Book Count (since 1 January 2012)

Book Count (since 1 January 2014): 30
Showing posts with label ****1/2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ****1/2. Show all posts

Monday, 6 May 2013

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

An excellent book which I would very much recommend. Don, who apparently has undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome, is a genetics professor in Melbourne approaching his 40th birthday and searching for a wife to share his life with. The book is narrated by Don who is very aware that he does not always behave in a way society expects of him and who struggles to apply logic and reason to social interactions and emotions. Don's friend, Gene, introduces him to Rosie and as Don helps Rosie search for her biological father his inflexible routine is disrupted and his assumptions about his ability to be in a relationship are challenged. The writing in this book is excellent - it is simple but portrays Don clearly and compassionately. Don's dialogues and thought processes often highlight the absurdity of many social practices in a really amusing way but without mocking Don himself. A beautifully written, very funny and touching novel which everyone should read.

Monday, 14 November 2011

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Amazing.  A fascinating (non-fiction) read about an Olympic runner turned WWII airman.  This book is incredibly well written and very engrossing.  
There is a pro-American bias which slightly taints the narrative occasionally but other than that this book really is wonderful.  Definitely recommended (and an excellent Christmas present idea for hard-to-buy-for men).

Cocktail Time by PG Wodehouse


Wonderful, like all PG Wodehouse. A recent study suggests that if you haven't read any Wodehouse your cognitive functions only operate at 46% of capacity. Read some. Immediately.