A Thousand Days in Venice

A Thousand Days in Venice
by Marlena De Blasi
reviewed by Adelynn

Received this as a birthday gift, which I was glad for, as I wouldn't have bought it myself (I'd have only gone for the more comical Bill Bryson and Peter Moore). Marlena is a middle-aged American woman who meets a Venezian man on one of her trips to Venice, falls in love with him, packs up her life in American and settles down in the watery city within a few months.

She starts off referring to him as "the stranger", until near the end of the novel where she relates their beautiful magical wedding day in Venice, when half the population joins in the celebrations, when she calls him "my husband, who was once the stranger".

There is none of the hyper tone of Belinda Jones, nor the sarcastic complaints of Peter Moore. In their place is the tone of a woman who has faith in what she is doing. Occasionally she injects some humour into her musings, as seen when the florist promises magnificent flowers which the Madonna would provide, and she likes it that the florist and the Madonna "operate on such familiar basis."

The author is a cook by profession and she includes recipes which she or her husband loves, but I, being hopeless in the kitchen, only skimmed through those parts. The rest of the book is simply enchanting.

What Men Think About Sex

What Men Think About Sex
by Mark Mason
reviewed by Adelynn

2 colleagues set out to win a self-imposed contest to be the first to ask out a sexy new colleague in their office. Rob, the narrator, has to sleep with 5 women in places beginning with C, L, A, R and E, the letters of which spell out the name of the inspiration of the contest. Tim, his competitor, has to sleep with 5 women whose names begin with, you guessed it, C, L, A, R and E.

Rob being the narrator has the advantage of portraying himself as an unwilling participant who got sucked into the contest under the influence of alcohol, and he describes Tim as a feelingless flirt who doesn't care abt the feelings of his conquests.

The author gives Rob a humorous way of narrating events through the use of analogies. I particularly remember and like the one about the seed of Guilt which blossoms into a sapling and grows heavy branches in a matter of moments.

I found the ending for Rob too abrupt and incredible, all nicely wrapped-up, but I would say that Rob has the more exciting adventure in this story. However readers will enjoy and look forward to the ways in which each contestant tries to manipulate each sexual situation to the letter he currently has to complete. A light read and an insight into how dumb men can be. :p