Audiobook Review: Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You by Kunal Nayyar

This was the last audiobook I downloaded from the public library to listen to.  And it was narrated by the author, one of the stars of my favorite tv show, The Big Bang Theory, he plays Raj. 

First off, he is so funny!  I'm sure just reading the book would have been funny, but listening to him read his own words was even funnier.  As the title says, yes, the accent is real.  And one thing that is so funny is thinking about the episode of The Big Bang Theory when all the guys are teasing Raj for how he says mustache.  Because that is how he really says it!  I wonder if it got written in because of something that happened in real life with the cast.

He tells the story basically going through most of his life, how he was born in England, but actually lived most of his life in India.  We learn about his childhood, how he was a top badminton player, as well as other things that he did as a child.  It is fun to hear about all the holidays that Indians celebrate.  That is even funny because of the humorous stories he has to go with each holiday, as well as the fact that each holiday part includes him saying that particular holiday being discussed is his favorite festival.  So, all of them basically.  He talks about his first kiss, and how it was influenced by Winnie Cooper on the tv show The Wonder Years, played by Danica McKellar. Why that is relevant other than telling about that memory, is because there was an episode of The Big Bang Theory where Danica McKellar plays a girl that Raj hooks up with!  So hearing him talk about the experience of actually kissing "Winnie Cooper" is wonderful.

We learn about his time in college, and all the things he dealt with as someone from another country. He talks about when he first started acting really, during college.  We hear about his romantic escapades in college.  All told in such humorous fashion.  I have to say that hearing about his parents, well they seem to be some of the best parents you could ever have.  Nothing at all like his character Raj's parents. 

Then, the end is where we finally get to hear about when he got on the tv show.  And one of my favorite parts was the very end when he meets his wife.  Hearing about the wedding and how all the traditions work was really pretty magical.  There was one thing he said during the part with meeting his wife and falling in love that really struck me as well.  He says whenever people ask him for advice about whoever they're dating, he asks the if this person is kind.  People will always say the person has a good sense of humor, or is attractive, etc.  But if someone is kind, that shows something real about them.  And it makes such sense. 

I enjoyed listening to him talk, and knowing his accent is real, that makes the tv show even better.  I think I might even have fallen in love with him just a bit listening to his story.  He truly seems like such a nice, funny guy.  I definitely recommend this book, and if you like audiobooks, I'd suggest listening to it.  Another fun audiobook.  I'll have to find some more memoir types of books that are read by the author, probably other comedians I'd guess.

Debut Author Bash and Giveaway: Holly Bodger

I am very excited to get to host author Holly Bodger on my blog today.  I was so excited to see that she would be one of the authors we would get to choose, and then to find out I got to host her on my blog was even more exciting.

Author Bio:

A long-time resident of Ottawa, Canada, I have been working in publishing since I graduated with an English degree from the University of Ottawa.

I am represented by Lauren MacLeod of The Strothman Agency, LLC. My debut novel, 5 TO 1, was released on May 12, 2015 from Knopf Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House).

I am also the author of TEN which was a finalist for the 2013 RWA Golden Heart (YA Category). 

Author links:

• Website 
• Twitter 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Goodreads 
• Tumblr 

Book Info:

In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.

Sudasa doesn’t want to be a wife, and Contestant Five, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. Sudasa’s family wants nothing more than for their daughter to do the right thing and pick a husband who will keep her comfortable—and caged. Five’s family wants him to escape by failing the tests. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Five thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.

This beautiful, unique novel is told from alternating points of view—Sudasa’s in verse and Contestant Five’s in prose—allowing readers to experience both characters’ pain and their brave struggle for hope. 

Purchase Links:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

 

Author's Top Ten Favorite Books:

It’s always hard to list my favorite books, especially when I’m only allowed ten so I’ve decided to focus on those that have inspired me as a writer.  

	Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt I’ve read this book, listened to the audiobook (narrated by the late Frank McCourt himself) and seen the movie and I could do so over and over again. It’s a wonderful story that mixes despair and humor in the perfect way. It’s also an excellent example of how to write a memoir.
	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak I like happy-sad books and this is another fabulous example of one. It’s a tiny ray of sunshine in the middle of a horrific setting. The POV is original and well-done (and yes, I watched the movie and loved it too!)
	Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding It may not come as a surprise to hear that I’ve read this, listened to it and watched the movie like ten or twenty times (I do tend to overdose on things I love!) This story is one of my go-to feel-goods. It’s hilarious and romantic and a fine example of how to write in diary format.
	Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Like the other books on this list, I have read this many times and have seen many of the movies (the one with Helena Bonham Carter is my favorite). This is an amazing book with so many levels to it that I still continue to discover more every time I read it. It is a fantastic example of how to write a complex and sympathetic antagonist.
	Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter As per my earlier comment about overdosing on things I love, I’m refusing to pick just one of the books in this series because I love them all. I also love the audiobooks and promise to love the movies if they ever make them. These books feature smart, kickass heroines with awesome friendships and familial relationships. The pace is absolutely perfect and the setting is very well done.
	The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows & Mary Ann Shaffer This is obviously a recurring theme here, but I have read this and listened to it many times and I always love it just as much as the previous time. This novel is a great example of using multiple POVs to tell a story and handles the letter format very well. It’s also both sad and funny and a little bit romantic.
	Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling And now for the part where I sound a really obsessive. I have read all of these books. I have listened to all of the audiobooks. I have seen all of the movies many many times. I have been to the Harry Potter theme parks in Florida (also many times). I own my own wand, sorting hat, golden snitch, rats, troll (fake of course)… I adore not just these books but this entire world. When I talk about how to create a fabulous setting, these are the books I use as examples. They are unmatched in that area.
	Identical by Ellen Hopkins I adore everything written by Ellen Hopkins, but this one had a twist that blew me away. I actually re-read it immediately afterwards (and then listened to the audiobook) because I was truly awestruck.
	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen This has always been one of my favorite books of all time. I have read it, listened to it and watched the movies (and let me just say that Colin Firth is the only Darcy I will acknowledge). It’s a wonderful story of love and family strife, and is a great example of how to write quiet, yet powerful romantic conflict.
	Wonder by RJ Palacio This is an absolutely lovely story that made me smile and cry and smilecry. It is told in multiple POVs (I see a theme running here) all of which are done very well. It also features a diverse character without making diversity an issue.

Giveaway: (CORRECTION, INT)
 I couldn't let you leave without a chance to win a copy of this book.  I thought this would be US only as I will be mailing from my home a copy of 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger, and with Christmas I just can't afford to ship internationally myself right now.  However, I found out that the author is going to make available a copy internationally, so there will be two copies up for grabs!  I'll be running the giveaway until the end of the month, and you can do a couple of the entries daily.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!
 
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click on the button below to go see the schedule and all the authors and blogs that will be participating!

Waiting on Wednesday: Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You by Kunal Nayyar

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  I've chosen a nonfiction book for a change this week.  It comes out next week, and is by an actor on one of my all-time favorite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory.  I guess he was at BEA this past summer, when I wasn't able to go.  :-(  Meeting him would have totally made any cost worth it, if I'd had any way to get the money together.  The author, Kunal Nayyar, plays Raj on the show, and I can't wait to read what he has to tell us about.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory — the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist — ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.

Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)

Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role of a lifetime.

So much that sounds so good!  I am hoping to find it as hilarious as other books I've read by actors like this.  

So, what book are you eagerly awaiting this week? 

And while you're here, don't forget to go enter my September is for Sequels Giveaway. 

Review: 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

First, thanks to Edelweiss and Knopf Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book.  I really liked the theme of the book, and the idea behind it.  It is a great story idea, and I even liked most of how it was told.  My only issue was that I wanted more.  It's understandable why it was so short, but still.  I just kind of wanted more.  More story, just more.  Not sure exactly, but I was left feeling that way.  However it was a very quick read, and very interesting as well.

It is told from two points of view, Sudasa, the girl who must choose her husband after he goes through 6 trials with four other boys.  Her part of the story is told in verse.  She isn't happy with how the whole thing works.  She doesn't feel as if she should be a prize.  And when she gets to the trials and sees that somehow the random choices of matches for her includes her cousin, she knows things aren't as they should be.  A marriage with her cousin would only be helpful for her grandmother, who owes a debt to his mother.  She has never felt that way about him, and as we see him through the trials, he is not a very nice boy.

The other point of view is one of the other boys, Kiran.  Kiran is the son of a poor farmer.  Winning the trials would mean a life much different than he is used to.  All the food he needs, luxuries, servants, and a wife.  If he loses he will be given a job, one that could be part of the plan his father wants for him.  He wants to go find his mother, who is outside the walls of their town, Koyanagar.  She left when the walls were built, when the new way of life came about. Before the country was so overpopulated that parents would kill any child that wasn't a boy, because they were only allowed one.  Soon the number of girls dwindled to the point where men would grab the girls and take them by force, kidnap, steal them.  Often killing them.  This new town was created to save the girls.  Now girls are held as the most precious, and boys must fight to win them and win the lives of luxuries.

Neither one of them really wants what the trials will bring.  But when Sudasa feels like Kiran might be the way to get away from her hateful braggart of a cousin, she must deal with the fact that he does not want to win. That he has plans. She doesn't want to hurt his plans, doesn't want him to have to be miserable like she will be in her marriage.  But maybe, should she try to go over the wall too?  From all that she knows, things are worse over there, and she won't be able to even make it there in the first place. 

A great story, really.  I think that is probably why I wanted more, needed more of the story.  Still a great diverse character and world compared to so many other YA.  Highly recommended.