Book 8 of my 2018 Reading Challenge
I Drink for a Reason by David Cross
Summary (via Goodreads)
After a decade spent in isolation in the Ugandan jungles thinking about stuff, David Cross has written his first book. Known for roles on the small screen such as "never-nude" Tobias Funke on Arrested Development and the role of "David" in Mr. Show With Bob And David, as well as a hugely successful stand-up routine full of sharp-tongued rants and rages, Cross has carved out his place in American comedy. Whether deflating the pomposity of religious figures, calling out the pathetic symbiosis of pseudo-celebrity and its leaching fandom, or merely pushing the buttons of the way-too-easily offended P.C. left or the caustic, double-standard of the callous (but funnier) right, Cross has something to say about everyone, including his own ridiculous self.
Now, for the first time, Cross is weaving his media mockery, celebrity denunciation, religious commentary and sheer madness into book form, revealing the true story behind his almost existential distaste of Jim Belushi ("The Belush"), disclosing the up-to-now unpublished minutes to a meeting of Fox television network executives, and offering up a brutally grotesque run-in with Bill O'Reilly. And as if this wasn't enough for your laughing pleasure in these troubled times, some of the pieces splinter off with additional material being created online in exclusive video and animated web content created solely for the book-a historical first (presumably)!
With a mix of personal essays, satirical fiction posing as truth, advice for rich people, information from America's least favorite Rabbi and a top-ten list of top-ten lists, I DRINK FOR A REASON is as unique as the comedian himself, and cannot be missed.
My Opinion
I would love to read the review of someone that had no idea who David Cross is and picked up this book. They would think he was a psycho.
I like his standup and acting but it didn't translate to an enjoyable book for me. The bits in the list form were too long when being read instead of performed and things come off as abrasive (not in the good way) when not accompanied by his delivery which makes it abrasive (In the good way).
So I was plugging away thinking this would be a 2 star review but the number of times he used "retarded" dropped it to a 1 star for me.
Favorite Piece
"Correspondence with Dave Eggers"
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Friday, February 2, 2018
The Lake and the Lost Girl
Book 7 of my 2018 Reading Challenge
The Lake and the Lost Girl by Jacquelyn Vincenta
Summary (via the book jacket)
On a stormy night in 1939, Mary Stone Walker disappears from her home in White Hill, Michigan. Everyone knew the talented poet was desperate to escape her demons, but when Mary goes missing without a trace, one question lingers in the small town: Did Mary successfully break free of her troubled past and flee, or did her life end that night?
Sixty years later, Lydia Carroll's husband is fixated on the local mystery. English professor Frank Carroll has invested years in the search for the local poet and her lost works, sacrificing his family, his reputation, and even Lydia for the ever-more-unlikely discovery. As Frank's behavior grows more erratic, Lydia fears his interest in Mary has evolved into an obsession - on that threatens to destroy the family they have built together, and which can only be undone by solving the mystery of what happened to Mary on that rainy night in 1939.
My Opinion
I really can't say anything about the book or plot without spoilers. I liked the author's writing a lot but this particular story left me more annoyed than anything else. Without saying what the ending turned out to be, it could have been discovered much earlier if people had communicated earlier and I have a low tolerance for that in stories - my personal preference.
Quote from the Book
"To have someone like that. It was a wish, a prayer, and it became something that never completely left her mind. Her life would be safer if she had someone like that. To have someone like that in her life would mean this world, and even her marriage, would feel less bleak."
The Lake and the Lost Girl by Jacquelyn Vincenta
Summary (via the book jacket)
On a stormy night in 1939, Mary Stone Walker disappears from her home in White Hill, Michigan. Everyone knew the talented poet was desperate to escape her demons, but when Mary goes missing without a trace, one question lingers in the small town: Did Mary successfully break free of her troubled past and flee, or did her life end that night?
Sixty years later, Lydia Carroll's husband is fixated on the local mystery. English professor Frank Carroll has invested years in the search for the local poet and her lost works, sacrificing his family, his reputation, and even Lydia for the ever-more-unlikely discovery. As Frank's behavior grows more erratic, Lydia fears his interest in Mary has evolved into an obsession - on that threatens to destroy the family they have built together, and which can only be undone by solving the mystery of what happened to Mary on that rainy night in 1939.
My Opinion
I really can't say anything about the book or plot without spoilers. I liked the author's writing a lot but this particular story left me more annoyed than anything else. Without saying what the ending turned out to be, it could have been discovered much earlier if people had communicated earlier and I have a low tolerance for that in stories - my personal preference.
Quote from the Book
"To have someone like that. It was a wish, a prayer, and it became something that never completely left her mind. Her life would be safer if she had someone like that. To have someone like that in her life would mean this world, and even her marriage, would feel less bleak."
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