Strange History, Bathroom Readers Institute (Review)

Strange History

This was one of the weirdest books I ever had the chance to read. I got it for free from Netgalley, but this isn't the whole point. The fact of the matter is that I didn't know what review I should have written about Strange History, in the end. It was a strange and sometimes disgusting collection of stories and anecdotes about certain famous characters who might have existed or not. At times, I wasn't sure whether or not I was reading something inspired by real events or if the stories were snippets of the imagination of the person who had put them together.

Was it worth it?

By all means, it was an entertaining read. However, I found that I needed something else at the same time because otherwise, I would have gone crazy. This isn't literature, so don't expect anything else than a rather large selection of strange facts and stories. The ones that I found to be most entertaining always involved animals, music, and sometimes robots. As you can tell from this short description, the book is somewhat diverse, and so you won't get to feel bored.

The only thing that I couldn't say I liked about it is that it took me approximately four months to finish reading. Sure, it's interesting, and I'll give it that. Nonetheless, I feel like it would have been a lot more reader-friendly if it had been published in two separate volumes. It's also not one of those books that you can take with you everywhere you go, especially if you make the mistake of buying the paperback or hardback. I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary ebook, but I believe that the physical copy has to be around 500 pages long. Therefore, it's not particularly recommended for constant travelers unless they have the habit of taking their e-book readers with them.

Some stories are extraordinarily light whereas others are downright gripping. I must admit that I don't think I ever found such a mix in any other book. Even so, the greatest advantage of this book is that it has something for everyone out there. You just have to be fascinated by some story or the other.

This was my very short opinion about Strange History. I'm really sorry I've been MIA for a couple of months, but I was busy with my job. You know how life gets in the way of things and the same happened to me.

Continue reading Strange History, Bathroom Readers Institute (Review)

Life After Coffee by Virginia Franken

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance of reading an electronic ARC of Life After Coffee!

What's this book about?

Amy O'Hara is a buyer for a company in the coffee industry. Seeing how she is forced to travel all the time, there is no point in her trying to focus on finding a work-life balance. She has none to speak of because she leaves her two children with her husband back at home, in Los Angeles, while she consistently searches for the perfect coffee bean, the one that can save them all from extinction. Just when she is about to make this discovery, she gets sacked. That's when she finds out that her family life isn't all fun and games, and that she will have to make a commitment and spend considerably more time with the kids and with her spouse, at least for the time being. All of the sudden, she finds herself at the mercy of her children, one of whom is a needy toddler and the other is trying to cope with his behavioral issues. Both Billy and Violet have suffered a great deal due to the constant absence of their mother, and that can be seen in the way they interact with the people around them, be they individuals they meet in the street or other kids of their age they come in contact with at kindergarten.

Amy has always been looked down at because of her busy schedule. Now, she discovers that many of the homemakers living in the same neighborhood have been eyeing her husband for a while. But this is not the biggest problem that's on her list because she'll have to deal with a lot more than trying to fend the attacks of other women. Since her husband, Peter, isn't employed, she has a tough time paying the mortgage. What's more, Peter doesn't seem to understand that working on his screenplay can pay the bills. Eventually, Amy touches base with one of her ex-boyfriends to try to get Peter a job. That's when things really start to become complicated...

Personal impressions

I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed with the beginning of the novel. It didn't seem to me like Amy had made the right choices in her life, but who does? Fortunately, I was patient enough to give it another chance, and once Amy started spending more time in LA, I began to appreciate her efforts. Some of the parts in this book were hilarious, mainly because the main character is completely out of touch with what has been happening to her children. The same goes for her husband's plans, of which she had no idea. Once I read about 30% of the novel, I found it very hard to put it down. Luckily, I was traveling to Birmingham, UK, and spent many hours in transit, which fortunately gave me the chance to finish the book. All in all, it was a well-written title that I enjoyed thoroughly. Also, I liked the ending although I don't want to give too much detail about it so that you hopefully get a chance to read Life After Coffee by Virginia Franken, as well.

Is it worth reading?

Without a doubt, Life After Coffee is an enjoyable read particularly for individuals who are trying to cope with managing their busy schedules and the needs of their families.

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