A year is almost over! I have reviewed about 80 books (& collections) and read about 110 books in total! Not bad given all the mindless travel I have been doing. Here are the last reviews for this year!

The Dispossessed: Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

I actually wanted The Dispossessed that has been hailed as one of the best sci-fi books, but somehow got The Dispossessed: Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities at the library :/

In the spirit of letting serendipity taking its course, I read it. It is a set of photo-narratives of people who consider themselves as victims of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, with a variety of reactions to city-living. It is quite depressing read to see these people trying to find “cleaner” places to live in, losing the relationships they had.

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity

Ray Bradbury is an excellent writer of fiction, and in this book, sells the practice of writing, like a seasoned salesman. Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity is an excellent book because it is a book that practices what it preaches. There are no hidden gotchas or tips other than to keep thinking of ideas and practicing.

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error

Kathy Schulz has a ball trying to understand why humans detest being wrong. Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error is written in an entertaining and simple way (perhaps, too simplistic?) Each chapter explores stories of people who have discovered they were wrong in different areas of life and Kathy looks into how their life altered (or not) once they grasped that they were wrong. It is an excellent book to read if you would like to understand your own emotions when someone accuses you of being wrong.

Merde Happens

I originally wanted to read Merde Actually, but my library does not seem to have it, so I ended up reading Merde Happens. If you have read PG Wodehouse, you would notice this book reeks of wannabe-ness. It is a page-turner, but not what I would turn to for humour.

Hellboy

I finally finished the 10 volumes of Hellboy. I have been reading them over a few months, but decided to review them all in one go (10, 9, 8, 6, 2). Mike Mignola knows his myths and how to fashion a great story, not to mention find great artists to collaborate with. I can’t wait to get my hands on B.P.R.D.

Any books you liked recently?