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da_bos's reviews
203 reviews
Making History by Stephen Fry
4.0
Although (or perhaps because) it does not even pretend to be academic, this is counterfactual history at its best -- and at its funniest. (Be warned, though, if you are easily offended by cynicism or political incorrectness.)
Was soll aus dem Jungen bloß werden? Oder: Irgendwas mit Büchern by Heinrich Böll
2.0
Böll used to be one of my favorite authors, but I'd never read this memoir. An interesting story about growing up after the Nazi takeover in Germany in the 1930s, but clearly from his later years, when his literary skills were somewhat fading (although perhaps it was the translation, which somehow didn't work for me). Nothing one could never live without here, but a worthy quick little read.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
2.0
Not necessarily the most well-written book I've ever read, but a captivating read nonetheless. Toward the end, the plot seemed to fall apart a bit, and there was a little too much financial and technology jargon on occasion, but overall, a good page turner and summer vacation read. But I can wait for the sequels to come out in paperback...
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson
3.0
Some of these columns (which Bryson originally wrote for a British newspaper once a week) were quite funny and dead-on. I often found myself feeling relieved that it isn't just me who finds certain American habits and customs somewhat strange, quirky, perhaps even insane, even if Americans themselves -- especially those who have never spent time beyond the borders of their own country -- would not think of them as anything unusual or worth commenting on. Made me wonder if I should start a blog or something following in Bryson's footsteps. But, alas, I don't think I'm quite as funny as he is.