Lost on Planet China

I love J. Maarten Troost. His wry sense of humor and his writing grabbed me in both of his previous travelogues, The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned With Savages. In his newest book, Lost on Planet China, we get to travel with Maarten as he tackles that great unknown, China. Thinking I knew something of the place, I was surprised to find out I was actually quite ignorant. I've got a whole new perspective on the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing now; I wonder how the television studios are going to be able to put a good spin on that city's pollution in particular. I loved how Maarten takes us through lesser known areas and shows us the peoples of China up close and personal; his sense of humor is often the only thing keeping him from willfully hurting someone. I'll be looking forward to seeing where we'll be traveling next.

My amazon review is at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076792200X/ref=cm_cr_thx_view. Please drop by and give me a vote if you are so inclined.

~taminator40

Getting Stoned With Savages

Getting Stoned With Savages by J. Maarten Troost is the second travelogue I've read by this funny author. While not quite as good as the first, Sex Lives of Cannibals, this one still has its moments and I happen to love the snarky way with words Troost uses. While I wished for more of the life adjustments Troost and his wife faced in the first book, I could appreciate the vast differences in life in the South Pacific and my own daily existence, and I am absolutely awed that Troost and his wife Sylvia chose to leave their cushy lives once again to live in such a remote area. I just completed my review on amazon and it can be found at http://tinyurl.com/24hkga. I enjoyed this one and hope that Troost finds another island paradise to write about soon!

~taminator40

The Sex Lives of Cannibals

I feel really good about recommending The Sex Lives of Cannibals to anyone and everyone! This one had been languishing unread in Mt. TBR far too long, and with school starting, I felt like I needed something uplifting in my life. This fit the bill perfectly! Maarten Troost tells his story of moving to a remote atoll on Kiribati, an area of the world I knew next to nothing about. While it's truly hilarious, at times it's a bit poignant as we meet people who know life is hard and the odds are against them. Still, Maarten and his girlfriend Sylvia persevere, and when they do decide to leave, it's with misgivings and a sense of loss. This one's going on my keeper shelf...I think it's safe to say it's a book that will appeal to readers of almost all genres.

The link to my amazon review can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2zll5b.

~taminator40