Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb

Click here to pre-order from Amazon, if you'd like.

I asked NetGalley for a copy of the "Fool's Assassin" advanced reader's copy by Robin Hobb with little hope of receiving it. I was new to the site, had given no feedback on anything, and had received no approvals up to that point. I just didn't believe there was any way I would get approved.

The moment I got the approval and downloaded the book onto my Kindle, I stopped reading any other book on my reading list and started reading this every moment I could spare. Before bed, I was back in the world I love, created by Ms. Hobb.

And it was everything I wanted it to be. The characters I've grown to love and understand were back. They were still the people I loved; time away from the world has not changed them more than time would change anybody.

I know; I talk about them like they're real. I do that because Robin Hobb is such an amazing author that I feel like I know these people, not just like I've read about them. I cry when they hurt, I laugh with joy when the world does the right things for them and everything falls their way.

If you've read the previous books in this series and loved them, you will love Fool's Assassin. If you've read them then you'll also understand when I say that you will also hate Fool's Assassin. You will curse Robin Hobb while loving her, and you will cry. Or if you're too manly for that then you'll at least grunt in pain for those that I cried for.

If you haven't read the previous book, you love fantasy and characters who are not just caricatures but real people with real flaws and real emotions, worlds that are full of legends and lore all to its own, start here.

I promise you won't be disappointed.

Influenster Vox Box: Speed Stick Gear

Recently I received my first free Vox Box from Influenster! I guess they think I could use a little help with my body odor because the box was Speed Stick Gear that came with two sticks of Speed Stick Gear, one scented "Clean Peak" and one "Fresh Force."

Each stick claims to offer 48 hours of total protection and I decided to really test that claim.

I'm a big guy and I sweat a lot with even the slightest physical activity so the test was going to be pretty thorough:

Since the deodorant claimed 48 hour protection I decided that I'd put it on for two days without refreshing it, and that the first day I'd just go about my normal day, which is fairly inactive. At the end of the first day I still smelled fine with no hint of that stale sweat smell that is so gross.

The next day, I played racquetball with my friend Dan.

It was the first time I've played racquetball in years. I definitely didn't have the reflexes or stamina I had four or five years ago. My friend Dan absolutely destroyed me on the court, without really breaking a sweat of his own.

I was sweating enough for both of us.

When I got home I decided that I'd take the plunge, so I sniffed. I sniffed hard.

It...wasn't bad.

There was a sweat smell but I wasn't expecting miracles from the Speed Stick Gear. It kept me fresh enough that I wasn't embarrassed by my smell when my friend Dan drove me home that night. I still needed a shower at the end of the night but anyone would have; it's not like putting on deodorant protects the REST of your body from sweat and smelliness.

Overall I'd say that Speed Stick Gear does its job just fine. I don't know that I'll be switching over to them, I like my Old Spice brand, but if I see Speed Stick Gear on sale at the store I'll gladly buy a few sticks.

Crest Spinbrush

 I feel kind of silly reviewing a toothbrush, but what a toothbrush!

I bought the Crest Spinbrush on a whim the other day; it was on sale and so were some replacement heads, plus I had heard from a few dentists lately that rotating brushes are definitely the best way to make sure your teeth are clean and healthy as long as you use soft bristles*. I thought "Sure, why not?"

It feels a little strange at first, putting a vibrating piece of plastic in your mouth and swishing it around. That feeling goes away after a day or two, even if it still elicits a few giggles from me. I'm ridiculous like that.

But the feeling of the brushing? That's kind of awesome.

I feel as though I'm polishing my teeth all over, like it's actually getting my mouth cleaner and healthier than regular brushing. My teeth simply feel cleaner, and it's a good feeling.

Yes, the Crest Spinbrush is more expensive than regular toothbrushes. My healthier, cleaner, and whiter teeth would argue that the expense is well worth it.

*This does not constitute advice; it's just something I've heard.

HabitRPG.com

Let me tell you something about myself, even though this isn't my personal blog: I'm not the most productive person in the world. Some people in my past life would have even gone so far as to say that I'm flat out lazy.

It's difficult for me to find the drive to finish projects. Oh, I start them a lot and get really excited about them, right up until I need to take the next step, at which point I lose my interest and just stop.

Or when it comes to the day-to-day things that I need to get done I just seem to forget that they need to get done and they linger in a zone of undoneness. It's a word.

Until recently.

About three weeks ago I discovered HabitRPG. For three weeks I've been more productive than any other productivity product has ever helped me be. The house is cleaner than it normally is, I've gained a few good habits (practicing poi/juggling every day, for example) and lessened a few bad ones (like overeating).

The thing I love most about HabitRPG, aside from it making productivity into a game, is how the "Dailies" work: I make a list of things I do at least once a week up to once a day, arrange the list how it works best for me, and then go through my day, step-by-step, with the list in front of me of what I need to get done that day. I've arranged it so that my daily to do list is in the order of the general flow of my day so I can just go down the list and check things off as they happen, then almost before I know it I'm done with everything I need to do and the day is done.

Meanwhile I'm leveling my character, destroying evil, buying new equipment, and talking/questing with the people in my party. It's social, fun, silly, and presses all the right buttons to get me to want to keep playing.

Yes, it still seems to be in an open beta phase; it's open-source and new things are being added all the time, which sometimes means a few bugs prop up. It's a little frustrating to find the tags (another way of ordering your to do lists) I've painstakingly set up on my tasks have been erased but that small frustration is well worth it.

I highly suggest giving the game a try. It may just change your life like it did mine. It sounds cliche but three weeks into it I have to say that it's shown me that I can be so much more than I have been up until now, and that's a life-changing realization if there ever is one.