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Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

June 13, 2019June 11, 2019 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 279
Quick Review Aziz Ansari is as confused with the world of love and dating as the rest of us are, so he wrote a book about it.

Aziz Ansari talks about how much he loves food in *Modern Romance*, so I had an ice cream at Twisty Treat. | Romper (best thing ever) | Flippy Floppies | Sunglasses

Love is tough. Kinda like life. Love, dating, relationships, breakups, and marriage (probably not in that order) have changed in my [dating] lifetime, and it has certainly changed over the past couple of generations. Aziz Ansari decided to write Modern Romance about the conditions people face when existing in the dating world. He worked with researchers so it would be more than observational humor. There is a lot of science in this one and some laughs.

Ansari begins with the basics of what dating used to be like. For a woman: Need man or die. For a man: Need woman or no babies, no help, no food, no sex, no one to come home to. 🙁 Dating changed, but still had some of those basic elements in the last century. Most people married for love instead of need, but the marriage age was far lower and people made due with who was in the viscinity. Now, marriage is not necessary for survival. People are searching for soul mates instead of a good enough mate. Also, the internet. Game changer in Modern Romance because there weren’t tons of options outside of the ‘where I am located.’ Now, internet dating and apps make the WHOLE world open.

One thing I really appreciate is Ansari went out of his way to acknowledge how love and dating is still different for men and women, “If you were a woman, you had far less time to find a man. True love? This guy has a job and a decent mustache. Lock it down, girl.” No shit. Romance is still different for women today because, well, lots of reasons. Ansari did not make it seem like everything is the same for men and women because it’s not.

The book explored dating in the United States and the world through focus groups in New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Buenos Aires. There were also conversations had with women in Qatar and other places in the U.S. Honestly, the dating scene sounds pretty horrific in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Qatar. The focus groups and science helped bring a lot of credence to what Ansari was saying, and it also proves a lot of personal observations to be fact and not just observations.

Modern Romance isn’t all just science and statistics. It’s pretty funny. Ansari has a tendency towards hilarious and prolonged tangents. If you’ve ever heard me tell a story, this is something I do and appreciate. I also discovered, Ansari and I have a similar approach to choosing restaurants and a passion for food. Although, I don’t think this is terrible special considering everyone I spend time around has an incredible passion for the culinary arts.

Side Notes:

Aziz, I hope it worked out for you and the juicer.
Statistic: iPhone users are twice as likely to sext as Android users. Android users are by and large nerdier than iPhone users. We (Android users) have less opportunity or second party interest to sext…. It’s not our fault.
The young, body, sex positive women give me so much hope. I wish I had that kind of confidence at their age.

All in all, Modern Romance was not at all what I expected. It was very interesting and funny. I wouldn’t say I learned a ton, but I read a whole bunch. I’ve also done my fair share of dating the old fashioned way and via technology, so the love truths were duhs from me.

Memorable Quotes
“Today, if you own a smartphone, you’re carrying a 24-7 singles bar in your pocket.”
“Nowadays the Internet is my chubby friends. It is the whole world’s chubby friend.”

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Title: Modern Romance
Author: Aziz Ansari
With: Eric Klinenberg
Publisher: Penguin Press (Penguin Random House/Penguin Group)
Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 9781594206276

Books

lost & found

June 6, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: 310
Quick Review: When Millie’s mother abandons her, she accidentally gathers a small and unlikely group of friends and protectors.

lost & found is nothing short of witty and inventive. Brooke Davis is a beautiful story teller; although, her name makes me think of “One Tree Hill.” A quick read full of humor, insight, and struggle. I enjoyed reading it because it is fresh instead of a new take on an old story. I haven’t read much, if any that I can think of, Australian literature, so it was great dipping a toe into the unfamiliar.

Millie is a little girl obsessed with dead things. In her notebook, she keeps a list of all the dead things she has seen including her dog, Rambo, and her dad. Her mother abandons her at a store one day. Karl the Touch Typist is old. He has lost his wife, but he and Millie become friends over snacks. Agatha Pantha is a Millie’s elderly, shut-in of a neighbor since her husband died. Each of the characters are eccentric and lost in their own grief. They’re an odd group, but somehow they complete each other.

Davis has a wickedly funny, observational sense of humor as each of the characters describe their views of the world from often overlooked age groups. It’s hard to think the story of an abandoned little girl is funny, but it is; not the fact she was abandoned, but the way the story is told.

I love that the main characters are from age groups seldomly written as protagonists. As an adult, it’s hard to get into the brain space of a child and an older person – we haven’t been there yet. They are groups of people who are overlooked, underappreciated, and greatly underestimated. It was lovely watching these characters, who usually fly under the radar, be so full of life.

The chapters are fairly short and told from each characters’ perspective. The language is simple and to the point. There are great humorous moments and a style all its own. lost & found is a great read if you want to laugh. It’s also a great book to get through on an afternoon after work.

Memorable Quotes:
“I am never going to have sex again, he says. Not with this face.”
“And then they do IT, because even old people call it IT.”

Title: lost & found
Author: Brooke Davis
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin Group)
Copyright:2015
ISBN: 9780525954682

Books

The Mockingbird Next Door

January 30, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: 278
Quick Review: Marja Mills is one of the few people who knew Harper Lee intimately. She tells her tale of moving in next door to get to know the aging reclusive author.

Nelle Harper Lee penned one of the greatest American novels: To Kill A Mockingbird. Fame came swiftly to the small town woman. After a few years in the limelight, a Pulitzer Prize, and an Academy Award Winning film, she withdrew from public. She refused interviews and autographs. As the decades passed, she became an enigma.

