JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Do You Mind If I Cancel? by Gary Janetti

With over 800,000 followers on social media, Gary Janetti has quickly become a viral sensation, but here in Do You Mind If I Cancel?, the man behind the most wickedly funny memes on the Internet turns his attention away from the royal family, and squarely to the realm of everyday life.

He takes on the humiliations of applying for a job, the excitement of moving to New York, and reflects on growing up, and coming out. “These are essays from my childhood and young adulthood about things that still annoy me,” says Gary.

But the book is not just a laugh out loud riot. In the vein of David Sedaris, and Jenny Lawson, the collection is also a deeply felt work of literary nonfiction, exploring the complexities of family, frustrations of careers, and the paradox of life where sometimes everything is irritating, and also wonderful. Original, brazen, and laugh out loud funny, Do You Mind If I Cancel? marks the arrival of a remarkably exciting new voice in American humor.

Do You Mind I I Cancel? is a collection of personal essays from comedic TV writer Gary Janetti, known as one of the writers for Will and Grace and Family Guy.

The book is compact, funny and each chapter takes a different focus on Gary’s life — he reflects on things he’s learned, people he knew, and jobs he had. For most of the book, he talks about being in his late 20s, working low-paying jobs New York City and wanting to build a career as a writer and make it ‘big’ in the city.

“Working at the hotel is already giving me a lot of fodder for my novel, I decide. Too much to keep track of even. I intend to start carrying a little notebook around with me to write down all my thoughts and ideas. And then basically type that up and there you go.”

The essays aren’t ordered chronologically, and at times it’s hard to keep track of where we’re at but each story is funny enough to ease the reader into the chapter.

Many of the chapters also talk about Gary’s sexual orientation and about his younger self coming out as gay. The essays talk about past boyfriends, past crushes, and Gary’s reflection on his younger, gay self. This reflection is wise and insightful as well as funny.

“I audition and am accepted (anybody willing to write the check pretty much gets in, but I don’t know that — but deep down I do) to the twice-weekly three-hour classes.”

Gary’s writing is tonally perfect, whip-smart and will be quick to make reader’s laugh. I was worried that some of the humour or even some of the references would be very American, and therefore it’d be hard to relate, but I didn’t have an issue with this. Everything landed — a quick read and a good read.

“After hours of being barked at with a laundry list of increasingly labor-intensive, anally compulsive chores I begin to wonder if this guy is even gay. I’ve deliberately dusted all the highest shelves first in order to afford a glimpse of my midriff, but not even a glance.”

Gary is a well-known television writer but he doesn’t really touch on how he got his start in that field. A lot of the stories are from his teens and twenties, and then later in his forties. He must have some amazing stories from his early career as a writer, and building up his career and I would’ve liked it if more of that time was included in this book.

I didn’t know who Gary was before reading this book, and so I don’t think you have to in order to enjoy this read. Love comedic essays? Love reading about how successful people lived their life before they were successful? Then this book is for you.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Do You Mind If I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me)
Gary Janetti
November 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury

When Juliette takes the métro to her loathed office job each morning, her only escape is in books – she avidly reads on her journey and imagines what her fellow commuters’ choices might say about them.

But when, one day, she decides to alight the train a few stops early and meets Soliman – the mysterious owner of the most enchanting bookshop Juliette has ever seen – she is sure her life will never be the same again . . .

For Soliman also believes in the power of books to change the course of a life – entrusting his passeurs with the task of giving each book to the person who needs it most – and he thinks Juliette is perfect for the job.

And so, leaving her old life behind, Juliette will discover the true power a book can have . . .

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro is a charming, brief tale about literature, friendship, work, and the love of reading. Juliette takes solace in observing what other people read on the metro. When she’s introduced to a gorgeous, enchanting bookstore and its owner, Soliman, her life takes an interesting turn.

This book is unusual in its pacing and plot — many events in the book don’t seem plausible, nor believable, and things move incredibly quickly for them to be relatable. And yet, I do think a lot of readers will enjoy this charming and sweet tale, however short and quirky it may be.

If you love reading, then you’ll relate to Juliette almost immediately. If you love visiting bookshops and venturing down their many shelves, spending hours browsing the titles available, then you too will like this book.

“Pensive, she drummed her fingers on the cover of her own book, which she no longer opened very often, so absorbed was she in watching other people. The coffee-stained paperback with a broken spine was transferred from bag to bag, from Tuesday’s big shoulder bag — the day when Juliette did her food shopping after work — to the little handbag she used on Fridays, when she went to the cinema.”

The novel explores the idea that gifting someone the perfect book can transform their life. It’s not a very engaging novel, nor is the plot very complex, but it’s an easy read nevertheless. After Juliette quits her mundane day job, she becomes a matchmaker between book and reader — finding ways to gift people their perfect book.

Paris is the perfect setting for this type of story — the city of love, hope, dreams, and fantasy. Only in France would this story work, and only as a Parisian would Juliette be an authentic protagonist.

