And I get why Huffington wrote this: it's about how much harder it is to fall asleep, and sleep well, than it used to be.  Now we have all these toys with lights that keep us up.   But this was barely clever enough to keep my attention as an actual book - and I only say this because I respect Huffington and I expect more from her.   If I didn't thinks he was more clever, I wouldn't hold her to such a high standard.  

That being said, this is worth the free download for the introduction, which gives more of a history of sleep, albeit a brief one, and more information about sleep.   Even the book itself gives some hints on how to sleep well - like what she eats before bed that has melatonin in it.   Still, the introduction has the most information, and so smartly presented that I want to read her book on sleep now.  

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I'm glad I read it - just for the introduction.   It's cute for what it was, but I think I was expecting too much from this.   

I was really excited to read this book. I first saw that Rosanna Pansino of Nerdy Nummies was reading it and it looked intriguing. I haven't read a non-fiction book in years and I wanted to get back into it. So when I saw this at my library and I remember how Ro said she was enjoying it, I thought it was about time I read a bit of non-fiction about sleep. Sleep has always been an interesting topic for me since I rarely got any when I was younger and now I just crash on certain days. I wanted to know the science behind sleep and the history of it, too. And this book provides that... for the first half anyway.

I really liked the amount of effort and research Arianna Huffington put into this book. You might know her from the Huffington Post. She is an incredibly smart woman and I enjoyed reading this book by her. However, I started to lose interest when it came to the anecdotes by various celebrities. I mean, when it started to get repetitive, when each celebrity interviewed kept saying, "I was a mess without sleep but now I feel great," I couldn't help but roll my eyes because at this point, we ALL know how important sleep is. What I wanted was what happens to the brain when you sleep or don't sleep and how, in some cultures, sleeping is used as a means to reach "another world." The History of Sleep! That's what I wanted to read, and like I said, I got that in the first half of the book. Not so much the second half.

Another problem I had with this book was how general it was. Separating people into "the rich, straight" category. To the "men and women" category. I wasn't too keen on how Huffington talked as if everyone had money and everyone was in a straight relationship. So a lot of the studies only included couples of men and women. But what about those in homosexual relationships or those who can't afford expensive sleep treatment? *Sighs* As much as I can tell she did a lot of research for this book, it was very much catered to a specific audience, which really bothered me.

I do appreciate Huffington for including all her resources and articles where she found out all this information so if you wanted to continue learning about the topic, you can. I really did like this book and if you want to learn more about sleep and don't mind having celebrities telling you what you already know then I recommend you give this a shot. Might learn a bit more about your own sleeping patterns in the process.

The Original Article

The ones that caught my eye:

Because of all the delicious controversy surrounding its genre-bending yet fantasy-bashing properties!

Because its description sounds yummy and I may use it to satisfy my own rule of reading non-fiction every now and then AND get away with it! 

"The Farallon Islands — a dangerous and unwelcoming little cluster of isles off the coast of California — is populated only by its wildlife and a small clique of scientists. That is, until Miranda, an emotionally adrift photographer, manages to secure permission to spend a year documenting the natural wonders of the archipelago. To the trained biologists, long accustomed to wearing protective gear against vicious bird attacks whenever they leave shelter, Miranda seems naive to the life-threatening realities of their environment — especially with real medical help so far away. Then, Miranda is assaulted by one of the scientists; not long after, he’s found dead. Is this a karmic revenge enacted by the ruthless forces of the island, or a very human revenge? It’s hard to stop turning pages as Geni leaves us wondering whether Miranda’s honesty and even her memory can be trusted, and as the natural perils of the Farallon Islands loom so ominous that getting out safe seems impossible."

Because, look: "In an interview with HuffPost, Ball explained that he likes writing quick reads — that books have to compete with other forms of entertainment, and in order to do so they should be like firecrackers with a short fuse." and again, because I can use it to claim I read YA!

Because of all the sci-fi-ey goodness!

That says it all:

"...a classic Austenian social set-up, but in Stillman’s hands it’s injected with more scandalous drama, more malice, an anti-heroine, and a bumbling, oblivious Mr. Collins type as the unctuous narrator. Love and Friendship offers a darker brand of comedy than Austen, and a thriller-esque narrative that entices readers to find out who will come out on top and whose social stratagems will be foiled. And then, well, you can Netflix and chill with the movie."

Because there is something about the way Novik writes that attracts me even if I cannot get into the Temeraire series.

Because I have wanted to read the first book forever but it looks like this can be read as a stand-alone. What fun!

That was my list. Which ones would you have picked? None or all?

This is unintentionally humorous. For example:

"Bookshelves are not just for books," Berkus says. On his shelves, Berkus has framed family photos, a piece of coral bought at a flea market, a small figurine brought back from vacation, and some hidden treasures picked up a garage sale.

In my reality, this would only work if I piled even more of my books in my closet than are already there. My bookshelves are as full as I can make them. There is literally no room to artfully display a figurine or a picture frame. What's the point of my bookcases if they're not storing as much of my ridiculously large library as possible?

**ETA: the orignal post erroneously stated that Courtney Milan was being sued by Tina Engler.  It has been amended to Jane Litte.**

"...an Internet where everyone's free to be their badass selves..." (unless you don't like something or choose to be critical)

On April 21, HuffPost ran an article about a group called HollaBack- that largely focuses on street harassment complaints- that's currently running a (successful) Kickstarter campaign to launch HeartMob- an online site to combat cyber-bullying.  Check the video in the link.

You know what they say about the Road to Hell, right? This is a catastrophe waiting to happen, no way around it. Being a natural skeptic and cynic, thanks to Anne Rice and a host of others the Internet's done nothing but reinforce and hone these senses. The problem here, as in most cases, is not so much the idea but the (lack of) execution. The Devil's always in the details, and a few key ones are glaringly absent from all the warm and fuzzy.

When you read throught their fanfare and propaganda- because that's what it is- you'll be quick to note a few things. First off- the lack of affiliation with any reputable or established anti-bullying/harassment organizations. Yes, it's a grassroots organization... yes, it's some concerned citizens taking action against something they feel is wrong... but few of the groups who could help them out are having anything to do with them. There's any number or reasons for this, but to me it's just not a good sign, especially for a group that been around a couple of years.

Second- the lack of any vetting or a system of checks & balances regarding complaints. I searched through all their info and couldn't find anything referring to a verification process. Any blogger or reviewer can speak volumes to the current climate regarding online book reviews; it's a sorry state where many authors feel justified in falsely accusing people of 'bullying' for receiving a bad review. By HeartMob's own admission, all you have to do is contact them and they've got your back- no questions asked.

Not a single one. Well, other than how you'd like to proceed, that is.

You can be lying through your teeth and they won't care. They'll be sure to protect your identity and information- because no one should be bullied for contacting them for help; they just won't bother to examine anything that you tell them. But they're ready to assist you in going after your enemies, though. So if you want a ready-made street team to attack a reviewer or flame that guy you're arguing with in a chatroom, they'll have operators standing by. HeartMob looks to be nothing more than a crying corner for anyone to come and whine about all the meanie pants of the world.

One of their own 'stories' shows this: a woman talks about some looneytune out on the street shouting things at her. He never approached her, never threatened her- just talked shit. I'm sorry- but how does this rate any attention whatsoever? I'm dead serious- who gives a fuck? Who hasn't had this happen to them? And this is one of their recruitment tools.

And I hate to keep harping on this, but just try to imagine the kind of damage that could've been done had Lauren Howard had a site like this to run to during her epic run. Or Tina Engler/Jaid Black with her current lawsuit against Jane Litte? Or any Gamergater? How about any of those people (sic) over at STGRB?

It shouldn't have to fall to the likes of me or anyone else to point these things out. All these thing should've been part of their business model. Especially as a non-profit, where all their practices will be available for public scrutiny, they're already off to a shaky start. Not saying that it can't get better or that it won't eventually all sort itself out, but I don't have any confidence in this already half-assed, Time Out for Adults site.