Tag Archives: HBG Canada

Review | What in God’s Name, Simon Rich

Posted on by
3

Simon Rich’s What in God’s Name is a light-hearted, somewhat ridiculous, yet still rather endearing take on the end of the world. Rich’s novel casts God as the deadbeat CEO of Heaven, Inc. Having phoned it in for years, God decides one day to pack it all up, destroy Earth, and open an Asian fusion restaurant. Rich’s tone is irreverent, reminding me of Christopher Moore’s Lamb, and as in really good comedies, there’s a degree of uncomfortable truth behind the laughter. The idea of God as an incompetent or uncaring CEO, in danger of losing people’s faith or becoming irrelevant, can hit uncomfortably close to home, and in the hands of a different type of comic, this novel could have turned into a much darker, more biting satire.

The edge is certainly there — Rich’s God reminds me somewhat of the benign, rather senile, version of the Authority in Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass — but Rich coats it in such endearing, somewhat slapstick-ish romantic office comedy that it’s easy to ignore. What in God’s Name is told from the point of view of Craig and Eliza, the Jim and Pam of Heaven Inc. Overworked and underpaid angels in the Department of Miracles, Craig and Eliza have developed an affection for humanity and really don’t want the world to end. So they strike a deal with God — if they can make socially awkward humans Sam and Laura fall in love before Armageddon, God will call the whole thing off. Bargaining with God is a tradition that dates back to the Old Testament, and Rich gives it a sweet, Little Mermaid-type twist.

There’s little urgency to the novel’s Armageddon. Rich’s narrative is so cheerful that you can’t help but feel that the writer just won’t let anything really bad happen. Yes, it will suck if the world ends, but Heaven Inc’s lackadaisical attitude toward natural calamities rubs off somewhat. God seems so excited about opening a fusion restaurant, and his employees so eager to take early retirement that we don’t really think about the plagues and earthquakes and other such horrors. Rather, we care about the world ending because we care about Craig and Eliza, and about Sam and Laura. We want both couples to fall in love and, in the case of Sam and Laura at least, we want them to still have a world in which to stay in love.

Romance is at the heart of What in God’s Name, and Rich does especially well with the will-they-or-won’t-they chemistry between Craig and Eliza. Their conversations are funny and awkward, and just really romantic. Take for example one of my favourites, where they discuss Sam and Laura:

“Hey come on,” Craig said. “He asked her out, right? That took some guts.”

“He didn’t ‘ask her out,'” Eliza said. “He asked her if she wanted to ‘grab coffee sometime.'”

“That’s asking her out,” Craig said.

“No it’s not! Asking someone out is ‘Do you want to go on a date with me?’ It’s not ‘Do you want to grab coffee?’ I mean, you ask me that five times a day.”

Craig’s face reddened. After a moment, so did Eliza’s. [p. 181]

Sam and Laura’s romance isn’t quite as exciting, and I cheered them on mostly so that Craig and Eliza would succeed in their mission and perhaps go out on a date themselves. On one hand, it’s a nice change of pace not having the super hot hero/heroine couple usually found in romance, but on the other hand, a side effect of making the Sam and Laura romance mission impossible is, as Eliza observes, “They’re the most unappealing humans I’ve ever seen.” [p. 187] Laura actually isn’t bad, but Sam is a caricature loser. It’s sweet seeing him spend hours drafting and discarding one horribly written email after another to Laura, but the descriptions of him as a complete recluse whose only human contact is the delivery guy makes me think Laura could do much better. Their encounters are awkward, painfully so, though there are some moments, later on in the story, of actual chemistry. Rich goes all out on the ridiculous and the slapstick in Sam and Laura’s romance, and it’s hilarious to see Craig and Eliza scramble to create  the most random miracles just to help Sam and Laura along.

What in God’s Name is funny, touching and romantic. It’s a quick, entertaining read with characters you want to succeed. Even God as a CEO is a rather loveable bumbler, and it’s hilarious how his chosen prophet for the age is a crazy homeless guy at a street corner. The stars, however, are Craig and Eliza, and like Jim and Pam in The Office, they provide warmth, a heart for the book’s centre.

+

Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review | Seriously… I’m Kidding, Ellen DeGeneres

Posted on by
3

Reading Ellen DeGeneres’ Seriously… I’m Kidding is like having a casual, one on one conversation with Ellen herself. The book is hilarious, rather sweet and oddball, with the wonderfully sunny outlook on life that has become Ellen’s trademark. It also often veers into the pointless, with sight gag chapters that probably would work well as minor sketches on her show, but are just worth skimming in a book. On the bright side, I’m Kidding is overall a feel good book, cheerful and optimistic without being preachy. It’s Ellen, on the page, and a fun way to spend your commute.

There are a few completely random chapters. One can almost imagine her Finding Nemo character Dory narrating some of the passages, with their pointless digressions and wide-eyed punchlines. In one chapter entitled “Ideas,” for example, Ellen rambles about everything from smiling to astronauts. Presumably, she means to mimic the brainstorming process, how each idea leads on to another with the barest minimum of connections, and so on. Except it plays out like a comedy routine that seemed funnier than it really is, and the punchline, “I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have written this chapter,” backfires when the reader reluctantly agrees.

Others, like “For the Teenagers” and “Magic,” are sight gags, possibly worth a chuckle when read, but nothing that will make you remember once the page is turned. These stand in sharp contrast to some genuinely great bits of comedy in the book. Take for example “How to Be a Supermodel,” a how-to guide based on Ellen’s experience as a Cover Girl model. The tips in this chapter are sharp and insightful, comedic gems. Take for example:

One: The Look
Always look like you’re angry at the universe for making you too pretty. [p. 11]

Ellen is at her best however in the somewhat more serious chapters. She never allows herself to become Oprah-esque, pulling back with a wisecrack just when she’s dispensed some bit of wisdom. The overall effect is that of a woman who is afraid to let the mood get too sombre, and who therefore undercuts her own advice with humour. That being said, in many of these instances, the humour actually enhances the impact of the advice, and at times reveals further insight.

