Review- Dork, Geek, Jew by Danny Katz

Dork, Geek, Jew on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A collection of humorist Danny Katz's newspaper columns, together with some strange and interesting correspondence from his fans, hecklers - and downright enemies.

'Dear Mr Katz,
Go back to Israel where you belong and take all the Asians with You. You Jews are destroying the Aryan race who created civilisation. All you want is a big-breasted Aryan girl you can destroy. Go back to Israel because we don't want another Jew with a dork-geek personality.'

It's always nice to get a bit of fan-mail from your readers and I got this one last week; it was sent to me by a group called The Christian Front which is probably just some guy living in a basement with a half-eaten tin of baked beans and a copy of The Catcher in the Rye...

Someone came up to me a while ago and said, 'Hey Danny, when are you going to put out a collection of columns?' and I said to them 'Look, I'm not interested in putting out a collection of columns, that's pathetic, I hate it when writers do that because it just means they can't be bothered writing anything original. IT JUST SHOWS THAT THEY'RE NOT TRUE ARTISTS AT ALL, THEY'RE JUST LAZY UNINSPIRED TONKS' and this person said, 'You know it's a really easy way to make money' and I say 'I wonder if I can get one out in time for Christmas?'

So here's a collection of my columns. 

Release date: November 2002

Published by: Allen & Unwin

Page numbers: 280

REVIEW: 

I came across Dork, Geek, Jew very randomly at a book sale in my city, and I picked it up because it sounded interesting to me. When I finally got to it, I had no idea what to expect because just like my encounter with the book, me picking it up to read was also very random. I was just looking for a paperback on my shelves that would accompany me for a few days when I thought I'd give Dork, Geek, Jew a go.

This book is a collection of articles or snippet or whatever they're called- wait, they're called columns- by author Danny Katz and they describe his life in a subtle and implicit way. As a columnist for a newspaper, writing is his living and feedback from readers in inevitable so there are emails/ letters sent to him thrown in along the way. This book is set in Melbourne, Australia and it was fun to get a glimpse of it because I haven't read many books set in the continent and country.

While Dork, Geek, Jew is a very funny, different, interesting, engrossing and fact-paced read, it is not really extraordinary which isn't bad at all- oh no. But all I'm trying to say is that it's great, but not that great that I'd make you cross borders to read it. It's one of those vacation/ holiday/ weekend reads that have only one task and that is to entertain the reader, which the book does very well.

Overall, Dork, Geek, Jew is a very nice and short book that I had fun reading. It was very refreshing and the way in which the author describes minute details was both awkward and comforting because I found myself relating to some of it. I don't see myself rereading this book, but I do see myself remember some nice joke from it and laughing away to glory.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Suddenly One Summer by Julie James

Summary-

Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn't mean she's opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister's case, she's as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford…

Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He's willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there's no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…

Release date: June 2nd, 2015

Published by: Jove

Page numbers: 291

Review-

I love Julie James' books. I just love the way she writes her characters. Her heroes and heroines are smart, sexy and independent. There's just something very modern about her books. That is just one of the many reasons I picked up Suddenly One Summer. Suddenly One Summer is the story of Victoria and Ford and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyone who loves contemporary romance should pick this one up!

Let's start with Victoria. Victoria is a divorce lawyer. Her childhood memories combined with the fact that she sees unhappy endings every day has made her swear off marriage and relationships. She is happy with the way things are going for her until things change. I loved Victoria. She wanted to keep up her facade of being strong in front of everyone but she was human and she had her vulnerabilities. I just love Julie James' heroines and Victoria was no exception.

Then we have Ford. We'd actually met Ford before in one of Julie James' previous books. Ford is an investigative journalist and at first glance he may come off as a bit of a laid back person. But that is so not the case. Ford is passionate about his work and protective of his sister and niece. I loved how Ford slowly but surely started falling for Victoria and seeing the real her.

The best thing I like about Julie James' books is that her characters are first strong individual persons themselves. Ford and Victoria were both successful and hard working but together they find the emotional connection in each other. I loved the chemistry they shared and the intimate scenes between them were sweet and sexy.

I also loved that we got to see some of the previous couples we'd met in the FBI/U.S.Attorney series though Suddenly One Summer is a standalone. I loved Ford's friends, they were absolutely hilarious. Suddenly One Summer was a bit different as it goes like a slow burn in terms of romance but it was perfect for Ford and Victoria. I really liked Suddenly One Summer.

