September 16, 2014

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Lot Like the Movie!

I liked this book.

It stuck pretty close to the movie,

Though in the end it was more about the main character doing drugs than anything else.

I learned very little about the city of Las Vegas.

"Romance for Men: Pandora's Box" is the opposite of a good book

If you review enough on Amazon, you get plenty of offers for books for review. I delete most of them. I feel bad doing so since they're mostly self-published authors trying to get noticed and to sell books.

But sometimes really cool books are on offer -- or at least books that sound really cool. This book had a lot of names attached that I recognized and it made me excited.

Basically, there are multiple theories about how humor works, but I can tell you where humor doesn't work, and that is in "Romance For Men". I was pretty let down. There is one joke in the book, and it gets old very quickly. The main character grows and changes but deliberately renounces that growth at the end of the book.

I did laugh once  that I remember, in spite of myself.

I think that this is "Romance for Men" in a way that Maxim is a magazine for men -- you know, like not really for adults but aimed at teenagers. I'd call it sophomoric, but that gives it too much credit. I'd say it is more like freshmanic.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy of this title in exchange for a review)

Doctorow not for Everyone.

The society of the future in this book is called the "Bitchun" society. 


It's a first novel, and it shows.


The world building is weak, and the characters lack motivation and then it ends. 


I tried Little Brother and put it down. Tried this one and finished it feeling empty.