Corfu doesn't sound like it's real

This is Corfu, ya'll. O_O Source: reddit.com

Remember when I reviewed Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals? Well, I was so impressed by it that I went  ahead and requested the second in the trilogy (did I mention it was a memoir trilogy?) and it was a pretty good time. Birds, Beasts, and Relatives contains more anecdotal tales of the Durrell family when they lived in Corfu, Greece in the 1930s. I loved how it started with the family discussing the popularity of the first book and how embarrassed they were at how Gerald aka Gerry portrayed them all...and then he wrote a follow-up. #troll (Yes, I used a hashtag. Hashtags are hilarious.) The family dynamics highly amuse me as well as the antics that they all get up to as foreigners in a seemingly idyllic setting. (You saw the photo at the top of the post so you know I'm not lying.) I will warn you that because of the time period that this was written there are a few problematic moments such as the discussion of individuals of different skin colors and sexual orientations. If you can look at it through the lens of 'this was written back in the day' then you'll be fine as the mentions are sporadic and brief (and don't really make a huge impact on the story as a whole since each chapter can be read separately). If you're looking for a really quick story about a quirky family living somewhere that almost seems mythical then you can't go wrong with Birds, Beasts, and Relatives.

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Greece or bust!

I absolutely LOVE it when I read a book and immediately want to find everything that author has ever written and binge read the heck out of their work. I saw a commercial for a new ITV program called The Durrells which intrigued me...especially when I learned it was adapted from a book. I threw it on my library list and delved in hoping for a fun read and WHOA guys. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell is nothing short of delightful. Full of family antics, animals gone wild, and ALL THE NATURE it was exactly what I needed to read right now. It turns out that he's written loads of other books and this book was actually the beginning of a trilogy of his adventures with his family while they were living on Corfu. (I wish I could have lived with them because they're all distinctly eccentric and hilarious.) Even better, I started watching the series and it's a delight! If you enjoy humorous memoirs and/or learning about the flora and fauna of a place then you won't be disappointed with My Family and Other Animals. Now pardon me while I put the other two books on my wish list...

So I was looking for a photo of the cover to add here when I discovered that this newest iteration, The Durrells, is just one of many adaptations of Durrell's books. O_O And anyway I still have the copy from the library so I'll just take the photo myself.

I was going to add a version with my thumb but decided on this one instead.

Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart

Ureneck clearly feels passionately about this subject. It's evident in his writing and his description of the events which unfolded. He used data from a variety of sources including interviews of family members of those directly involved with the evacuation of the Christian refugees in Smyrna. Going into this, I had absolutely no knowledge of this event and I now feel that I am informed enough to have a discussion about the events of that fall of 1922 (and early spring of 1923). According to the author, the event is mostly unknown to those residents now living in the area (called Izmir now) and the man Asa Jennings has been left out of most published accounts. It's hard to believe (and sometimes not so hard) the level of violence that humans can inflict on one another. I don't think it will ever be possible to truly ascertain the numbers of people which were killed during the massacre described in this book. When will humans stop trying to destroy one another? If you'd like to gain more knowledge about an area of the world that is very relevant in the news these days (I'm talking about Greece, guys) you could give The Great Fire a shot.

I'd like to move onto something a little more lighthearted. I've had this next book ready and waiting to be read for quite some time now. I'm talking about Mamrie Hart's debut novel, guys! You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery promises to be as hilarious as the YouTube channel of the same name. Each story from Mamrie's past is accompanied by a cocktail (she was a bartender so it's totally legit). You can drink along as you read! Note: I do not drink but I think she's hysterical so I am VERY excited for this one.