Archive for Authors

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs

May 23, 2012 · Filed under Jacobs A.J., Non-Fiction

I got this for Paul for his birthday and it was really the gift that keeps on giving because I knew I’d read it, too.  Well, I just finished it and it has got me all kinds of thinking.  But first, I knew that we’d enjoy it because we read his essays in Esquire, plus he’s written for Mental Floss, and he’s a good non-fiction writer.  His books are pretty much all the sort of thing where he takes on a crazy project and writes about it.  And while those are a bit all the rage now, I think he’s very good at it.  For example, his previous book The Year of Living Biblically is all about trying to follow the Bible’s actual old school Old Testament rules for a year.  Then there was The Guinea Pig Diaries.  Paul and I agree-his wife must be a saint.  This latest project took two years to do and it was his quest to be the healthiest person in the world. Now here’s the thing about his essays and books-they sound gimmicky but he does a ton of research. So, yes, he has a great humorous quality to his writing, but there’s also facts all over the place.
I have about a million issues with weight and health and fitness so this book has basically sent me into a turmoil.  Well, first of all-my first though is losing weight and exercising. But he’s talking about the whole package of health, so each essay (one per month, approx.) is about a new area he’s addressing, such as sleep, stress, environmental toxins, his testosterone, hearing, teeth, etc.  Because he’s doing this as a project he actually fully tries out many things that most people never would, and looks into lots of fringe health movements (and then, if need be, debunks them.)
But he also finds out which things do matter and at the end of his two years comes up with some summation things he would keep doing, and tips for normal people.
So here’s what I’m taking away from this:

Sugar: I absolutely must have less sugar in my diet and my kids’. I can’t go totally sugar free, but definitely need to seriously reduce it.

HIIT (high intensity interval training): apparently this really is a proven scientifically sound way to get fit and is best for your body.  Paul started trying it out last week.

Accident prevention: this chapter was pretty hilarious.  Most freak accidents you really can’t prevent, but one thing I really need to do is just simply put the cell phone out of reach when I’m in the car.

Standing:  Standing is better for you than sitting.  Though this tip, as well as the treadmill desk which he advocates, seem most applicable to people who work at home or in an office.  Frankly, I relish the moments I get to sit and pretty much collapse on the couch at the end of the day.  So I’m probably good.

Breakfast cereal/White flour:  A.J., here’s what I’m not doing.  Despite all the evidence, scientific and anecdotal, I am not ready to give up cereal for breakfast or things made with white flour.  I’m just not.

I’m hoping this book is actually the kick in the pants for our whole family to lose weight and be more active.  And lest my review scares you off because you think it’s a diet and exercise book, it’s really not.

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Death of Riley (Molly Murphy #2) by Rhys Bowen

May 23, 2012 · Filed under Adult Fiction, Bowen Rhys, Historical, Mystery

I didn’t do very well with my BoB Reading Challenge this week because I was so caught up in the two books I was reading.  The first was this one, which I had to read immediately upon finishing the first in the series.  Just like in the first book there is tons of historical detail that really bring  the setting to life.  And while Molly is still strong and smart, poking her nose into a mystery determined to solve it, this installment finds her in some very different situations.  She is still dealing with the family she helped bring over from Ireland, including their nasty trashy cousin, Nuala.  And when the story starts she is even more smitten than ever with police captain Daniel Sullivan.  And she is still seeking reputable work, though still sure that what she’d really like to do is help people back in the old country connect with lost loved ones here in America.  Much of that changes fairly quickly when she finds out that Daniel’s affections have strings attached.  She ends up forcing her way into working for a real private investigator, but not long after that the p.i., Paddy Riley, is murdered-not only that she actually sees the murderer.  The police don’t seem very interested in solving the case, but Molly is determined to.  Right there that’s a whole lot going on-but wait! there’s more!  Through investigating and exploring Molly ends up getting to be a part of the Greenwich Village scene (which-who knew there was one that far back?), meeting and associating with bold bohemian types and homosexuals (though it takes her a really long time to figure that out.) Womens’ rights, women drinking, gay men, nude painter models, passionate artists, and anarchists-sheltered Irish Molly learns about it all! I also really enjoyed the final scenes, set at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.  World’s Fairs and these exhibitions really sound so amazing and it’s difficult to imagine something quite like it today.
Anyway,  I very much enjoyed this sequel and look forward to continuing the series (especially because I’d really like to see Molly take on some cases that do involve finding people.) And, I still have to get back to Her Royal Spyness series (I stopped when I lost my library book, but I found and returned it, so can continue on now.)

