A Novel Idea

Twitter-Length Community Reviews

By Rebecca Manuel

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For those of you who didn’t see my bazillion posts on the Aomori JETs Facebook page as well as at the end of my previous article for this column, to celebrate Good Morning Aomori’s 50th issue, I decided to challenge you guys to write a review/recommendation/description of a book in 140 characters or fewer, the same length as a tweet.  And you all came through spectacularly!  A big thanks to everyone who submitted their reviews. Without further ado, here they are:

Samantha M:

Uncomfortable in the way a necklace one chain link too tight is–right on the verge of unbearable, but gorgeous as it cuts off your air.   –Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Guilt, raw honesty, and human connection are facets of a beautiful, sad gem that is at the center of each of Aimee Bender’s short stories.   –The Color Master: Stories, a compilation of short stories by Aimee Bender

In this book you will destroy and rebuild worlds, feel the sadness of trying to do the right thing, fail with the best intentions, and grow.   –The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The most clichéd romance novel ever: it has amnesia, royalty, and the softening of a hard heart. It’s trash and so am I because I love it.   –Until You by Judith McNaught

I’m fascinated by what makes humans human, especially when artificial intelligence and robots come in and mess with our perceptions of self.   –Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Amanda M:

Emo college student has existential crisis, kills woman, realizes he’s not that cool. Sulks. Snarky Russian author hides humor in block-text.   –Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Lost siblings reunite for adventure w/ unfortunate consequences. Good plot, GREAT psychological development, verisimilitude. cw: not fluffy.   –Doctrine of Labyrinths by Sarah Monette

Sarah S:

Aisha’s unabashed autobiography, complete with her history and hilarious/horrifying outcomes. Feel good about all the weird decisions you’ve made.   –Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation by Aisha Tyler

A human telepath left for dead on an alien planet is instead “absorbed” by the mindless murderers, then swears revenge on those who abandoned her.   –StarCraft: Queen of Blades by Aaron Rosenberg

What happens to our brains when we get it on? Journey into the technical world of “between the sheets.” We’ll have the couples’ MRI, thanks.   –Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

Where exactly does your dead body go when you donate it? Look behind the scenes at what types of science your corpse is helping to advance.   –Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Peter U:

Historical English slang dictionary–fascinating and hilarious. Find out what it means to call someone an Ape Leader.   –The 1811 Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose

If you have watched The Room, read this. If you haven’t, watch it, then read this.   –The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

A comedy horror that, for once, really is belly-laugh hilarious and heart poundingly terrifying. I’ll never see soy sauce the same way.   –John Dies at the End by David Wong

A Victorian mystery-thriller that is impossible to put down. None of the twists feel forced, and it builds up tension beautifully.   –The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Jackson P:

Jane the Virgin talked about it because it’s just that good.   –The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Heidi O:

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris is a set of humorous short stories. Heavy on irony; language learners will be able to identify.   –Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

MiNa K:

A persistent child harasses a man through numerous obstacles and scenarios to eat discolored breakfast foods.   –Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Quiet but intelligent woman, often misunderstood, partakes in extreme measures of animal rights activism after the death of a beloved professor.   –Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Karyn L:

A character you wouldn’t admire yet nonetheless engaging, you’ll end the story with a bitter taste, too much empathy, and a longing for more.   –1984 by George Orwell

A new way to define paedophilia. A dislikeable Humbert and an intolerable Lolita leave you wondering why you still like this book so much.   –Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

The old question of nature vs nurture makes you really reevaluate parenthood.   –We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Fascination and obsession–pheromones will not be the same again. Smelling someone else has never been creepier either.   –Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

Monotonous and meticulous descriptions of soaps, haircuts and business cards mixed with casual descriptions of rape, murder and prostitutes.   –American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Those that read the book will probably find that a zoological dictionary is needed on hand to check whether such animals really exist.   –Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

This story is written from the perspective of a young boy, but you are able to read it with the awareness of an adult. Simple but beautiful.   –The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Rebecca (Me):

Set in a sci-fi future after WWIV, it follows cyborg Cinder(ella)’s revolution against the evil queen on the moon. See next month’s review!   –The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

Happy 50th issue GMA!

If you read any of these books or if you have a different book that you’d like to recommend, please send your thoughts/review to: goodmorningaomori@gmail.com. This is Rebecca signing off. Over and out!

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One thought on “Twitter-Length Community Reviews

  1. Pingback: March 2016, Vol. 2: Letter From the Editor – Good Morning Aomori

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