C. W. Shain

I won this brilliantly odd book from the first-reads program.

The book is a mixture of the obscure and the irreverent. It is split into a variety of personal ads that the author put up on Craigslist. Each ad is a pleasant experiment in insanity, bolstered by the 4,000 history books that the author possesses.

Looking for a date? Why not look for a dog to feed to your pet puma? Or someone to visit obscure WWII battleships with? The author touches upon all sorts of madness, all the while keeping a dreadfully serious tone. The book is one that, as the publisher suggested, tempts the reader to pass it on to someone else just for the bewildering look that will come over their face while reading it.

Also, this is the first book printed by the publisher Coelcanth Books. If this is any indication of the sort of titles they'll be releasing in the future, this may be the first time that I follow a publisher rather than an author or a series/topic. Seriously. This is great stuff.… (meer)

The author has had quite the experiences with real life personal ads. This book is a collection of personal ads she has posted in a variety of different cities on the Craigslist site. Her witty humor may fall short of the understanding of many readers in their early to mid 20's. Many references in the ads are indicative of the authors age. The pages of this book are full of good laughs. It is even better to think of the men that actually responded to these sarcastic and ridiculously funny ads. I recommend this book to audiences that have had experiences with dating sites and personal ads and those who just need a good laugh.… (meer)

Pointless Pursuit is a collection of nonsensical personal ads that author C.W. Shain posted on Craigslist over the course of a year. What started out as retaliation against people being cruel to one Craigslist poster’s ad turned into one writer’s way to entertain, amuse, and downright mess with readers. I personally did not enjoy this book, as I do not have the best sense of humor and take things too literally; most of the ads were over my head. But the book is well written and C.W. Shain is talented. I would definitely recommend this book and encourage people to give it a shot.… (meer)