Something next to normal, that's the thing I'd like to try

I have to read 11 more books before the end of the year in order to meet my goal. I... don't think I will make it, lol.

Heroine Complex, Sarah Kuhn: I first discovered Sarah Kuhn via One Con Glory, which established her as a nerdy fangirl who writes about nerdy fangirls (I mean that in a good way - nerdy fangirls don't get enough mainstream love). Anyway, this is in a similar vein - it's about Asian-American lady superheroes, and Kuhn is pretty clearly writing the pop culture figures she wanted to see growing up. Her storytelling style is kind of cartoonishly over the top, almost more suited to a comic book than a novel, but it's a fun, fluffy read even if it's a little predictable. 

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng: I recall that this was, like, the hot new book when I added it to my to-read list (a year ago). So maybe there's some "I expected it to be better" factor in not living up to the hype, but I just thought it was okay? Family dynamics, repressed suburbanites, class and race conflict in a small town... it all kind of feels like stuff I've read before. I wasn't super impressed with her previous book, Everything I Never Told You, either, so maybe her writing just doesn't do it for me as much as it seems to for everyone else.

Sunburn, Laura Lippman: This was a book club pick, and it has a bit of a "beach read" feel to it. It's a mystery, but it's a slow burn and the payoff really isn't worth it. At first, you're not even sure what KIND of mystery it is - the two main characters are each obviously hiding something, but it takes a while to figure out what crime (if any) has been committed, exactly, even as they are falling in love but still can't trust each other. Things get way too convoluted, and then just when it seems like there might be some excitement... it ends, in what I felt was an unsatisfying way, although my fellow book club members seemed to enjoy it more than I did.

The Orphan's Tale, Pam Jenoff: I've read quite a few of Pam Jenoff's books, with varying results, and this one's kind of in the middle. It follows a traveling circus in Europe during World War II, based on the true stories of German circuses that sheltered Jews during the Holocaust. Astrid, a Jewish aerialist who grew up in a circus family, has lost everyone and now must take refuge with a rival circus. Meanwhile, Noa, a Dutch girl, gets pregnant with a Nazi soldier's illegitimate child and is disowned by her parents. After her own child is taken from her, she rescues a Jewish baby from a train bound for a concentration camp and finds her way to the same circus, where Astrid must teach her the flying trapeze in order to maintain their cover. The friendship between the two women is compelling, and it's a new twist on a familiar historical setting. But there are some hard-to-swallow plot contrivances, not least of which is a poorly-developed romance that drives major climactic decisions.

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel: Someone (snickfic?) recced this book a million years ago, and I only just now got around to reading it. I am generally a fan of dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction, so I figured I'd be into this, even though I'd heard it was not your typical post-apocalypse story. It's set 20 years after a pandemic wipes out 99% of the world population, with much of it in flashbacks to various characters before the outbreak. It centers on a group of traveling musicians and actors who perform in the small towns that have developed in the years since, and while there is some drama and danger, it's mostly focused on the ripple effects people have on each others' lives and the ways that culture impacts us and why people continue to live on and build societies even after the world they know has been demolished.

Mmmmmm, whoops? I have been incredibly delinquent of late. In my defense, I started a new job in July and had two work trips to California so I've been kind of busy? Also, it's DC, so everything is, y'know, terrible.

I'm so far behind on book posts. I have actually been reading, though I am still 6 books behind schedule, but I am even FARTHER behind writing them up. So here's July and August. I will (hopefully) be back soon with September.

Asymmetry, Lisa Halliday: This one really didn't work for me. It's essentially three separate novellas - well, the first and third are obviously connected by one character, but the second one is mostly unrelated, except in a way that I'm not going to spoil even though I don't think it actually spoils anything because it doesn't really reveal anything meaningful about either story, lol. Basically, I get what the author was going for, but don't think she pulled it off. And given the whole #MeToo thing, I wasn't especially in the mood to read about a famous old dude who uses his prestige to sleep with much younger women who are trying to establish careers in his field.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown: This isn't the first Brene Brown book I've read, and although I know people who love her and swear by her, I remain unimpressed. The basic message of being willing to be vulnerable in order to make courageous decisions is good, but I probably only needed the first chapter or so to get that message (and, honestly, it's not all that different from Big Magic, though slightly less crazy sounding). The rest is just unsubstantiated anecdotes strung together in an attempt to make it sound more scientific than it is.

