Book Review: The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3) by Graeme Simsion

Text Publishing
Published Feb. 5th, 2019
376 Pages

Don and Rosie are back in Melbourne after a decade in New York, and they’re about to face their most important project.

Their son, Hudson, is having trouble at school: his teachers say he isn’t fitting in with the other kids. Meanwhile, Rosie is battling Judas at work, and Don is in hot water after the Genetics Lecture Outrage. The life-contentment graph, recently at its highest point, is curving downwards.

For Don Tillman, geneticist and World’s Best Problem-Solver, learning to be a good parent as well as a good partner will require the help of friends old and new.

It will mean letting Hudson make his way in the world, and grappling with awkward truths about his own identity.

And opening a cocktail bar.– Goodreads

It has been some time since I completed a series. I am one of those readers that avoid reading the last book of a great series because I don’t want it to end. The reason I decided to read this is simple. It was an ARC lol and I wanted to read it, soak it in and share my thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Graeme has a way of opening your eyes to people you would have never given a second thought to. Or to people that you’re like huh . . . I wonder what they are about but you never talk to them. This series isn’t overly complicated in setting or even characters. It is simple but with an explosion of emotions and thought.

This particular book, the last one to the series, goes through several topics including parenthood, platonic and intimate relationships, race (just briefly) and happiness. What stuck out to me was something that Don and myself almost missed.

Sometimes you get caught up in saving others that you forget what is most important. Yes, your true priority will always be in your mind but there can be several different reasoning for what you are currently doing that will distract you from it. When this clicked in my head, when it clicked in Don’s head, I knew instantly what Graeme was doing with this book and I was all for it.

Was this read slow? Yes, it was. Was it, sometimes, painfully detailed? Yes. However, Don has always been that character to provide more information or think more deeply than others and it only made sense that he stayed this way. I was so glad to see that after getting married, raising a child that Don and Rosie did not change who they were but made it fit for each other because they loved each other and the life that they built.

However, as much as I think this book was a solid read. Something was missing. Like the two previous books, this focuses on Don and how he navigates life and the people that are in it. But the interactions with his son and Rosie did not feel genuine in a way. There wasn’t enough Rosie in the book. There wasn’t enough care on their relationship and this was huge for me as she is the cause for the entire series. Yes, it focuses on their son but there were very specific topics that included her and yet she wasn’t present. I wanted more Rosie.

Overall, solid book, great series that I would recommend to anyone that is looking to step out the box a bit.

3 Pickles

 

Book Review: The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion

St. Martin’s Press
TBP May 2, 2017
352 Pages

On the cusp of turning fifty, Adam Sharp likes his life. He’s happy with his partner Claire, he excels in music trivia at quiz night at the local pub, he looks after his mother, and he does the occasional consulting job in IT.

But he can never quite shake off his nostalgia for what might have been: his blazing affair more than twenty years ago with an intelligent and strong-willed actress named Angelina Brown who taught him for the first time what it means to find—and then lose—love. How different might his life have been if he hadn’t let her walk away?

And then, out of nowhere, from the other side of the world, Angelina gets in touch. What does she want? Does Adam dare to live dangerously? -Goodreads

If you haven’t noticed, I love reading Graeme Simsion books. There is something about his writing that is honest and reliable even from a male’s perspective. This is still the case with The Best of Adam Sharp, however, I didn’t really enjoy this book.

Firstly, this book was different and I can see the author taking a risk. I don’t mind the risque scenes; they were surprising but I don’t mind them. What bothered me about this book was Adam and how boring he was even when his past was discussed. His tone never changes… not even once throughout the book. Because of that it made it extremely difficult to read this book (took me a week).

The book was slow and it dragged. There was no real life or passion within this book. It was hard to tell if Adam was actually in love or if it was more infatuation. It didn’t feel real at the beginning nor at the end. Overall that is what the book was lacking; deep emotion, real heartbreak, real anger etc..

Another issue I had was Adam is selfish and the love of his life was just as selfish and became even a worst person as she got older. This told a lot about Adam. He wasn’t the hero you want to love and I was disappointed in him and the weak characters around him. I say weak characters because no one really fought for what they wanted. I can’t even say Adam did because he went with whatever was allowed.

The music element was cute. It added some character to the book but the music didn’t define Adam nor was it as important as I thought it would be. The music was defined based on his relationship.  Yeah, he did trivia at the pub but he music wasn’t his life nor was he missing it.

I wanted better from this book. I wanted to be moved because it was different from The Roise Project. I like where the author is going with this but it needs some more work. I didn’t feel this was a bad book but it wasn’t something I would read or recommend unfortunately.

2 Pickles

NetGalley Review: The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Text Publishing Company
Published Sept. 24, 2014
411 Pages

If you remember back in the day, I had the extreme honor to interview Graeme Simsion. If you didn’t catch it, read it here. Also read the review for The Rosie Project here.

Don and Rosie are married now and have moved to NYC. No longer are the pre-planned days of sex and food and Don is as antsy as ever. 

