Whatta Fiasco

More good stuff from Julie Czerneda. I am so glad I followed up on a recommendation to read her books. A female biology researcher/administrator as protagonist? I’m still not sure how I missed seeing these when they first came out, except that if I’d been browsing, I’d likely have passed them up on the basis of the covers alone. What a shame that would have been. Ignore the covers, read the words. Fun stuff.

[powells]

There were parts of this book that had me excited and intrigued, but then things would wander off into emotional dead ends. The tech and some of the social ideas were cool and nifty, but the business model stuff just never made it for me. And a glossary in the back? That’s just never a good sign. There are plenty of interesting bits in there and lots of promise, but the book as a whole just never gelled for me.

[powells]

A film directed by Wong Kar-Wai and starring Leslie Cheung, a depressingly callous young man in search of himself and meaning in life.

Are there really still women out there who worry about bulking up and getting too muscular if they lift weights? I guess there must be, although it’s hard to credit. Aside form that, it’s not a bad book. The work out lists with all the exercises described (and many alternate versions for different levels of ability) are good. The nutrition information is interesting, but I would have been happier with a better approach than a list of recipes. Maybe a list of tips for balancing the nutritional content of the things you already cook would have helped. This book is primarily aimed at women in a normal weight range but possibly lacking a little in the fitness department.

[powells]

This was an Oprah’s Book Club selection? Aiyee. Well,I understand why. It’s the strange, and yet all too ordinary, story of a girl and the traumatic events that shape her life. It was enjoyable enough. Eh.

[powells]

Intense and depressing tale of the experiences of the author and her family in Haiti and the United States. Gorgeous book.

[powells]

Oh, twisty gender role examination. If the manly man on man sex thing squicks you, step away from the book, but it’s all done in furtherance of the story. And a good story it is, with plenty of meaty subtext to chew on once your done. Good stuff.

[powells]