It's time for another Show Us Your Books Link-Up! I haven't read as much this month, but I do have one in progress and should still made my goal*.
- Simon vs The Homo Sapien Agenda
- This book has been all over the internet lately, with a ton of people who LOVE it. I enjoyed it, and there are tons of great things about it...but I didn't LOVE it. You can read a more in depth review of my feelings here.
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
- I purchased this at my local used bookstore, and it sat on my shelf for at least 6+ months. It will definitely be going straight back there once I finish enough books to warrant a trip (I can trade in books for credit- so of course I do). But hey, it meets my goal of cleaning out my IRL TBR.
- This book was really not worth reading. SvtHSA, I enjoyed but didn't love. This one...I literally had to force myself to read. It may be better if you recognize the author or people that he is talking about...I didn't (plus some of the names were redacted).
- Here's what I wrote on Goodreads:
- Can't honesty recommend this book. Towards the end there are some interesting observations, especially regarding Young's eventual introspection and comparisons of London v. New York (although he does say "America" a lot, and NYC is definitely not a good representation of the entire country). Based on the title and description I went in expecting a satirical and snarky view of celebrity culture from the inside. It's not really satirical so much as the matter-of-fact failures of a man to succeed in a shallow world that he legitimately valued. Even the end where he seems to have "grown up" so to speak seems more as though he got tired of sucking rather than truly underwent a serious mental change. Maybe I'm just reading it wrong but overall he seemed to take himself, and celebrity culture, all too serious while pretending he's above the BS.
*My yearly goal is 30 books total, which works out to about 2.5 a month. So I'm actually pretty much right on schedule with that.
hmm how to lose friends and alienate people really doesn't sound like my cup of tea, though i had heard of it. i hadn't heard of the simon one, and even though you didn't love it, i might add it to my list anyway :)
ReplyDeleteyour review on how to alienate people is interesting to me. I've heard about this book but your review makes me think it wouldn't really be my style.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard of Simon before and it just didn't appeal to me for some reason. Can't remember what it was. But now looking at it again, I might give it a try (even if you didn't LOVE it)
ReplyDeleteNeither sound like something I'd like. I am all about trading books in for others! There's a bookshop like that near our shore house.
ReplyDeleteSimon sounds like an interesting read and I might add it to my list. No desire for the other. I need to read all the books I have laying around the house! I also need to find a used bookstore that I can trade too!!! I used to do that when I was younger and there was nothing better!
ReplyDeleteThe second book's title is a winner; too bad the book didn't live up to the title.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of either of these books but have added Simon to my want to read list.
ReplyDeleteI wish there was a used book store near me who did credit trade-ins. There are definitely some books that I would love get rid off. My bigger issue, though, is that I tend to be a book hoarder. :) I'm adding Simon to read list as it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI put Simon on my to-read list. It sounds like an interesting story and not one that you see every day. How To Lose Friends sounds like a dud. Didn't they make a movie out of that or am I crazy?
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