The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

In The Rosie Effect, Don Tillman has been married to Rosie for ten months and ten days. His life has definitely changed since Rosie came into his life. Now, both of their lives are about to become more complicated as more changes are on the horizon. In order to deal with this, Don seeks advice from his friends and the internet. At first, it all seems helpful, but eventually it gets him into trouble. Not only can he be prosecuted and deported, but he may end up losing Rosie as well.

I really enjoyed this book, a follow up to The Rosie Project. I loved reading more about Don and his life, especially now that he's had to adapt to his new relationships and surroundings. There's some new people in his life: George the landlord/rocker, whom I really liked; and Lydia, the therapist, whom I didn't. Gene and Claudia are essentially the same as they were in the first book.

While I did enjoy this book, I didn't find it as good as the first one, The Rosie Project. The whole Gregory Peck impersonation thing was lost on me. I was really confused by some of Rosie's actions. I can understand how newcomers wouldn't be used to Don's ways, but Rosie should understand him by now.

There was one passage in the book that I really liked.

People cannot forget things on command. Being instructed to forget something is analogous to being instructed not to think of a pink elephant...(page 269)

I also read and enjoyed The Rosie Project, also by this author. If these books are new to you, I'd recommend starting with the first one.

Recommended. Even though I didn't love this book was much as the previous one, I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

I purchased this book because I loved the first Rosie book so much.

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion, HarperCollins, ©2014. ISBN 9781443435901(Trade paperback),411p.

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

In This is Where I Leave You, Judd Foxman's father dies and his mother and siblings gather together. It's been a decade since they've spent time together as a group for any length of time. It should get interesting. If that's not bad enough, Judd has recently discovered that his wife was having an affair with his boss and now she's pregnant. Anyway, his father's dying request was for his family to spend the seven days after his death together, sitting Shiva. As they do, their differences rapidly become apparent, but so do their bonds as a family.

I wasn't familiar with Tropper's work, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. A death, an affair, and an unexpected pregnancy all sound pretty depressing. I certainly wasn't expecting anything to smile or laugh about. So, this book sat on my shelf until I was ready to deal with stuff like that. However, now that I've read it, I wish I had picked it up earlier. It wasn't all that sad. In fact, there were tons of laugh-out-loud moments. Great stuff! Of course, there were also lots of touching and tender moments, too. By the end, I loved it. Really loved it!!

I learned a lot about sitting Shiva and the Judaism, as did the family. Apparently, the father wasn't all that religious, so his final request was quite shocking to everyone. Yet, they did their best to honor it. The whole thing was extremely enlightening. I can't say if it was accurate, but Tropper did a great job of making it entertaining.

There were many great lines in this book. Here are my favourites:

You never know when it will be the last time you'll see your father, or kiss your wife, or play with your little brother, but there's always a last time. If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving. (page 156)

It's a sad moment when you come to understand how truly replaceable you are. (page 215)

The old expression goes, a good speech is like a woman's skirt: short enough to hold your attention, long enough to cover the subject. (page 234)

At some point, being angry is just another habit, like smoking, and you keep poisoning yourself without thinking about it. (page 333-4)

Apparently, this book is being made into a movie, which is scheduled to open in September, 2014. I don't go to a lot of movies, but I'll be seeing this one for sure.

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit Penguin's name website.

For more information about the author and his other books, please visit Jonathan Tropper's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Penguin for this review copy.

The is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, Dutton (Penguin), ©2009. ISBN 9780525951278 (Advance Uncorrected Proof), 339p.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

In The Rosie Project, Don Tillman, a genetics professor, is in search of a wife. He constructs a 14-page questionnaire to help him in his selection and weed out those who are undesirable. His Wife Project, isn't going all that great, until Rosie, who definitely wouldn't make the cut, walks into his life and changes him in ways he couldn't imagine.

I really enjoyed this wonderful debut novel. It's such a lighthearted, cute book with an exceptional quirky fun main character. At times, the story was laugh-out-loud funny. However, it wasn't always in your face. My favourite thing about the book was the subtle humour. There were a few times that I didn't get the "joke" until I had read a few sentences past it.  

Another thing that I liked about the book was that most, if not all, of the major characters experienced some personal growth over the course of the story. Don was the one I was cheering for the most, but the others also changed in positive ways.

