I find it odd that the protagonist is trying to embrace this quality of The Ruperts's music. For me, appearances are a nice bonus, but I'm more concerned with how personable the members of the group are. But I wouldn’t call my favorite groups's music “mindless pop”; even newspapers have been praising their lyrics for their women empowerment and anti-haters themes. But maybe that’s just my inner fangirl showing.
Thoughts on the excerpts after finishing the book: It's undeniable that this book is some version of a One Direction fanfic. The Ruperts are a British boyband who sing "bubblegum music," or music that usually has an upbeat song marketed to pre-teens and teenagers possibly produced in an assembly line process (Wikipedia definition). Although the members of One Direction have participated in writing some of their songs (based on a brief glance at their discography wiki page), Kill the Boy Band is obviously taking a jab at those under this genre who having many songs written by others.
I am not, and never have been, a Directioner, but I'm in a similar fandom. Even though those in the K-Pop fandoms tend to be at some sort of war with One Direction fans, we have more in common than either side are willing to admit (including, for some of us, our unwavering support of the groups). So while The Ruperts are obviously modeled after One Direction (and an even less subtle parody 5sos is revealed at the end of the book, dubbed "6SoG"), I can still relate to the type of obsession with a boyfriend that the book is trying to depict.
However, the excerpt made fangirls seem as if they mindlessly listen to "trash" music while KNOWING its trash. If a fangirl likes a group for the right reasons (for their work as an artist), she won't think the music is meaningless. Not all fangirls like boy bands ONLY because they're hot.
"She was so lucky her parents got divorced. I would give anything to fly to Europe and see the boys in concert."
Thoughts on excerpt during reading: I can't believe this line is in the book. She might be trying to look at the situation from a fangirl's perspective and how "lucky" her friend's situation is because she can play her parents off each other to get what she wants, but it makes me dislike the protagonist. As someone who has seen how negatively divorce has affected my friends, the protagonist shouldn't be saying random things like "she's so lucky her parents got divorced" without at least some pretense of understanding.
“I loved being a Strepur. Maybe I was obsessed, but so were millions of other girls. I wasn’t out of my depth. And I was happy in my obsession. But was Erin right? Was I just a drone, wasting my time and potential on boys who would never know I existed?"
Thoughts on excerpt during reading: What I do love about this book is how it explores different perspectives of fan culture, including how people outside of the fandom perceive the fans. There are many fans who are self-aware that their obsession won't last beyond a couple of years but are going to enjoy the fun while it lasts. If fangirls understand their obsession is ridiculous, it's only understandable that people perceive fangirls to be incredibly ridiculous. Our protagonist is going through her struggle with her obsession in this book. It's a question fangirls always ask; are we taking our obsession too far? Is this really worth our time? Not many books talk about fan culture, and it's great how this book is starts this discussion.
General notes after reading: While the book is nothing incredibly thought provoking (the story is told with the voice of a stereotypical teenage girl), for fangirls of boy bands, the qualities described of the protagonist will be surprisingly relatable.
However, for someone who has a neutral or negative views of fangirls in general (i.e. someone who does not consider themselves to be a fangirl, someone who thinks fangirls are being silly/stupid) shouldn't read this book. The appeal is for fangirls to read and relate to a book about other fangirls, and if the reader can't relate, then the poorer qualities of the book stand out more to the reader. The fangirls depicted in Kill the Boy Band are extremists - most fans wouldn't go so far as to kidnap a member of the band, given the opportunity (I hope). The level of craziness of these fangirls is a whole different level, and this can give the wrong impression to a reader who is unfamiliar with the culture.
After reading a few other reviews for this book, I realize that although I found parts of the book relatable and other parts humorous for their exaggeration, some readers may not differentiate the truth from the fiction. The fangirls' actions are not representative of most fans.
This is an extremely quick read; the writing style is rather simplistic (and sometimes irritating with the occasional "obvs" and "quiet frankly"s) and can easily be read in one sitting. I recommend this to fangirls/past fangirls.
Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Author: Jesse Andrews # of Pages: 295 (paperback) Genre: YA, Contemporary, Humor Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.
It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential question: How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl. This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life. Review:I have no idea how to write this stupid review.
Seriously, this book was a strange combination of funny and general weirdness that I don't know what to think. One moment I was mentally hating on the crazy formatting (scripts/bullet points/lists), and the next I was literally laughing out loud. I almost gave this book three stars instead of four because I was really getting an "Average Joe" vibe. I'd say the actual rating is three and a half stars.
"Though this novel begs...comparisons to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, it stands on its own in inventiveness, humor, and heart." -Kirkus Reviews
At first glance, this book seems like TFIOS. There's a "dying girl", the writing style and characters are a bit quirky, and both are realistic fictional stories about teenagers. But that's basically where the similarities end.
"This book contains precisely zero Important Life Lessons, or Little-Known Facts About Love, or sappy tear-jerking Moments When We Knew We Had Left Our Childhood Behind for Good" (Andrews 3).
TFIOS is definitely more emotionally engaging (fall in love with Gus and Hazel's relationships and then cry at the end) while MEDG is mostly for the laughs. I wasn't even remotely close to crying at the end of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and I don't think you're necessarily suppose to.
I actually wanted to be more emotionally engaged so that's part of the reason why I didn't give it a perfect score/rating. The other reason was because the ending was incredibly underwhelming.
This book is great for teens age 14+, or people who can tolerate profanities and crude(?) humor. And MEDG is GREAT for people who trying to get into reading.
Title: Dead End in Norvelt Author: Jack Gantos # of Pages: 341 (hardback) Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Humor Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis: Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his Utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder. Review: This is one of the weirdest books I've read in a long time.
I heard that there was humor in it, but I think I was cringing more than I was laughing. The people who live in Norvelt are crazy. And then, to my horror, I find out that the author is Jack Gantos! If this is, in any way, based off of his childhood, I'm horrified.
Title: Bored of the Rings Author: The Harvard Lampoon # of Pages: 192 (paperback) Genre: Humor, Fantasy Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis: It’s up to Boggie Frito Bugger and his band of misfits—including inept wizard Goodgulf Grayteeth, halfwit Spam Gangree, twins Moxie and Pepsi, and Arrowroot of Arrowshirt—to carry the Great Ring to Fordor and cast it into the Zazu Pits.
Can they avoid death by hickey tree and escape the dread ballhog? Can the fellowship overcome the narcs and Nozdruls hounding their every move and save Lower Middle Earth once and for all? Yes, of course—this isn’t Hamlet, you know. Review: No. Just no.
If you want to read this book and like it, you should have read The Lord of the Rings (and you'd have to have comprehended and enjoyed them, unlike me) and have a crude sense of humor, neither of which I have done. I'm not exactly sure of where I bought it, but I thought it would help me get into The Lord of the Rings. I was proven wrong.
Overall, Bored of the Rings was boring, crude, and hard to get through (I used my speed reading technique that is mentioned in the footnotes of this book).