Review- Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

 BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s Tiny Cooper’s turn in the spotlight in this companion novel to New York Times bestseller Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Jazz hands at the ready! Tiny Cooper (“the world’s largest person who is also really, really gay”) stole readers’ hearts when he was introduced to the world in the New York Times bestselling book Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-authored by John Green and David Levithan. Now Tiny finally gets to tell his story—from his fabulous birth and childhood to his quest for true love and his infamous parade of ex-boyfriends—the way he always intended: as a musical! Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, the novel is told through the full script of the musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Release date: March 17th 2015

Published by: Dutton Juvenile

Page numbers: 208

REVIEW: 

Practically everyone who has read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by two of the most admirable authors of our times, John Green and David Levithan, has ended up loving Tiny Cooper more than the two Will Graysons. It was the same for me. I have said in my review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson that Tiny even beat Infinite Darlene from Boy Meets Boy for me. And that's saying something, because Darlene is just as epic as Tiny, if not more. My excitement for Hold Me Closer was up to the brim, and like any Levithan book, it lived up to my expectations. 

Hold Me Closer is the most fun book ever. Tiny Cooper is fantastic and fabulous topped with sparkles and lightning. In Will Grayson, Will Grayson, we got to see two sides of him where he is this daring, dashing and dazzling guy on the one hand; and on the other, he is a silent weeper who is very sensitive. Hold Me Closer, from the very beginning until the very end, is Tiny Cooper and only Tiny Cooper, and when you have that, it's bound to be fun and frolicky. 

The musical that adds so much to the plot of Will Grayson, Will Grayson came to life in Hold Me Closer. It's Tiny's life coming to life from the time he is born until the present day. Like any true musical, this one is full of laughter and tears, and a medley of emotions and feelings and that have the reader journey along with Mr. Fabulous and Fantastic all in one.  

Although Hold Me Closer didn't seem to blow me away in terms of its writing, David Levithan never fails to amaze me with the different style he picks up for each book and each character he comes up with. In that sense, Hold Me Closer was very unique and absolutely awesome. If you have loved or love Tiny Cooper, there's no reason why you wouldn't love his fabulously fantastic and fantastically fabulous life story presented in the most lovely way in this musical novel. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Review- Real Elves by Helen Smith

 Real Elves on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

~ This is a short story ~

In a department store in London, a little girl called Sophie visits Santa’s magical forest with her grandfather. As they emerge from the forest, Sophie’s grandfather reports her missing… but the little girl’s right there. Is she a ghost, a twin, an alien abductee—or is there some simpler explanation? Twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily Castles has fifteen minutes to figure out the puzzle before the police are called and Christmas is ruined.

REAL ELVES is a standalone story set in London. It first appeared in the anthology Naughty or Nice in aid of Kids Need to Read. The Emily Castles mysteries can be read in any order.

Helen Smith has created a great little cozy series with the charming Emily Castles Criminal Element



Release date: September 16th 2014
Published by: Tyger Books
Page numbers: 35

REVIEW: 

This was the first Helen Smith book that I read. The story behind how I came across it is rather interesting, but it's telling could possibly wait. I feel like this book came to me at the perfect time since I had been looking for some cozy and enjoyable short stories.

Real Elves is a short story that can be read as a standalone or as part of the Emily Castles Mystery series of which it is the fifth book. I honestly don't see the point in summarising this short story, as the story in itself is barely a half and hour long read and the summary aptly describes what it is about anyway.

I absolutely enjoy short Christmas stories. I believe all of them are wonderful and warming, and the latter is a feat especially when the weather almost everywhere is cold. Real Elves was no different. Although what I found most interesting about this story was the kind of hazy and subtle mystery surrounding it.

For a few pages short story, Real Elves was very intriguing and quite an enjoyable read. Author Helen Smith's writing is very easy to follow and beautiful in its innocent and charming simplicity. I enjoyed this book, and I would definitely recommend it.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Count Your Blessings by Sharon Sala

Goodreads Summary:

Previously titled Color Me Bad, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala dishes up Count Your Blessings, a contemporary romance piled high with love, laughter, and plenty of heart in Blessings, Georgia!

As the respectable wife of the town preacher, Patty June Clymer never thought she'd have to worry about a cheating husband. But when things come to a head, Patty decides to take charge of her life by kicking her no-good husband out her house, and getting a total makeover at the popular local salon. 

With a new spiky black haircut and a new outlook on life, Patty goes from mousy and meek to living large and in charge, and fairly starts a revolution in the small town of Blessings, Georgia.

REVIEW:

Sometimes, I go on a novella spree, and end up binge-reading novellas. When I picked up Count Your Blessings, it was one of those times. The novella is free on Amazon, and from what I have gathered, it was initially called Color Me Bad, and is an introductory novella to The Curl Up and Dye series. If the novella is anything to go by, the series will be fun and entertaining. 

This novella isn't a story as such, it's more about incidents that take place in a small town called Blessings. I love reading about small American towns as that gives stories a warm and welcoming touch. A place where everyone knows everyone, Blessings poses as a harbinger of gossip, especially when a brave lady named Patty June decides to take serious action against her cheating husband. 

My initial thoughts when I began reading the novella were that the story would be about salon owner, Ruby, but it turns out that it wasn't. Like I have mentioned previously, the novella is about a series of incidents that go from one person's point of view to another's but all in third person, which keeps it smooth. It doesn't get confusing at all, but I really would have liked to see more of the story taking place at the ever famous salon, because that was so much fun to read. 

The strong feminism that shines throughout this novella is admirable. But at the same time, it seemed like it leaned towards misandry at times. Keeping all that intellectual babble aside, however, Count Your Blessings was an entertaining novella that was a fast paced and extremely quick read. It would be really interesting to see how author Sharon Sala takes this story ahead, and I definitely look forward to reading it.

RATING:

Review- Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks

Goodreads Summary:

A gloriously witty novel from Sebastian Faulks using P.G. Wodehouse's much-loved characters, Jeeves and Wooster, fully authorised by the Wodehouse estate.

Bertie Wooster, recently returned from a very pleasurable soujourn in Cannes, finds himself at the stately home of Sir Henry Hackwood in Dorset. Bertie is more than familiar with the country house set-up: he is a veteran of the cocktail hour and, thanks to Jeeves, his gentleman's personal gentleman, is never less than immaculately dressed.

On this occasion, however, it is Jeeves who is to be seen in the drawing room while Bertie finds himself below stairs - and he doesn't care for it at all.

Love, as so often, is at the root of the confusion. Bertie, you see, has met Georgiana on the Cote d'Azur. And though she is clever and he has a reputation for foolish engagements, it looks as though this could be the real thing. However, Georgiana is the ward of Sir Henry Hackwood and, in order to maintain his beloved Melbury Hall, the impoverished Sir Henry has struck a deal that would see Georgiana becoming Mrs Rupert Venables.

Meanwhile, Peregrine 'Woody' Beeching, one of Bertie's oldest chums, is desperate to regain the trust of his fiancee Amelia, Sir Henry's tennis-mad daughter.

But why would this necessitate Bertie having to pass himself off as a servant when he has never so much as made a cup of tea? Could it be that the ever-loyal, Spinoza-loving Jeeves has an ulterior motive?

Evoking the sunlit days of a time gone by, Jeeves and the Wedding Bells is a delightfully witty story of mistaken identity, a midsummer village festival, a cricket match and love triumphant.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks from Random House India in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book! 

I came across Jeeves and the Wedding Bells in the wonderful Literary Blog Hop where it was up for grabs on quite a few blogs. I was lucky enough to win a copy and coincidentally, we even received it for review. For the life of me, I've never read or even thought of reading any P.G. Wodehouse book but I've heard some amazing things about them and do plan to pick at least a book or two sometime. I went into Jeeves and the Wedding Bells without having any idea about how it'd be but excited nonetheless because it sounded pretty interesting. Because I have no previously read P. G. Wodehouse experience to compare  Jeeves and the Wedding Bells to, my review is predominantly going to be about how the latter was for me. 

Honestly, the so to say "classic" or "literary" writing, though very beautiful, is something I find hard to follow and the- and again I say so to say- "old" or "traditional" English way of life, although supremely fascinating, is difficult for me to comprehend. And Jeeves and the Wedding Bells has both those which I found pretty nice and enjoyable but it couldn't hold my attention as it took me a lot of time to read the book. There are many, and I really mean many, many characters in the book which got really confusing at times but the main characters like Wooster from whose point of the view the book goes, Jeeves after whom the book is named and Georgina stood out and the numerous others, while very confusing to keep track of, were wonderfully put down. 

Jeeves and the Wedding Bells is quite an enjoyable read and I found myself laughing more than once at the absurdity of it and above everything else, the book truly amused me and for a first experience, it turned out to be pretty good. Maybe I didn't get the book as a Wodehouse fan would, but I did have a good time whilst reading it. I can say nothing about author Sebastian Faulks' take on a Wodehouse classic, but I have to say that the author's writing is very sharp and his story very entertaining. I enjoyed the references that I could understand and I only wish I'd liked the book more and maybe someday that's very far away when I decide to reread it, I actually will. 

RATING:

Review- The Paperback Badshah by Abhay Nagarajan

Summary-

‘In life…you can choose to become a specialist or a generalist. But in love, please don’t become a reluctant fundamentalist. Instead become a love scientist.’
-Raghu Balakrishnan

Raghu Balakrishnan is a laidback 25 year old, who quits his regular job as a financial advisor to focus single-mindedly on his dream of becoming a published author in India. He stays with his parents. They reluctantly tolerate his new found creative ‘nonsense’ as he works on his book, a love story, which he titles The Paperback Badshah. 
As time passes by, he realizes that writing the book is just one part of the dream.
How did one go about getting it published? 
What about the marketing and promotion?
What about reactions from the readers?
Would it open up the faucets of love in their hearts or would it irritate them, given the sheer absurdity of the plot?
Along the way, will Raghu also get lucky in matters of the heart?
Find out by joining him in his entertaining journey, as he chases his writing dream to eventually become a published ‘100 Rupee’ paperback author.

Review-

The Paperback Badshah is the journey of Raghu Balakrishnan who leaves his job as a financial advisor to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. The book starts off with Raghu at his work place being sick and tired of his job in which he has no interest. Raghu comes from a slightly upper middle class family and can afford taking a break to complete his manuscript.

He starts to work on his book, The Paperback Badshah which is supposed to be a love story. All his friends make fum of him, that he is writing a love story when he himself has never been in love. I thought Raghu was a sweet guy. He really had no evil intent in mind and his thought processes were unique. 

He could relate one random thing to another at the spur of the moment and make it into a ridiculous rhyme. It was actually quite amusing. The Paperback Badshah is supposed to be a comedy and there were some moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. The jokes were sometimes a bit crude but over all it was a book filled with silly jokes.

Those who enjoy reading books where you don't really have to use your brain but just enjoy the book and its sense of humor in the moment can pick up The Paperback Badshah. It is not meant to be a life changing read. I can appreciate such books from time to time without over thinking it. But there is a ton of Hindi mixed in the book so I would only recommend it to those who get it.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Srishti Publishers in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Isn't It Bromanctic? by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Goodreads Summary:

Having fallen in love in The Bro-Magnet, ultimate man's man Johnny Smith and D.A. Helen Troy marry at the outset of ISN'T IT BROMANTIC? Never has a sports-loving couple been so well suited. Now everything should be wedded bliss, right? Not exactly. On a honeymoon cruise, both contract a virus but Helen recovers more quickly. Still confined to their stateroom, Johnny is fine with her going off on her own, until Helen has a little too much fun playing beach volleyball with an all-male group of German tourists. And things only grow worse as they return home to CT and try to set up life as a married couple. Can Johnny and Helen's marriage be saved?

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Isn't It Bromantic? from author Lauren Baratz-Logsted in exchange for an honest review. We thank Lauren for the book! 

I absolutely like and thoroughly enjoyed reading Lauren Baratz-Logsted's The Bro-Magnet (my review of which can be read here) and I was delighted when the author contacted us to review her book, Isn't It Bromantic?

Without even looking much into the book, I said yes because I know for a fact that Lauren's books come with the guarantee of the reader having a good laugh and a good time while reading. 

I thought Isn't It Bromantic? would be the story of one of the friends of Johnny, the protagonist in The Bro-Magnet although most of them were already married. I don't read summaries (yes, that's how it works for me) so I was in for a surprise with this one. 

I must admit that on the one hand, I was fairly surprised that Isn't It Bromantic? is the continued story of Johnny and Helen since they already got a happy ending in the first book. On the other hand, once I began reading, I realised how much I'd missed this cute couple. I even missed the whole of Johnny's gang and was happy to meet them again. Hell, I even missed his cat (although I'm not a cat person)! 

Isn't It Bromantic? starts off with Johnny and Helen's wonderful marriage ceremony followed by their cruise honeymoon and the two of them trying to fall into the marriage routine. They still find it amusing and hard to believe that they're married. 

Johnny is such a hilarious man, I love his sense of humour. Like I already said, you're bound to have a rocking time listening to the voice in his head. Sometimes, he does seem way too nice and way too concerned for a guy, but all his friends love that about him. He is cluelessly super sweet. He really is a caring, genuine and sweet guy. All that matters to him is his wife's happiness and he makes sure she gets it. 

Helen seemed a little off to me in this one but we get to know all about her reasons later on in the book. She is a very nice and smart girl with her own insecurities and problems and she's perfect for Johnny. They're both perfect for each other. 

It was such a pleasure to again encounter the hilarious bunch of people from The Bro-Magnet. 

Johnny's dad Big John and his Aunt Alfresca get married and are trying to work on that. They were both their usual jovial , wonderful and weird self respectively. Johnny's gang of friends Billy and his wife Alice and Drew were super interesting as usual and in their own ways, they all help Johnny with adjusting to the married life. 

Sam, Johnny's best friend, ex neighbour and business partner was her usual feisty self. I love her as a character. She keeps Johnny in line and I sincerely hope she gets a happily ever after for herself. 

An addition of characters brought more enthusiasm in Isn't It Bromantic? 

Johnny meets a little girl Willow on the cruise and the two remain friends. Willow was a complete darling and rather highly intellectually developed for her age, but lots of fun nonetheless. Johnny's barber Stavros, who takes shelter in the newly wed couple's home was entertaining and I admired him as a character. He had a great personality. Although I must admit that I missed meeting Helen's large, boisterous and cuddly family.  

Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted's writing keeps the reader awake, entertained and wanting more. Isn't It Bromantic? was an hilarious riot of the ups and downs of marriage. I adored how Johnny rounds up his married life with Helen. 

"We are flawed human beings, and we will spend the rest of our lives being flawed together." 

It had me go all 'aw, Johnny!'. Just like the first book, I absolutely liked and thoroughly enjoyed reading Isn't It Bromantic? as well. It was  an adorable read. The Nice Guy series is truly a nice series of a really nice guy. 

REVIEW:

Review- The Symptoms Of My Insanity by Mindy Raf

*This is an early review of The Symptoms Of My Insanity by Mindi Raf. 

Publication Date: 18 April, 2013

Goodreads Summary:

A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Mindy Raf's The Symptoms Of My Insanity upon request from Net Galley. We thank Net Galley for the book! 

I was really excited to read The Symptoms Of My Insanity when I came across it on Goodreads. It sounded fun, exciting and different. 
When I read my blogger friend @  Enticed By Books, Aman's  review (she was the one who told me about the book being up for request on Net Galley. Thank you, Aman!),  I was a little apprehensive about starting it. But obviously, seeing as my request got accepted, I had to read it. I must admit that my feelings for Mindi Raf's The Symptoms Of My Insanity are so-so. This review is very difficult to write since I really don't know how I feel about the book. 

Izzy, the protagonist in The Symptoms Of My Insanity talks about her daily life and that's all. She talks about what she does, who she meets, about her friends and her family life. Izzy thinks too much. But then I really cannot complain because I know that I over-think as well. Her voice, although very innocent and sweet, does seem whiny and immoderate at times. She is confused and she is upset and it gets annoying with her constant dragged out dialogue. 

It seemed like the book has no purpose at all. But somewhere in the second half of the book, the story actually starts going somewhere. And The Symptoms Of My Insanity did have a purpose after all. It's just that the purpose came out almost towards the end of the book and trust me, by that time, you really don't know why or what you're reading. Thank God, something did happen. 

The secondary characters played a role, but exactly what that was, I'm yet to figure out. At the family front, I liked how Izzy was responsible and she shared a great relationship with her mom. 
I liked how author Mindi Raf has taken up an important issue whilst dealing with an hypochondriac protagonist. I could see the efforts the author has taken to bring to light the fact that anyone, anywhere can be a victim of anything and I appreciated that. The writing, however, was quite okay. The summary rightly says that Izzy concentrates more on what could be wrong than what really is wrong. The summary, however, is wrong when it leads the reader to believe that the book will be a laugh riot. I hardly found myself laughing out loud. 

Up to a certain extent, The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright book but it is very hard to get into and can be very obscure. It's not a light read, but it's not heavy either. It stands somewhere in the middle of nowhere. While I did like certain aspects of the book, it was hard to get into it. While I enjoyed Izzy's over thinking, it got too much at some point. While the first half of the book was just as good as nothing and took me a long time to get into, the second half was full of content and went by fast. 

The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright read that's like a zigzagging roller coaster. 

RATING:

Review- The Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Goodreads Summary:

Women have been known to lament, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." For Johnny Smith, the problem is, "Always a Best Man, never a groom." At age 33, housepainter Johnny has been Best Man eight times. The ultimate man's man, Johnny loves the Mets, the Jets, his weekly poker game, and the hula girl lamp that hangs over his basement pool table. Johnny has the instant affection of nearly every man he meets, but one thing he doesn't have is a woman to share his life with, and he wants that desperately. When Johnny meets District Attorney Helen Troy, he decides to renounce his bro-magnet ways in order to impress her. With the aid and advice of his friends and family, soon he's transforming his wardrobe, buying throw pillows, ditching the hula girl lamp, getting a cat and even changing his name to the more mature-sounding John. And through it all, he's pretending to have no interest in sports, which Helen claims to abhor. As things heat up with Helen, the questions arise: Will Johnny finally get the girl? And, if he's successful in that pursuit, who will he be now that he's no longer really himself? THE BRO-MAGNET is a rollicking comedic novel about what one man is willing to give up for the sake of love.

REVIEW:

I got a copy of The Bro-Magnet when it was free on Amazon and I was so eager to read the book. The whole concept of the book seemed great and refreshing as we get a glimpse into a man's head. About what men think about women, about dating, about relationships and about marriage. We've all read about women always being the bridesmaids and never the bride, but this was the first time I came across the tag line 'always a best man... never a groom'. I was excited to begin reading this book and I was not disappointed. 
The Bro-Magnet is a hilarious, awesome and an absolutely refreshing read that had me laughing out loud innumerable times. I mean it when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed every page and it was a totally colourful and entertaining ride. 
The Bro-Magnet is the story of Johnny who has a great family and a great bunch of friends, who wanted to become a lawyer but follows his father's footsteps by taking up the family's painting job, who is looked up to, appreciated and admired by majority of the male population, who has been best man in so many weddings, whose best man wedding speech is a hit among the crowd and who is a HUGE baseball and beer fan. 
Unfortunately, he has never had any luck with women. His mother dies after giving birth to him, his aunt Alfresca accuses him of killing her sister, his first crush, Alice hates him and marries his best friend, his best friend, neighbour and co-worker, Sam is a lesbian. After looking at his married buddies, Johnny feels the absence of a woman in his life and that's when he deicides to take matters in his own hands and gets serious about finding his own life partner. 
I loved being with Johnny on his journey to find the right woman. His family comprising of his dad 'Big John' and his aunt Alfresca was a riot. They are people with a big heart and an even bigger sense of humour. 
His friends made loyal and a strong gang. It was fun reading about the changes that Johnny sees in his friends after their respective marriages. 
His best friend/neighbour Sam was, for me, the coolest character. She was fun, lively and had a kind of razzmatazz personality. 
Another significant character in the book is Leo, the coffee-shop owner and his wife whom he calls 'The Little Lady'. His story and the role he plays in shaping Johnny's views about love was moving and touching. 
When Johnny finally meets lawyer Helen Troy at a baseball game, he is intrigued by her and wants to get to know her. This is where Johnny's world turns upside down. 
With a lot of help and advice (necessary and unnecessary) from family and friends, he goes from being Johnny to 'John', remodels his home by throwing in flowers and little girly things, almost gives up his love for sports, buys a rather lazy and crazy cat, finds himself asking other men about how to woo women and women about how to impress them, but most importantly, he evolves as a man. 
I enjoyed reading about this phase and transition of John. He is so nervous about dates (on the first date, Johnny does not eat anything because he is afraid of having bad breath!) that sometimes I found myself thinking 'do guys even bother so much about such things?' and the answer was yes, they do. It matters so much to John what Helen thinks of him, how she looks at him, how selfless he is when it comes to Helen that he willing to do whatever she says. 
The meetings between Johnny and Helen's very close-knit, huge and jolly family and between Helen and Johnny's riotous and fun-loving family were gratifying and very sweet.
Johnny was cute, funny, sincere and loving while John was still the same guy with only a stronger belief in himself and in his relationships. Helen is smart, cool, very kind and warm-hearted. They are great as a couple, balance each other perfectly and are similar in more ways than one, which I cannot elaborate further without giving away spoilers! 
Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted's writing keeps you awake and alive and laughing and wanting more. At times, a few things did seem a bit too girly, nonetheless The Bro-Magnet was an awesome book and in the end, that is what matters- enjoying what you are reading and The Bro-Magnet ensures that you do just that- relax, read and enjoy.
The Bro-Magnet is a hilarious refreshing read that makes you laugh, appreciate a man's efforts, look at how much relationships matter to men, how willing they are to make it work when they know 'she's the one' and how a little bit of help and lots of humour goes into making a beautiful relationship. 

RATING: 

Sarika

Review- Dysfunctional Romance! by Derrick Hudson

Goodreads Summary:

Barry Shaws’s whirlwind journey through life was shaped by the growing demands of a multitude of disorders, which meant he tended to clean things repeatedly and aggressively, before they had the chance to murder him!

Barry thrived on routine. If it hadn’t happened before, it was unlikely to happen ever…until he collided into her that is. On that fateful day, as he walked to work, stepping from the centre of one pavement stone to the next, he crashed into Sandra Wiggins, who had also been discreetly avoiding the dreaded cracks. It was lust at first sight. Love would have to wait. Apart, they were just weird, but together, they were pure mental!

This is the bittersweet, often hillarious story of two human lovebirds, destined to spend their calamitous lives together…until something extraordinary occurs that threatens to decimate what remains of their limited sanity. Welcome to the New World Order, created when Barry met his Miss. Match!

REVIEW:

You know you've read an absolutely great book when just the thought it makes you smile long after you've read it! It was while writing this review that I realised how much I loved Barry and Sandra's story, how unforgettable it is and that Dysfunctional Romance! deserves 4.5 contrary to the initial 4 stars I'd given it on Goodreads!  

I've been transfixed by all things Irish since a long time now. Besides being a lovely country, from what I've read and heard, Irish people are very pleasant, warm and fun loving. So the moment I saw Derick Hudson's Dysfunctional Romance! and realised that it was about a young Irish couple, I knew I had to read it, no matter what. When Derick Hudson announced the date on which the book would be free on Amazon, I marked it on my calendar and began reading it immediately after downloading my copy. And boy! I am absolutely happy I read Dysfunctional Romance! 
The story of Barry Shaw and Sandra Wiggins, Dysfunctional Romance! gives love stories a whole new, fresh, clean, hilarious, practical and a completely blows-my-mind-away-it's-THAT-abso-freaking-lutely lovely twist. Every bit of this book was fun, fun and more fun. 
Both Barry and Sandra have their own complexities, complications and a set of anxiety disorders. They are, in the most odd and twisted way, perfect for each other. I loved reading about their relationship from the time they accidentally bumped into each other on the sidewalk to the time when Sandra gave birth to their precious little twins. The banter between the two was brisk. The way they did what they did and the way in which they did it was uproarious and humorous. Reading about Barry and Sandra's families and workplace was exhilarating. 
There are some scenes from this novel that I know are going to remain with me forever, the most memorable being the one where, on their first date, Sandra sneezes and her lens falls in her wine glass! And how can I forget the one in which Sandra, a citizen of Ireland, almost calls 911 when Barry experiences a mini heart attack! 
From the prologue to the epilogue, from chapter 1 to chapter 77, from location 1 to location 5709 or from 1% to 100% (on Kindle), Dysfunctional Romance! is a full-on fun-filled roller coaster ride. My bed literally shook with my laughter while reading this one. Author Derick Hudson has written a refreshing, bright, light-hearted and totally hilarious novel that keeps you smiling from start to end. Without a doubt, this is one of the funniest- no, hell no, this is THE most funniest book I've ever read. 

RATING:

X 4.5

Sarika