Lil O'Handley

Oh, Tina Fey, you live up to your reputation as a smart, strong, witty HAM (of the metaphorical variety, not the swine variety). ;oD This book had me laughing out loud as I completed my morning jogs...I am sure people thought I was insane. The biggest asset, to me, is how she can make a point without making a point. By deflecting what you might be "expecting to hear next" with humor, it makes the point even funnier. Okay...one last thing...Piss Jugs! REALLY???? Ew!

I see other reviewers a bit put off by the length of this story. I had the thought "wow, a compelling story that the author took his time with!" What a bonus! I didn't find a single part boring. I liked how he took his time with a complicated tale. I liked the story development in between bouts of action. In typing this, I would compare it to the Steigg Larsen series...I like some story and character development with my "action sequences." I have not read Simmons' other books (for which he is apparently more famous) but this one piqued my interest in perusing more! The narrators were both excellent, too!

As an avid fan of PHC, I was pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the characters and story, here. Because PHC is a radio show, it is MUCH more "vanilla" than this book, and I found this surprise quite delicious. I LOVE how Keillor's mind works and keeps the web of characters and relationships so real. I LOVE his "deadpan" delivery (that's vintage Keillor--love it or hate it) and think NO ONE could have read it better than the author, himself. Just AWESOME!!!

Perhaps it's the time of life I am in (just faced my 20th high school reunion), but this book made me laugh and kept me highly entertained. There was no unnecessary tearful reunions or sudden epiphanies...just a slow unfolding of the story. I also like the way Tropper told a "story within a story" in the same, unhurried way. HIGHLY entertained...

Self-effacing humor combined with new ways to look at the world made this a compelling story. My favorite part was the wrap-up after each experiment, showing what he learned, as well as what he "kept" (or didn't) and why. I don't want to spoil it, but the guest writer at the end had me laughing out loud! I look forward to more!

I really enjoyed this book! I must confess, I bought it hoping for nothing more than a lighthearted yarn. I liked how Rob was able to dish a little information, without diving into gossip. Shallowly, I had not gone much beyond the "pretty boy" image he had. He can write! He's funny! He's loyal! The most interesting part, for me, was how in-depth and honestly he describes the "behind the scenes" politics and operations of movies. I also liked how he contrasted movie-making to TV shows. Keep it up, Mr. Lowe! You are SMART!

I thought the characters, plot, etc. were realistic and very well "painted" by Atkinson. I liked how no one was "all good" or "all bad." Like real-life, I found the people portrayed to be interesting, but also full of surprises (some good, some bad). My only "quibble" with the book was the end felt quite rushed. Having been quite eloquent and verbose, the final chapters seemed to somewhat "fall off, abruptly." But still didn't undermine the book! Woo hoo! Well-done, Kate!

For some reason I expected an Ultra-athlete to be more "turned on" to life, himself, the world around him. For example, if your muscles seize up and you yak all over your steering wheel, did you do any research to find out why this happened so as to take preventative measures and share your wisdom with other runners? No. I think that's why this book comes across as self-congratulatory...lacks introspection, in my opinion. Unlike his runs, this book is flat.

I love the simple and non-grandiose manner Murakami has about running, exercise, etc. I loved this was a personal collection of thoughts (keeping preachiness out of the equation). Not only do I agree with much of what he said, but I can really relate to it. "The Running Blues" is something I have danced with and there are times in my life I can't think of anything better than running. Conversely, there are times I can't think of anything worse. How can the two extremes exist? He helps us understand how/why they do...FOR HIM. I found the memoir to be lyrical, purposeful, and lovely.

This book unsettled me and forced me, in a healthy way, from my nice and happy bubble. The justice system scares me and I don't know where people who are are falsely-accused of a crime get the strength to carry on! I don't know how death-penalty lawyers and cops can ever see life as "normal" since the meter for normal must get set waaaay askew! The systems seems WAY off-balance and I don't see any hope for fixing it. If I got falsely-accused of a crime, I honestly don't know if I would even be able to face my trial!