January 22, 2012

I laughed, I cried, I questioned my sanity...

Well, I can tell you this about It's Not Me, It's You by Jon Richardson: it's dark humor.  I definitely found parts of it humorous (I even laughed aloud at several points) but I did not agree with the majority of his beliefs about relationships or indeed the human condition.  It is the author's belief that we should strive to make every day perfect and in order to do that we must all be focused on doing everything the right way.  I emphasize this because I don't think it's possible that there is a right or a wrong way to do certain things.  An example would be eating a meal.  He has a system whereby there are a specific number of mouthfuls and the last bite is absolutely perfect.  I believe that food must be eaten clockwise and that each round must be finished with a swallow of drink.  The difference here is that I don't begrudge others for not following in my footsteps because I know that would be insane (and in fact typing here that I have to eat in this manner makes me realize I might be insane anyway).  I don't want to discount all that he has to say because I think that he is generally trying to make the point that he tries inordinately hard to be happy and to make others happy and yet he fails spectacularly in both regards because he is such a perfectionist.  If you want to get a taste of his humor before you delve into this read I recommend watching this clip: http://youtu.be/iQvQqw1j8vk

If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.  I have loved virtually every incarnation of these characters and have read several articles and books which were based off of his works.  After finishing the above, I decided I would start A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon.  This book is a collection of stories by a variety of authors including Neil Gaiman (totally why I picked this up), Colin Cotterill, Jerry Margolin, and Alan Bradley just to name a few.  These authors have all written stories which have some Sherlockian aspect whether it be a continuation of a story only mentioned by Doyle, an alternate universe with these characters, or modern day mysteries at 221B Baker St.  I cannot wait to delve into this book and uncover the mysteries that lie within!!

January 15, 2012

Enough of this seriousness!

FINALLY, I'm finished with The Emperor of All Maladies.  The book was fantastic but lengthy.  I don't recommend starting this book unless you have a lot of free time on your hands (and an interest in the intense subject matter that is cancer).  I DO recommend it if you're looking to gain insight into a disease that effects 1 in 2 people on this planet.

Of course, now that I've finished this book which covered such a serious topic I'm ready for something a little lighter.  I recently watched an episode of the Graham Norton Show and he had on a comedian named Jon Richardson.  This guy is so neurotic that he makes me feel normal.  He recently penned a book entitled It's Not Me, It's You which of course I immediately placed on my wish list.  Fortunately, I received it for Christmas and that's what I'm going to crack open next.  The book describes his quest to find his other half despite the fact that women are repelled by all of his eccentricities (and he is constantly disgusted by their complete lack of disregard for staying tidy).  I can't wait to deliver my take on it!

In the meantime, keep reading!