Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

What is painful about it? I didn't find the writing particularly great, but wouldn't say it was bad either. Also I feel like I'm the only person who was a little disappointed in the ultimate ending, hah! I won't even say why I was disappointed because that might be a spoiler.

Well, I started the 3rd book right after I finished the 2nd, and he carefully re-explains everything. Why did I even bother reading the 2nd book? He also has a habit of telling rather than showing things, or showing them and also telling them, which I find annoying.

Oh yeah, re-explaining. One of those times when an established author really needs a good editor or just a preface that you can skip - "last time on Mistborn!"

Whistler wrote:He also has a habit of telling rather than showing things, or showing them and also telling them, which I find annoying.

Yes.

If you were a company that made meal replacement shakes, why would you name your company/product Soylent? I've got their tagline. Soylent: We're all about people.

Yeah, my husband thinks it's a dumb name. I guess it's to appeal to the hipster crowd. I was really excited to try some out, but then I found out there was a waiting list so I was like "forget this!" There is a lovely DIY soylent page, and sometimes when I don't feel like making myself lunch I mix up some masa harina, protein powder, and whey isolate. Yum.

Vox staff trying Soylent.

"It's aggressively neutral." Hah!

When you're reading something written by Ira Glass, you can't help but use a stilted, high-pitched Ira Glass inner voice.

Women of the New Testament by Camille Front Olson. I read the companion book about the women in the Old Testament last year and I've really enjoyed both of them. She's been my favorite religion teacher, and I love how she explains the historical background and cultural necessary to understand the women mentioned. Even if they just have a verse or two, she provides information to really help you understand the woman better and learn from her example.

Didn't consider myself a fan of The Fault In Our Stars: maybe the cancer-cancer was just too soon, too much, and it's precious even for him.

But I started Looking for Alaska tonight and it has really resonated with me thus far. In fact, some aspects of his plotting are informing how I structure my WiP.

I like how the SNL episodes on Netflix lack the musical guests as well as, of course, commercials. Just pure sketches.

Portia wrote: I started Looking for Alaska tonight and it has really resonated with me thus far.

I haven't read anything by him yet, but I'm so excited that a former BYU student is going to direct the movie.

Genuine Article wrote:

Portia wrote: I started Looking for Alaska tonight and it has really resonated with me thus far.

I haven't read anything by him yet, but I'm so excited that a former BYU student is going to direct the movie.

Oooh! Very cool.

Here are my top 5 reads from the first half of the year:

Persuasion (Austen)
Revolutionary Road (Richard Yates)
Handmaid's Tale (Atwood)
Nora Webster (Colm Tóibín)
Unrequited: Women and Romantic Obsession (Lisa A. Phillips)

I actually see some common threads here. Huh.

The common theme seems to be "the effect of romantic love/obsession/sex slavery on women." Glad that there's such a wide variety of styles and eras to explore and that the authors take it seriously. I also got to meet Tóibín in Salt Lake City, so that was fun.

It's been a long time since I had a one-star book. Apparently that honor went to TFIOS (shoutout Violet), which is interesting, because I'd give Alaska and Paper Towns solid 3 and halfs and probably see the movies. I guess I'm getting too old to finish books I hate.

Portia wrote:My grandparents just bought me the biography of Wallace Stegner. woooo

Guys this is the book I most need to get out of storage. And yes, I'm procrastinating boring difficult work stuff WHY DO YOU ASK

I started reading Love is the Drug--an SF YA that won an award. I couldn't finish it! They just kept stringing out the mysteries with excess drama and introspection. Well... that's pretty much my opinion of YA, come to think of it.

Portia wrote:It's been a long time since I had a one-star book. Apparently that honor went to TFIOS (shoutout Violet), which is interesting, because I'd give Alaska and Paper Towns solid 3 and halfs and probably see the movies. I guess I'm getting too old to finish books I hate.

Oh hey, my general dislike of John Green is echoed in at least some form. This rarely happens.