5 Mini Reviews + Where Have We Been?

Hey guys. We’re back! Our most recent post went up at the end of May so you could say it has been a while. I would like to explain why we have been so absent. Doreth has been finishing up her first year of Journalism at uni and it has been hectic. I had a huge school project to finish up and after that we were both busy searching for an internship starting in September (let’s hope we’ll be able to keep up a regular schedule when that starts). Neither of us have had a lot of time to read but now that Summer is here I’ve been on a roll! I figured I would do some mini-reviews for the books I’ve read this past week and a half. Also you might have noticed that our blog is looking a little different. That’s because I got a bit fed up with our old design and thought it needed a change, I’m not yet completely content with the way it looks at the moment so there are still a couple changes to come but overall I’m quite happy with the layout as it is right now. Let us know what you think of the new design! Now without further ado (or further rambling if you will) ket’s get on with the reviews!

Island by David Almond

Island is a very short read about a girl named Louise who, every year, travels to an island with her father (and previously her mother but she passed away). Louise meets a boy named Hassan who is a refugee from Syria and they grow close over the course of a couple of days. I thought the message the book sent was nice, you never know what effect you have on the standers you meet. It actually reminded me a bit of The Five People You Meet in Heaven in that aspect. However I didn’t really enjoy the writing style. It was quite whimsical and I wasn’t sure whether it was supposed to be contemporary or something more magical. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t, I didn’t really enjoy that too much. Especially because it was so short. The book is a little over 100 pages long and by the time I got used to the writing style, the book was over. Overall, the book was alright, but I wouldn’t read it again.

Seriously… I’m kidding by Ellen Degeneres

When I finished Michael McIntyre’s memoir, I was in the mood for another non-fiction written by a comedian. And who else would I think of other than Ellen Degeneres? Exactly, no-one. I had high hopes for this book, but my expectations weren’t met. I was expecting this book to be a memoir and that is definitely not what it was. Now I don’t want to fault the book for that cause I didn’t look into it enough, but it still means that the book wasn’t what I was hoping to read. Turns out this book is just a very random compilation of stories and tips of sorts written by Ellen Degeneres. Which could be fun, but to be really honest I thought this book was a bit all-over-the-place. I couldn’t really detect a main theme and was quite confused about where the book was going a lot of the time. Overall I did find some of the passages funny and Ellen made me laugh a couple of times, but I wasn’t pulled into the book and could easily put it down.

Life and Laughing by Michael McIntyre

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Memoirs are best consumed in audiobook format narrated by the author. Prior to reading this book I had only seen a couple of clips of McIntyre’s shows, I enjoyed them but wouldn’t go as far as calling myself a fan. However, when I saw this audiobook I figured I might as well give it listen, seeing as I tend to really enjoy memoirs by comedians (my favourites are definitely Is It Just me? By Miranda Hart & Back Story by David Mitchell). I have to say I was a little bit disappointed by the amount of humour in this book. Sure, I giggled a couple of times but when I read a memoir written by a comedian I expect to laugh out loud at least a couple of times. This didn’t happen. I did still enjoy this book, it was fun and quick. I liked hearing about McIntyre’s ‘rise to fame’ if you will. Overall it was an entertaining read, not anything spectacular.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have previously read one other book by Mitch Albom The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and I adored that when I read it (Doreth still refuses to take my recommendation and pick it up). But that was years ago when I hadn’t really branched my tastes and never picked up non-fiction, so I didn’t put Tuesdays With Morrie on my TBR. But a while ago I saw a copy at my local secondhand shop and decided to give it a go. And boy am I happy that I did! The book follows Mitch Albom as he rekindles his relationship with his old college professor Morrie Schwartz. Albom describes the experience as a course on life. When Album comes back into Morrie’s life, Morrie doesn’t have much longer to live. Albom decides to ask his old teacher all the important things about a life well-lived. I found Morrie to be very inspirational and great to read about. Albom’s writing style is pleasant to read, I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished! Would highly recommend this to literally anyone!

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

As you might be able t tell from the majority of the books on this list, I was on a non-fiction kick these past few weeks. And as you may or may not know, I am a big fan of self-help books. You Are a Badass has been on my TBR for quite a while now, so I decided to pick up the audiobook since I was in a non-fiction mood. The audiobook was narrated by the author, Jen Sincero, which I think added a lot to the experience. Basically, this book is about finding yourself and learning to except the fate you are given, rather than worry about what if’s and should I’s. I liked the overall message the book was trying to send. Sincero focussed a lot on sending your wishes into the universe and living as if you have already accomplished the things you want. She believes that life will listen to that and that it will help you achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. The thing that bothered me though, was the fact that this book felt kind of spiritual. I’m saying that that has to be a bad thing, but I usually like my non-fiction to be factual and straight-to-the-point which is something I thought this book lacked. It did however, inspire me and motivate me to take more action in my life. This book definitely tells you to not wait around for good things to happen to you, but to go out and get it yourself. And I have to admit that I sometimes need a kick in the butt to get out and do things. Overall, the book was inspiring and a nice read. Not very original (a lot of the tips Sincero gave, I’ve read before) but still sends a good message. I would definitely recommend it for people who are new to the self-help genre, it’s a very nice starting point.