Mini Reviews Fall 2015 - Funny Memoirs

Mini Reviews Fall 2015 - Funny Memoirs

Dear Reader, Time is flying by, I can't believe the Holidays are almost here! I wanted to share with you a few books I've read but haven't gotten around to formally reviewing. I did have thoughts and comments written down, as well as a numbered rating. These two books are similar in theme, being humorous memoirs from internet famous gals. One of them I'm in love with and the other one I hardly knew existed. For those of you who don't know Felicia Day - where have you been hiding? She's ALL over the internet with her badass self. Jenny Lawson, she is famous as the bloggess, check her blog out if you haven't heard of her. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir Jenny Lawson 3 / 5 Funny at times. She definitely has a "style" which can get repetitive, but her stories have 'ring true' moments which I enjoyed. I'm not sure I'd be running out for the next book, but I give her mad props for diving into writing a book about pretty much anything. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) Felicia Day 4 / 5 I clearly enjoyed this - especially as an audio-book narrated by Felicia Day herself. Her background story makes you believe you can do anything if you put your mind to it (but it probably helps to have extremely intelligent genes too). This is a perfect book for a laugh and a must read for any Felicia Day fan I audio-booked both of these and I would suggest this format, mainly because the Authors narrate and can deliver the humor better than a voice actor (in my opinion). If these two books were to battle it out, Felicia Day would win my vote. What do you think? Happy Reading, AmberBug

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss Max Wirestone 3/5	Published October 2015 First Sentence "The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pin-striped captain's outfit, and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. "
Publisher's Description: The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds. Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change. Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?). Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.
Dear Reader, There was SO much good here, geekdom galore! I wish I could say I loved this, but I didn't completely. I loved parts of it, the references, and the nerdy plot. So why didn't it connect? I believe it all started with Dahlia Moss. I'm ALL about a kick-ass heroine (super plus for her geek chic cred) but the more we spent time with her, the more unbelievable she became. Not to mention the hipster sliding the way into the geek culture (NO! Bad Hipsters! You are not geeks or vice versa, thank you very much). Let me rewind a little and give a little backstory... the story revolves around Dahlia when she is hired to investigate a theft (in-game). Everything about this plot was exciting to me since I'm a recovering WOW (World of Warcraft) addict. I could completely relate to how grossly attached people can become to digital objects in a virtual game, I mean c'mon... I sweated it out in that dungeon for over three hours, every night for two weeks to get that thing! Yes, games like this are addicting but can be ridiculously satisfying (especially in the "collection" department). Let's just say that the Author CLEARLY knew who could relate to such a silly concept... but we exist. Without going much further into the plot, Dahlia becomes overly involved in a murder to boot and she is thrust headlong into a giant investigation of which she is completely unqualified for. She talks straight at the reader sometimes (reminiscent of Veronica Mars) which worked out pretty well in a bunch of situations. While I enjoyed the fact that she is quirky and funny in many ways, it was her believability that held me back. She loosely flirts with all these guys but isn't strong enough to overcome her first love. Ohhh, brother. It's things like this that seem juvenile and after realizing the Author is a male, started to make a little sense. Yes, he tricked me enough to THINK that the main character was written by the reflected gender, but I smelled the fish along the way. However, take away that feminist twitch and the book is going to be very well received by many people out there. I can't even deny the fact that I had quite a few 'snort out loud' moments (SNOL?) which proves that this Max Wirestone knows his way around geeky stuff and comedy (I think that spells out w.i.n. in my book). I would love to see more Authors combine these two genres, and I can congratulate Max for succeeding in making me laugh and commiserate in my online wealth of nothingness. Thank you for that. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - Each chapter has awesome headings chock full of unicorns, d&d dice and more! P.P.S. - The lovely publisher made this available on NetGalley for me to read and review, thank you!