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How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written

May 16, 2012 · Filed under Archer Sterling, Funny, Non-Fiction

Paul and I are big fans of Archer.  If you haven’t watched this show on FX, then you are missing out.  It is hilarious (and not for the faint of heart, you won’t believe the things they do and say.) It is also smart and witty.  And now Archer has written a book telling you all about how to be just as awesome as he is. Except no one is more awesome than he is and he makes a point of telling you that throughout.
Basically I loved this book because I could easily hear the entire thing in my head in Archer’s distinctive voice (that would be H. Jon Benjamin, who also voices Bob’s Burgers, which we’ve just started watching because we love him so much.)  Seriously, this would be the best audiobook ever.  It was like getting an extra couple of episodes.

This was a birthday gift for Paul, and here’s his take on it: (which is of course much more detailed and better than min.) http://ijustreadaboutthat.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/sterling-archer-how-to-archer-the-ultimate-guide-to-espionage-and-style-and-women-and-also-cocktails-ever-written-2012/

Lana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen

May 15, 2012 · Filed under Adult Fiction, Bowen Rhys, Historical, Mystery

I enjoyed the Royal Spyness books so much that I decided to try out another one of her series-the Molly Murphy mysteries.  Just put down book one, and I loved it!

Just like the Royal Spyness books it had wonderful historical detail.  In this case what impressed me so much was the (presumably) accurate and descriptive details of finding passage to New York City as an Irish immigrant, being processed through Ellis Island, and then finding lodging and a job on the Lower East Side. You know, I’m not sure if they ever say exactly what year it is, but I guess turn of the century.  Tammany Hall and corruption play a big part in the story.

Molly is from a village in Ireland, but finds her way to America when she takes a dying woman’s place, so that the woman’s children might be reunited with their father.  Posing as Kathleen O’Connor Molly stays with the children.  They must spend the night on Ellis Island and it’s there that Molly is witness to (though doesn’t realize it at the time) a murderer.  Her one friend from the ship is under suspicion, as is she, and she is determined to find out who the real killer is.

Man, NYC at the turn of the century, for a poor immigrant, sounds horrible.  The descriptions were so vivid I could imagine how awful it would be to be living in a tiny room with several other people, sleeping on the floor, a straight chair, or boards, and washing up at a communal sink, several flights down.  Dirty, crowded, noisy.  I also kept thinking how amazing it was the amount of detective work they could do without the modern conveniences we have (although they did have telephones.)

Molly is funny and smart and resourceful and I look forward to reading more about her and the police captain, Daniel.

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Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler

May 14, 2012 · Filed under Adult Fiction, Book Club, Gischler Victor, Post Apocalypic

First I wanted to love this book, then I hated it, then I loved it.I read this at the recommendation of my friend Paula-the first selection of our “Go Bag Book Club.” If you don’t know what a go bag is, then you likely won’t survive an apocalyptic event, a pandemic, the downfall of civilization, whichever doomsday scenario you like.  If you’ve followed my reviews here then you probably have heard me go on and on about how I like post apocalyptic books, but hated The Road.  Basically I can’t stand it when the author presumes that when a catastrophic event or series of events happens, that man will revert to a primitive state of killing and random violence, including cannibalism.  I just can’t believe that the majority of mankind is only a full grocery store or functioning government away from becoming a random killing machine. Paula says, “ I say if no one is gettin’ eaten, it ain’t worth readin.’”  Which cracks me up.  And I totally loved Dies the Fire, which did have a few crazies eating other people (and also recommended by Paula, so I should have known she wouldn’t steer me wrong.)