“How good it was to laugh like that, mouth wide open, without worrying about making an idiot of herself for once. To scream with laughter, hiccup, wipe off the saliva drooling down her chin, and start all over again.”

Recommended for book lovers, and fans of whimsical, poetic, magical tales.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Reads on the Metro
Christine Feret-Fleury
November 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Beauty by Bri Lee

A powerful meditation on beauty and body image from the author of Eggshell Skull.

You were either fit and trim or you weren’t working hard enough. Your body was how you conveyed wealth and status to your peers, it was a personality trait, a symbol of goodness and values: an ethical ideal.

In recent decades women have made momentous progress fighting the patriarchy, yet they are held to ever-stricter, more punishing physical standards. Self-worth still plummets and eating disorders are more deadly for how easily they are dismissed.

In Beauty, Bri Lee explores our obsession with thinness and asks how an intrinsically unattainable standard of physical ‘perfection’ has become so crucial to so many. What happens if you try to reach that impossible goal? Bri did try, and Beauty is what she learned from that battle: a gripping and intelligent rejection of an ideal that diminishes us all.

Written by Australian author Bri Lee, Beauty is a memoir about her relationship with her body and her perception of how she looks — the book assesses women’s perspective on the concept of ‘beauty’ and how much time we spend thinking about how we look.

This is a compact read, clocking in at just under 150 pages. Whilst the book may be short, the words inside pack a punch. Beauty prompts the reader to think about their own experiences with their body — the reader experience is not just about understanding Bri’s journey, but understanding how women are made to feel inadequate no matter how they look. At times, it feels like we’re set up to fail. We’re set up to constantly worry about how we look, and how we’re supposed to look.

“The house I rented through 2017 was the first place I had ever lived or even stayed in for an extended period of time where I had never thrown up after dinner…Was I exhibiting more, or less, self-control by resisting these urges?”

As always, Bri’s writing is impeccable. Bri only uses the necessary amount of words to convey her point, and it proves her skill as an author. She doesn’t over explain or over indulge. There is no repetition. Her vocabulary is intellectual and informed, and her research supports the messages in the book. Stylistically, the mix of memoir and statistical and factual information is smooth and easy — the transition between Bri’s story and evidential information she presents to the reader is seamless.

I know this isn’t anything to do with Bri’s writing, but the cover of the book and the overall package is marvellous — the artwork on the front and the physical size of the book compliments the inside very nicely.

“I put the book down and made a new pact with myself, this time on paper, to try harder. I listed methods, weigh-ins, tips and tricks I found online that sounded cruel enough to be effective. It was a game of the mind; a challenge for the brain that would see the body benefit.”

Admittedly, I found it surprising that Bri didn’t take the time to acknowledge her privileged position when it comes to the notion of ‘beauty’. She’s tall, lean, white, straight, and able-bodied. And mostly, her idea of ‘beauty’ revolves around thinness (there are many other elements of ‘beauty’ that different women would experience) and so this book definitely feels like it maintains quite a narrow focus.

It’s to be expected because it’s about Bri’s experiences, but I wonder if there was capacity to make this a bigger project, and have other women come on board who have struggled with different aspects of ‘beauty’, perhaps in the realm of skin, height, disability or hair.

“The next day I ate nothing but two light Cruskits and three mini pieces of sushi. When I thought about how I was surviving — still running and working and travelling — on such a small amount of food, I thought back to previous times in my life when I would eat three meals each day plus snacks, and I wondered if that was gluttonous of me, and if some shame came from that excess consumption.”

This is incredibly well-written and touching, and Bri doesn’t shy away from confronting the difficult experiences she’s had with her body. Young women, and women who have a difficult relationship with their weight, will be the perfect readership for this.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty
Bri Lee
November 2019
Allen & Unwin Publishers

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T Edvardsson

A Nearly Normal Family is the psychological thriller from M. T. Edvardsson and asks what would you do if your child was suspected of murder, how far would you go to protect them? Do you want to know the truth?

Every murder case starts with a suspect. What if the suspect is your daughter? Would you believe her, or the evidence against her?

The Father believes his daughter has been framed.
The Mother believes she is hiding something.
The Daughter believes they have no idea what she’s truly capable of . . .

There are three sides to the story. And the truth will shatter this family to pieces.

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T Edvardsson is a Scandinavian crime novel, the victim being a man in this 30s and the suspect a young teenage girl who seems the most unsuspecting type. The novel is an exploration of domestic drama and family in crisis.

18 year old Stella Sandell is a rebellious teenager who has a history of being aggressive and having a short fuse. Her parents re overprotective and are at a loss of how to help her, but they’re also in denial about how bad her behaviour really is. And then, she’s charged with murder.

“I have gone against everything I believed in. The law has been my religion. It certainly has its faults, rather extensive ones in some respects, but still I firmly believe the law to be the pillar and guiding light of a modern society.”

