Rewind two months ago:
"Oh, I love summer break, I'm going to have so much time to read. I'm going to make such a dent in my backlog of books, blahblahblablah."
Fast-forward back to the present, two days before I go back to work. I've read maybe eight books total these past two months, July being the more pathetic of the two. Three books. That's it. And please don't ask me what I've been doing because I'm still trying to figure that out.
Dammit.
Book 1: The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by Benjamin Hale
592 pages
I actually wrote a post on this book back at the beginning of July, but to quickly sum it up, this book is good, but definitely not for everyone. Bruno Littlemore is a chimp that is basically wired to evolve into a human. He wants to look like a person, think like a person, and act like a person... including having a sexual and romantic relationship. Bestiality is an issue, as is animal captivity in general. I think it could have been a bit shorter as one section is quite drawn out. Not a quick read, but neither difficult or bad.
Book 2: Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes
272 pages
Dean Karnazes is both a phenomenal athlete (he runs ultramarathons) and a media whore. This book was not one of the better running books I've read- it was basically him indirectly talking about how amazing he is (I did my non-fiction nagging post on this one too). My least favorite chapter was the one where he included his fan mail- "Oh Dean, you're so inspiring- I have webbed feet and hooves for hands and you motivated be to complete a triathalon." Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but seriously, who does that? Go pat yourself on the back in private. There were a few interesting recounts of his massive runs, but not worth the self-indulgence.
Book 3: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
256 pages
I think this was the best book of July, which is funny because I've owned it for a few years and read it out of guilt (books have feelings, you know). This is a great novel for someone who isn't necessarily a hardcore reader but wants to try something with a little more meat, provided through the different narrative threads and crafted flashbacks. The plot centers around two women- Iris and her Great Aunt Esme, who was basically abandoned in a mental hospital when she was a girl. There are twists and turns that keep the reader interested and surprised until the very end.
Better luck next time, self.
"Oh, I love summer break, I'm going to have so much time to read. I'm going to make such a dent in my backlog of books, blahblahblablah."
Fast-forward back to the present, two days before I go back to work. I've read maybe eight books total these past two months, July being the more pathetic of the two. Three books. That's it. And please don't ask me what I've been doing because I'm still trying to figure that out.
Dammit.
Book 1: The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by Benjamin Hale
592 pages
I actually wrote a post on this book back at the beginning of July, but to quickly sum it up, this book is good, but definitely not for everyone. Bruno Littlemore is a chimp that is basically wired to evolve into a human. He wants to look like a person, think like a person, and act like a person... including having a sexual and romantic relationship. Bestiality is an issue, as is animal captivity in general. I think it could have been a bit shorter as one section is quite drawn out. Not a quick read, but neither difficult or bad.
Book 2: Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes
272 pages
Dean Karnazes is both a phenomenal athlete (he runs ultramarathons) and a media whore. This book was not one of the better running books I've read- it was basically him indirectly talking about how amazing he is (I did my non-fiction nagging post on this one too). My least favorite chapter was the one where he included his fan mail- "Oh Dean, you're so inspiring- I have webbed feet and hooves for hands and you motivated be to complete a triathalon." Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but seriously, who does that? Go pat yourself on the back in private. There were a few interesting recounts of his massive runs, but not worth the self-indulgence.
Book 3: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
256 pages
I think this was the best book of July, which is funny because I've owned it for a few years and read it out of guilt (books have feelings, you know). This is a great novel for someone who isn't necessarily a hardcore reader but wants to try something with a little more meat, provided through the different narrative threads and crafted flashbacks. The plot centers around two women- Iris and her Great Aunt Esme, who was basically abandoned in a mental hospital when she was a girl. There are twists and turns that keep the reader interested and surprised until the very end.
Better luck next time, self.
I'm feeling the same about where the eff summer went. i was supposed to get SO MUCH DONE. Annnnnnnd I didn't. Ooops.
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