Palimpest

Palimpest by Catherynne M. Valente

A while ago I decided to try to mix up what I was reading, so I decided to try to new types of books. Thus looked over some award lists and what have you and ordered about 15 some books about 3 month ago. I have read most of them and will discuss some over the next few posts. The one I completed most recently is Palimpsest.
Palimpsest has an intriguing premise, where in one has to have sex with a person with a specific map tattoo to travel to another world. You have to have sex with different people in order get a fuller map of the world to make it easier to see more. Many people really seemed to want to go to this world, but I never really understood the draw. The world seemed difficult and not that interesting (other than the living subways), but most people were trying to escape something in this world.
The book is also quite full of many of sex scenes (20+), but not in a good way. There are about all types of sex, but all are very matter of fact and not very erotic in any way.
Overall at the end, which I only finished because of a long plane delay in Miami (see my wife Toni’s Blog with some discussion of the Everglades (http://tonitopics.blogspot.com/), I was left with the though of what was the point of the book.



Books I am currently reading
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Einstein – may never finish this one
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - rereading
Accelerando – by Charles Stross
A book about Alaskan Natives
A book about Rome between Commodious and Constantine

Sweetwater Brewery

A couple of days ago the latest Atlanta Magazine http://www.atlantamagazine.com/ which listed 67 things everyone should do in Atlanta. My family and I moved to Atlanta about 18 months ago and are still learning our way around town and the list seemed like a good guide. One of the first things that caught our eye was a brewery tour of the Sweeetwater Brewery http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/.

The brewery was packed with 200+ people. We were surprised so may people wanted a tour, but turns out that many people come there to just drink. The tour is $8 and includes 6 5.5 oz pours and people like to hang out there.

I tried all 5 beers.
Over all I was not a big fan of Sweetwater due to the heavy hop nature of the beers. I tend to like light hops, Bocks, ESB etc

SweetWater Blue - light ale with very nice aroma of blueberries. Started with a taste of blueberries, but did not last long. Favorite beer I tried. 5/10.
SweetWater 420 - Light Pale ale, heavy hops. Slight bitterness. 3/10.
SweetWater Georgia Brown - nutty brown ale with hops. 3.5/10.
SweetWater Happy Ending - Imperial Stout. Very rich flavor, very heavy texture. Very dark. Nice beer first time, but did not hold up on retaste. 4.5/10.
SweetWater IPA - light pale ale heavy hops. Highly bitter. Not a favorite. 2/10.