Join Me by Danny Wallace

This review would have been of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, but after that damn essay, literature was not something I wanted to read, and so, after some thought, I picked up an easy book. That easy book was another Danny Wallace experiment. In the past I've read 'Yes Man' and 'Awkward Situations for Men' so I knew and expected something good. However, I didn't expect something this good and funny. 'Join Me' is the tale of a 25 year old Danny Wallace who, bored one day decides to put an ad in a local paper saying the simple words 'Join me'. What for, he didn't know, but soon after posting the ad, people of all ages were joining him. Wanting to be like his recently-deceased great uncle, Danny soon decided to try and collect ('not a cult, a collective') 1000 Joinees as it was something his great uncle had attempted but failed to achieve. Soon, Danny was travelling over Europe to meet and collect joinees, and it was good. That is all I can really say without giving too much away, but what I can say is that this was another excellent read from Danny Wallace. It was funny, fast-paced and hard to put down, managed in 2 days, if that. It was also easy and a good head-clearer after all the work I've had recently (when people tell you 2nd year is a pisstake, believe them). Will I become a joinee myself? I don't know, probably not, but only time can tell. In the meantime, it probably can't hurt to try and be a bit like the joinees and perform some random acts of kindness, can it? Overall a good read, but a bit 'holiday-read'-like. Overall rating: 4/5

Awkward Situations for Men by Danny Wallace

So after a pile of uni work had been completed and submitted I decided it was time to read something from my 'casual reads' line of books and so a book by TV and radio personality Danny Wallace was to be read.

Having read 'Yes Man' in the past, I made the correct assumption that this would be light but enjoyable.

Danny Wallace is a shy man who says things at the wrong time and accentually lets it slip that his friend (A) who shares a birthday with another friend (B) has bought a pricey present for B and that B should now buy something equally as expensive all resulting in a horrible outcome. Not something you'd expect to happen to someone who spent a year saying yes to everything, but it does and it's rarely pretty, hence Awkward.... In Awkward Situations for Men we are given a documentation of a year Mr. Wallace's life involving the previously mentioned situations along with minor celebs attending private parties, accidentally spitting on people's foreheads and arriving on time.

Being written by Danny Wallace, the book is funny, light-hearted and easy to read, perfect for that quick break in your studies. He's cheeky and cocky but not to the point of annoyance. To add to this the reader is often sat there thinking "Oh no, do NOT even THINK of going there!" yet he still does it, making the reader feel slightly better about themselves.

As the book continues, Mrs. Wallace becomes pregnant and Danny realises he has to grow up and switch beer for tonic water and normal carrots for organic carrots yet, inevitably, things go wrong and an awkward situation appears and when it does we can't help but laugh and feel slightly sorry for the poor man. Sometimes we can even connect with the situations and think to ourselves "Yep, I've done that."

I managed this book in just two sittings, something I haven't managed in a long time, and was worth the hours I lost, engrossed between the words. As a non-fiction writer, Danny Wallace is definitely one of my favourites. A well-recommended writer. If you can't get your hands on this book, have a look out for 'Yes Man'.

Overall rating: 4/5