Tower of Dawn, Sarah J. Maas: I know I said I wasn't sure I wanted to bother reading the rest of this series, but I'm a completist to a fault. And this one wasn't as bad? Mostly because it completely abandons the characters who were annoying me, and follows two side characters who haven't really been relevant to anything for a while. (Also, it's hilarious to me that the main love interest from the early books is now best described as an "irrelevant side character." Sarah J. Maas does not give a fuck about your ships, lol.) Anyway, there was still a lot of royalty and absurdly attractive people, and every couple is an "opposites attract" situation, but at least the superpowers were kept to a minimum?

Forever Peace, Joe Halderman: Haha, another series I wasn't going to continue, and did, against my better judgment. Although this really isn't a sequel at all - it's just a similarly-named, similarly-themed story. At least, the first half is similar - futuristic military setting, soldiers fighting a war no one really cares about but can't seem to end. But then it goes off in a wildly different direction and becomes an entirely different story altogether? It kind of reminded me of the movie Sunshine, the way it raises a bunch of really thought-provoking questions and then goes completely off the rails and becomes a crazy thriller. Like, it starts out as a philosophical exploration of violence as an inherent part of human nature and the psychological toll of war... and then the world is ending and the good guys' solution is basically to become terrorists in order to stop it, and there are assassins after them and a giant religious death-cult conspiracy trying to stop them. And then there's a hand-wavey "and they all lived happily ever after" ending. WHAT.

Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli: This is the book on which the movie Love, Simon is based, and now I really want to see the movie. It is an ADORABLE LGBT YA romance.

Hello, all! Time for my monthly check-in. I took a week off work last week and my mom came to visit, so we had some fun adventures (Monticello! mcmegan! Colonoscopy!). Okay, that last one wasn't fun. It was my 10th, though, so it's kind of a milestone, I guess? Which I apparently decided to mark by passing out before the procedure, because I am a delicate flower. Honestly, I was just trying to save the anesthesiologist some time! I am thinking of investing in a fainting couch or something, because really I pass out more than the average person should. Otherwise, I am okay-but-not-great, health-wise, and may be trying more experimental drugs. 

My mom and I binge-watched The Crown. It's good! It's kind of Downton-esque, but with more politics and royal protocol and less melodrama. It's especially fascinating to watch in the wake of the most recent royal wedding, and seeing how much has changed and how much really hasn't. My mother and I are also in awe of and working on perfecting Elizabeth's ability to express extreme displeasure with a single, disdainful "Oh." (We also talked in British accents most of the week. I feel like that goes without saying.) And, with the series finale of The Americans the same week, we were well prepared for this "Which Philip and Elizabeth?" quiz, lol. 

In other TV-watching news, I am now fully caught up with Jane the Virgin (OMGWTF[spoiler]!) and Legends of Tomorrow, which has been a delightful surprise. Having already committed to the rest of the DC-verse with Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, I initially gave it a shot, but totally bailed two episodes into the first season, because I hated the villain and at least two of the main characters. But I had heard that it got miles better in season 2 (which, based on the little I saw of the characters during crossover episodes, seemed possible), so I went back and watched just enough to get the gist and then skipped to season 2, which is completely bonkers fun as the time travel series shifts from "OMG we must track this evil dude through history without changing anything" to "watch these dumbasses fuck up history and then try to fix it." Season 3 (which just finished) is just as batshit bananas - a little too dependent on tracking down magical mcguffins, but the truly insane payoff in the season finale makes it worth it.

I continue to be delinquent in my reading - I am now SIX books behind my goal. *facepalm* Here's what I read in May:

Empire of Storms, Sarah J. Maas: Ehhhhh. I'm starting to lose interest in this series. It's gotten repetitive and all the characters are starting to seem the same (must EVERYONE be some kind of royalty and also unbelievably attractive and have fantastic superpowers? Remember when this series was about a scrappy assassin who could not solve all her problems by setting them on fire with her mind?). Also, while the series has gotten increasingly porny, all the good ships got trashed and the ones who are left are dull and so I mostly don't want to read about how much sex they're having. And yet, I will probably continue to read the series because closure?

