jo

i loved this book, i just wanted to hug all the characters. i don't think there's anything wrong with imagining a world where the football stars and trannies get along. the tough reality of being a gay teen in some places is definitely still in there with one of the characters. and for the record, i'm a girl who went to prom with a girl and had no problems - this book is nowhere near total fantasy as implied by some reviewers.

true, as others have said, it is not a scholarly work. what the author does is question the definitions we use for mental illness and how those definitions function in society. he does not come to any simple conclusions, or any conclusions really, but it does not feel unfinished. the issues he raises just aren't easily answered. to approach this (huge) topic in a more formal way could have been boring and a bit tedious. this on the other hand was a funny and interesting journey.

i really enjoyed the narration, jon ronson's timing and emphasis made the story really entertaining.

i was thoroughly amused throughout by the juxtaposition of hard core military types with the sweet relationship and their daily acts of building a life together. one minute they're debating kitchen paint and the next they're at target practice. i've listened to this book at least three times and i still chuckle to myself each time.

m/m romance novels. i imagine people might be disappointed if they were hoping for cover to cover fiery sex scenes. to me this was much more reflective of the actual experience of being in love, where mundane domesticity can be very romantic. also, unlike a lot of books in that genre, there was no unnecessary angst or drama which makes me want to shoot myself (or stop listening).

an accent.

it's true, they do spend some time discussing home decor. i actually love this about the book - hearing about a gorgeous giant bathtub is akin to porn for the likes of me.

besides reading the book well, and not over-doing the characters which some narrators do, i loved his accent. makes the action adventure story that much better.

like watching the bourne identity or mission impossible but with five of them and they get it on with each other instead of some lame girl. well written, fast-paced, exciting, fun, suspenseful and hot. i don't know what else i could wish for (besides that someone would write a bad-ass lesbian equivalent!)

note: this appears to be the third in the "Fathom's Five" series, i didn't realize that when i got it but i didn't feel like i missed much.

some of the writing was repetitive, could've used a bit more editing. there was a somewhat overdone ocean metaphor. that said, now that the book is over i miss the characters! i really enjoyed getting to know them. solid romance novel, with a touch more complexity in plot and characters than some others in the genre.

given all the reviews, i kept waiting for something funny to happen. i waited through the whole book. i was mildly amused at times, but it seemed kind of realistic and not so over the top that it would be funny. i felt like the main character was a spoiled brat whining about a crappy first year out of college job, and not much of a hero. lots of people are overworked and under-appreciated, welcome to your liberal arts degree.

when i first started listening i thought it was going to be awful, way too over the top. then after five minutes i was chuckling to myself and i didn't stop for the rest of the book. so silly, a little predictable but satisfying and totally entertaining. the author's narration was fabulous (so to speak).

this book was such a kick. now i keep wanting to use the word "queer" in it's original meaning just to amuse myself. the narration was great, except that once in a while she made the butchier characters sound all high pitched and squealy which just didn't seem right.

i bought this out of a vague sense of interest and obligation to be interested. it turned out to be so well written and full of such interesting and dramatic stories that i could not stop listening.

there is potential to be moralistic or overly sentimental in telling these stories, but the author allows them to speak for themselves which i greatly appreciated. they are poignant enough on their own.

every time i finish reading "pride and prejudice" i wish i could see what happens next. seems like this book is what happens when a mystery writer has the same thought. it was fun to see what comes out of the imagination of another jane austen fan. you really can't expect it to be a real sequel since austen is, you know, dead. there isn't the same subtle character study but there is some historical commentary and context that i found interesting/amusing.

it was a totally self-indulgent purchase (just to spend more time with elizabeth and darcy) so that was satisfying and worth it.