nearly caught up.

Paleofantasy: What evolution really tells us about sex, diet, and how we live by Marlene Zuk.  After all the specialized diet and anti-inflammatory books I've been reading, I was hoping for more "do this, eat this, don't do that" instruction, which is not how this book is set up. Instead, it's a synopsis of research in a number of areas. Frustratingly for me, there isn't a list of "good" and "bad" foods and activities. But good for everyone is that the book presents information, with sources, that readers can use to influence their own decisions. Probably best for people thinking about Paleo but who aren't in the midst of trying to diagnose what my doctor has labeled "non-text book illness."

Assassination vacation by Sarah Vowell.  The family was in a groove for a few weeks, in which the boy would quickly and happily complete his chores, homework, and music practice every night in time to watch a episode or two of SG-1 with his dad. I watched through season 7 or 8 years ago and, although I liked them, I wasn't particularly interested in watching them again, which leaves me lots of time to watch TV on my own or listen to audiobooks. Once I started this one, though, not only did I get into it and find extra time for it, but my husband became interested as well; extra time with the audiobook supplanted our usual after-bedtime /Star Trek/ episode.

I thought it was an interesting choice for the author to also do the narration, since she doesn't have what one might normally think of as a voice-actor-type voice. Although I guess she does stuff on the radio, so maybe it seemed like a more natural extension for her; I was just a bit surprised. Partly because of her voice and partly because of her accent, it was sometimes difficult to understand her, but we muddled along ok.

Interesting and enjoyable; am looking for a few of her other audios through OverDrive.

Bobiverse series: We are legion (We are Bob), For we are many, and All these worlds by Dennis E. Taylor.  Highly recommended for laid-back sci-fi fans (that's both laid-back fans and fans of laid-back writing).  Overall, it's a little difficult to follow the scope-- the interplanetary distances and the time taken to achieve them seem a little glossed-over; a large number of characters quickly populate the universe, too, and it's a little tough to remember which of the infrequently-mentioned characters is which.  But the main characters are funny and the storylines invite some interesting questions.  It's a little meta in that the character(s) make some sci-fi jokes as they wander around the galaxy, but it's not Redshirts-meta.  Probably a good match for people who like Star Trek.  I've recommended the series to several coworkers.

Remedial rocket science and Intermediate thermodynamics by Susannah Nix.  It was pretty obvious right from the beginning where these stories were going, but that's kinda what I need right now.  (Warning: an amazing number of romance reviews are coming your way.)

These seem to be written for a New Adult audience, in addition to featuring New Adult characters.  With that in mind, the stories were surprisingly ... chaste.  Mostly fade-to-black kind of scenes, which was a little big surprising and perhaps refreshing.  The characters weren't particularly memorable but they seemed realistic enough-- certainly adequate for the genre.

Advanced physical chemistry by Susannah Nix.  This is book three in the series started directly above, but I've pulled it out because it is a surprising departure from the way the first two are set up.  The main difference is that the bedroom scenes are present.  They aren't cringily graphic, just there.  I also liked the main character more.  She seemed to have more depth; she was less cookie-cutter.  I was anticipating some stereotyping, based on how the author set her up, but she actually seems like a real person.  This is the best book of the three.

Record of a spaceborn few by Becky Chambers.  I was so excited to win an ARC from GoodReads, since it never came to NetGalley like previous installments.  (boo!)  I actually plan on reading this again very soon.  It feels very different from the first two books in the series, so I want to give it another go and make sure I get everything out of it.

The thing I struggled with primarily was the difference in scope. In books 1 and 2, we learn a lot about the cultures through a few specific people who are constantly interacting.  Both those books feel mostly like stories about those people. This book is way more a story about a culture, and a few people are selected as exemplars.  Although there aren't more characters to follow than in the first book, these characters barely interact with each other, so they seem more separate.  It's still a wonderfully complex universe and I want more by this author, like, yesterday.

The lady and the thief by Megan Derr.  So, so much is missing from this.  I didn't realize when I downloaded it that it was only a novella; there is an ok story in here, but it would have only benefited from more space.  First, the world-building gets no treatment.  It's pseudo-historical but obviously a bit fantastic.  This is marked as book 5 in a series, and based on character interactions, I'm guessing it's one of those series that just takes place in the same world, since nothing seemed to depend on earlier events.  It would be tempting to assume that all the world rules were established in previous installments.  However, based on how short the book was, and how little world-building appeared in this installment (i.e., none), it seems unlikely that clear backstory was given in previous novellas.

The plot, too, is rushed.  The characters lack depth, so their actions lack motivation, so the plot is hurried and pointless.

The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang.  Two coworkers spoke highly of this, so I was expecting greatness.  It's ok.  The female main character seems real enough (makes sense, since it's a little autobiographical), but the love interest is a cardboard cutout of a modern Prince Charming (maybe that also makes sense, if the author is on the Spectrum?).  Another New Adult romance set in California, which is quickly melting in with all the others in my memory; not much of a stand-out on any front.

The proposal by Jasmine Guillory.  A slightly better version of New Adult romance set in California-- the characters were more distinct and likable.  The family and friends aren't mass-produced background characters but individual and memorable.  Although of course the ending the expected, it's a fun read.

Unstuck: Your guide to the seven-stage journey out of depression by James S. Gordon.  My doctor recommended this because of the mind-gut connection.  Since the health of your gut can affect your mental state, her theory seems to be that it can work both ways.  That just seems like a mind-over-matter hope to me, and meditation and journaling have so far had no effect on my "non-textbook illness."

I would *never* recommend this book, particularly to anyone dealing with legitimate depression or other mental health concerns.  While multiple therapies can (and should?) be used in conjunction with medication, this author disparages the use of medications in treating mental illness.  Like other self-help books, all his methods are presented as being easy and having quick, clear results.  His examples of former patients always include a particular therapy (deep breathing, dance, exercise) as his first suggestion; the patient goes away, does the therapy religiously, and sees noticeable improvement by the time of the next office visit.

Like many self-help books, including several of the health books I've read this year, there's a certain implied responsibility on the reader, a certain level of "you deserve this" and "if you'd only try hard enough, you'd be well."  It's one thing to be a little irresponsible flirting with dairy if you're lactose intolerant; it seems like another class entirely to put the onus on the patient when it comes to depression and related mental illness.  Oh, still feeling a bit sad?  You obviously didn't [journal/breathe/run/swim/chat/meditate/yoga/etc.etc.etc.] hard enough.  All you have to do is get up and move, regardless that depression makes it nearly impossible to get out of bed.  Shame on you for not feeling like dancing.

It was also difficult to follow some of the author's ideas, since he co-opted religious terminology but assigned his own meanings.