This is my weekly series for subscribers only, where I’ll share things that caught my eye this week in a fun and flirty way (kiss), a sustainable way (marry), or a not-so-good way (kill). And yes, this trendy game is technically “f***, marry, or kill” but we run a family-friendly-ish show around here.
Kiss (things I like right now)
📕 Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn Saga Book 1), Brandon Sanderson (←read with my eyes)
After finishing the 3-book Empire of the Vampire series, I was distraught. I shared my love of Book 1 here, but the next two firmly solidified this as my favorite fantasy series of all time. So when I was done, I turned to Reddit/fantasybooks for help: “I’m in a deep book-hole of grief, because I know nothing I read will ever be this good. Do have suggestions for a series almost as good?”
People referred me to Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy legend who has written a metric f***ton of books. I’m not sure what led me to Mistborn, but I bought the first book and was immediately hooked.
The world is near-apocolyptic. Columns of ash blur out the sun and cover the ground while mysterious mists terrify people at night. The noble class are living large while the oppressed skaa toil relentlessly. Some people have magic—the ability to burn various metals to gain strength, speed, and senses. And one extra-magical skaa rebel wants to overthrow it all.
The world-building is insane; I don’t know how people come up with stuff like this. The characters have rich, deep storylines; and the tale has a number of unexpected (and brilliant) twists, turns, and surprises right up until the end. I love books that demonstrate so well that nobody is just one thing; that good and evil can coexist. The Mistborn series does a fantastic job with this, showing without telling.
There is no spice, for which I’m glad (the female main character is a 16-year-old girl). But there is plenty of love, lots of strategic magical fighting, treasure hunting, political strategizing, fascist government overthrowing, and weird-ass creatures. There are six books in the series, although the first three close one chapter, and the next move into a new group of characters. I’m not sure if I’ll continue, but I’d the series thus far was very good indeed, and definitely yanked me out of my post-Empire depression.
💇🏻♀️ The best smelling dry shampoo EVER
I’m famous for not using hair products. I shampoo, occasionally condition my ends, and then wait another 7 days (sometimes more) to wash again. I don’t use any styling products, hair spray, or hair oils. But I do keep dry shampoo in the rotation. I don’t use it often, but if my bangs are looking a little limp (usually around Day 5-6) I’ll give them a spritz at the roots.
I’ve tried a dozen dry shampoos. Some left too much of a white cast in my hair. Others left my hair feeling stiff. Still others had a horrible smell. I’d been using Perfect Hair Day, which works pretty well and smells pretty good. (It also comes in a travel size, which is a bonus.)
Then I was exposed to a new brand, and immediately fell in love. This stuff smells so good, I had a Starbucks barista comment from across the counter: “You smell amazing, what are you wearing?” I had just come from the gym—no lotion, perfume, or even smelly deodorant. It was just my dry shampoo, applied that morning. I leaned my head in just a little closer to confirm, after which she asked for the brand.