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert: LOL, oh, Liz Gilbert. You have some good things to say. If only you weren't so bonkers and full of yourself. Like, I appreciate the embracing of curiosity and creativity and the encouragement to make the stuff you wanna make and do the stuff you wanna do and don't worry about failing or what anyone else thinks of you, just do it to please yourself (which is fine, I guess, as long as you don't care about making a career out of it?). But man, she presents it all in the context of her belief in magical thinking - like, literal magic:

"I believe that our planet is inhabited not only by animals and plants and bacteria and viruses, but also by ideas. Ideas are a disembodied, energetic life-form. They are completely separate from us, but capable of interacting with us - albeit strangely. Ideas have no material body, but they do have consciousness, and they most certainly have will.... [I]deas spend eternity swirling around us, searching for available and willing human partners.... When an idea thinks it has found somebody - say, you - who might be able to bring it into the world, the idea will pay you a visit... I believe that inspiration will always try its best to work with you - but if you are not ready or available, it may indeed choose to leave you and to search for a different human collaborator."

Some of this comes from the Greek and Roman belief "in the idea of an external daemon of creativity - a sort of house elf, if you will, who lived in within the walls of your home and who sometimes aided you in your labors. The Romans had a specific term for that helpful house elf. They called it your genius." And her point is basically don't let yourself be burdened with the pressure of being a genius, just do your thing. Maybe genius will strike, but you can't control that. All you can do is put in the time and effort and be willing to accept whatever comes out of that. Which is not a bad attitude to have? (But also a lot easier to do once you've become a bestselling author.) It's just weird the way she presents it as though creativity is a religion you have to believe in. 

And finally, since this is kind of a catch-all post anyway, here's a recipe!

BLT Pasta Salad - I made this for a potluck a long time ago, but never posted it. Everyone loved it, and basically licked the bowl clean, so clearly it's good. (It's the bacon. Nothing with bacon can be bad.) The recipe makes a TON, so you might want to scale down if you're not going to a party, lol. I love leftovers, but I suspect the lettuce would get soggy.

Now that March is almost half over, I may as well get around to what I read last month!

Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King, Maggie Stiefvater: These are the third and fourth books in the YA urban fantasy series The Raven Cycle, and to be honest, I read them so close together that they blur a little bit, but I enjoyed them both! This is a series that I think has improved as it's gone along, fleshing out the characters and the world and going all-in on the magical aspects that were introduced at the end of the the first book (there are 4 total). The plot, ostensibly, is about a girl who grew up in a house full of psychic women joining a bunch of private school boys on a quest to find a sleeping Welsh king, but mostly it is about the deep and complex friendship among the five main characters, and one of the highlights is how each combination of two or three is just as complicated and developed as any other. Apparently, a TV show was announced last year, no idea if it's still happening, but would definitely watch if it does.

Howie Weener Unclogged: A Colonic Noir Musical Memoir, Howie Weiner: I... really don't know how to explain this one. Not only the plot, but why I ever thought it was a good idea in the first place? I guess I thought the combination of musicals and digestive concerns was tailor-made to appeal to me, but first of all, musicals are a lot less fun when you're READING them, and second, the humor thinks it's the kind that is so over the top it's hilarious but actually it's just too out there to be anything but bizarre. And yes, the main character and the author have the same name but spelled differently. I don't know why. I quit reading about halfway through.

A Conjuring of Light, V.E. Schwab: The third and final book in the Shades of Magic series. The premise is that there are multiple worlds which overlap in the city of London. There's Grey London (our world, cut off from magic), Red London where magic is plentiful, White London which used to have magic but is now dying, and Black London which was overrun with dark magic and is now uninhabitable. Only a select few can travel between the worlds, but carrying anything beyond letters between royal families is strictly forbidden. The story kicks off when Kell accidentally brings Grey London thief Lila back to his native Red London, along with a dangerous artifact. I remember finding the first book kind of slow to get going, but I really liked the second and third, probably because the worldbuilding was already established. I also appreciated that each book has a distinct and not repetitive story to tell - it's not one of those series where each book has basically the same structure and hits all the same beats, nor is it one long story broken up into three parts to sell more books. 