So anyway, I loved the first chapter of this book, in which Mortimer Tate comes out of his cave on a mountain, where he’s been hiding for 9 years, and descends the mountain to find out what has happened to civilization and what has become of the wife (separated) he left behind.  What he finds is pretty dreadful and by the end of chapter 2 he’s witnessed some brutal raping, been drunkenly beat, and had a finger cut off.  That’s when I said, “UGH!” and put it down.  But when I picked it up a mere page later I was finding myself getting more interested and invested in Mortimer’s survival.

Bill saves Mortimer’s life, and thus becomes his friend and ally in this strange new world.  Bill introduces him to Joey Armageddon’s Sassy a Go Go, a “chain” of places that are hotel, saloon, and general store all in one.  Armageddon dollars are the only thing accepted and it’s pretty much the only way to get anything.  Oh, and naked chicks dance in cages and are available as whores, too.  Mortimer finds out that his ex-wife, Anne, was a Joey girl, but has moved on to another location.  Determined to find her, and now a “Platinum” member of Joey Armageddon’s, Mortimer and Bill get aboard a hand cranked train to find her.  Cannibals, crazy people, violence, it’s all there.  But so is an absolute ton of humor and adventure.  I know, it doesn’t sound like it could be funny, but it is! Mortimer is a great character and it’s unbelievable how kick-ass he is.  Bill and Mortimer are caught up in not just their own survival, but also a plan to possibly remake civilization.

The chase scene final battle ending is awesome, and then, to make it even better for me, an epilogue!!  I really liked this a lot, so thank you Paula! And, should society ever collapse like it does in this book, I think we can all agree that I won’t survive long.

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Jane by April Lindner

May 9, 2012 · Filed under Award or Selected List, Lindner April, Reading Challenge-YALSA 2012, Romantic, YA Fiction

This is a  modern version of Jane Eyre, in which the role of the brooding Mr. Rochester is played by Nico Rathburn, brooding rock star.  Jane is still a young woman who is the nanny for Mr. R, and she is on her own.  I really didn’t remember very much of Jane Eyre, so I truly wasn’t sure what to expect of the ending. Would it be tragic or not? All I remembered was the wife in the attic and a fire.  The book has an afterward which is really interesting and all about how she conceived of making Jane Eyre possibly believable in the modern age.

The narration of the story was kind of strange and stilted, and also told from, apparently, the far off future (and with a somewhat detached voice.)  I don’t remember Jane’s voice in the original, so it may have been mirroring it. Or, it may have been to add to the fact that Jane is kind of a weird character herself-very out of touch with popular culture and the world. Which is actually how she gets placed with such a famous musician as his daughter’s nanny.

One thing I found a bit unbelievable was that Jane actually loved Nico and that he loved her.  And because I didn’t remember the original I found it unsettling to not know whether or not to believe that he actually had feelings for her. Their love did not in any way seem believable.

I liked this quite a bit and think I may need to reread Jane Eyre now! (honestly, The Eyre Affair may be more a part of my literary memory these past several years, than the actual Jane Eyre.)

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How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg

May 9, 2012 · Filed under Award or Selected List, Bragg Georgia, Non-Fiction, Reading Challenge-YALSA 2012

This collection of famous people’s deaths is really fascinating.  Paul didn’t like it as much as I did and interestingly what he didn’t like is what I found so appealing–the overall conversational tone of the book .  He found it trying too hard to be hip, or too juvenile, whereas I liked the way Napoleon’s political career might be condensed into a sentence saying something like “and so he convinced everyone to let him be in charge” (I totally made that up-I lent my copy to a friend and so what I had flagged as my example is long since forgotten to me!)

Each historical figure gets a few pages about their life’s work and then their death.  And because so many of these people died in a time when modern medicine was not around we get to read about all kinds of things that just seem plain stupid or crazy (leeches, bloodletting, sticking dirty fingers into an open wound, etc.) and the disgusting results (infections, boils, pus, diarrhea, etc.)  After all that there would be a page or two tangentially related to the person, that was just kind of a fun add on.

