I’ve been out the game the last few weeks. A couple of weeks ago I went on a stag do with the lads to Bristol. I honestly feel like thats me just getting back to normal now. Since coming back I’ve completely let myself go. Stopped going to the gym and I’ve been eating like Rick Waller.
Tomorrow is when I start back on the pre-holiday health kick.
I actually finished this book before going to Bristol but this is me just getting round to putting the words down.
Dreams of Ma Da
This episode in my project was the only venture into the biographical genre. Thinking on my feet here, I don’t think I’ve ever read a bio. It’s not my idea of what sitting down to a book should be. When I read a book I want to be told a story, something with characters and arcs and resolutions. I realise it’s possible for these types of books to have this to a certain extent, but not in the way I’m looking for.
Interestingly thought, this book by Barack Obama is very different from the usual approach. Mr Presidente wrote this before his climb up the political ladder and he wrote it in a narrative structure. We get a feel for people’s personality, not through him telling us flat out, but by conversations and actions laid out in the story.
What’s clear through the story of his life is that our Barry didn’t have it easy, and that he is a totally likeable and stand up bloke. He gives us an extraordinary insight into the life of a young black man, and his family, living through various degrees of racial oppression. Yet he doesn’t come across as being bitter; instead he finds ways to tell us why those days were like that and how the good old US of A has turned out for the better.
After reading the book I have not doubt the US is in good hands. Bazza seems like a fab dude, and I would definitely vote for him if I lived in the Home of the Brave.
Rating: 
I’m beyond close to the end now. Next up in my project is Persepolis, which is actually a graphic novel and then I move onto number one in the ‘Times top books of the decade’ which is The Road. I just ordered the paperback of Persepolis from Amazon the other day. I downloaded the Kindle Sample but, alas, it was practically unreadable so I’ll be going back to paper for a bit.
Right now I’m reading Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb outwith the project. Loving it so far.
To be honest I’m looking forward to finishing the project now. It really has done what I wanted it to do, which was to open my eyes to the enjoyment of reading and help me find what I like and don’t like about the medium. These books so far have been the stabilisers I needed and now I think I could remove them and be comfortably on my way.
