Tuesday, July 31, 2012

July Book List

I read a whole whack of books while on holiday. Well, four I think, or maybe five. Which is loads considering I was gone for only 10 days. But there was lots of (Russel) driving moments, and when I wasn't sleeping in the car, or watching the scenery, or getting a snack for boys, I was reading!

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (iBook)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth (borrowed from Dan)
World War Z by Max Brooks (Kindle app for iPad)
The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture by Terry O'Reilly & Mike Tennant
The Witch of Hebron: A World Made by Hand Novel by James Howard Kunstler
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

I finally (finally) finished the Hitchhiker trilogy. My brain is officially, sufficiently addled. The convoluted quirkiness got tiring by the end of the third book, and after that I was just trying to make it through. The ending was terrible.

Recommended: ALL of them (except the Hitchiker one). And here's why...

#1. War of the Worlds is just awesome. I can see why people freaked out when that radio program came out! And if you haven't read it yet, what is wrong with you!?

#2. Abe Lincoln was fascinating! Lots of history mixed in with fake-history. Seth has a pretty fantastic ability of weaving the two stories together to make you actually believe that it is possible, and vampires did indeed fight in the civil war.

#3. World War Z was hard for me to get into. I usually don't like books that are written like a diary, journal, or interview. Plus, I had to do a lot of remembering, which I have a really hard time with! But once I got into the swing of things, it turned out quite nicely. It's kind of dystopic + zombies, so really right up my alley!

#4. If you like non-fiction and have an interest in marketing, branding, consumer culture, and/or CBC Radio, Age of Persuasion is for you! I learned so much, and have been spewing facts and anecdotes left, right, and centre since finishing.


#5. I read A World Made by Hand last year and really enjoyed it. The Witch of Hebron is set in the same town, with the same characters. It's a great story, and it presents a very faithful look into a grim, possible future for the human race. But it is also full of hope and strength, showing how a community really can pull together in the worst of times and work as one.


I need to get more books on the iPad. I find that reading while I work out makes the half hour cardio go by much quicker, and I get a lot more books read. HA! Double trouble!

I laugh when I look back at my reading lists and see the themes developing. They need a "dystopic-zombie-fantasy-literature" section at the book store...would make it much easier for me. Also, this month I learned that book-shopping with another person is super fun. Well, maybe it helps that he and I look through the same sections and he can help me remember the name of that author I was thinking of...yep.

Also, this was a long post. But good! Right!?!?

later loves

1 comment:

  1. I tried to start World War Z last year and abandoned it for the same reasons you describe as making it difficult to get into... I keep wondering if I should try and pick it up again.

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