From the first page of the book, the reader knows that Don Tillman is quirky and not like most other people. While it doesn't exactly pinpoint Don's condition, I think it's implied or hinted at that Don has Aspberger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Don has some of the same characteristics of Dr. Sheldon Cooper from the TV show, The Big Bang Theory. I absolutely love Sheldon, so it was terrific to read about a character like him. Their shared characteristics make them who they are; sometimes annoying, but always loveable.

The book is written from Don's perspective, which really is ideal for this story. It gives the reader insight as to what he's thinking and why he does what he does. In some ways, I could relate to him. For instance, lately I've been creating a number of small projects to tackle within the next year. I'm going to have to start giving them names. ;)

Even though I really enjoyed this book, at times it felt a little superficial. I don't think I fully connected with Don or Rosie because of that. While I loved Don, I thought Rosie was kind of abrasive. I didn't much care for Gene, Don's friend and confidant, but Gene's wife, Claudia, was okay. Don asked both of these people for advice on his Wife Project a number of times. Considering their marriage arrangement, I thought that was funny.

If you loved this book and want to read about another character with autism, Lisa Genova's Love Anthony (my review) is an exceptional book. It's very different from this one, but it can give you some insight into the mind of a very special little boy.

I could probably write a lot more about this book, but I think it's best if you just go read it.

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I purchased this book at Costco.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, HarperCollins, ©2013. ISBN 9781443422666(Trade paperback), 324p.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

Seriously...I'm Kidding is the latest book from Ellen Degeneres. In her usual laid back humorous style, she tackles numerous topics from her Covergirl campaign, American Idol and her talk show to everyday topics like dreams, exercise, meditation and children.

I enjoyed this book. I really like Ellen's style in her comedy as well as her writing. The topics are varied and peppered with her unique humour that had my laughing out loud a number of times. While it's not all funny, it was definitely interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. The book is more like sitting down and talking to her and hearing her thoughts on life, work and whatever rather than listening to a long stand-up routine.

Favourite quotes:

When making a right turn onto a busy street, always check the crosswalk for children's imaginary friends. (page 75, from Random Things That Might Help You But Probably Won't)

What they should do to save us all some time is combine every show into one giant reality show. Who wouldn't watch a show about the next tap-dancing celebrity bachelor apprentice who can survive in the wilderness while singing about losing weight? (page 132, about how watching all of the reality shows takes a lot of time.)

Even though I enjoyed the book, I do have a couple of complaints. You have to live under a rock not to know that she has a talk show. You may not have watched it, but chances are you know it exists, especially if you are reading this book. Yet she mentions her show time and time again. It's a good show and she must be very proud of it, so a chapter on it would be very appropriate. However, it went beyond that and seemed to be repetitive. I just don't see the point. Another repetitive thing was that she thanked the reader for reading the book a number of times. Once in the acknowledgements (or wherever) would be enough. I'd even tolerate another mention to pull off a good joke, but it seemed to me she mentioned it far more often than necessary. I get it, you're grateful. Enough already. Having said that, none of this stopped me from enjoying the book,

Ellen has written two other books: My Point...and I do Have One and The Funny Thing is.... I read and enjoyed the first one. The second one is on my to-be-read shelf. I hope to get to it at some point.

Recommended. Fans will like it. I enjoyed the book even though I'm not Ellen's biggest fan, nor do I watch her show that often. I do think she's pretty funny and really enjoy her work. I'd more than likely read another book of hers should she write one.

For more information about this book, please visit the Hachette Book Group website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Hachette Book Group for this review copy.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres, Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book Group), ©2011. ISBN 9780446585026(Hardcover), 241p.

101 Uses for an Old Sandbag...or Two by Jason Howell

101 Uses for an Old Sandbag...or two was written just after the Flood of the Century in 1997. Using humour, it illustrates the various ways to use sandbags that are no longer needed for holding back flood waters. At the time, the net proceeds were donated to Manitoba Flood Relief.

This is a really cute book. The illustrations are pretty simple, but they are nicely done. The only bad thing I can say about the book is that it's somewhat dated now. The material is still mostly relevant, but the specific politicians mentioned are no longer in office. I'm pretty sure, though, it's the same old politicians with the same old politics, just with different faces. *sigh*

My favourites uses for an old sandbag:

7. Host flood re-enactment dramas in your backyard, and encourage the audience to take home the "props" after each show.
13. Just lay them out in a circle in the nearest field and call the media.
28.Dike your driveway to minimize the effect of snow drifts.
49. Drink a few beer and see if you can move the bags with your mind (it make take a "few" dozen).
67. Be a prankster and dike a neighbour's home when he's out. He'll get a kick out of it.

I really like the cover.   It's funny, but also very real for us.  Personally, I was very close to waving that white flag several times during the flood and sandbagging operations. 

If you've been through a flood (like we recently have) and have a sense of humour, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of some of these suggestions.

I picked up this book at a used book sale sometime ago.   It remained packed away in a box until recently.  Since some of my neighbours are still dealing with leftover sandbags, I thought it was a good time to review the book. 

101 Uses for an Old Sandbag...or Two by Jason Howell and Pete McCullough (Illustrator), Permanent Press, ©1997. ISBN 096929720X(Soft cover), 101p.

Cartoon Marriage by Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin

Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony by THE NEW YORKER'S Cartooning Couple is a delightful book filled with very funny cartoons dealing with weddings, sex, children, divorces, the opposite sex, and much more. Lisa Donnelly and Michael Maslin, both long-time cartoonists for The New Yorker are married to each other and draw on their relationship for inspiration. In this book, they present a wonderful collection of their works with a sort of "he said, she said" take on all things matrimonial.

This book was brilliant, hilarious and very well laid out. The cartoons are divided into sections each dealing with married life. Each section is prefaced with a comic strip introduction featuring the authors. I read it sequentially, like a book, but there's no reason why you couldn't flip through the book and read the cartoons randomly. I laughed out loud many times and ran over to where my husband was sitting to show him my favourites. He's now interested in looking more closely at it.

Donnelly and Maslin have distinct styles in cartooning. I'd be hard pressed to say which one I favoured over the other. Both are equally good. At first I didn't even notice the difference...I was too busy laughing. However, as I got further into the book I started looking at their styles along with the cartoons. After awhile I could easily identify their works (without looking at the signatures). I especially loved the introductions to the chapters where the couple storyboarded their own lives. This made the book more personal and made it more than just a collection of cartoons.

There's just one little "oops" with this book. It's bound upside down. I wouldn't have even noticed, but when I first opened the book, the contents were upside down. To solve this "problem", I flipped the dust jacket around so it matches the contents rather than the cover. Unless the next reader removes the dust jacket, no one will be the wiser. ;)

I'll be enjoying this one again and again. It's great.

Highly recommended for the married couple, the engaged couple, those who have divorced, even the single person. There's something for everyone.

Want to know more about this book? Visit Random House website for a synopsis or a peek inside.

Fool by Christopher Moore

I just knew I was going to like this Advanced Readers Edition of "Fool" when it showed up wrapped in brown paper sporting a warning:

WARNING! THIS IS A BAWDY TALE. Herein YOU WILL FIND GRATUITOUS SHAGGING, MURDER, SPANKING, MAIMING, TREASON, and heretofore UNEXPLORED HEIGHTS OF VULGARITY and PROFANITY, as well as NON-TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR, SPLIT INFINITIVES, and THE ODD WANK. If that sort of thing bothers you, then gentle reader pass by, for we endeavor only to entertain, not to offend. That said, if that's the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon THE PERFECT STORY!

Fool is Christopher Moore's retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear. However, he doesn't simply retell it. He takes the tragedy, transforms it into a comedy, adds in characters and storylines from other plays along with some sexual innuendos and bawdy antics and comes out with a hilarious and highly entertaining story narrated by Pocket, the fool in King Lear's court.

Pocket was abandoned as a baby by his mother. He grew up in an orphanage and eventually ends up "working" for King Lear by entertaining his youngest daughter, Cordelia. Because fools are not taken seriously, Pocket can say whatever he wants. He's had his life threatened more times than I can count, yet, along with his protégé Drool, he continues to pester and insult those around him while trying not to get caught shagging the King's daughters. He manoeuvres his way around the court and manipulates others to achieve his desired outcome. All in a good way, of course.

This book is hilarious and I enjoyed it immensely. I know lots of people who love Shakespeare's works; I'm not one of them. In high school, I did everything I could to get out of reading Shakespeare. Even now, I probably wouldn't pick up one of his books. I don't find the style in which the plays are written to be accessible. Having said that, for me this book was very accessible and not at all like one of Shakespeare's plays. While I enjoyed the story, it was lascivious behaviours of Pocket and Drool that kept me interested all the way until the end. I just couldn't wait to see what trouble they'd get into next.

The author's note at the end is worth reading. Moore explains a lot about how Fool came about and explains his research into Shakespeare's works. It's interesting stuff.

For more information regarding this book, head over to HarperCollins website to Browse Inside or read the synopsis.

Highly recommended for those who aren't scared away by the warning. ;)