The book is divided into three sections, each written in first person — the father, the daughter, the mother. The father is the weakest section, which is a shame because it’s the first section. The writing is inconsistent and the character — Adam — is overdramatic and unlikeable. The language is overly affectionate for the situation and Adam comes across over the top, cringeworthy, and his ‘voice’ is very unrealistic for a man of his age and position. I doubted my ability to finish the book, and probably wouldn’t have, if it weren’t for the mystery. I wanted to know who had murdered the man found dead in their suburb.

Another element I didn’t like about Adam’s narrative was the constant mention of religion and God. Adam is a pastor and therefore an honourable and trustworthy pillar of the community. But, in his POV, he references God and religion a lot, and it doesn’t feel natural. At times, I felt like the author was preaching to me and I had to skip ahead.

Once part one ended and we moved onto the daughter’s POV, I found it much easier to settle into the narrative.

“On that Saturday night when our lives were about to change, I turned to God. I was worried about the stained blouse in the washing machine. I made the snap decision not to mention it to Ulrika. Those stains could be from anything, it didn’t necessarily mean much, and there was no reason to subject Ulrika to further anxiety.”

Unreliable narrators is a common thread across all three parts in the book — Adam is willing to deceive and lie in order to save his daughter, Stella won’t tell the whole truth, and Ulrika seems to know more than she’s letting on. As the book progresses, the truth of that night slowly reveals itself.

The ending is plausible, realistic, and surprising, but a little too convenient. However, readers will find themselves satisfied with the ending, and the twists and turns that lead them there.

“It’s all about control. People never believe that. In their minds, the need for control is a characteristic of that sort of pendant who loses it if a paper end sup in the wrong pile on their desk, the type who sorts their wardrobe by exact shades of colour…but this is a different sort of control. It’s about not losing face. Not letting anyone get too close.”

Recommended for fans of crime and thrillers. The writing is average and there is a lot of repetition, but the mystery is enough to keep you reading.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Nearly Normal Family
M.T. Edvardsson
July 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill

Beautifully illustrated feminist retellings of the great mythical goddesses.

Empowering life lessons from myths and monsters. Wonder at Medusa’s potent venom, Circe’s fierce sorcery and Athena rising up over Olympus, as Nikita Gill majestically explores the untold stories of the life bringers, warriors, creators, survivors and destroyers that shook the world – the great Greek Goddesses.

Vividly re-imagined and beautifully illustrated, step into an ancient world transformed by modern feminist magic.

‘I watch Girl become Goddess
and the metamorphosis is more
magnificent than anything
I have ever known.’

Great Goddesses is a collection of poems inspired by greek goddesses and deities — their hardships, their strengths, their determination and the lessons they faced that women today can learn from.

This collection includes over 90 poems from Nikita Gill, all keeping the focus on women and their strengths and their value. Some of the poems touch on mythical tales that the reader will recognise, and some feel a lot more modern and unique, and unknown.

Scattered throughout the book are full-page black and white illustrations to accompany some of the poems. The drawings are beautiful — emotive, visual and an additional element to draw in the reader and keep them engaged. I always love a book that incorporates hand-drawn elements, it makes the reading experience feel more authentic.

“Centuries later, I will lose my son to Troy. In a battlefield scorched in crimson and steel, I will lift his lifeless body and hold him close, tears blurring my vision. He isn’t even a man yet, I will whisper, smoothing his hairless face with the same fingers I once used to smooth his father’s brow.”

Nikita’s poems draw inspiration from ancient greek myths and legends, but present them with a new feminist twist — she focuses the lens on the strengths of women and their achievements. The women in the poems include ancient legends such as Medusa, Iphigenia and Briseis, unknown to some readers no longer.

Some of my favourite poems are the ones towards the end of the book — the ones that resonate more with modern society and with my own experiences. They’re empowering and motivating, and inspiring. I feel drawn to these poems, and I find myself rereading them to savour the messages behind them.

“Maybe that’s why you demonised them,
turned them into monsters.
because you think monsters are easier
to understand than women who say no to you.”

I’m no expert in poetry, but I didn’t feel like the poems in this collection worked collectively. The stories jump around a lot, jolting the reading. The syntax doesn’t quite flow, sometimes the vocabulary is a little off the intended meaning, and overall, I just didn’t find myself lost in the writing. I just like like I was reading it for the sake of reading, rather than really enjoying the experience.

There were only a couple of poems that I really fell in love with, and the others? Well, I didn’t really feel like I was learning enough from them. Some of them were a bit vague, and some were very detailed but without that real theme at their core to drive home to the reader.

“Remind him
Remind him
how you are still valid,
still majestic
despite his best attempts
at your ruin.”

Women will enjoy this read more than men, but that doesn’t mean men shouldn’t read this. The poems showcase the power and importance of women, the influence they have on the world and the impact they’ll leave on it. Mostly, I think this book is for fans of poetry. True fans of poetry will get more out of this read than people — like me — who aren’t regularly reading that medium of writing.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great Goddesses
Nikita Gill
September 2019
Penguin Random House Publishers

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