Have you ever heard of a Book Simulator? When Love Books Group Tours put a call out for reviewers for Chris Yee’s book I signed up straightaway out of sheer curiosity! So if you’re wondering just what on earth something like this is doing on a book blog tour too, then read on 🙂
Book Simulator
Blurb: Hate reading? This book is for you! We all know you don’t like to read, but don’t worry, Book Simulator is here to save the day. Convince your friends that you are an avid reader. Utilise techniques that almost anyone can learn. Techniques include: page turning, eye movement, note taking, and much more. Book Simulator includes interactive exercises that allow you to practice your craft. Impress your friends and master the art of book simulation.
Book Simulator is a humorous take on the conventions of a traditional book. While it pokes fun at various aspects of reading, it also celebrates the spirit of storytelling and encourages the exploration of future stories to come.
Book Simulator is available as an eBook and paperback from Amazon UK. And depending on which you choose, you’ll get a different forward from the author!
About the author: Chris Yee grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. As a young child, he had a wild imagination, thinking up stories of mystery and wonder. People would ask what he wanted to be when he grew up, and the answer was always the same. He wanted to be an author. As he grew older, educational interests pulled him away from the world of writing and into math and science.
He attended Northeastern University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering. He now works in Boston, full-time as an engineer. Despite his technical background, he never lost an interest in writing. He writes every day, to fulfil a passion that has never faded.
First impressions
I’d asked for a paperback rather than eBook to review. In his forward, Chris Yee advises that I am an “intelligent individual [to] have chosen the superior print version.” Well, it’s always encouraging to be congratulated from the start. And the irony of reading a book that sets out to teach you how to feign reading wasn’t lost on me either.
Are you one of those heathens that writes in the margins or underlines words? I did this all the time as a student (and the books were mine, not library copies), so I loved Chris’ encouragement to scribble and doodle on some of the pages in Book Simulator (although I’m not sure how this would work for an eBook?). And I must admit, my mental image of a cashew in a trolley owes more to Sainsburys than San Francisco but there we are, whatever works for you.
Book Simulator is actually a hard book to review because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But I will say that about halfway through, it changes direction with a twist that I did not see coming. Although the tongue in cheek premise is to teach the reader how to become an expert at pretending to read, it’s also a paean to what a wonderful experience reading can be. The epilogue sums up that stories matter and that quality storytelling will never come to an end while the creative spirit is alive. Big thanks to Chris Yee and Love Books Group Tours for sending me a copy to review.
Would I recommend it?
At just 122 pages, Book Simulator is a very quick and easy read, perfect for some light relief. I enjoyed it and think it would make a great stocking filler – although I can’t believe I’m referencing Christmas already… If you do get an eBook version, I’d love to know what your forward says and how the author gets around the note taking and doodling!
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Mary White says
Intriguing!
Yes, a good Christmas present I would think.
As I love reading to the point of obsession, the title would immediately put me off buying it. Yet, if someone else bought it for me, I would just have to read it to see what it’s all about!
And Lisa, your hint of a change of direction half way through is a teaser!
Mary
Lisa says
Thank you, Mary, that’s the ideal comment for any book reviewer! I’ll lend you my copy next time I see you! x
Tori says
I’m not a big reader so this definitely sounds intriguing! Great review!
Tori
Lisa says
Thank you 🙂 The blurb made me laugh so much, that’s why I was intrigued to read it!
Jess says
This sounds like a really unique read and you’ve definitely made me want to get the E-book version to see what the differences are! I love how you’ve mentioned Christmas already it’s my favourite time of year, especially now I no longer work in retail haha!
Jess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
Lisa says
I was wincing as I typed Christmas, haha, I mean we’re not even past June yet! And I’d love to see what you think if you do get the eBook, please let me know 🙂 xx
Molly says
This looks like such an intriguing read Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing it! This looks like a refreshing and exciting read and it’s so amazing to see something unlike anything else on the reading front!
Thanks for sharing lovely!
Love,
Molly xo
Lisa says
It was the cover and blurb that made me want to read it, I’d never seen anything like it before, haha. It’s an easy read too, definitely a bonus! x
Bexa says
This sounds so intriguing Lisa! I would have also opted for the paperback copy too! He he, I love that it is refered to as the superior print version. That’s brilliant! I’m interested to find out what the change of direction is now. Glad you enjoyed the book and great review as always! xx
Lisa says
I spend all day on my laptop so the last thing I want to do is take a Kindle to bed! But that forward made me laugh too, although I’m curious about the eBook forward now, haha! x
Sophie Wentworth says
I love the sound of this! I’m the kind of person who falls in and out of the habit of reading on a regualr basis and this sounds like such a fun way to get back into it after a few weeks off. And so easy with 122 pages, I think I’m going to give this a go next time I’m on a book break x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
Lisa says
122 pages was a definite pull, I’ll be honest! But it’s a really fun read, not at all what I was expecting. Let me know what you think if you do read it – especially if you go for the eBook! x