@internrachel @julia1

Last week, I read a totally charming book called Paint by Number: The How-To Crazy that Swept the Nation by William L Bird. As the title implies, this book deals with the cultural significance and history of paint by numbers. Approximately 40% of this book is pictures which makes this reading experience both informative and visually fun. Based on the description, I was sort of afraid this book would only be about paint by numbers from a business perspective, but it also deals with questions of artistic value and the need to have a creative outlet…all in relation to paint by numbers. At 144 pages, it felt very short.

And last month, based on a comment in one of the Open Threads, I read How I Paid For College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater by Marc Acito. I really hoped it would help me figure out how to pay my bills, but it’s just a cute book about teenagers singing, drinking, and embezzling money. There are several queer characters and their queerness is never an Issue: they’re too busy stealing things and breaking hearts. It is 288 pages.