Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Jay Cooper and Maureen Johnson
I got about halfway through this book. The gist is that, in a Quaint English Village, everything and everyone is out to murder you. The first few chapters made me chuckle. I skimmed the rest. There are some quizzes to see if you are paying attention. For me, the novelty wore off after the first one.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
I read about two chapters in this and skimmed the rest. Several people I know have referenced this book in everyday conversation, so I wanted to see what it was about. Reading this book felt like being trapped on a business trip with a grouchy colleague. It’s the same complaints again and again and again. Even if some of the advice is useful, it’s buried beneath a repeating mantra of complaints.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
I got this because I really enjoy Duckworth’s segments on the Freakonomics podcast.
The book needed to be edited down a bit. And I’ll admit that, according to the Grit quiz about one third of the way through the book, my “grit” level is fairly low. It’s not below average. But it just sort of annoyed me. I probably shouldn’t take it out on this book, but I couldn’t get back into it, especially as the book seemed to continue to hit on the same points, but with different examples.
A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
This is a sweet little book. I intend to finish it someday. I got this as part of the free books Tor.com gives out every few weeks. Since I didn’t pay for it and I have other things with time limits, such as my library loans, I just never got back to it.
The world building is lovely. I want to live in the little tea cart/mobile home that the narrator set up. It sounds cozy and lovely; lonely but comforting.
I got as far as the part where our little narrator hits their stride. Maybe it picks up after this, but there hasn’t been anything to really hook me yet.