* Amber Benson plays Fuck Marry Kill with the Buffy characters. I might quibble with one or two, but overall she makes good choices, lol.

* I am not sure how I feel about Syfy's upcoming 12 Monkeys TV series. I am even less sure how I feel about a Little House on the Prairie movie.

* In case there was any doubt about what to get me for Christmas, the official Dancing Baby Groot is coming to a store near you.

* Neil Patrick Harris talks about his Choose Your Own Autobiography book: “I’m not trying to force my life down anyone’s throat. But if you want to read about things being forced down throats, you can go to that page.” Bless.

* Jeremy Renner did a Reddit AMA promoting his film, Kill the Messenger. He laughs a lot.

* Andy Mientus is playing a supervillain on The Flash. Speaking of The Flash, I watched the pilot episode and it was okay? I still haven't had a chance to see Arrow, but I will probably watch more of this.

* Transparent has been renewed for a second season. I spent some of this weekend watching most of the first season, so this makes me very happy.

* Very interesting discussion of how The Mindy Project deals with (or doesn't deal with) race.

* Here's a write-up of the NYCC panel on The Americans. Also from Comic-Con, the teaser trailer for Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney.

* And here's the first trailer for The Librarians, a fantasy series from one of the creators of Leverage (and starring Leverage and Angel alum Christian Kane).

* Hulu may be picking up Community for that hashtag-foretold sixth season (and a movie?). DON'T TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS, HULU.

* Sounds like Mindy Kaling gave an awesome commencement speech at Harvard.

* In Marvel news: Unlike most of its predecessors, the CA: TWS bonus features won't include a Marvel one-shot. Meanwhile, Charlie Cox has been cast as Daredevil for the new Netflix series. Also, I may be an enormous nerd, but this Marvel exhibit in New York sounds really cool.

* Here's another interview with Sutton Foster about Violet and her return to TV.

* Aww, I feel bad for Damon Lindelof and all the Lost hate he gets. I'm looking forward to his new show.

* I am rather intrigued by the idea of Gillian Flynn adapting Hamlet as a novel.

* An interview with the creators of the new comedy Undateable, which I saw the first two episodes of this week and laughed quite a bit.

* I haven't had a chance to see The Normal Heart yet, but here is a moving account of a viewing party.

* An interview with Laverne Cox, who is on the cover of TIME. Also, an account from an OITNB writer on realizing she is gay.

* Amy Poehler wrote a book!

* Matthew Weiner talks about the Mad Men mid-season finale, and Robert Morse talks about his big dance number. Plus, some speculation on how next year's final half-season might wrap up the show.

* Bryan Fuller on the Hannibal season 2 bloodbath finale.

* I haven't seen X-Men: Days of Future Past, but apparently the ending needs explaining, so here you go. Also, is this a sign that post-credits scenes have fallen far since Nick Fury's first epic appearance and should be abandoned?

* Emily Blunt talks about the Into the Woods movie.

* I CANNOT WAIT for Snowpiercer to finally come out in the US. Jeremy Renner's new movie, Kill the Messenger, looks pretty good, too, as does the trailer for This is Where I Leave You, starring Tina Fey and Jason Bateman.

* Gone with the Wind is getting a prequel novel about Mammy (whose real name, it happens, is Ruth). Which reminds me, I never posted my GWTW meta/reaction post that I started writing last summer and never finished. I should maybe get back to that sometime.

* It never occurred to me that Winnie the Pooh needed an origin story film, but apparently he's getting one anyway.

* Coulson's cellist is finally making an appearance, and she looks a lot like Amy Acker.

* Over the last week or so, I've been binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I watched the pilot back when it first premiered and wasn't really feeling it, but after hearing people rave about it for a whole season, I decided to give it another shot and I liked it! So here's an interview with Mike Schur, the co-creator. Plus, what the show can learn from Parks & Recreation.

