Another book by the wayside, not as quickly this time

The book is #3 of the Tucker Max series of books. It is Hilarity Ensues. Almost the close out of the series. There is still one last small book to go after this.

If you have seen my reviews of the Tucker Max books before or have read them yourself you know exactly what this book is about. Drinking, partying, sex and stupidity.

This book doesn’t disappoint if you are after a book that is full of socially unacceptable actions, lewd behavior and bad decisions. Sounds good to me! But this is meant to be the last real book in the series unfortunately. It’s coming to an end. But not without some good laughs.

Numerous times I have thought to myself this is not the best book to read on the bus, cause I was trying hard to hold back the laughs or the amazement at some stupid act. I did struggle a few times with controlling myself but I somehow managed.

One thing I did learn from this book is the term “Fratire”. Obviously a play on Satire and/or Frat boy antics. I had never heard the term before but it definitely fits. Definitely feels more appropriate than any other way to describe this book that’s for sure.

If you are in the need of a light hearted read, with some entertainment at other people’s expense or even just a laugh to cheer you up. This is the book for you. Kind of sad to see it all coming to an end 🙁

Yes, i have never read the Hobbit, so shoot me :p

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, a classic if there ever was one. I figired with all the hype surrounding the movie to be released in November, it is definitely worth taking time to read it, plus it’s on my classics list. Two birds, one stone.

I am sure you have all heard about the book and the follow up Lord of the Rings trilogy so I guess I don’t need to go into to much detail but to put it simply A hobbit and a bunch of dwarves travel a lojg distance to rob a dragon nad get rich.

The book follows there adventures along the way and for those that are into thr fantasy side of sci fi I am sure this book is great. For me, not so much.

Don’t gwt me wrong it is not a bad book. The first thing that shocked me is the length, this book is short, 132 pages on my Ebook. I thought i had a corrupted version to start with but after conferring with a coworker she confirmed to me it was right. How Peter Jackson is getting 3 movies out of that book is a miracle.

The other shock to me was how much thr book skips around and just skips parts that would of been interesting to say the least. Either way thr book was not my cup of tea but now I can tick it off the list,and be one of thosr people who complajn in a movie when a book gets butchered ,which I am sure it will.

A book on Decisions, though a little bit different to what you’re expecting:

This book is Decisions by George W. Bush. Yeah, I read W’s memoirs. Mock away. Figured it would be a good read and a way to get an insight into what has shaped my new home in the last decade.  However the book was a little different than I expected.

In the first introduction W. tells you that this isn’t a normal memoir but follows the decisions that lead him through his presidency. As he puts it the book is about the decisions a President has to make that affects everyone. This was an interesting way to sell me a memoir but what the hell.

The book was actually very good in my opinion you got to see the way his thought process worked for the big decisions in the 8 years he was in office. Moments like the invasion of Iraq, the financial crisis, September 11 and more.

Sure he wasn’t the most popular president at times, often mocked in the media, treated like a dummie at times but I still think he did his job the best he could and did it openly.  Hell if I was in his shoes I doubt I would of done any better and plus if he was really that bad wouldn’t he of been impeached?

To be honest I am sure I will cop a heap of flack for saying this but it changed the way I thought of the man and I am sure that it wouldn’t harm my opinion of someone knowing that they did what they did with best intentions. I. not saying this book has made me a Republican but if I had to vote for him I might consider it.

This was a good read, something I think is good if you’re after something a bit different to the usual memoirs out there so it’s nice to have something different for once.

A short book, long commutes and we end up with a book review very quickly..

The book is Assholes Finish First by Tucker Max. This is the 2nd in the string of Tucker Max books that I have ready (#2 of 4 it seems) and after having read this one I still have to say, I don’t know if the stories are real, but either way they are a damn light hearted entertaining and funny read.

For the moment I will be reviewing E books (as I don’t have any real books left to read over here) so it is a bit different and I feel quicker to read (although with this one it has sat almost 9 months or so partially read since the last time I used my tablet) so this booking being fairly short (175 pages on a 7inch screen). It was still a fun read for me though and distracts you from your every day life very easily.

Tucker Max books are filled with drunken stunts, sexual exploits and lots of hilarity if you like reading about Crass, Crude people (which I do obviously), so this is definately a book for you. I didn’t know until today that there was 2 more books available in the series, so now I need to look into getting 2 more. For a full run down on who Tucker Max is or what sort of book your in for, you just have to check out his site as why read it from me, when he says it better in his own words.

His stories are always good to distract me from my life, and this book definately did that. Highly recommended but only if your into his style of writing… otherwise you will probably be offended… actually.. definately offended. hah!

Okay so I need to stop finishing books in a week or picking bigger books. 

The book is A Nightmares Prayer by Michael Franzak. I ended up with this book in my pile from one of my many amazon book binges. The book follows the author who is a United States Marine Corp (USMC) pilot flying the AV-8B Harrier. It specifically covers his time during his deployment to Afghanistan as Executive Officer of VMA-513.

For those that don’t know the AV-8B is the US variant on the venerable British made Harrier. The Harrier was the first VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) fixed wing aircraft. Later modified and mainly used as STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) the Harrier is unique in the combat aircraft world. The USMC is one of a handful of operators in the world and is used as a Close Air Support aircraft covering Marines and soldiers in the field giving them protection from the air.

This book was unlike any I had read before for a few reasons:

1. It followed a pilot in Afghanistan if a fixed wing aircraft something I had not ready before
2. It was more a look into the pilots mind more than the conflict, exploring the emotions of someone doing a job in a situation that is not the best
3. It was not very in depth about the aircraft but more about the human mind, how it thinks, reacts, feels.

