Book Review #8: The Rosie Project

Here I am, with a cup of tea, listening to some enchanting Hans Zimmer instrumentals; writing a blog post after two weeks. Feels so good just to sit down and write something that is actually relaxing for me (all I have been doing is uni assignments).

I recently finished reading The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. One of my most special friends begged me to read this book as she thought it was absolutely wonderful. The problem with me though is that I am incredibly cynical when it comes to romance novels (besides ones written by Jojo Moyes ofcourse!). I just find it so hard to be swept up in their totally unrealistic, often way too fluffy story lines.  Forgive me.

I am more than aware that this book is an international sensation; gosh- it even has a 4 star rating out of 5 on goodreads! So in saying this, I want to warn you before you read this post, that if you love romance novels, please don’t change your mind about reading this book as you will most probably love it. I just have often frustrating novel tastes.

The Rosie Project is centered on Don Tillman who is a professor of genetics. I can tell you now that this guy was an unusual character for me to wrap my head around. He has never been on a second date, he can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand and he is determined to concede the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone. With this, he embarks upon The Wife Project. He determined to find his soul mate; a punctual, logical women who is most definitely not a barmaid, smoker, drinker or late arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things and is on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie.

Im sorry, but just by reading that synopsis, can’t you already tell how the book is going to end? I will admit, sometimes books like these are good to read as they are just so effortless and easy. Though, the problem often for me is that I loose interest when there isn’t that element of unknown and anticipation draped over each page.

I honestly found Don such a frustrating character. His constant calculations of the statistical probability of absolutely everything become incredibly annoying. I understand that the author was trying to make a definite distinction between the lack of compatibility between Rosie and Don but it made the story line quite hard to digest somewhat realistically. This is particularly relevant towards the end of the book. I just found it hard to put two and two together and see a positive resolution without cringing at how awkward and how hard it was to believe.

However, I really did love Rosie’s character. She was probably the most realistic aspect of this novel. She was so incredibly down to earth and likeable. I actually think it was Rosie that kept me reading this book. It was like she balanced out the novel and gave it a breath of fresh air.

See, there were some positives about this book in the end! I will commend Simsion in that this book was written in a great format. It was easy to read and I enjoyed the sarcasm and wittiness incorporated into most of it. If you’re looking for a relaxing read, definitely check out The Rosie Project!

Previous book reviews:
Book Review #7: The Martian

My May Book Reads Part 2

My May Book Reads Part 1

My new favourite book: The Goldfinch

Book Review #3: Nineteen Minutes

Book Review #2: Me Before You

Book Review #1: Orange is the New Black

Moments that never made it to the blog #2: August

I have another 'Moments that never made it to the Blog' post again this month! I love writing these posts, I think I may actually make it a monthly thing. Its a great way to compile some of the minor moments from the month into one solid post. Hope you enjoy!

The Night noodle market

Earlier this month I attended the Night Noodle markets in South Bank.  These markets were held from the 22^nd of July to the 2^nd of August. I was totally blown away by how many people attended these markets. I thought that going on a Wednesday night might mean that it would be rather quiet, but I was proved wrong! Thousands of people attended, it was virtually impossible to find a free seating space. 

There were 30 different stalls offering delicious Asian cuisine from Ramen to  Chilli crab.  I, of course, couldn’t look past the Vietnamese stall and ended up ordering Beef Pho Noodles.  I simply couldn’t resist!

The night noodle markets made for an enjoyable evening.  The array of colourful lanterns transformed South Bank and made it the perfect setting to feast on some scrumptious Asian food.

City living

As my university is located in the heart of Brisbane City, it gives me good reason to do some exploring whenever I get moments of free time. I actually often get off the bus a few stops earlier just  to walk around and see what I can come across.  I have posted most of these on my Instagram (@kaylahmovingon), but I thought I would share them on my blog as well!

I walk passed Queens Park most mornings and I can’t help but admire it. Its grand architecture stands out amongst the clusters of generic corporate buildings.

Casino’s are definitely not my kind of thing, but as I was walking to my bus stop near Queen Street Mall, I wondered passed the Treasury Casino and snapped a few photos as it looked rather picturesque with the cloud-less, crisp, blue sky as it’s back drop.

I was heading home across the Story Bridge one evening and I noticed that I had made it in perfect timing. As the sun set, decorating the sky in an array the sky in rich hues of orange, I whipped out my phone in an attempt to capture it.

Previous 'Moments that never made it to the Blog':

Moments that never made it to the Blog #1: July