Marja Mills wandered into Monroeville, Alabama on an assignment for her Chicago newspaper. She knocked on Nelle’s door expecting it to never open or to be sent away. Instead, she met Alice Lee, Nelle’s older sister. What happened in the following minutes would altar Mill’s life and the world’s perspective on a beloved author. Mills met Alice Lee, close family friends no one had access to previously, and eventually Harper Lee. For some reason, Lee liked and trusted Mills from the beginning and allowed her unprecedented access. Over time, their relationship grew from acquaintances to close friends. Mills had health problems, which caused her take time off from her job in Chicago. She used that time to get to know Harper Lee and her life.

I wasn’t expecting the book I read. The title The Mockingbird Next Door made me think it would be about Harper Lee. Instead it was Mills memoir about her time spent with Lee. As wonderful as Mills is, I would love to learn all the secrets of Lee’s life. I did enjoy the book for what it was.

It is evident from the beginning, Mills has a deep affection for the Lee family. Lee never opened up to anyone outside of her close family and friends. There’s the sentiment that Mills can barely contain her excitement she was let into the close circle of friends.

Mills writes authentically. She tells the story of Harper Lee honestly. There is a lot of reverence for the great author, but Mills makes sure the reader knows the humanity of the author.

Memorable Quotes
“Methodist or Baptist, Alabama fan or Auburn. These things mattered. They determined who your people were.”
“And that was something she cares about, deeply: the ability to live her life on her own terms. She answered to nobody.”
“How does anyone live up to the mystique that had grown up around her?”

Title: The Mockingbird Next Door; Life with Harper Lee
Author: Marja Mills
Publisher: The Penguin Press (Penguin Group)
Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 9781594205194

Books, Fiction

The Autobiography of Santa Claus

January 15, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: 289
Quick Review: Santa Claus wants to tell his side of the story, so he chronicles his life and the events he’s seen through the centuries.

The first book in the Christmas Chronicles trilogy. Santa asked Texas journalist, Jeff Guinn, to commit to paper for posterity the true story of how Santa Claus came to be the celebrated, beloved, and mythical figure he is today.

Santa was born a few centuries after the death of Jesus in modern day Turkey. He became a highly revered bishop in the Catholic Church. As he grew to an old age, he wanted to end his days helping the under served populations of the world. He left his church one night with money in his pocket to help those in need. He soon realized he did not age and could travel at heightened speeds. He spent his years giving gifts and gathering close friends he met along the way to help with his mission. Nicholas was eventually canonized and became known as Saint Nicholas.

Guinn is an acclaimed journalist and author with an eye for history. He uses Saint Nicholas as an avenue to discuss major aspects of world history focusing on Christian and Western European history.

Santa Claus is a beloved figure known for kindness, love, and generosity. Throughout much of history, there are examples of intolerance and cruelty made in the name of God. Santa is an observer of history, who comments about how saddened he is by the unfortunate choices people make around him. The Autobiography of Santa Claus is not only an amusing history review but a lesson in tolerance and acceptance.

Santa is known by many names throughout the world and time. Notable names are Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, and more. These names all originated from Saint Nicholas in one way or another. Guinn makes sure to mention the history behind the linguistic evolution of Santa. Another thing he makes sure to cover is why Santa doesn’t visit every house throughout the world.

It’s a quick read and perfect for the Christmas spirit or post Christmas spirit, in my case. The narrative is sweet, well informed, and interesting.

I highly suggest it. It would be a wonderful read for family time with kids.

Memorable Quotes
“Life is never as uncomplicated as we’d prefer.”

Title: The Autobiography of Santa Claus
As Told To: Jeff Guinn
Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher / Penguin Group
Copyright: 1994
ISBN: 9781585422654

Books, Fiction

How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas

December 28, 2017 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 297
Quick Review Layla Claus, Santa’s wife, saved Christmas in the 17th century from Oliver Cromwell and the Puritan English Parliament.

Jeff Guinn wrote How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas in 2005 as a stand alone sequel to his 1994 best-seller The Autobiography of Santa Claus. I have not read the autobiography, but it did not hinder my enjoyment.

Layla of Niobrara was born in Lycia – modern day Turkey – in the year 377. She was not like other girls wanting a husband; instead, she wanted to travel the world. After visiting the tomb of Bishop Nicholas, she had the idea to travel giving gifts to the poor. Taking off she eventually ran into the assumed dead Nicholas and his companion Felix. Being blessed with extraordinary travel rates and never aging, they gathered trusted friends throughout the years, who enjoyed the same blessings. Layla ended up in England during the Puritan rule in the late 17th century as Oliver Cromwell gained power. Layla was a key player in saving Christmas from harsh Puritan law.

The book begins with a foreword by Santa Claus himself. Consisting of twenty-four chapters, each chapter begins with a sketch of a scene from the following chapter. Throughout the book, the significant characters are depicted through a small sketch portrait. At the end of the book, there is a recipe for the Peppermint Pie the Clauses and their companions love so much.

How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas is an engaging sweet story about an often overlooked yet beloved character in the American social psyche. Guinn discusses a history very accurately. Overall, the book is really just a fun way of educating people on an interesting aspect of British and American history. Guinn goes to a little too effort making the bad guy be the bad guy. I didn’t need that much convincing he was devil incarnate.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, and I will be reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus as well.

Memorable Quotes
“Each of us should have the right to decide who and what we want to be.”
“Alan was insisting I stay as long as I like, “up to and including forever.””
“In life, no great achievement is possible without equally great risk.”

Title : How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas
As Told To: Jeff Guinn
Publisher: Jeremy T. Tarcher/Penguin Group
Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 9781585424375