* Matthew Weiner talks about Mad Men and is actually interesting, even though he still gives nothing away.

* Bryan Cranston talks Breaking Bad and his new role as President Lyndon Johnson on Broadway.

* Here's a recap of the Community panel at PaleyFest.

* Dan Rydell was temporarily resurrected when Josh Charles made an appearance on Keith Olbermann's show.

* Revisiting possibly the greatest thing HIMYM has ever brought us, Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel once again sing "The Confrontation" from Les Miserables.

* Here's a sneak peek at Captain America's new uniform, which is changing yet again for Age of Ultron. (Also, am I displaying my obsessive nerdery if I point out that's clearly a stunt double and not Chris Evans, as the article states?)

* An interview with the incredible Breaking Bad director, Michelle MacLaren, about this week's episode. Plus, eight things you didn't know about the ep.

* Pics of the real-life locations where Breaking Bad was filmed, in case you're in Albuquerque and wanna do your own little set tour.

* Arguments for and against the Better Call Saul spinoff. It's going to be an hour-long series, and it's going to be a prequel. Of course, that means they could bring back characters like Gus Fring or Mike Ehrmentraut, which would be pretty awesome.

* Also, Breaking Bad spinoffs you won't see.

* Clearly there are a lot of Breaking Bad fans on Yelp...

* This is timely, since pocochina just finished Lost: creators Lindelof and Cuse talk about the challenges of ending a TV series with Six Feet Under's Alan Ball and (of course) Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan.

* After reports that Laura Prepon wouldn't be a regular on season 2, it looks like she'll only be with us for one episode of Orange is the New Black.

* A complete chart of fall TV premiere dates. Mark your calendars!

* Speaking of, here's an extended promo for season 5 of The Vampire Diaries.

* An Agents of SHIELD featurette, plus an interview with Joss Whedon and a response that critiques the pilot's (unexpectedly timely) treatment of secrecy and government spying. And finally, the rebellion against all those damn periods has begun.

* Joss Whedon on casting James Spader as Ultron.

* Tom Hiddleston talks a lot about Loki and briefly mentions that vampire movie he's in with Tilda Swinton.

* Graceland was renewed for season 2, which means more of my bb, Aaron Tveit!

* Jim Butcher talks about the next installment of the Dresden Files series.

* Neil Patrick Harris is prepping to host the Emmys again.

* LOL best captions on boring photos ever. "Dan Stevens at the Grey Goose vodka party, because he's famous and part of his job is literally to drink free booze while people photograph him." She also has a serious crush on Benedict Cumberbatch.

* ETA: And now that it's over, series creator Matt Nix talks about the series finale of Burn Notice.

* Parks and Recreation is getting some great guest stars this season, including Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks and Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany.

* This is really cool: photos from inside the Breaking Bad writers' room, including the in-progress storyboard for season 4.

* Even Carlton Cuse has noticed the many similarities between Lost and Breaking Bad.

* The latest Avengers casting rumor is that Elizabeth Olsen is up for the Scarlet Witch.

* Joss Whedon and Agents of SHIELD made the cover of Entertainment Weekly. ETA: And here's an interview with Jed and Maurissa.

* John Oliver gives his (hilarious) take on reading slash fic about himself and Jon Stewart.

* West Wing cast reunion on Twitter, you guys! I love how everyone is still mean to Josh Malina, lol.

* Mandy Patinkin has some adorable and touching things to say about playing Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride.

* Meanwhile, his co-star Damian Lewis talks about Brody and season 3 of Homeland, which will be "hard-boiled" and "dark" and "unforgiving." That sounds promising, no?

* Apparently the Little House series was a secret libertarian fantasy, and I had no idea. Then again, I didn't realize the Narnia books were about Jesus until, like, college, so...

First: in which Jennifer Lawrence is my favorite person ever.

Now, from lutamira:

( Go-To Housecleaning/Working Out/Personal Dance Party Songs )

And from per_aspera_ad_astra:

( Books That Are in Danger of Falling to Pieces Due to Repeated Reading )