Take for example a thoughtful chapter on the meaning of life. Ellen observes that people disagree about the nature of happiness — some say we should live each day as if it were our first, and others say we should live each day as if it were our last. It’s confusing, Ellen admits, then immediately quips, “Either way you should probably have a diaper on.” Good point, a quick joke, and a good reminder that prescribed methods of finding happiness aren’t foolproof.

Ellen’s chapter on “Labels” stands out as possibly the most serious. Apart from an offhand joke about her Cover Girl endorsement and a gentle scoff at musical theatre, Ellen reflects on how much she’s been labelled. In a particularly striking line, she admits,

It didn’t occur to me that when I announced I was gay I would have to clarify just how gay I am. What does it matter? What does it mean? All I can say is I’m gay enough for me. [p. 93]

In one of my favourite chapters, “What Would Jesus Do?” Ellen talks about magazine polls and the culture of judgement. Much like the chapter on the meaning of life, Ellen switches from thoughtful observation to quick quip and back again throughout this chapter. Giving the example of a poll that asks “Hot pink dress — is it a do or a don’t?” Ellen demands:

Who cares? If you want to wear a pink dress, wear a pink dress. It doesn’t matter what other people think. One hundred percent of the people polled could say a pink dress is a “do” and guess what? I still ain’t wearing one. [p. 54]

Ellen’s independence and self-confidence are among the many things that make her such a great role model. That passage just about made me applaud. Ellen continues:

All these polls do is make everyone so judgmental. And I don’t believe in judgment. Unless is judgment of judgment. I don’t think someone has to “wear something better” or have a better hairstyle. That’s why the word “different” exists in our language. [p. 55]

Hear hear, Ellen DeGeneres, hear hear!

She immediately undercuts that inspiring passage with a joke, but then switches right back into incisive observation so seamlessly that the interjection of jokes feels natural.

Seriously… I’m Kidding is very much hit or miss, on a chapter by chapter basis. Overall, however, it’s a fun read that just has Ellen’s wonderful personality shine through. You’ll feel good while reading it. The flapjacket copy that promises

If you buy it, you will feel better, look better, be happier, grow taller, lose weight, get a promotion at work, have shinier hair, and fall madly, deeply in love.

is a joke, but like many chapters in the book, holds a grain of truth. Ellen’s humour is so infectious that this book will most likely cheer you up, and if you haven’t fallen in love with Ellen yet, some chapters in this book might make you do just that.

+

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review | The Serpent’s Shadow (Kane Chronicles 3), Rick Riordan

Posted on by
1

Rick Riordan’s The Serpent’s Shadow is the best of the Kane Chronicles trilogy. Anophis, the snake god of Chaos, is on the loose and will destroy the world in three days, and siblings Carter and Sadie Kane must stop him and restore Ma’at (order) to the world. Carter and Sadie have grown quite a bit since their first appearance in The Red Pyramid — Serpent’s Shadow begins with the pair understandably apprehensive, but definitely in charge of the fight against Anophis. They manage a school for magicians, training even kindergarteners to help in the upcoming battle, while still making sure the magician students attend regular school classes.

The Kane Chronicles have never captivated me as much as his Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books have. I’m not sure if it’s just because I find the Greek/Roman gods, or because the format of the stories make the Kane Chronicles a bit more slanted towards children, stylistically. For example, because Kane Chronicles heroes Carter and Sadie narrate the story by dictating it into a tape, we have regular interjections, e.g. of one complaining that the other was pinching him/her. Regular sibling horseplay, and sure to elicit a laugh from eight-year-olds when read out loud, but a bit too much played for laughs.

There’s quite a lot packed into this book, and with so many god and mortal characters and such a big task (how to stop an unstoppable snake god), Serpent’s Shadow gets right into the action and assumes you remember the previous two books. It does get a bit confusing at times, and a bit difficult to care, really, about events you know are momentous because the narrators say so. Still, once Sadie and Carter figure out a plan and set off after Anophis, the story becomes more exciting.

The stakes are really high in Serpent’s Shadow — Carter and Sadie admit they’re not sure their plan will work, and worse, their plan will most likely require both of them to sacrifice their lives. Even their love interests have major sacrifices to make, and the gods can only help so much. The only thing perhaps that bothered me is that the consequences of Anophis taking over the world weren’t really explained, beyond a generic idea of the world ending. So we know how much Carter, Sadie and their team are willing to sacrifice to stop Anophis, and we know it’s important, but mostly just because they tell us so, which lessens the significance of their mission somewhat. There is a great moment where Carter realizes Anophis’ motivation and, for a few seconds at least, understands Anophis completely. That gave dimension to the villain, and added depth to the story.

I like how Riordan handles his female characters. Carter may be the designated leader, but both Sadie and Zia are really strong leaders as well, and they play even bigger roles in the battle. The romantic subplots were also interesting, at certain points more interesting than the main story. Carter’s feelings for Zia cause him to make an absolutely idiotic decision at one point, which I thought unnecessary and too convenient a plot device (he’s really not that stupid), but overall, I like the romance in the book. I liked the somewhat creepy twist in the Carter/Zia love story, but I personally found the resolution of the Sadie/Walt/Anubis love triangle rather disturbing.

Overall, a solid book. The best of the Kane Chronicles, and certainly an epic way to end the series.

+

Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada for a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.