To make matters more complicated Rosie is pregnant. Not knowing how to cope with this information, Don tries any and everything to prepare for fatherhood.

But in the process he is in danger of losing his professional career and most importantly Rosie. 

I loved the first book. I thought it was the most adorable thing I have ever read. So when I hear that there would be a second book, I jumped on it as fast as I can.

This book was exactly to be expected. Don freaking out. But it was an overkill.

What I liked about this book was Don and Rosie. They both stayed true to their characters (from the first book) but with slight changes. I liked the fact that the book had a great pace without too many highs and too many lows.

What I didn’t like about the book was the fact that everything was done to the 10th power when it came to Don. It was as if the lesson he learned from the first book as in regard to his feelings for Rosie stopped existing once he found out she was pregnant. I felt that it was too much too technically that it took the flair away from the book.

Boring? No. Did it stall? Yes. I liked the fact that the author was able to draw emotions from a man who tries to stay as logical as possible.

Overall, I don’t think this was a bad book two but I would have been okay with just one book.

2.5 Pickles.

Quick Five © with Graeme Simsion

Graeme Simsion
(Photographed by James Penlidis)

Name: Graeme Simsion

Who is Graeme? Australian author born in New Zealand with love of a good story as well as information systems.

Website: http://pages.simonandschuster.com/therosieproject

Books: The Rosie Project, Data Modeling: Theory and Practice, Data Modeling Essentials

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Nobles,  and ITunes

Amazing surprises can happen on twitter. The connections you can build or find it just so overwhelming you can’t but smile. When I posted the review of The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion’s first novel (click here), I didn’t expect for the author himself to find my review and share it with his fans. It made my night. However, when asked for an interview, Simsion agreed and that placed me on cloud nine. So it is my esteem pleasure to provide this interview with Graeme Simsion to my readers in which he discusses his best selling book The Rosie Project.          Enjoy

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Before this debut book “The Rosie Project” you had released three technical books. What made you decide to enter the world of fiction?

Actually, just two technical books, though I did contribute to some others. In 1998 I read Joe Queenan’s  book ‘The Unkindest Cut’ about making a low budget film. I was inspired to make my own. I adapted a story my wife had written and that led to me trying to write an original screenplay and so it went…

The Rosie Project is a very unique story.  How did you come up with the idea? Most importantly how were you

Simon & Schuster
Published Jan. 1, 2013
340 Pages

able to create Don Tillman?

I worked in information technology and academia for many years – and originally studied physics. So I met a lot of Dons. The original story was inspired by a friend of mine who struggled to find a partner, but over five years it changed totally. I made up stuff!

How would you describe the success you’re receiving for your first novel?

It’s what I dreamed about and worked towards – but that doesn’t mean I expected it to happen. It’s been a huge surprise and I’m enjoying it – even getting up at 4am to catch flights to meet readers and booksellers. I’m delighted so many readers are enjoying the story and in so many cultures and languages – current translation count is 36.

The Rosie Project is being described as chick literature. How do you feel about that?

My only problem is that I don’t want men to be put off reading it. It’s a book with a male protagonist written by a male and men who actually pick it up and start reading generally keep reading and enjoy it. It’s also been described as “romance” and while I’d debate whether it’s genre romance (I don’t think so) if that gets it a wider audience then I’m not complaining. Overall the literary reception has been very good, so I don’t feel it’s been put down by any labels.
Finally,  is it too soon to look for a new book?

Not at all! I’m working on a sequel that I’m expecting to be published late next year.

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Constantly  interacting with his fans, follow Graeme on these sites:

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

                                         For your Quick Five© email wordpress174@gmail.com for more details

Book Review: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Simon & Schuster
Published Jan. 1, 2013
340 Pages

How adorable is this!

Don Tillman is a professor of genetics that has a schedule for everything; when to eat, go to the gym, what he is having for dinner each week and how long it takes for him to finish a conversation.

Tillman is looking for love but has a hard time dating and going through the social motions. So with his only two friends he creates “The Wife Project” a questionnaire and dating process in order to find his perfect wife.  That includes no drinking (not including wine), smoking, cursing or someone who tends to be late. But here comes Rosie and she is everything is not looking for. Completely ignoring his quest for a wife, Rosie seeks Tillman’s help to find her real father.

Neither Tillman or Rosie fell they are a match for each other but enough time together proves other wise. I thought this was book was cute and funny. Tillman is so set on how things need to be that it is amazing to see his change, once he and Rosie get closer. I really loved his character. He was funny without being funny and he was so genuine and loveable that I just couldn’t get enough of him.

Rosie was Rosie; she played her part very well. She’s a grown woman and although at one point she didn’t really know what she wanted (what PERSON does) she wasn’t annoying about it. I couldn’t complain about her she fit well with the story. My only issue with this book is it feels a bit forced especially towards the middle. I loved the idea a woman looking for her father while a man is looking for a wife; I think it is an original idea. However, I felt that the author was reaching a bit too hard.

Overall I give this book 9 out of 10. Very cute chick lit. Don’t forget to like & share :)