About the Book
Publisher: Flame Tree Press | Release Date: October 6, 2018 | Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy | Format: eARC | Source: Publisher via Netgalley
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. Utilize 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.
Looking for humor, comedy, laughs, jokes, and all other forms of funny? 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.
For extensive coaching in the very serious field of pretend reading, purchase Book Simulator today.
Print and ebook versions of Book Simulator are slightly different, each with format specific content and other small variations. Try out both today.
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My Review
Today I am so excited to be sharing my book review of Book Simulator as part of the blog tour! Thank you to the author for providing me a copy of the paperback for free in exchange for my honest review, and to Love Books Group Tours for organizing this tour!
What is book simulation? Book simulation is a multi-step process which creates the illusion of book reading.
This is a strange book, but refreshingly so. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure to expect from this book based on the synopsis other than the promise of humor and that the first page had me more than a little dubious on whether this book would be for me… by page six I was rolling in laughter, terrifying my cat in the process. If you play video games, reading Book Simulator reminds me of playing The Stanley Parable (which I am going to play once finishing this review).
I love the irony of reading a book that is supposed to teach you how to pretend to read to give the impression that you are a reader. An intellectual. From discussing the pros and cons of book simulation at various times of the day to discussing basic book simulation techniques, Yee maintains a humorous voice that reads as almost motivational. You too can simulate reading with just these easy steps!
“If you do not get enough rest, you risk the possibility of falling asleep mid-simulation. Chances are you’ll drop that book right on your face and suffocate in your sleep. Your tombstone will claim that you died doing what you loved, wearing a book mask.”
This has happened to me. Not the dead bit, but the dropping-a-book-on-your-face bit. Book Simulator really discusses what it is to be an avid reader, poking fun at some of the habits we book addicts have, but for me, it was a celebration of storytelling and a love story for all readers.
With imaginative descriptions such as unicorns on stilts (think about that for a bit!) and a flying rhinoceros with chicken legs in a pink skirt, you will be entertained and dazzled by a truly unique method of storytelling. I personally enjoyed the chapter on note-taking because I am a heathen and write in my books. I know what you are thinking. But no, I see it as my way of having a conversation with the author. But this isn’t about me. This is about how much I loved that chapter because even I have issues writing in books and that chapter resonated.
Things… shift around the mid-point of the book that I am not going to discuss because spoilers, but suffice it to say that this book keeps the reader guessing at its true objective and is incredibly clever. If you play video games, reading this book is similar to playing The Stanley Parable. This is precisely my sense of humor, but it may not be for everyone – all I can say is it does kind of serve a purpose.
“Take risks. Aim high. Be the cashew!”
Overall I was pleasantly surprised with this book and thoroughly enjoyed this read. If you decide to pick this up, I urge you to stick with it until the end (it’s only 122 pages!); it’s a great, fast read – or one that you can easily come in and out of – for any reading slump or lazy day where you don’t have the mental focus for something heavier. And I have to say how much I LOVED the epilogue.
I read the print version and am definitely interested to see how different the ebook format is to the process of book simulation. Many thanks to the author Chris Yee for sending me a free print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and I nabbed the eBook from Amazon to compare the versions!
…I want to be known as the Read Genie. Can we make that happen?
Author Bio
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 fulfill a passion that has never faded.
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This blog tour was organized by Love Books Group Tours. Be sure to check out the other stops on this tour, and I hope that you give this quirky, indie read a try!
Let’s go on another adventure together!
This is such a fun review! And I had to laugh because right when I was thinking “the irony of it all” you called out how you loved that aspect 😂 Great minds. This actually sounds like a smart, clever read. I look forward to tackling it soon!
I am a sucker for irony, haha!
I cannot wait to hear what you think – it definitely is incredibly clever and genre-bending.
This sounds like a funny book. More than likely, this book will be read primarily by people that like to read though ;-).
Definitely funny, especially that irony with the fact it is a book about not reading that you have to read. Without giving anything away, that irony does become a thing in the book that is addressed. Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds like such a fun book!!!
It was a total treat and really refreshing! Probably not everyone’s cup of tea but boy was it mine! The author confirmed to me that the Stanley Parable (which I may be playing right now) was an inspiration too, which is so cool!
Ohhh fun! Definitely sounds worth checking out. Great review as always, friend!