Monday, February 20, 2012

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 
It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

READ LAST WEEK
Last week I finished As You Do: Adventures With Evel, Oliver and the Vice President of Botswana by Richard Hammond and loved it. Read my review here.

CURRENTLY READING
I spent three days deciding what to read after As You Do, and ended up with Raise the Titanic by Clive Cussler. His Dirk Pitt adventures are a guilty pleasure of mine, and the only series of which I own all the books.

WHAT'S NEXT
Given my latest track record, I spend more time trying to decide what to read than actually read... I don't know why that is, because I have so many books I want to read - just not always at that exact moment I finish another book. Anyway, I think it  might be time for a fantasy next.

What are you reading this week?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Review: As You Do

As You Do
Adventures With Evel, Oliver, and the Vice President of Botswana
By Richard Hammond

First published: 2008 by Orion Publishing

Read: 2 - 13 February 2012

Summary
The wry, honest and often hilarious chronicles of a very brave and clever TV presenter, Arctic explorer, and general drawer of the Short Straw. Moving quickly on from the devastating crash that nearly killed him he ranges widely over his life and times—a visit to Glastonbury with James May reminds of him of his early years of playing in a band and how and why he never quite made it as a rock star; the stunts and other perils that come his way like the Top Gear North Pole race (why is it Richard who is out in the howling elements in a dog sled while the others are in the heated cab of an all-terrain vehicle?), Africa where he falls in love with and repatriates a stray car, and the U.S. (once to be chased by rednecks in middle America, the other in pursuit of his hero Evel Knievel); his passion for cars, what he owns and why, and although he loves his wife why it is a toss-up whether he says hello to the wife or the cars first. Balancing home and family with a crazy, peripatetic working life (or not, sometimes), the hamster is well and truly back on the wheel.

My thoughts

Lately I've found myself going through a bit of a Top Gear phase (you know, the British car show where three middle-aged men act like eight-year-olds in expensive cars), so when I came across this book by my favourite presenter, I thought I'd give it a go. I'm glad I did.

I read a review somewhere saying that reading this book is like having Richard Hammond telling you these stories in person, and that is exactly what it felt like. I kept hearing his voice in my head as I was reading, and could almost picture him sitting across from me at the pub, happily recounting his adventures over a pint or two. (I imagine the audio book would enhance this image even further.) This familiarity made As You Do an easy and enjoyable read.

As expected, the writing style is informal and conversational. Some might find Richard a bit too talkative and argue that he's not concise enough. I won't. It is true that there is a great level of detail - maybe even bordering on too much information at times - but I didn't mind it. Hammond comes across as a genuinely nice guy with a childlike enthusiasm for everything he does, and that enthusiasm is catching. (If you've ever watched Top Gear, you will know what I mean.)

The book is a fun look at some of the things we never got to see on television, and I found it particularly interesting to read about all the work and preparations that went into making the Polar special episode. I also loved reading about the Botswana special, which happens to be my favourite TG episode, however this subject was touched much more lightly upon and the single chapter left me wanting more.

Having seen the Top Gear episodes being discussed in the book will probably make it a more enjoyable read as you will know exactly what is being is referring to (although you really should see them even if you don't read the book, because they are a lot of fun!).

But Richard Hammond is more than just fun and games. This he proves especially in the touching (perhaps surprisingly so) last chapter about the making of documentary about his childhood hero Evel Knievel. This chapter is probably the strongest part of the book and well worth a read for anyone, whoever your hero.

Bottom line
As You Do is a witty and honest account of some of the amazing experiences in a year of this popular television presenter's life and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My rating:

Saturday, February 18, 2012

How do you organise your books?

I just had a new floor laid, and because I had to move all my furniture to make room, I had to pack away all my books for a while (and there were MANY!). I now have a unique opportunity to reorganise my shelves, but I haven't the faintest idea where to start. I've been sitting here staring at my bags and piles of books wondering how to put them back on the shelves. So I was hoping to get some smart tips from you.

How do you organise your books?

By author? By genre? By colour? Alphabetically? In a completely different way that no one else has thought of? Tell me! :)

Monday, February 6, 2012

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 
It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

READ LAST WEEK
Last week I finished Master of None by Sonya Bateman, a highly entertaining urban fantasy debut.

CURRENTLY READING
I'm in a bit of a Top Gear phase at the moment (marathons on BBC Entertainment will do that to you), so I picked up As You Do: Adventures With Evel, Oliver and the Vice President of Botswana by Richard Hammond. It is a behind-the-scenes account of some of the bigger Top Gear adventures like the North Pole race and the Botswana challenge. I'm only about a quarter into it, but so far I've had strange looks from at least two people because I was giggling like a madwoman. I've found that reading a few pages in the morning is a great way to start the day, because it puts me in a good mood.

WHAT'S NEXT
I loved Master of None, so perhaps I'll move on to the second book in the series, Master and Apprentice. Or maybe I'll continue the Riyria Revelations with Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan. Then again I really want to start the Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. And a friend lent me a Jo Nesbø which I really should read soon. And then... You get the picture. Too many books!

What are you reading this week?
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