I was not a fan of that movie, and that scene just sealed it because while everybody else was horrified, I was howling with laughter. So, I guess that makes at least 3 of us. . . .

Haha I'm forced to hate watch Scorpion because my family watches it!

Sign me up! It sounds relentlessly—and entertainingly—awful.

Thanks so much! Definitely going to give those authors a try!

I'm really looking forward to Allie Brosh's new book, Solutions and Other Problems, because I always love her stuff.

The Great Mortality? Nope it's nonfiction! I haven't read it in several years, but I remember it being a very readable blend of science and history.

When you finish Barchester Towers, there's a delightful BBC miniseries adaptation of it from the 80s that stars a young Alan Rickman as Slope. I read Barchester Towers earlier this year after enjoying The Warden a few years ago in a British Novels class, and I really enjoyed the book. The show is pretty good too and…

I've been wanting to read that Mary Beard book on Rome but hadn't had the chance to hear anyone's opinion on it. Excited to hear that it's good!

Same here! I tend to be really bad about getting curious and googling in the middle of reading and watching. But the handful of things where I have refrained from that have been so much more enjoyable precisely because I didn't know what to expect that I am trying to have more self-discipline.

It depends on what mood I'm in because I'm in the middle of several series, and finishing them may or may not be a priority.

That Bulgakov book has been on my to-read list for awhile! I really need to read it.

I wasn't impressed with it either when I read it last month. I'm glad I read a library copy and didn't purchase it.

I've been in a European crime mood, so I started Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series about a week ago. I've read the first couple of books and have enjoyed them and am looking forward to reading the others. Makes me want to revisit my all-time favorite Scandinavian murder mystery series, Karin…

That was always my thought too.

And every time she travels, people die! It's never an off-day for the world's most prolific serial killer. . . .

The book was the same way. I skimmed it, admittedly, out of curiosity, but holy hell, I didn't know there could be so many meandering, mundane conversations. I kept thinking, "People find this shit sexy?"

My pet theory about her is she's the world's most prolific serial killer and has framed all of the people she accused.

Your mom sounds awesome! :)

That makes sense. I've wondered if being on camera had that effect on people—and it wouldn't surprise me if people were encouraged to act like that on shows like Springer's.

That was something that always made me hate Maury far worse than Jerry Springer. (I watched an embarrassing number of episodes of both of their shows instead of writing my thesis in grad school.)