READING UPDATE : LEXICAL FUNK BY DANIEL CLAUSEN AND TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO

Time for another reading update. It's been a while since my last one, hasn't it? I did publish a piece on North American novels Worth Reading quite recently so you cannot say that I left you without reading recommendations for too long. Reading is a bit part of my life, but sometimes work comes first. Such was the case ever since this whole pandemic started, I've been working longer hours and consequently fallen a bit behind with my reading.Not that I could ever abandon reading altogether, mind you. Scroll down to read my reading update. 

THE LEXICAL FUNK BY DANIEL CLAUSEN 4/5

The author of this book reached out to me on goodreads to offer me a free copy of this book in exchange for review. I refused it because I wanted to buy the book myself and I did. I generally do not accept free books in exchange for a review. I do, however, try to support new or aspiring writers by buying their books. If I think a book might be my cup of tea and the writer reaches up to me, I will buy it. Anyhow, I bought a kindle version of this book and read it.  This was my first book by this author. The Lexical Funk is a collection of short story that are quite different in tone and setting. The stories belong to different genres and there isn't too much linking them together in terms of their themes. Two of the stories fall into science fiction genre, the others are either predominately philosophical or realistic in their writing style. I will write a short review for each of them separately.

IMITATION FOR BEGINNERS 5/5
I loved this SF story and found the writing absolutely brilliant. It is about an android who tries to understand humans. This story reminded me of Asimov's books but that's not the only reason why I liked it. The narrative flows effortlessly and the plot is well constructed.
LEXICAL FUNK: HOW THE WHITE BOY LEARNED TO RELAX AND LOVE THE AFRO 2/5
Curiously, this was the only story in the collection that I couldn't get into, no matter how much I tried. I love etymology and words. It's my field of expertise you might say (I'm a language teacher), but somehow this one didn't work for me. The protagonist rubbed me the wrong way and there isn't much of a plot. Interesting enough, this story is a writer's favourites. Tastes differ, I guess. 
IN A GLASS BOX OVER OSAKA 4/5
I loved this melancholic story! It is quite short but well structured. It paints a very precise picture of a man who meditates on the 'great wheel' of life. The symbolism of the wheel felt perfect. The ending words of the story seem to linger suspended in air. This story is everything it should be, I feel. It had its message and it delivered it well.
RICH JACOBS SEARCHES FOR THE MEANING OF LIFE 4/5
A man with special needs whose mother has just died wonders about the meaning of life and talks with vegetables. This was a great story. I liked the challenged protagonist who seems to bring out the best out of people with his innocence. Even his jaded boss showed some humanity. Wonderful story!
STARLIGHT TERROR AND THE CAPPUCCINO MACHINE 3/5
I liked this SF short story, even though it was a bit predictable and I could see the ending. It reminded me of some vintage SF stories I read, I felt it was a bit of a parody of them. I found this one to be quite funny, but it failed to touch me in the end.
ANGELA KILLED HERSELF 4/5
Perhaps a bit unpolished, but definitely a story with a potential. There was a bit too much going on in this one. Some lines and trains of thoughts were repeated. It jumps from one train of thought to another. This story possibly still needs some editing. Nevertheless, I felt this is a short story that has the potential to be a short novel. At any rate, I wished to read more of it, find out more about Angela, her background, her story and what exactly was going through her head.

That would be my review of these stories. What else I say about them? Well, I quite like the writer's use of language. The prose in most of these stories is imaginative and eloquent. I enjoyed reading these stories. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would! I think it is also possible to get this book for free via goodreads, but I don't know is it still available because as I said, I bought it. 

TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO BY MARCO POLO 3.4 /5

Il Milione, the legendary account of Marco Polo's travels is a fascinating view into history. Commonly known as The Travels of Marco Polo in English, this thirteen century travelogue offers an unique view of an European adventurer and merchant visiting countries unknown to most Europeans. Marco Polo is cited as an author, but Il Milione was supposedly written by Rustichello da Pisa based on Marco Polo's personal narration of his travels. The two spent some time in prison together if I remember correctly. So, this book has a co-writer it could be said. Over the years there has been some despite over book's authenticity. The question whether Marco Polo really visited all those places was often raised. I personally don't really care whether every single story in it is 100 percent historically accurate. I think it's accurate enough.

This book describes Polo's travels through Asia. It often describes local traditions and customs of people Polo passed by. It is filled with descriptions, and one feels more like one is reading an encyclopedia then a travel or adventure book, but I found it interesting. My favourite part of the book was Marco Polo's experiences at the court of Kublai Khan. Anyhow, this is a nice read. It is easy to see how it influenced numerous artists and writers. I listened to an audio version of it that lasted for about 7 hours and had a surprising number of musical numbers. I also read a part of it (before option for an audio version). Honestly, I plan to read it once again, because I had a feeling I might have missed something (I've been a bit distracted lately).

Despite it being historically relevant and quite interesting, for most parts Il Milione is not an engaging read. There are some fascinating and engaging bits, but on overall one doesn't get the feeling of a personal narrative. The writing style leaves something to be desired. However, it is an important book and one well worth a read. Would I recommend it? I definitely would, especially to history lovers as myself. 

THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT- HOW I WORE IT BEFORE? 

As is typical of me, nothing is really new in this outfit. I'm all all about shopping one's own closet. One of the things I like about shopping one's own closet is that you get to know how something feels and looks on you. It is easy to play with a clothing item you know well. You can dress for the tricky transitional weather easier if you rely on items you already know. As I said, this outfit was all about balance. I paired a dark floral print dress with a dark poloneck. I wanted to wear a spring outfit but I wanted to stay warm. I accomplished that with layering. I layered this beautiful dark floral dress under this warm velvet (possibly fake velvet?) poloneck. I also wore tights for additional warmth and a pair of white leather trainers. 

THE VELVET NAVY POLO NECK- This is a second hand piece, handed down from somebody. Not sure if it is vintage, I'd have to check. You can see me wear it here, here  here and here. 

THE FLORAL DRESS I love this dress so much that I devoted a special post to it, you can read it- 21 WAYS TO STYLE A FLORAL DRESS

THE WHITE SNEAKERS The only sneakers I have with me so I wear them all the time: you can see them here, here , here here, here, here, here, here , here, here,  and here.

THE LOCATION

The location for these photographs is bay Torac (village Gdinj, island Hvar)

Do you have any reading recommendations to share? Thank you for reading and visiting.