Book Bingo and My Week in Reading 2/12/19

Yesterday I hopped on Twitter and could suddenly see that Book Bingo was what all the cool kids were doing.  So I took a few minutes and created my own Book Bingo from some of my favorite books.  I don't know what you get if you get a BINGO off of my Bingo card.  Can we go have coffee and talk about books?  That would be fun!!!
PS Check out the bitchin' Word Art I used!!  That takes me back!

This weekend, I finished a couple of books!

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
I marked this as “To-Read” simply because Hank Green is John Green’s brother, and John Green is a guilty pleasure author for me.  The premise sounded a little dumb, though.  When I let my book club know it was on my stack to read, Levi began reading the blurb to the group and I made him stop because it sounded so lame.  Young 20-something April May stumbled upon a sculpture that turns out to be an alien, becomes a viral sensation, etc….  It sounds like it has potential but it also sounds like it’s for my 12 year old daughter’s demographic.
So I’ve read it now, and I’m not sure how to rate it or what to think.  It was a quick read, and I enjoyed reading how someone can become addicted to the attention of strangers.  I’m glad to hear he’s writing a sequel, because otherwise it just altogether doesn’t make any sense or have any point.  He’s ambitious with what he’s trying to do, with the sci-fi and the romance and the mystery and the viral sensation stuff….but most of it collapses, though it could easily be salvaged in a sequel.  It’s also gets a little political (spoiler:  conservative = bad, can you believe it?), which I can usually handle, but I admit I appreciate a more open approach (as in, here are the issues we’re discussing as opposed to blatantly drawing a line from good and evil to conservative or liberal).  That said, April May became a pretty unlikable character as well, which is a plus in the character development column and a minus in the   me-even-caring-what-happens column.
Verdict:  Less than remarkable.  

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The Books That Changed My Life:  Reflections by 100 Authors, Actors, Musicians, and Other Remarkable People by Bethanne Patrick
​I went into this book with high hopes, because for God’s sake, just look at the title.  I thought it would totally blow up my TBR list.  Maybe it should have, and the fact that it didn’t is more of a reflection on me than of the book, but still!
I did enjoy this book, as I do love this particular subject matter.  But, I was pretty much ready for it to be done about halfway through.  It could’ve been so much better!  Despite the title, the individuals chosen were primarily writers.  Also, I feel like some creative liberties should have been taken to ensure that each story sounded different.  Instead, someone referenced how they or a family member was a “voracious” reader every five pages.  Every ten pages, someone explained how they never even knew authors existed but that this book made them want to become one!  Every twenty pages, someone explained how reading this book “as a woman” was extra meaningful (which made me realize that I obviously don’t reflect on my gender enough when I read books.  I need to start cracking them open and reminding myself that I am reading this book AS A WOMAN.  Maybe it’ll make a difference). 
Still!  Lots of super cool insights within the pages, if you can look past the lack of overall diversity in thought.  Avid readers, or “voracious” readers, if you will, should definitely grab a copy.  It would make a terrific bathroom book!  Good for approximately 100 bathroom trips, unless you’re the type who likes to go in there and hide.  Then it’s good for one life-changing bathroom trip.

Up Next:
I'm thoroughly enjoying the two books I've got going right now:  A Sedaris book for book club and another nonfiction!

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