nausicaa83: (<kingdom hearts> piano)
[personal profile] nausicaa83
Got a bit of a stomachache again this morning. Luckly I still have two hours before I have to leave the house, and I'm feeling a lot better. Let us all praise whoever invented electric hot water bottles. Being stuck on the couch under two blankets, a hot water bottle, and a grumpy cat (she's been nervous all day), I decided to continue with the Reading Bingo, twice praised because it is helping me so much with going through that Leaning Tower of Books that was sitting on my dining room table. And occasionally on the floor when I had guests over. ^^"



For the "A Book You Heard About Online" square, I chose Colin Bateman's Mystery Man. I first heard about this book from Mr Benedict Cumberbatch himself, in this video, that was used by many fans on tumblr to do hilarious renactments of the St Bart's sequence in gifsets. It was one of those moments during the hiatus where I truly despaired for the fandom's sanity, and so I clicked on the link to see what the source was. I got intrigued and bought the book off Amazon. And then completely forgot about it, until yesterday, when I was combing through my bookshelves trying to find unread books that could fit the weirdest squares on the bingo.

First of all, I loved it. It's funny and intriguing, and very original. It's written in first person from the perspective of a bookshop owner in Belfast, who's an hypochondriac, paranoid coward, a guy who stalks the girl from the shop across the road and despises the entire human race. When the Private Eye next door suddenly closes shop, the clients start to turn in his bookshop asking for help, and he begins solving little cases for them. But soon it's the big case that finds him, the one where corpses keep piling up and the Odessa could be behind it all. It's black humour at its finest: most of the time you have no idea if there actually is a case, or if we're just looking at the world through a mad man's eyes. And it has murder, nazis, car chases, fake John Grisham, and leather trousers. Highly recommended, it makes for a very funny reading, and the ending caught me completely by surprise.

Also having read the book now I can see the irony of Mr Cumberbatch reviewing it while on vacation. If only the Mystery Man could see him! :D

Date: 2014-01-27 02:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entangled-now.livejournal.com
This sounds like a lot of fun, and a little bit mad. So something I'd probably like. The main character actually sounds a bit like Bernard Black (I don't know if you've seen Black Books?)

So intrigued by 'fake John Grisham.'

Date: 2014-01-27 02:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nausicaa83.livejournal.com
Oh my god, I can't believe I didn't make the connection. He is A LOT like Bernard Black!! Just think less alcohol and more antidepressants. :D

Now I have to drop everything and go and re-watch the first episode. I even bought a copy of The Little Book Of Calm that sits proudly next to my Lightning Farron action figure!

Date: 2014-01-27 02:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entangled-now.livejournal.com
lol, well now it's definitely going on my list of things to read. Black Books is one of my favourite shows.

The Little Book of Calm was such a great foil for the insanity of Bernard's bookshop.

Date: 2014-01-27 02:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nausicaa83.livejournal.com
Just finished re-watching the first episode. It gets funnier and funnier every single time. "Which of you bitches want to dance?", and the Jehovah's witnesses, and Martin Freeman, and the bald Furby! XD

I think a marathon is in order. *_____*

Date: 2014-01-27 02:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entangled-now.livejournal.com
I always forget how many comedians showed up in the show at one point or another.

I think a marathon is in order.

Doooo it.

Date: 2014-01-28 07:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shiinait.livejournal.com
Rimettiti presto cara!! Io sto col mal di gola...
Cos'è questo Bingo? Non seguendoti sempre - anzi, non seguendo sempre LJ - non tengo il passo...

Date: 2014-01-28 07:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nausicaa83.livejournal.com
E' una cosa bellissima che mi ha passato un'amica un paio di settimane fa! Il post originale è questo (http://www.retreatbyrandomhouse.ca/2014/01/reading-bingo-challenge-2014/), in succo nel 2014 ti proponi di leggere almeno 25 libri, che soddisfino ognuno una categoria diversa della tabella della tombola letteraria che vedi qui sopra. Ad esempio, ho appena letto Mystery Man, un libro di cui avevo sentito parlare in un video su youtube, ergo la casella "a book you heard about online" è perfetta e viene spuntata.

Io ho deciso di fare un post ogni volta che leggo un libro nuovo, e postare la tabella aggiornata da me con il rispettivo pentacolo, la copertina del libro, e una piccola recensione. Altri postano solo le recensioni, o aggiornano man mano il post originale con la tabella. E' un modo divertente di sfoltire la classica pila di libri non letti che si accumula sempre sul comodino, e mi sento spronata a parlare di letteratura sul mio blog, il che non guasta. *______*

Dai, fallo anche tu, così ci passiamo idee e suggerimenti! \o/

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