I think my favorite part was learning that despite what nearly every single crossword puzzle I’ve ever done has tried to tell me, Cleopatra was NOT killed by an asp. I repeat, NOT killed by an asp!!

This is a reading challenge book, though I’m not exactly sure which list is came from.  If I had to guess I’d say Quick Picks, because what kid who doesn’t like to read, wouldn’t want to read this?

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Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux

May 9, 2012 · Filed under Award or Selected List, Funny, Graphic Novel, Loux Matthew, Reading Challenge-YALSA 2012, YA Fiction

Making great progress with the YALSA Best of the Best Reading Challenge! Another one of the Great Graphic Novels Top Ten list and again, a quick read.  It seems like cheating!  I have to say that I really liked this and for someone like me who likes graphic novels but will not invest a lot of time into finding ones I like, using the list is super handy.

This is about a bunch of recent high school grads who are buddies and play a lot of video games*, have crushes on girls, hate an obnoxious football guy, and are afraid of a cat.  It was super funny and I liked the frienship between the guys.  I loved the drawing style of their arms–looked like they were zipping around everywhere. And in this one day they do zip around a lot all to go to a show, get a girl, get back at a guy.

There were a couple of minor characters who two guys who play pranks and make mischief and not only acted like, but also were drawn to totally look like Jay (from Jay and Silent Bob.)

My favorite part may have been when one of the guys says, “hey you, get your damn hands off her!” which, as everyone should know, is from Back to the Future.

*just read in the Goodreads description “tranquil laziness.” Yes, that is apt.

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I Love Him to Pieces (My Boyfriend is a Monster #1) by Evonne Tsang & Janina Gorreson

May 1, 2012 · Filed under Award or Selected List, Graphic Novel, Reading Challenge-YALSA 2012, Romantic, Tsang Evonne, YA Fiction

This comic is a pretty quick read-it’s quite short. I loved it! I’m unclear if this is a series (as the #1 would indicate) and if so are the other volumes about the same characters? On the one hand, I hope so because I really liked the main characters and secondary characters and would like to see more of them (it would almost seem a waste to have established their stories and then only use them in this short book), but on the other hand this ended very satisfactorily and there’s really no definite need for more.

The basic story is that Dicey and Jack are classmates and over the course of an assignment together they become close and attracted to each other.  On their first real date Jack gets a call from his CDC scientist parents that an outbreak of a virus has hit their town.  The virus is brain eating and spread by biting-so basically zombies.  Now, I can’t stand the zombie ouvre (exceptions: Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead) because they are a)gross and b)scary and c)it pretty much seems like once zombie plagues hit it’s all over.  Jack and Dicey team together and are pretty kick ass fighters.

Here are the things I liked and thought made this a totally standout book:
Dicey is an athlete and Jack is a nerd.  Not only is Dicey a jock, but she is also the only female player on her school’s baseball team.
Dicey’s friendship and relationship with the guys on her team.
Jack’s friendship with the guys he plays D&D with.
Dicey’s happy family life with her dad and little brother (except the part about her mom being dead.)
The sound the zombies make is “GUH”. Which struck me as very funny.

What was so especially nice about all those things mentioned above is that they seemed very naturally and easily established.  They weren’t big storylines-they just were. And I just thought it was a really nice story.

(OK, according to Goodreads My Boyfriend is a Monster is a series and there are four of them, and they are each individual stories.)

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Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever by Julian Beever

May 1, 2012 · Filed under Award or Selected List, Beever Julian, Non-Fiction, Reading Challenge-YALSA 2012

Mostly visual, so this is a delight to page through. It’s all the drawings this guy does that look 3 dimensional from a particular angle (you’ve probably seen online the marching Lego army). Full size pictures are on each page, then on another page the picture is smaller with a paragraph about the making of the drawing.
I’m totally impressed and amazed by these drawings, so I liked them. I enjoyed his introduction-how he got into doing this-but I wish he talked a little bit about the commercial aspect, since clearly many of the pictures were commissioned by companies. Oh, and apparently there was a German tv show about him. I think this came from the Quick Picks list.

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