Verdict: A rewarding read, but definitely not for everyone. Review: Its hard to know where to start with a review, as this book was a LOT: a lot of book awards (including the Booker), a lot of characters, a lot of narrators, a lot of violence (way more than 7 killings), a lot of the CIA messing around in 3rd world countries, and a whole lot of pages (almost 700!). Moreover, that ‘a lot’ hits you right away, kicking off with a 4 page cast […]
How I Learned to Accept my Hangover
I don’t know how I found this book, but somehow while freezing on the train platform in Tokyo on New Year’s morning, I located this little gem. I started to read it on my phone, as I stood huddled in a train car trying to not get elbowed by too many hungover locals on their way to see family. I’m told by a coworker that it’s a tradition in Japan. First you get hammered on New Year’s Eve and then travel to see your family […]
A good starting point for Ripperologists
The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper by Paul Begg and John Bennett is split into three main parts; the first part deals with the victims, including those who are sometimes dismissed from Ripper canon; the second part deals with the different theories put forward over the years on the identity of Jack the Ripper; the third part deals with the “myth” of Jack – how popular culture has seized upon the eponymous murderer, sometimes in a less than tasteful manner. For me, this book […]
THIS is why I love CBR (and all you weirdos)
Y’all, crystalclear posted a review of Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything back in November and I immediately put it on hold at the library. It was everything I could have possibly wanted: weird medical facts, crazy pictures and graphics, and a wicked sense of humor. Thank you crystalclear – I will be amazed if this one doesn’t make my top 3 list 11 months from now! Okay, so the authors break the book into a few different sections. Each section covers all of […]