John Hodgman is one of my favourite celebrities. This was not always the case; I had read or listened to the audiobook The Areas of my Expertise and liked it alongside his appearances on “The Daily Show”. However, it was not until a few years ago when I started listening to the Judge John Hodgman podcast that I became a true fan. It is hands down, my favourite podcast. He gives funny, sincere, and relatable advise on the show. I find the podcast so soothing yet engaging at the same time. Hodgman is a humanist.

When I heard he was doing a book of memoirs, I knew I had to read it right away. Some of these stories I know already from listening to his podcast, reading his newsletter, and other media, but some of them were new to me. There was one chapter where I laughed and the next I was on the verge of tears. Good stuff.

I probably like the book more because I have been so exposed to Hodgman, but I think there are some lovely and self-aware pieces in it. Hodgman has a way of being keenly aware of himself and observant enough to use it in his humor. It’s self-deprecating but there is a level of humility in there that’s genuine.

Read November 7-15, 2017

This review covers the first two books of The Custard Protocol series.

The first book was a nice start. I had to warm up to Rue (Prudence). There was some fun but not enough of the classic characters. I found the plot moved along, but I did not seem to like it as much. I also am not a big fan of the main romance in this series. It’s not bad, but it does not interest me like the romances in previous books. The two lovers main conflict seems to be their misunderstanding of their commitment. Their chemistry is alright but is not as interesting as Soap/Ria or Maccon/Alexia.

The second book was better. Primarily because there were more characters from the previous books. It ties the knot in a couple of character’s lives. It was further world building. I really looked forward to reading the next book when it finished.

Read June 29-July 2, 2017 and July 2, 2017.

I realized the other month that I hadn’t been catching up to the Gail Carriger’s steampunk supernatural series. This is the last book in the Finishing school series.

Carriger’s books are simply fun if you’re into steampunk, Victorian times, and supernatural creatures. The books do not take themselves too seriously. I liked the ending of these books. I liked Ria as a protagonist and want more. I am glad Carriger never drags her series out and actually focuses on other characters in the universe. I’ll start the Custard series next.

Read June 20-25, 2017.

This is a fun nostalgic our of beauty and skincare products. Each page has one entry on a product that was iconic to the industry and beauty in some way.

I have been following Sali Hughes’ Guardian coloumn for years and always enjoyed her thoughtful and informative writing about beauty, skincare, and fragrances. It helps we have some similar tastes.

Some of these items are unknown to me due to generational and geographic reasons. Hughes emphasizes that this is a personal journey and it is. It’s actually part of the charm of this book. She includes most of these entries because of how they remind of her of growing up and the earlier days of her career.

As a book of products, I noted a few that I have used and liked mostly. I also made a long list of things to try or at least sample in the case of fragrances. One of the fragrances listed in the book is my current winter fragrance and found from Hughes’ coloumn.

If you have any semblance of interest in personal care products, this is a great little book to explore them.

Read June 19-18, 2017.

This is my third Gretchen Rubin book. I think I like this one less than her last two on happiness, but it’s still a good book. While Rubin’s nature is more extreme than a lot of people, I actually relate a lot to her in a few ways. We both like research, analysis, introspection, and literature. She is a personal writer too and most of the books have a memoirs and reflective nature similar to journaling. Her writing is quite life affirming as well. I do not buy all the things she advocates, but she is very thorough and reflective.

There were a couple of good tips about habit forming such as starting small, scheduling leisure activities (been trying to do more of this lately), pairing activities/habits, and not giving rewards but giving treats. I have found that when I make a goal, I think the goal itself should be the reward rather than getting myself anything. Rubin’s books often stir my own constant self-awareness and introspection. I like it reflected back to me when I read a book.

This book also introduced the Four Tendencies. I am a Questioner which doesn’t surprise me. I’m probably a more in depth questioner than most. Rubin will have a new book out exploring these tendencies later in the fall.

Alright and easy read for me. I do like the use of quotations.

Read February 14-23, 2017.