Review: When We Cease to Understand the World

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't catch this book when it was on the International Booker list, but when it was named a finalist for the translated lit category of the National Book Award, I finally decided to give it a go, especially once I found the audio in Hoopla and it was under 6 hours.

At first, it feels like non-fiction, well researched information about science and math, death and destruction, the usual. It slowly morphs to include details about the characters that might be true, I guess, but would he unlikely to be known without a detailed journal or analysis records. And as it nears the end, the stories start linking and it feels more like a fictional experience.

I always enjoy books that take me on a journey. The characters do not have to be on a journey, but I like the author to have a clear goal in mind even if I don't know what it is... It's one of those undefinable things that I like and is present here. I also am a sucker for books about math and mathematicians and boy did this qualify. I wish it had won the International Booker and I hope it wins the National Book Award for translation.

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Review: Loser Takes All

Loser Takes All by Graham Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My ongoing quest to read a book from every country left me with very few options for Monaco, but Graham Greene wrote a novella that manages to be about a brand new marriage with a big age difference and gambling, set of course in Monte Carlo.

I always find Graham Greene to have a lot to say about relationships and life; here are a few quotations:

"It would be so terrible if we became a couple. You know what I mean. You with your paper. Me with my knitting."

"'Why bother? Our marriage was going to be unlucky - you've read the omens, haven't you?'
'I don't care,' she said. 'I'd rather be unlucky with you than lucky with anyone else.'"

"I like being somewhere without footprints."

This novel was originally published in the mid 1950s. If you Google Monte Carlo now, there are a lot of articles about if/why Monte Carlo is "so over" and the rich have found new playgrounds. But Loser Takes All shows it in its height.

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Reading Envy 166: On Brand with Karen

Karen and Jenny discuss books they've read and liked recently, although Jenny was reading up to the minute we started recording because she wanted to talk about one of these books with Karen specifically. We talk about graphic novels in other languages, romance representation, and obscure science. And, as usual, we laugh a lot.

Download or listen via this link: Reading Envy 166: On Brand with Karen

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Books discussed:



Tomboy by Liz Prince
Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Thaw by Elyse Springer
Paper Girls, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli


Other mentions:

Perla by Carolina de Robertis
Anthony Bourdain's Uruguay episode of Parts Unknown
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books - Episode 357. Aro and Ace Representation...
World Turned Upside Down by Elyse Springer
Saga (Compendium 1) series by Brian K. Vaughan
Y: The Last Man series by Brian K. Vaughan
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
Florida by Lauren Groff
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Orange World by Karen Russell
St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse


Related Episodes:

Episode 004 - Home, Frightening and Banned with guest Karen Acosta
Episode 015 - The Time for Exclaiming Over Costumes with Jean and Karen
Episode 051 - Dreaming in Books with Karen Acosta
Episode 066 - When Time Stops with Karen Acosta
Episode 100 - 100 Reasons Why 
Episode 101 - A Different Kind of Time Travel with Karen Acosta
Episode 114 - Raised by Wolves with Karen Acosta 
Episode 145 - Things Get Dark with Bianca Escalante
Episode 146 - Complicated, Crazy, and Loud with Karen  
Episode 151 - The Stories They Tell with Karen 


Stalk us online:

Jenny at Goodreads
Jenny on Twitter
Jenny is @readingenvy on Instagram and Litsy