Review: This is a Book

Purchase This Is a Book here.

Synopsis:

From the renowned comedian, creator and star of Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin comes the paperback debut of his bold, original, New York Times best-selling humor book.

THIS IS A BOOK was an instant and long-lasting New York Times best seller, and is the renowned comedian's hilarious foray into prose comedy. In these pages, Martin expands on the sensibility he's developed on stage as an award-winning stand-up comedian and on television as a writer-performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and his own Comedy Central series, Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Featuring narrative essays, short stories, and conceptual pieces (such as "Protagonists' Hospital," where doctors treat only the shoulder wounds of Hollywood action heroes) as well as Martin's signature drawings, absurdities, and one-liners, THIS IS A BOOK delivers sharp jokes, colorful characters, and interesting surprises.

Martin takes readers to places as far-off as Ancient Greece ("Socrates's Publicist") and the distant future ("Robot Test," where everyone must take a test to prove that they are not robots). He recounts a lonely man's visit to a strip club in the form of a five-hundred-word palindrome ("Palindromes for Specific Occasions"). And he examines the human condition ("Human Cannonball Occupational Hazards") and the competing world-views of divergent groups ("Optimist, Pessimist, Contortionist").

Martin's material is varied, but his unique voice and brilliant mind will keep readers in stitches from beginning to end.

Review:

I love Demetri Martin's stand-up.  I giggle every single time; I think he's hilarious.  So when I heard he was coming out with a book, I was overjoyed and couldn't wait to purchase it.  However, this book did not live up to my expectations in the slightest.  So many of the jokes were overdrawn or just plain not funny, which was extremely disappointing.  Many of the drawings were very similar to his trademark doodles during his stand-up routines, but others just missed their mark.  Overall, there were a few very funny bits, but not enough to make the book worth it.

Until next time, happy reading!
 -Amanda

Review: The S-Word

Purchase The S-Word here.

Synopsis:

Lizzie wasn’t the first student at Verity High School to kill herself this year. But the difference is, she didn’t go quietly.
First it was SLUT scribbled all over the school’s lockers. But one week after Lizzie Hart takes her own life, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie’s own looping scrawl. Photocopies of her diary show up in the hands of her classmates. And her best friend, Angie, is enraged.


Angie had stopped talking to Lizzie on prom night, when she caught Lizzie in bed with her boyfriend. Too heartbroken to let Lizzie explain the hookup or to intervene when Lizzie gets branded Queen of the Sluts and is cruelly bullied by her classmates, Angie left her best friend to the mercy of the school, with tragic results.


But with this new slur, Angie’s guilt transforms into anger that someone is still targeting Lizzie even after her death. Using clues from Lizzie’s diary and aided by the magnetic, mysterious Jesse, Angie begins relentlessly investigating who, exactly, made Lizzie feel life was no longer worth living. And while she might claim she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, her anguish over abandoning and then losing her best friend drives Angie deeper into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.


Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

Review:

Continuing on with my love of a bit of drama (fueled by binge-watching Gossip Girl and 90210 when I'm sick and pretending it's because I'm delirious), the S-Word follows Angie as she tries to make sense of her best friend's suicide and the betrayal that occurred before it.  I don't know what I expected from this novel by the description, but what I got was definitely different.  The book is dark and twisted, voiced by a surprisingly unreliable narrator and with an all-too-recognizable cast of characters.

To be completely honest, sections of this book are kind of trope-tastic.  Ooooh, it's the bleach-blonde cheerleader and the pervy computer nerd.  However, some other characters can be surprising in their depth.  In addition, this book could be triggering to some.  Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you're concerned; I'm just trying to keep my review spoiler-free.

All in all, an interesting debut novel.  It wasn't my favourite, but it's interesting, surprising, and a quick read.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

Review: Any Psalm You Want

Purchase Any Psalm You Want: Poems here.

Synopsis:

A fellow poet once described Khary Jackson as a blend of Saul Williams and Pablo Neruda, which may prove fitting given Khary's unique aesthetic as a child of the hip hop generation with penchant for intimate, passionate verse. Jackson's first book incorporates fantastical imagery, quiet vulnerability and a willingness to witness the rite of loss, fearlessly. He is one of the most popular authors in all of Minnesota.

Review:

Khary Jackson's poetry reads like music. His lines thrum to the beat of the instruments he writes about and the places he dedicates his poems to. Jackson raises a symphony of words, painting pictures of America, tiny microcosms of its culture. This collection is absolutely stunning, the kind of body of work that makes a slam poet prod to be a part of the same community. I cannot stop gushing about this, and I'm not sure I want to. Write Bloody consistently brings its readers incredible poets, and this is no exception. This is necessary for any poetry or music lover. 

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

Review: Songs From Under the River

Purchase Songs From Under the River here.

Synopsis:

If someone says a poetry reading is a perfect opportunity for a nap, check to see if their head is under a rock. Today’s poet performers have kicked it up a few hundred notches. Poets like Anis Mojgani, a two-time National Poetry Slam champion, winner of the International World Cup Poetry Slam and author of Over the Anvil We Stretch and The Feather Room. Mojgani has put together his third gathering of poems, Songs From Under the River: Early and New Work, a striking collection of his best out-of-print and new works that jump off the page and prove a performance on their own.

