Book Club Catch Up…
So I realized that I’ve read a few books that I haven’t written about a few of the books that I’ve read. I know that you have just been waiting in the edge of your seat to hear my reviews. Well, you’re in luck!
First up, The Help. This is the first (and so far only) book I’ve purchased on my iPad. (With so many free ones, my cheap a$$ has a hard time paying for them. But my issues with paying for books is a whole other story for a whole other time.) It was well worth the $9.99. Well worth it. I had heard good things about it and also didn’t want to be left behind on the trend. (Well, at least not this time.) So I bought the book and started reading. I couldn’t put it down. Seriously. I even suffered through motion sickness to read it on the train and the bus. If that doesn’t tell you how good it was, you clearly have never ridden in a car with me and heard me whine and complain about the slightest onset of Becca’s icky tummy. I even read it while walking to and from the train. I ran into a bush. Yes, I was literally hit in the face by a shrubbery. And I think the reason that I loved it so much was how captivating the story was. It wasn’t cheesy and (from my limited point of view) it seemed so truthful and realistic. I was truly brought into the story and felt the emotions of each character and (superficially) felt what they were going through. It is a magnificent story full of heart. I have yet to watch the movie (guess I dropped the ball on following that trend) but I fully intend to do so. Plus I love Emma Stone.
Sometimes I have an hour or so of extra time between when I finish tutoring and when Dan gets off work. If I’m in the area then I just hang around and look pathetic. Sometimes, when I look just pathetic enough, he gives me money. (I know!) One such day, I had just finished a book, so he gave me money and told me to go to Barnes and Noble. Yes, tis a rough life. So I ended up picking up a copy of Samantha Bee’s autobiography, I Know I Am But What Are You? Hilarious. First of all, I love The Daily Show. I was very excited to read about what lead her to this (okay, I just wanted to show you some more Daily Show clips). The book did not disappoint. It started out a bit slow, but once she got rolling, she really got rolling. Rarely do I laugh at loud while reading (with the exception ofBill Bryson and Karl Pilkington), but she did a well good job of adding herself to the list. Here’s a little teaser for you:
Every once in a while I think about what my life would be like if my parents had stayed together and not separated while I was still a baby. Obviously it would involve a regular commute to the maximum-security penitentiary to visit whichever of them had committed the murder that signaled the official end to their marriage. Something relatively insignificant would have pushed them to the brink. Perhaps my mother wouldn’t have been able to tolerate sorting through my father’s soiled gym bag to do his laundry one more time, or my father wouldn’t have been able to handle my mother’s growing interest in founding a pioneer-style ecovillage—whatever the trigger, one of them would have snapped.
And it only gets better from there. I’ve read the books from Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. And SB’s is placed right next to them (hypothetically, all of their books are stored somewhere in my parents house, but someday, someday, they will all be reunited) nested in between and within shouting distance of Mr. Bryson (Mr. Pilkington has a special place on the nightstand). So basically what I’m trying to say it read it. Seriously. As a bonus, today I read an article that laughter is good for your immune system during cold and flu season. So really this is medical advice.
I also read H.G. Wells’s Invisible Man. (A free download on my iPad, thank you very much.) It was a quick read and well worth it. There is just something about reading classics that makes me feel like I’ve really accomplished something. I don’t know what it is. Probably just book snobbery. But I did enjoy this one. It seemed quite original and a very strange insight into the human condition. Juxtaposed with the previous two books I’ve mentioned, it is quite different, yet not as enjoyable. And I think I’ve figured out why. The title character is an a-hole. As a general rule, I don’t like a-holes (there is always a well-deserving exception). But at the same time I really enjoyed hearing his story and learning about his thought process. It was a strange book. One definitely worth reading, but a strange book nonetheless. Also, it was free.
So there you have it. Three books that I read but forgot about. There should be something for everyone above (this is my plug to get more people to read, it’s one of my goals in life; I LOVE giving books as gifts, and if you don’t appreciate that, feel free to re-gift them back). Now back to the book that is ruining my pace to read 100 books in the next 5.5 years…
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