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You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) Felicia Day 4/5	Published 2015 First Sentence "Whereby I introduce myself to people who have no idea who the hell I am, but have found themselves in possession of this book."
Publisher's Description: From online entertainment mogul, actress, and “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day, a funny, quirky, and inspiring memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to Internet-stardom, and embracing her individuality to find success in Hollywood. The Internet isn’t all cat videos. There’s also Felicia Day—violinist, filmmaker, Internet entrepreneur, compulsive gamer, hoagie specialist, and former lonely homeschooled girl who overcame her isolated childhood to become the ruler of a new world…or at least semi-influential in the world of Internet Geeks and Goodreads book clubs. After growing up in the south where she was "homeschooled for hippie reasons", Felicia moved to Hollywood to pursue her dream of becoming an actress and was immediately typecast as a crazy cat-lady secretary. But Felicia’s misadventures in Hollywood led her to produce her own web series, own her own production company, and become an Internet star. Felicia’s short-ish life and her rags-to-riches rise to Internet fame launched her career as one of the most influential creators in new media. Now, Felicia’s strange world is filled with thoughts on creativity, video games, and a dash of mild feminist activism—just like her memoir. Hilarious and inspirational, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is proof that everyone should embrace what makes them different and be brave enough to share it with the world, because anything is possible now—even for a digital misfit.
Dear Reader, This is going to be a short review, sorry! However, I clearly enjoyed this - especially as an audio-book (narrated by Felicia Day herself). One thing that stuck out for me was how much I WOULDN'T have gotten along with her if we met in childhood days. She describes herself as a know-it-all, and I couldn't stand that. However, what her shortcomings were as a child (mostly based on her upbringing) didn't interfere with this awesome woman she is today. Okay, not just awesome but brilliant?! Did you know that she comes from a line of scientists and doctors? She was born with a brain and used it in a totally different way than would have been expected. Follow the same path? No way! Follow your dreams is more like it. She tells us this many times throughout this book and I think it's a good message - especially coming from someone who veered off the path and made it work. Her background story makes you believe you can do anything if you put your mind to it (but it probably helps to have extremely intelligent genes too). This is a perfect book for a laugh and a must read for any Felicia Day fan. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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The Fold

The Fold Peter Clines 4/5	Published June 2015 First Sentence "'I just don't think it's that good,' said Denise."
Publisher's Description: STEP INTO THE FOLD.  IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE. The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence. That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step. The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe. Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn't quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret. As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything. A cunningly inventive mystery featuring a hero worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a terrifying final twist you’ll never see coming, The Fold is that rarest of things: a genuinely page-turning science-fiction thriller. Step inside its pages and learn why author Peter Clines has already won legions of loyal fans.
Dear Reader, I feel like I just left an amusement park, this book was SO much fun. It was chock full of everything I love... science fiction, adventure with a twist of horror. Going into the book, I was under the impression that this was strictly Sci-Fi and would be a fun little romp through teleportation and what not. Not the case. This jumped over that into a story that became complex enough to keep the attention of the intelligent reader but brought the comedy and horror for those of us who crave a nice merge between the two. Clines does this seamlessly, the action doesn't really get going until the middle of the book and you won't see too much horror until the end, but I promise you... it's worth it. I love the main character, Mike, as unbelievable as he is. I'm not sure if someone like him actually exists out there but it was a very clever (or cop-out) device the author used to resolve many of the mysteries. Let me explain, this guy... he has more than a photographic memory, he has the IQ of Einstein and a unique ability to remember EVERYTHING he's ever learned, experienced and seen. I know somewhere in the book Clines mentioned a name for this *ability?* but I didn't note or bookmark it (bad Amber). I'd be interested to go back and look into it and see if he modeled it after a true case or just made it up from existing cases all rolled into one. No matter what, I think everyone will agree it gives the character something unique and will keep the reader curious enough to want to learn more (plus a little jealous, I know I was). Not only does 'Mike' have this crazy ability but he also has a great sense of humor, which is much needed in such a heavy scientific setting. I always find the inclusion of some comedic relief greatly appreciated in these types of books. I'd also say that "The Fold" is VERY accessible and would appeal to pretty much about anyone willing to give it a shot. It might be the perfect book to introduce a reader into the sci-fi genre. Peter Clines has done an excellent job keeping the setting within our time period by sprinkling tons of pop culture references throughout. I love when an author does that and it reminds me of books like "Ready Player One", "The Martian" and a few others recently published that could be compared (even though they fall into different genres). I appreciated all the geeky shout outs, Clines knows his readers and definitely gives them a little "somethin', somethin'". I'm super tempted to write more about what the book is about but I feel that the pace of the book stops me from doing so. You really don't get the reveal of how "The Fold" works or what it is until a good chunk of the way in. I was happy I didn't know, and I want my readers to have that same experience. However, I do want to caution those of you who don't like scary/messy bits - because this book has some of those. Not a ton... but maybe enough to shy away the easily scared. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this to anyone, Clines is now on my radar as an entertaining author who can be trusted to deliver an adventurous romp into the unknown. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride William Goldman 5/5	Published 1973 First Sentence "This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it."
Publisher's Description: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams? As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears. Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere. What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex. In short, it's about everything.
Dear Reader, I'll keep this short and sweet. The Princess Bride is every bit as wonderful as the movie. Wait? Shouldn't I be saying that the other way around? It seems like the movie has far surpassed the popularity among the masses over the book. I grew up wearing down my VCR copy of The Princess Bride. I think it was a tie between this movie and The Dark Crystal that caused utter grief and annoyance to my Aunts for the AMOUNT of times I had to watch it. I was a child with a magical and large imagination which could only be sated by the most creative of books and movies. I almost wish that I could have discovered The Princess Bride as a book first but looking back, my attachment to the movie would probably have won out. Now that I'm older, I have a better appreciation of how to separate the two medias and give them equal credit (where due). This might be one of the few book/movie pairings that hold acclaim on their own. I can't say one is better than the other, and even if the magic from my youth wins out on sheer power of childhood alone... that wouldn't be a fair judge. What I can tell you is this... reading The Princess Bride in my thirties has only enveloped me with a magical nostalgia of youthful glee. I still love a great story, one filled with adventure, comedy and maybe a little bit of romance is okay. I'm not going to bore you with a comparison of the two, nor will I go into a boring plot description (since anyone picking up this book must have an inkling of the plot). I'll speak to those of you who've cherished the movie (as I have) and are wondering if you should read this? (as I did). The answer is yes. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Left: Hardcover -- Right: EBook

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories B.J. Novak 4.5/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "In the aftermath of an athletic humiliation on an unprecedented scale - a loss to a tortoise in a footrace so staggering that, his tormentors teased, it would not only live on in the record books, but would transcend sport itself, and be taught to children around the world in textbooks and bedtime stories for centuries; that hundreds of years from now, children who have never heard of a "tortoise" would learn that it was basically a fancy type of turtle from hearing about this very race - the hare retreated, understandably, into a substantial period of depression and self-doubt."
Publisher's Description: From an actor, writer, and director of the hit TV comedy The Office (US version): a story collection that was "workshopped" at comedy clubs and bookstores on both coasts. B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut collection that signals the arrival of a welcome new voice in American fiction. Across a dazzling range of subjects, themes, tones, and narrative voices, Novak's assured prose and expansive imagination introduce readers to people, places, and premises that are hilarious, insightful, provocative, and moving-often at the same time. In One More Thing, a boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover that claiming the winnings may unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins - turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A school principal unveils a bold plan to permanently abolish arithmetic. An acclaimed ambulance driver seeks the courage to follow his heart and throw it all away to be a singer-songwriter. Author John Grisham contemplates a monumental typo. A new arrival in heaven, overwhelmed by infinite options, procrastinates over his long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who debate how to stage an intervention in the era of Facebook. We learn why wearing a red t-shirt every day is the key to finding love; how February got its name; and why the stock market is sometimes just... down. Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, from the deeply familiar to the intoxicatingly imaginative, One More Thing finds its heart in the most human of phenomena: love, fear, family, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element that might make a person complete. The stories in this collection are like nothing else, but they have one thing in common: they share the playful humor, deep heart, inquisitive mind, and altogether electrifying spirit of a writer with a fierce devotion to the entertainment of the reader.
Dear Reader, Pure magical comedic genius B.J. Novak had me laughing, pondering, and listening with both ears, waiting for the next story. Why has the universe given him such comedic talent? I'm SO grateful for it though, he has just started his romp in the literary world and I can't wait for MORE! He has a way of taking a simple concept and changing it into something so elaborately complex, it can ONLY be laughed at. Take for example, a story about a woman who goes on a date with a Warlord. The date is just so "casual" and yet, this guy mass murders people for fun... how can anyone not think a story like that not comedic genius? Anyways, you get what I mean now though, right? It goes both ways, a complex idea into the mundane and vice versa. I find when someone uses the disturbingly odd to just "act natural", it might be one of my favorite kinds of humor. Maybe this is why I like Monty Python so much. So, we've established this book is funny (at least to my sense of humor) but B.J. Novak doesn't just end with the funny, he tells us quite a few somber and thoughtful stories as well. I'll admit that I wasn't as connected to those, they are by no means bad. I think he has a knack for storytelling in general, I just think the stories containing his "humor" might be a little more elevated. Each story does have a nice moral, and I think the serious ones thrive on that moral, bringing them together. He does this thing throughout the book that I absolutely love, continuity and repetitive ideas/characters. Every now and then, you'll be listening to a story from this collection and then *BAM* you get hit with a character or concept from a previous story. This usually only happened during the humourous stories and it really reminded me of a style they used in a few 80's movies I loved (Kentucky Fried Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon). If you haven't seen those movies, go look them up and watch them, totally worth your time but remember they do represent that cheesy 80's feel. So which stories caught my fancy the most? I would have to say the first one is excellent "Rematch", also "Julie and the Warlord", "The Man Who Invented the Calendar", "The Best Thing in the World Awards", and the last story in the collection "J.C. Audetat, Translator of Don Quixote". Lastly, I want to bring up how much I loved this book in Audio format. The collection of readers he has gathered for the cast is fantastic, take a look for yourself: Lena Dunham, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, Julianne Moore, Carey Mulligan, Katy Perry, Jason Schwartzman, Emma Thompson, and Rainn Wilson. Yeah? Yeah! That is an EXCELLENT cast. Not to mention that B.J. Novak reads the majority of the book himself, and we all know he can act. He gives the right comedic timing for his jokes and gives the characters the perfect tone. I don't know if I would have loved this book as much in any other form. I would ask WHY?!? would anyone want to read this book over listening to it with all those glorifying bits. So, don't read this book... DON'T! Listen to it instead, I'm sure you won't be disappointed, I think I've just become another B.J. Novak fangirl... watch out. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Summer House with Swimming Pool

Summer House with Swimming Pool Herman Koch 3.5/5	Published June 2014 First Sentence "I am a doctor."
Publisher's Description: When a medical mistake goes horribly wrong and Ralph Meier, a famous actor, winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser is forced to conceal the error from his patients and family. After all, reputation is everything in this business. But the weight of carrying such a secret lies heavily on his mind, and he can't keep hiding from the truth…or the Board of Medical Examiners. The problem is that the real truth is a bit worse than a simple slipup. Marc played a role in Ralph's death, and he's not exactly upset that the man is gone. Still haunted by his eldest daughter's rape during their stay at Ralph's extravagant Mediterranean summerhouse-one they shared with Ralph and his enticing wife, Judith, film director Stanley Forbes and his far younger girlfriend, Emmanuelle, and Judith's mother-Marc has had it on his mind that the perpetrator of the rape could be either Ralph or Stanley. Stanley's guilt seems obvious, bearing in mind his uncomfortable fixation on the prospect of Marc's daughter's fashion career, but Marc's reasons for wanting Ralph dead become increasingly compelling as events unravel. There is damning evidence against Marc, but he isn't alone in his loathing of the star-studded director.
Dear Reader, I was lucky enough to score both the physical and audio-book (advance readers copy), which was nice. I swapped back in forth between listening and reading which was super easy because the audio-book aligned the tracks with the chapter numbers (I love when they think of those little details). Going into Book Expo America this year, I had only a handful of books I "REALLY" wanted, one of them being Summer House with Swimming Pool. I don't know why, but the premise intrigued me. The book has so many themes that bark up my tree... mostly because it was dark with the comedic edge. I love dark comedies, my favorite. Doctor Marc Schlosser is a typical medical jerk wad. He thinks he knows everything and that everyone should savour the ground he walks on. He has the normal family, wife and two daughters plus a general medical practice that has them well off. His clients usually consist of the rich and famous and he gets invited to quite a few prestigious soirees. One of his clients, an Actor, Ralph happens to befriend him and then invite him to stay during the summer Holiday when they happen by chance upon one another. This is where the crazy begins. The men in this book made me want to heave, and I mean EVERY time. I guess this is something the Author wanted since the entire story ends up revolving around the revolting decisions some men make. I have to say, Herman Koch writes exceedingly well. The detail and background that went into the characters is fantastic, although sometimes disturbing... a little too real? The main character, being a doctor who has little morals, we hear some highly disturbing things from his thoughts on certain medical issues. I found myself cringing during those moments but at the same time, I like when writers do this... it makes things real. If you cringe... you feel something, if you feel something... it makes it more real. I wanted to love the plot line as much as the writing, but I just didn't get into the summer escapades the family got into. I was more impressed with the bigger picture the book was slowly revealing. I don't want to give it away, so I'd rather not go into it. However, I do want to say that the big idea was VERY disturbingly thought provoking. There was this part of the book, where the doctor was remembering a past lecture his teacher had spoken of; the professor was saying how "God" or "biology" made things a certain way and we get a warning when we try to force an "unnatural" action upon this "thing". I found that fascinating and especially in the context the Author used (can't let you know what that is). Overall, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to everyone. This book would/will be appreciated by certain people who can enjoy the grotesque and the evil of the world, in a natural setting (not some magical, fantasy realm). I haven't read "The Dinner" but I would imagine he uses the same tactics, first world problems, unruly and despicable characters with disturbing events popping up along the way. Arianna just recently reviewed "The Dinner" and I think she was as neutral as I was about Koch's book. I enjoyed the book enough to want to read his next one though. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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