Even though the book was not as I expected I was glad it didn’t really cover the aircraft as much.  I usually prefer a book that covers part on the aircraft over the person behind the controls but this was different. This book made it feel more real (even though the events happened in 2002/2003), like I was the pilot.

Very glad to of bought this book with me, it was definitely what I needed to bring some things in life into perspective and also help rekindle that love of Aviation that I have. A good read for any Avgeek like me.

Another book already… yeah i know!

This book is Diary of a Legionnaire by Gareth Carins is the latest book for me to finish. Albeit very quickly after the last book, but i boil that down to a few factors, travelling and long commutes in plenty of traffic (that and its not that thick of a book).

The book is an autobiography of the author who served 5 years in the French Foreign Legion. For those that don’t know, the Foreign Legion is one of the divisions in the French Army. An entirely Volunteer force of men from all over the globe, those wishing to escape their pasts and start a new life. Pretty much at the end of 5 years you will have a brand spanking new life! You commit to a 5 year contract and if you dont fulfil it, jail for you buddy!

Gareth served with the French Foreign Legion’s (FFL) Parachute Regiment. Kind of like the elite of the elite. The FFL has always had the kind of allure to me, that exotic attraction of being given a new life, a new identity and being able to just get rid of all your past. What I didn’t realise till this book was just how much they follow their traditions in the FFL. They are extremely traditional, extremely different and extremely brutal.

The book covers some of the brutalities that just become like a normal life for the soldiers. The beatings, the treatment by superiors all just seems way to unlike what I had expected and in fact totally changed my mind on certain things. Would I ever join the FFL…. not anymore!!!

A good read for those who like these kinds of books (like me) for something a bit different, to show the side of men who want to change their life entirely and start a whole new life somewhere off in this great big brown earth.

A book that one of the movies that appeals to me is based on, yeah I should read it.

From Drop Box

The book is Up In the Air by Walter Kirin. This is the original book that Up in the Air the popular movie amongst points fanatics/avgeeks is based on. The movie had George Clooney in it, was about a guy who fired people for a living and was aiming to get like 7 Million Frequent Flyer miles with American Airlines.

The book is similar, yet not. Yes it is about a guy who fires people for a living, who is aiming to get just 1 Million frequent flyer miles, but to be honest, that’s about all that is similar.

This book was very confusing, at times it chopped and changed and didn’t make any sense, it didn’t track along with the movie at all and frankly I was extremely dissapointed with it. The movie was adapted and changed to be more easier to understand and follow, and I actually kind of regret reading the book.

But that is what you get when you want to read a book to movie adaption. Depending on what you see first will determine if ou think it has been done so well. In this instance I probably shouldn’t of read the book. The movie is great and I love it, but the book was just so confusing and dissapointing that it kinda makes me sad.

Onto another book anyway to make the bad feelings go away!

My 3rd book here in the USA is pretty appropriate.

The book is The Making of Barack Obama by Richard Wolffe. I didn’t buy this book cause I was moving here, this book was purchased long before the offer to move here was made. What happened was it was cheap, so I bought it.  When I moved here though I figured it would be an appropriate read so bought it with me.

The book follows the President through his campaign and the primaries and follows his journey to becoming President. It’s not a detailed look into his life but more tracks what shaped the man and how it affected him in the process.

I learnt a lot while reading the book. It delves a bit into his past, about how he grew up and how that shaped his life. How his mother had him living overseas with her and introduced him to a different perspective on life.

What is interesting is seeing into the man himself, learning why the secret service game ever him his, code name of Renegade. It truly described his nature and how it showed his way at looking at life. He did things people told him he couldn’t, what they said he wouldn’t be able to accomplish.

This is a book I am glad to of read. Not only does it give me an insight into American politics but also into someone who doesn’t just give each in when times get tough, when things are stacked against you. It is a good read for inspiration, to be able to think “I can do it, there’s no need to not think I can’t”

Definitely a good read, happy to of brought this one with me

I had intended to finish this book on my flight from LA up to Seattle, that didn’t happen as I lapsed in an out of conciousness after being awake for what felt like forever:

The book is Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain. Yep that is right my last and the latest of Bourdain’s books. If you read my last review you will see me talk about Bourdain so I won’t say to much about that.

What I will say is that this book is more akin to Kitchen Confidential. This is the book I had hoped he would write. It is more about how his life has changed, his musings on food, travel, people, eating etc

There is some fantastic ranting and raving in this book, so many funny moments, he targets a few different things compared to Kitchen Confidential. Either way this was a thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could not recommend it more! I was so happy to be reading this book. It showed exactly how much he had changed between writing Kitchen Confidential and now.

Definately a good read! Especially if your a foodie, a wanna be foodie or just love cooking shows!

Something to get the travel lover going:

The book is No Reservations by Anthony Bourdain. More of a coffee table book than a guide book or a novel, this is something that I enjoyed even if not what I thought it would be.

Managed to read this I’m just over 2 hours on my flight to LA, this was a fantastic way to just get deep into two things I love. Food and Travel. For those that know who Bourdain is, he is an ex chef and host of the hit show No Reservations. A no holds barred, tell it like it is kind of person/show that is one of my favourites to watch.

This book looks at the places he has visited in the show, is full of photos taken by the crew in off times or during familiar stories from the show. A fantastic insight to the person who loves to travel, to eat or just enjoys the show.

So many of the photos or short stories they went with it made me think, I so want to visit there, I wish I had gone there or even, I am going to visit that place sometime in the future.

What more can a lover of travel want. A book filled with what is purely like porn to the food or travel bug among us, something that whets the appetite for either of these things, that entices us to do these things, to travel, to eat, to experience.

Loved it! Just wish it was longer!