I listened to this one as an audiobook, which was particularly fun, because Lynn Redgrave read it aloud, and her fancy, old lady British voice was so wonderful it practically put a good taste in my mouth. Inkheart (which was also turned into a movie with Brendan Fraser that wasn’t supposed to be very good, which makes sense, because as much as much as I love Brendan Fraser, he would be terrible in the lead role of Mo and my god I’ve got an issue […]
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson
Sometimes, grabbing a random book from Half-Price because it’s $2 and brightly colored pays off. The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno was strange but magical, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would — especially after reading some not so complimentary reviews on Goodreads. “Our uniqueness alone is enough to justify our special place in the world. But even more, our destiny insists we use our gifts to show others who they really are or show them what, in an ideal world, they […]
Gulp by Mary Roach
Mary Roach never disappoints. This particular foray into science focus on the alimentary canal: how it works, why it works and everything else we know about it. As usual, Mary isn’t afraid to investigate everything from what your saliva does to how/why gas smells (including going to a laboratory that studies exactly that) to fecal transplants to cure colitis. She speaks to Elvis’s personal doctor. She gets stomach acid dropped on her arm (makes you itchy, apparently). She speaks with scientists who study food textures […]
Still Foolin’ ‘Em by Billy Crystal
This was fantastic. Really. I listened to the audiobook — which I would highly recommend — and I was cracking up and tearing up and just loved the whole thing. I’ve always been a Billy Crystal fan — specifically, The Princess Bride and City Slickers. In fact, I’ve probably watched those two movies at least a dozen times each. I’m a bit young to be familiar with stand-up Billy Crystal or how he got his beginnings, but he takes the reader (or listener) through it all: how […]