Three books in April 2019: Ravens, Relentlessness and Robots

In the month of April, I listened to three audiobooks on Audible. Here are three micro-reviews.

Trickster Drift

by Eden Robinson

The bombshell sequel to Son of Trickster, this novel has it all: toe-sucking ghosts, revenge-seeking otters and references to Vancouver landmarks — most importantly, BCIT. Couple the book’s magical-realism elements with themes of familial ties, addiction and Indigenous identity and you’ve got the second book in a soon-to-be timeless trilogy.

Read if: you like reading a rollercoaster of the mundane and the spiritual
5 out of 5 👻

Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life

by Gary John Bishop

While Gary John Bishop’s thick Scottish accent may give you a momentary rush of motivation, what he claims to be a “BS-free self-empowerment guide” is more of a “I’ve heard 99% of this advice before, but I’m scared of your enthusiasm so maybe I’ll take it this time” kind of self-help book.

Read if: you’re interesting a few nuggets of wisdom hidden among the other 3 hours and 23 minutes of “YOU CAN DO IT”
2 out of 5 🖕🏻

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

by Hank Green

I went into this novel fully prepared for it to be stuffed with cringe-worthy internet references and in-jokes about Youtube culture. While there was definitely some of that, alongside a few slow-moving chapters, the novel as a whole was a modern sci-fi with fresh ideas and fast-paced dialogue. It felt just quirky enough to be fun but not so quirky that it entered Augustus Waters territory. (No shade though — who didn’t cry over The Fault in Our Stars?)

Read if: you want serious commentary on fame mixed with vlogging
4 out of 5 🤖

Bridget does reviews on the books she has read or listened to. Some reviews will be better than others — but let’s get real, so will some books.