Book Review: If You'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place

Title: If You'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place

Author: Barbara Venkataraman

Genre: Short Story/ fiction

Review:

So this piece of literature would probably fall within the "short story" genre, clocking in at just about 25 pages. It was a delightful read and I zapped right through it in about half an hour. The narrator's voice is very prominent and adds a nice flare to the writing. The main character (aka, the narrator), does tend to get very excited and sometimes dramatic; normally, this would bother me if it was a full length novel. However, because this wasn't, the narrator's dramatization of the plot embellishes the read and kept me interested.

Book Review: Making Sense

Title: Making Sense

Author: Jim Murdoch

Genre: Short Stories/fiction

Review:

This is one of those books that makes you think.  You know, one of those make-you-pause-in-your-busy-life-and-just-think type of book.  Readers looking for a book with a strong plot should not read this book.  Readers looking to reflect and look at the 5 senses differently should pick up this book.  I love the concept of this book: Murdoch explores the "other" senses not categorized into the usual 5 senses, like sense of humor, sense of acceptance, sense of love, etc.

As I mentioned before, there really is no beginning, middle or end in Making Sense.  Rather, you get to meet an array of different characters in each short story.  Each character explores what life means to them.  In each "meet the character" story, readers get to explore a new "sense."  I must say, the characters you meet in Making Sense are some of the most diverse characters you will ever meet.