Songs From Under the River showcases what is expected from an artist of Anis’s considerable talent. His words have the fluidity of paint strokes, creating vivid imagines while structured to invite rhythmic reading. Anis’s poetry proves a universal art form, telling his story while at the same time evoking the reader’s own personal interpretation.

Songs From Under the River exhibits all the brilliance Anis’s fans have been reveling in for years. He is playful and whimsical and has the uncanny ability to lift us up while grounding us; flawlessly exemplified in his performance of Shake the Dust, the YouTube video of which has had more than a million hits. The popularity of Anis and other like him proves poetry is not just alive — it’s flourishing. 

Review:

There is nothing so refreshing during a poetry slam as a poem that makes you laugh. Slams are filled with so much sadness and anger and anxiety that they are emotionally draining, so any bit of laughter is beautiful and appreciated. In his most recent collection (released today), Anis Mojgani manages to convey all of the sadness and anger and anxiety that other poets express, but he manages to infuse humor and hope into his lines as well, saying we kiss and breathe like poetry and also "they poop like poetry!" Anis Mojgani manages to weave a beautiful collection that does not lose anything in an attempt to make his readers smile. If you like Mojgani or slam in general, this is definitely a necessary addition to your poetry collection.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

Review: Waiter Rant

Purchase Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter here.
You can visit Steve Dublanica's blog here.

Synopsis:

According to The Waiter, 80 percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining 20 percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths.
Eye-opening, outrageous, and unabashed—replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen tidbits of human grace in the most unlikely places—Waiter Rant presents the server's unique point of view, revealing surefire secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and ways to ensure that your waiter won't spit on your food.

Review:

Scrolling through the reviews for Waiter Rant on Goodreads, it's easy to pick out people who fit the bill for the usual clientele of The Bistro; they're the ones giving one-star reviews and calling Steve Dublanica "arrogant" and "self-indulgent".  The reviews from former waiters and waitresses are almost exclusively four- and five-star.  It's a dichotomy that gives you an idea of how the rest of the book will go.

As a former waitress (and probably future one, seeing as one is expected to pay for textbooks), I was predisposed to enjoy a book telling people to stop acting like morons in restaurants.  I wish most of the people who dined out would follow Dublanica's advice; for all the profanity and ranting, he gives many good tips about eating in a restaurant.  I agree with the reviewers who didn't enjoy the book so much because it was self-indulgent.  However, the book is meant to be a memoir.  Writing a memoir is the epitome of self-indulgence; when you pick one up, you're expecting to read an account of the author's life.  All in all, this was funny and honest.  An interesting examination of everyone in a restaurant, I would recommend it to waitstaff and patrons alike.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

Review: John Dies at the End

Purchase John Dies at the End here.

Synopsis:

STOP.
You should not have touched this book with your bare hands.
NO, don’t put it down. It’s too late.
They’re watching you.
My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours.
You may not want to know about the things you’ll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it’s too late. You touched the book. You’re in the game. You’re under the eye.
The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.

The important thing is this:
The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. 
John and I never had the chance to say no. 
You still do.
Unfortunately for us, if you make the right choice, we’ll have a much harder time explaining how to fight off the otherworldly invasion currently threatening to enslave humanity.
            I’m sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind:

None of this is was my fault.

Review:

What to even say about this book?  I picked it up a while ago, then decided it was time to review as the movie was recently released here in the US.  Enticed by the severed hand on the cover and the spoilerific title, I thought it would be an interesting read.  What followed was a dark and convoluted (and more than occasionally sickening) tale that I assume is comparable to an acid trip.  Especially if you're ill and tired and dizzy while reading the book.

Favorable reviews of John Dies at the End cite a laugh-out-loud and horror-filled novel.  Less favorable ones call it juvenile.  I fall somewhere in between; I have to admit that I giggled and read some of the lines of the novel aloud to my mother or friends while I was reading.  However, the humor of the novel is juvenile in most places, consisting mainly of poorly-timed penis and diarrhea jokes (although the line "SHIT THE BOMB" will never stop being funny to me, I think). 

All in all, this book is right in the middle to me.  There are a very select few people I would recommend it to, based on content and writing style.  However, it was certainly different than anything I've read before, and it did have its moments of humor.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

Review: The After Girls

Purchase The After Girls here.

Synopsis:

Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this--to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions--questions they never dreamed of asking--will change their lives forever.

Review:

Pretty Little Liars was, is, and always will be my favourite guilty pleasure.  I read the entire book series from the time I got a free ebook copy of the first book, pretty much devouring all the fun drama and twists.  The After Girls brings that same kind of drama and mystery and town secrets back.  However, in this book, the main character has committed suicide rather than been murdered, and her friends are left to pick up the pieces and attempt to find out what happened, all with the aid of some crazy adults and yummy boys.  This book is a quick read.  It's interesting and dramatic, with the right amount of respect for what happens when a girl commits suicide.  What happens After.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda