NonFiction

Review: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

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*1So weird…this of course was real life vs Murakami’s imagination. I absolutely love how this man can stump me on one single sentence for minutes at a time…I just read them over and over again….this book was not like that….it was pretty straight and to the point….with most of his books I give them 4 stars right off the bat and then go back a month later and bump it up to 5 because, honestly, it sometimes takes me that long to fully appreciate him….yes, a month later, I still often think of the latest Murakami book I have read. It’s true…for me, his words become part of me…they seep into my very bone marrow…but for whatever reason, this one got 5 stars right off the bat….why? I am not sure…I just know it deserves it….stupid reason, but there you have it…and really, who knew he could run 60 plus miles in a single day? Who knew he has more albums than I have books? But most of all, I felt a real connection to him after reading this book. I don’t write. When I write down my thoughts they start to consume me. I lose control. It is a very scary thing for me. It’s why I avoid it when I can…Murakami spends some time in this book explaining why he must run to offset the unhealthiness of his imagination…How you have to go deep inside you to be able to tap your creative vein…if you don’t stay healthy on the outside, the inside will take over….me? I just have never learned how to do that…I fear one day I would just bleed out….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Review: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

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*1Since this has been all over the news of late I thought it was time to revisit. I now live in the United Kingdom and often do my clothes shopping online (much easier than trying to suffer though the experience with my loving but very impatient husband) and I admit I was somewhat shocked at looking at the shipping restrictions. It appears that post is no longer allowed to be sent many countries now with “Ebola virus” listed as the cause….This is just mind-blowing to me….anyway…here is the review of this book that has always stayed in my mind. I worry about chemical warfare and someone leaking this type of virus much more than I’ve ever worried about a bomb going off overhead….

What can I say? This one really makes you stop and think. How close are we all to death? What blink of an eye can mean the end of the world as we know it? Forget how utterly disgusting this book was. I mean, seriously, this was the most insane, make you wish you hadn’t eaten that for lunch, I think I just threw up in my mouth, wipe that grimace off your face book I have ever read. i still can’t stop imaging what it would be like to have your tongue, esophagus and intestines slough off and run through your body. Nor can I stop trying to imagine the black vomit or bleeding out through ever orifice of your body. Screaming monkeys. This book really could give you some nightmares. Seriously. Who is that guy sitting next to you on the plane? Does he look sick? Does he have a virus lurking in his hazel eyes? Did that cough just set the virus free?

I tell you something, this type of book makes me reevaluate my life. I want to do things differently. I want to be in a different place….and today might be the last day to do so…time to get my ass moving…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Confessions of a Book Hoarder

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IMG_8494Okay, it’s time to get honest here. So many of you think you know the real me….many of you haven’t a clue about anything other than I go by Urania as you read a weekly review….So it’s time I come clean…..this is so hard to do…..

First…..have you ever watched that show, “Hoarders”? I’m not sure how many of these shows now exist in the USA, but in the UK there are a few different ones. But they are all about the same….I’m sure at some point you’ve thought they were dramatized to a certain degree so that it makes people feel better about themselves. You know….well, sure….I have too many shoes….maybe a few more purses than I *really* need, but that lady on the telly is insane! There’s no way I could get that out of control. At some point the person on the telly breaks down and everyone gives them a hug and tells them it will be okay….they will help them…..The person in need of help WANTS to change….they want their life back.

Now back to me….this is ABOUT ME after all!!!!!! Pssssfffttttttt……

I’ve reached that point. No, seriously…I need a hug…I usually spend a chunk of my time checking libraries every day….or book blogs (hey! if you’re looking for a really good book blog, you should sooo check out www.RandomBookMuses.com ….seriously, they are the best!!!)…..I add books to my wish list all the time….I manage my wish list weekly (yes, I really do! I try to locate the book from somewhere….netgalley, library, where ever I can to save a penny or pence now!)…I keep track of them on Goodreads (hallelujah, this site was made just for people like me!)….I follow friend’s reviews and keep track of what they are reading and adding to their lists (NO I AM NOT A STALKER….I do this out of love!)….I follow authors on there….I find a book I like and then I not only look at that book, I check out all the other books that the author has written….I go to amazon and look at the new releases that are due to come out soon….I go to factfiction and check out their release calendar as well….I also use Pinterest to track books…If I am in town I try to casually glance at any charity shops I might pass to see what books I might need….

Then at some point it happens…..

It’s time to pick my next read…

At this point I just loose it….I feel like bursting into tears….I mean, are you freaking kidding me? I look at my kindle (I am firm in my decision to only limit my kindle to around 300 titles)….I search my netgallery collection…I search my gifted books collection….I search my theSHORTlist collection….I turn off the kindle and look at the stacks of physical books I want to read in my home…Then I go to Goodreads and I look at these same items there….plus the other numerous bookshelves I have there….Then I turn on Calibre and check out my books there as well….just in case I’ve somehow skipped or overlooked one somehow….I mean, regardless of the thousands of books listed, what if that one perfect book is overlooked somehow? I MUST double check…

There is just too many….I am completely overwhelmed. I know this is my turning point….I know I need to face the fact that I have a problem…..

But seriously….I still want more…..I no longer think that the ‘hoarders’ on the telly are dramatized……THIS IS REAL….And I am one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But honestly, I don’t want to change…..I am happy in life….I am not putting my trust in inanimate objects….I’m not even overspending (not any longer, but that’s a whole different story! bwhahahahaha)…I probably spend less on that 3 quid a month on books….

But I confess, I am just so overwhelmed….I sometimes spend more time trying to pick out a book than I do reading that book….and I’m petrified that I made the wrong choice….that I should be reading something else instead….I am afraid that I will not live long enough to read all of the books I *really* want to read….yes, this thought REALLY does enters my head!

Okay….I’ve confessed….it’s okay….if you think I am a nutter, you can go on and just say it….if you have a suggestion, again, please don’t be afraid that I’ll be upset if you just come out with it…..trust me….I am much more afraid of being suffocated under a massive pile of unread books…..sobs….

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review: Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens

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Hitch-22Okay, so I will be the first to admit, I’m not an expert on Christopher Hitchens. I’ve read “Morality” and that’s it. I didn’t watch him on television or read his reviews or articles or anything. So basically, I am unbiased. I am not a fan. I am not a hater. I am just me 🙂

First of all…there is no doubting that this man was touched with brilliance. However, there is no doubting that he is a bit condescending as well. *However* taking it a step further, he seems well aware of both these traits and does not apologise for them. To be honest, that’s quite refreshing. At least he was not playing to the masses, nor was he in denial.

I think a lot of people expect this book to be an autobiography it is, in fact, a memoir. After I finished it, I read some reviews and it was a common complaint. There isn’t a lot of his life story here. It’s mostly about events that happened to him and his viewpoints. It’s exactly what a memoir should be and it’s somewhat annoying to see people down-rating the book because there wasn’t enough talk about how he was brought up and his family life.

This was interesting in so many ways. One of the things I find most interesting about Hitchens is that he can see both sides of an issue very clearly. He could and does argue each side, at times making it hard to choose, yet he makes no holds about where he stands. I don’t think he straddled very many fences. Having said that, he also has no problems admitting he isn’t dead set in his viewpoints and had no issue admitting that perhaps he got it wrong. If he started to see that something he believed in the past wasn’t working any longer, but the opposing side was, well hey ho, he had no problem saying so and joining their ranks. So often people, especially famous people, once they declare an alliance with something, refuse to budge from their viewpoints. Especially when it comes to politics. Hitchens seemed to have no problem saying, okay, this worked in the past, but it’s not working now…what can? His loyalty seemed to be in what he found to work at that moment. Now I realise that some might see this as a bad thing. I don’t. I wish more people were able to open their minds to other viewpoints and think about what might work instead of just being loyal to the idea of the past. So often we only look at an opposing viewpoint to point out what is wrong about it. It is rarely that one is confident enough to look at one and see what is right.

I especially liked when Hitchens talked about his religious beliefs and his Jewish history (he was an adult when he found out he was Jewish) near the end of this book. He seemed very open to the fact that although he was an atheist he was waiting for someone to prove him wrong. His talk of his Jewish background (or lack of, I suppose) and the culture really fascinated me. So much so that I plan on reading more about it.

The thing about his book is…well, I didn’t really like it. I listened to the audio and there is no doubt that Hitchens was an arrogant sod. If I had ever met him, I am quite sure I would have disliked him. But there is much to enjoy reading this book. Hitchens might not have been my ideal person, but he had a great mind and was very precise on presenting multiple viewpoints on different, important subjects. I would have hated to meet this man in a debate. But my oh my…I would have loved to watch him in one….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Catch-22 by Christopher Hitchens

Review: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

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quietI knew I would enjoy this book…I just didn’t realise it would be this much. This is an eye opener. It’s not that it helps you to understand yourself and those around you a bit more….it’s also that it points out in such an obvious way so many things that are wrong in society today. It doesn’t matter where you look, once you read this book you will see the world differently. You’ll look at the education system different. You’ll look at your workplace different. You’ll even look at politics and the financially world of Wall Street differently.

Not only will you look at these things differently, you’ll suddenly understand many things that you didn’t before. You’ll perhaps see how we set so many things up for failure. Just because we think it must be this way. We often see a successful game plan and suddenly we are blinded to other and very different game plans. Just because we think that the only ideas worth hearing are those that are the loudest. You might realise that we are all conformist in many ways…and that this conformity is not always the best thing for our world.

You might even find yourself a bit perturbed at society in general. I think it’s time we forget trying to think “outside the box” and realise that the box is just some bogus design that someone at some point and time decided to make into the image of “the norm”. It takes all kinds to make the world go round. There are many different ways of learning. There are many different ways to teaching. There are many different ways of managing finances. Many different ways of serving others. Many different ways to innovate. There are many different ways to be productive. Many different ways to socialize. Many different ways to relax. There is only one common factor here….there is no “right” way…..only what is right for the individual themselves.

It’s really time we recycled “the box” and embraced society as a whole. No matter in what form the people come in. This book only begins to show us how much better the universe could be if we embraced this concept. How we can all benefit from the different ways people can be their most comfortable and effective.

I highly recommend this book. You don’t need to be an introvert…..again, I tell you….throw out that box!!!!

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Review: Coreyography by Corey Feldman

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17286694 I would not have normally picked this book up in a million years. I’ve never been a screaming fan of Corey Feldman and the intense cover photo is kind of a turn off for me since it seems very exaggerated for one and for two because it seems kind of reminiscent of a famous Michael Jackson pose which struck me as odd. But my best friend read it and she convinced me that it was surprisingly well written and that it reminded her of MY favorite celebrity written memoir, Stories I Tell My Friends by Robe Lowe. So after that I had to read it.
And I’m very glad I did! While Rob Lowe’s memoir is still my favorite autobiography I’ve read to date, this one definitely did not disappoint. The novel was well written and throughout the book Corey comes off as very genuine and forthcoming. He reveals much about his personal life and his family life when he was starting out as a young child star. He was pretty clear about his parents bad choices and selfishness but he is also clear that he doesn’t care about holding a grudge about anymore.
One theme that ran throughout the book that was quite shocking to me was the sexual abuse that both he and Corey Haim endured from their childhood on. Corey Feldman makes claims that this is rampant in Hollywood and that he knew of many cases of this happening. He does name his abuser but he says that one of his biggest regrets is that he wasn’t able to help Corey Haim do the same before he died.
This was a fascinating book and glimpse into Hollywood life of a star when he was at the top of his game and when he was definitely struggling and at the bottom.

3.5 Stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Coreyography: A Memoir

Review – Will in the World: How Shakespeare became Shakespeare, by Stephen Greenblatt

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137717Stephen Greeblatt is touted as the preeminent authority on the study of Shakespeare, and for the longest time, I have been meaning to read some of his work. It’s taken me a while, but I finally got there! As someone who predominantly reads fiction, getting through this nonfiction book took a little bit longer than usual. However, it was well worth it.
Have you ever been interested in what influenced Shakespeare and his plays/sonnets? Of course, there are many theories out there that claim to have some insight into the motives behind the works, but so many of them are based upon urban legend and propaganda, that it is difficult to separate the truth (or as close to the truth you’ll get without actually interviewing The Bard himself) from hyperbole and outright lies. In his book, Greenblatt examines what little remain of historical records relating to Shakespeare, his family, and other figures of the time, and bases his theories upon historical and sociological context. Greenblatt quite clearly states that some of his theories are based both upon the scarce historical records available and some educated conjecture.
Whilst, Greenblatt admits that his theories cannot be taken as the ultimate indisputable truth, with over 45 years of professional experience devoted to Shakespeare studies, this is probably the closest to accuracy as we’ll get for a while.
As I said above, reading this piece of nonfiction took a while to get into. Once I got into it however, his style of writing began to read like fiction. Greenblatt does not assume that we’ve all taken graduate courses in Jacobean drama or 17th century history, but nor does he belittle his reader; Greenblatt’s narrative takes us chronologically through the known history and events of Shakespeare’s time, and presents us with an entertaining, but educated, glance into the influence behind many of the plays that we’ve all known and loved (or hated!) over the years.
~ Pegasus.
Buy it here: Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare