So after voting to read that terrible book, The Passage. This month that book group voted for The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Sounded to me like the zany adventures of Walter Gump (Mitty/Forest). The one guy assured me it wasn't and compared it to Douglas Adams. I read the free kindle sample. He steals a suitcase that it turns out was owned by some hardened criminal who is now after him and it's some kind of comedy and I've seen this movie many a time already, why would I want to read a book that adds nothing to many light movies I've already seen. Movies I can't remember the name of. Like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but with less of an edge I guess. Stupid book. A best seller of course. And I'm done with that book club. They're just going to pick best sellers every month.

And it's nothing like Douglas Adams. That guy is an idiot to make that comparison. Lost all respect for him by saying that. It's similar in that they're both attempting to be funny. What the fuck?

Instead I read my own suggestion, The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman. It jumped around a bit much. Also gore and excessive killing isn't really my thing. But he really brought the characters to life. Such details of their life. So real. Felt the mother's anguish for her son more so than just about in any other book. All the little details she remembered about him made him so real. And so it was with just about everyone. He made them real and such a good ending too.

All in all not quite as good as Lesser Dead because of the way it jumped around. Also the bad guys weren't as cool, interesting, etc as in Lesser Dead. Really they were dumbasses. But still a good book.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang.
Reading of course because I'm a near ethical vegan. Really boring book. Boring characters. Don't care about them. Quit 60% in. Not much worth saying. Artist guy just seems like a pervert. The lady who went vegan ought to be able to explain why at least somewhat. Otherwise I'd divorce her too and I even am a vegan. So she's just annoying. Blah.

The Age of Myth by Michael Sullivan.
Pretentious title. Was a nice book though. Unfortunately first of a series that isn't finished yet. And I barely remembered the book until opening it back up. Can't remember anyone's name. Guy kills a "god". Everyone thought they were immortal but they weren't. Little village. Now "gods" are pissed. But end up having one of them helping them. Silly little book but was enjoyable.

SPQR by Mary Beard
Thought from the NPR interview she'd spend way more talking about how the actual people lived but so far it's just been endless rulers/politics. Kind of stopped 52% in. I guess I'll try a bit more. She does say unfortunately that's just what we know about. Don't know as much about the actual people. Both she and Michael Parenti basically make Cicero sound like an asshole. I guess it's a good history.

Now trying out the "handshake grip" that Connors used. Between an eastern and continental but very close to eastern. Trying to just hit pretty flat and also hit two hands on backhand with arms very straight.

Christopher Buehlman. Read his four books. The Lesser Dead is very good. The medieval plague one (Between Two Fires) was pretty good although the characters weren't as realistic as in the Lesser Dead. The werewolf one (Those Across the River) was pretty good. The 30's South was well done and very realistic characters. It had very little of the supernatural in it though. The Necromancer's House was kind of cute. Very inventive but in some way not terribly serious. Lesser Dead was the best of the bunch. And that's all he's written so far. So that's that.

I'd rank them Lesser Dead, Necromancer's House, Those Across the River and Between Two Fires is last. Although 14th century with the Black Death is a great time period. The characters just aren't as real. Maybe too much of the supernatural and killing right from the beginning.

Very happy with the warmer weather. Hawthy is waxing. Disowned parents but said they can still see Hawthy. Which means they might pull me back in for more hell. But I tried to say very cruel things to make that less likely (was pretty honesty). They have driven me to the edge. If they were anyone other than my parents I certainly would have no association with them long ago. If they cared, they'd just leave me alone. But they don't listen. (the problem in the first place). Completely ignore whatever I say. And continue to try to force me into dangerous situations. Or manipulate me into them. I really should be allowed to simply not be around them. A point is reached where it's incredibly stupid to continue playing with fire. Told them if I inherit any of the millions I won't accept it. But for Hawthy's sake maybe that was wrong to say.

Since I had kidney stones and spent a couple weeks in bed last summer I've pretty much quit playing the cello. And since I started playing tennis I've gone running less and less. Especially with the winter as I get so sick of the treadmill. With the birth of Hawthy I've especially gotten bad at these things and have really become very unhappy. Really having a pessimistic outlook.

This evening, instead of spending time with Hawthy, I got back from Cali, took a nap (couldn't sleep on the red eye) and went for a 50 minute run and then pulled out the cello.

I feel so much better. Though J guilts me. I have to get a couple runs in every week and keep playing the cello. On days I work I'm going to feel bad, not to mention J will continue to guilt me, but I HAVE to. Otherwise I just drive myself so far down.

I could say a lot of negative things about the cello. But it does something very positive for me that other music stuff doesn't. Do want to get a piano though, will have to see how that compares. Of course I have a bunch of synthesizers... lol. I never truly play them... Maybe should try to at least play some Muzio Clementi on them....

Read a couple Anne Bishop books. Daughter of the Blood and most of Heir to the Shadows. It's a dystopian world, which is good. Negatives include so little mention of normal people I wasn't entirely sure they even existed. Really counters the whole dystopian world thing. More like it's dystopian for a few people, no idea what it's actually like for the majority. And in some ways it's incredibly sappy. Very YA at the same time there's a lot of rape/sex. What especially hurts it is that I started instead reading The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman which is written so much better.