Moss - Joe Pace ---------------- 4 Stars

This is a special post, as I believe it's the only book I have reviewed which I know the author. The author is Joe Pace, a former colleague, and excellent writer of the impressive Moss. I know he would only want a genuine critique and no favoritism, so here you go:

I think his first couple of books were science fiction, but Moss is about a man who is fledlging author, teacher, and son of, perhaps, the most famous author of modern American novels - Isaiah Moss (a Hemingway type). The novel begins with his father dying and follows his story walking in the footprints off his father (literally in a lake cabin) and meeting an intriguing woman.

Unlike many other books that get high ratings based on explosive actions or intriguing plot developments, Moss is more of a slow burn. Pace is in no hurry as he carefully and thoughtfully develops the main characters. While it is a bit of a slow start, it's worth the payoff later, as it's clear for the reader the motivations and choices of these fully formed characters. Other
than one shocking development later in the book, the novel is not going to wow the big actions scenes. Instead, the subtlety of the writing and dialogue is where the magic is. As noted above, the writing is exquisite and there are many passages where the words come to life. 

Other than the lack of scene stealing activity, it's hard to offer many negative critiques. There a few parts where it does drawl on for a while, with the plot slowing down for more expository writing. There are also a few passages with curses that feel a little off with the classic writing style he offers (though, it also makes the book more relatable, so perhaps a wash). 

As a whole, it's a real engaging read. The story is told at such a smooth pace, and the characters are developed so fully. The book also makes you think about one's own mortality and how one wants to live. Exposing the challenges of trauma, parental expectations, and finding one's way in the world, it's difficult to finish Moss and not think more about how you look at life. I definitely feel like this book could be enjoyed by many - and I'm not just saying that because it's a friend who wrote it.  Congrats Joe!

Yearbook - Seth Rogen ------------- 3.5 Stars

Yearbook is the first book I've ready by Seth Rogen (and likely only). The book is short and funny and this blog post will be similar (except for the funny!).

This book is a collection of essays and stories about Seth Rogen's life. I am presuming you all know the very funny Seth Rogen but may not know as much about his time growing up in Canada or his early journeys through Hollywood. This book mostly covers those areas by relling many funny stories that have occurred to him over the years. 

It's a genuinely entertaining read thanks to his humorous writing style and variety of playful stories. Like most books that are attempts to be funny, I would imagine one's level of appreciation is highly correlated to how much one finds that person funny. I happen to enjoy Seth Rogen so I found most of this book interesting (like any comedian, some jokes don't land quite as well). If you are not a fan of his, I would not recommend this book. 

I do think the cover is pretty cool....