Book Review: Dying to Meet You (DNF)

Did Not Finish: Dying to Meet You
by Rich Amooi

My rating: DNF, no rating
Genre: Romantic comedy

By all appearances this book should be a light, fun read, and it has many reviews to that affect. However, I was ready to quit at about 30%, gave it a few more chances, and finally called it at 50%. I’m always a bit uncertain about the modern rom-com genre going into it, and this book had a lot of things I really don’t like, starting with a romance that is much more based on physical attraction than I prefer. Add to that some tropes that make me groan, like the embarrassing “Oops, did I say that out loud?” moments that had already occurred twice by the time I was at 30%. The main character is 10 years older than me, but acts at least 15 years younger than me, making it almost impossible for me to imagine her at the correct age. And what first made me consider quitting on the book was the incredible number of amazing circumstances or rare chances happenings that happen around this woman, including her getting a rare form of an already rare disease, such that the doctor says he’s never heard of before, and the difference in this form? She doesn’t have the debilitating symptoms that would make the plot of this book unable to happen. What a coinkydink!

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If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

 

Book Review: Dad Is Fat

Dad Is Fat
by Jim Gaffigan

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Parenting humor

Comedian Jim Gaffigan shares what he’s learned about parenting in his time so far as a dad of 5 kids, living in NYC, in a 2-bedroom apartment. There is plenty of opportunity to see the humor in that situation.

While a lot of what he deals with doesn’t really relate to me (I have 2 kids in a 3-bedroom house in rural Indiana), it’s still a fun read. It’s basically a series of essays with a range of topics from pregnancy to playdates to the sheer noise involved with having a house full of kids.

I’ve liked Jim Gaffigan’s comedy for quite a few years, and I think that seeing a lot of his stand-up helped with the enjoyment of the book. Make sure you read the Foreward with Gaffigan’s “audience member” voice in mind, for example. I wouldn’t say you have to have seen his stand-up to appreciate the book, but if you haven’t, you should just check him out anyway.

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