Not sure what to think of Chuck Klosterman's first novel. It's a very compelling story, and the characters are all unique and intriguing. However, Klosterman's style didn't change much from his nonfiction books, and sometimes the characters' thoughts or conversations were awkward. The musical and pop culture allusions were awkward, clearly trying to appeal to his original fanbase. I would like to see more novels from him though - he knows how to create multilayered characters and build a page-turner.

This book was much better than I thought it would be. At first I thought I didn't recognize the names of many of the people interviewed, but after reading their bios, all of their work is comedy that everyone knows. Everyone included here is extraordinarily accomplished in their field(s), and are very open about their experiences. While most of them were not laugh out loud funny, they are smart and clever and willing to help younger generations succeed.

An insightful book about the recent history of many forms of independent art and expression. This book covered music, poetry, comics, traditional art, etc. In some ways, it was very nice that the author was a part of the movements she was discussing, but occasionally she had subjective views on the matter, which was distracting. I did enjoy reading about things that the author was clearly passionate about, and that she discussed a wide variety of topics and people, instead of sticking to the same three or four bands that indie history tends to latch onto. Very informative, very fun, and very optimistic.

I wanted to read this after reading the chapter about it in Full Frontal Feminism. In The Purity Myth, Valenti expands on the ideas she touched on there regarding society's view of female sexuality. It was a bit repetitive at times, and often shouting statistics I already know. However, I suspect that is a good thing. Valenti is trying to start something good here, and she has a great conversational way of presenting her argument - with fairly minimal snark too.