The Artificial Kid by Bruce Sterling

This cyberpunk story has a lot going for it. Action, crime, bio-hacking, coming-of-age, social media, and kill streaming. It's not kill streaming, but that's kind of what it is. Yeah, The Artificial Kid was very imaginative and forward thinking, keeping your attention as you try not to trip on the unexplained oddities in Sterling's world. If you like sci-fi of any kind, you should give Bruce some time.

Tommy's Pizza of Cranston, RI

You read that correctly, Rhode Island and Connecticut both have their own signature style of pizza. Tommy's gave us a ratio* of 3cr/3ce/2ch, though the standard tomato pie comes with no cheese at all. I got cheese on half to give myself a full assessment, and because cheese is festive and delicious.

Their crust gets a 4 out of 5. Baked on what I assume is a sheet pan, I found it to be texturally perfect. Chewy, gooey, and crispy. However, there wasn't a lot of flavor to it. Maybe it would be better if it rested in the fridge a couple more days. Tommy's sauce gets a 5 out of 5. It's savory without ever being overbearing, with a perfect texture.

For style I'll give Tommy's a 4 out of 5. A normal square pizza with no cheese isn't a very creative or original thing. In my vegan days I had plenty of cheeseless pies, only I added mushrooms to them. Tommy's house is a no-frills kind of joint that would rather sell you some fish and a bottle of wine than an ice cream cone delivered by model train. That's okay. I could eat there all the time if only I lived closer.

Tommy's gets a 5/5 for quality. My pizza was delicious, without a less than awesome bite. With a final score of 90% I'll be for sure telling my grandma about this place.

*Let me explain my ratio system, regarding mass of standard Pizza Elements. Cr=Crust. Ce=Sauce. Ch=Cheese.

For CR (CRust), 1 is the equivalent of a transparent pizza in the New York style, or the rolled-out, crackery Saint Louis style. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed Pizza. 4 would be like a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and 5 would be like a Sicilian Pizza or some varieties of Deep Dish.

For Ce (sauCE), 1 would be a watery sauce with a thin spreading, no clumping and no oozing. In this cause, the sauce is an afterthought, more like oregano than a key ingredient. 3 would be what you'd expect from a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. 5 would require a fork to eat.

For CH (CHeese), 1 would be a transparent layer, mostly existing to assure you that your pizza indeed Does have cheese on it. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed pizza. 4 would be what you get on a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. And 5 would be what you get in a pizza that requires a fork to eat, like a respectable Deep Dish Pie.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

I did not know there was a movie based on this book until after I read it. I started the movie, but didn't finish it. I wonder if you've seen it. Here we have a story about a woman who gave up a lot to please her husband and be there for her evil son. The evil son completely ruins his mom's life, and in the end all they have is each other. That's how family works, for better or worse. Does that count as a spoiler? I read this one pretty quick, as it's quite juicy. It was well done, but definitely not a light, cozy experience.

Sally's Apizza of New Haven, CT

If you have an interest in regional pizza flavors, you've probably heard of the New Haven Tomato Pie, or something similar. So Sally's Tomato Pie with Mozzarella has a ratio* of 1.5cr/2ce/.5ch. That's right, you can't very well see the cheese on this apizza, but it's there with some 'slice pull', adding enough flavor to bring it all home.

Sally's crust gets a 4 out of 5. It's very chewy with lots of char, which isn't everyone's thing. I think the char adds some complexity to the flavor profile, as the sauce can be quite sweet. However, a burnt crust without sauce is pretty unenjoyable and I don't think I can get into heaven unless I eat my crust. You will also get some flour in your mouth, which is normal for neapolitan pizza, but I don't love that feel. However, the goo is there and the goo is if great import.

Sally's sauce gets a 5 out of 5. It's sweet, simple, savory, and perfect. In combination with everything, it's a heavenly bite. For style, I give Sally's a 4 out of 5. It certainly has a style, but $25 is a lot for a 16" pizza with no topppings. But there was a line around the block for it, so I don't blame them for charging so much. I wonder if this exact kind of pizza could succeed so well in other spots. For Quality, I see no reason not to give Sally's a 5 out of 5. They really know what they're doing and they do it right. With a final score of 90%, I'd recommend this spot to anyone who claims to like pizza. My friend John said it was so good, he ate so much it made him sick. I hope that doesn't happen to me.

* Let me explain my ratio system, regarding mass of standard Pizza Elements. Cr=Crust. Ce=Sauce. Ch=Cheese.

For CR (CRust), 1 is the equivalent of a transparent pizza in the New York style, or the rolled-out, crackery Saint Louis style. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed Pizza. 4 would be like a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and 5 would be like a Sicilian Pizza or some varieties of Deep Dish.

For Ce (sauCE), 1 would be a watery sauce with a thin spreading, no clumping and no oozing. In this cause, the sauce is an afterthought, more like oregano than a key ingredient. 3 would be what you'd expect from a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. 5 would require a fork to eat.

For CH (CHeese), 1 would be a transparent layer, mostly existing to assure you that your pizza indeed Does have cheese on it. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed pizza. 4 would be what you get on a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. And 5 would be what you get in a pizza that requires a fork to eat, like a respectable Deep Dish Pie.

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

This book is long, like an epic fantasy. But is it epic? It mostly takes place in one big fantasy city with a gang of variously powered 'allowmancers' working together on a classic Heist. Our main hero is a messiah-type man, and our fledgling hero is a very unfortunate young woman named Vin who gets all the powers and a solid hunk of wish-fulfillment. I think of this book was made into a movie, she'd be played by the next Rachel Leigh Cook or something. For a modern all-ages fantasy, there was a good bit of allegory in this book regarding class divide and problematic power structures. The hard magic of Allowmancy drives the exciting plot twists in a way that is very satisfying. Is Mistborn my thing? Not really. But I will say it's well done and you should read it if this Is your thin.

River of Shadows by Karena Halle

I was always intrigued by Romantasy as a genre, like smut with humans and fantasy creatures sounds great. But we end up with some fifty shades-type scenario where a regular self insert softens the heart of an evil god. This one has a lot of finnish mythology stuff in it. If you found something deeper, please let me know. I'd love to find a fantasy novel that is romance heavy without falling into this basic format.

Ledo Pizza of Ocean City, MD

Did you know there's a Maryland Style Pizza? Now you do. Ledo Pizza has a ratio of 1.5cr/2ce/2ch. The crust gets a 3 out of 5, which is the main thing that makes this style of pizza. It's thin, sweet, and kind of biscuit-like. And it's good, but I'd prefer a little more chew. The lack of chewiness did give more power to the flavor of its sauce, which gets a 5 out of 5, which might be a bit generous. I may be compensating for the harshness of the crust's 3. But! The sauce is a perfect consistency, and it's also sweet. There's no spice and saltiness in this experience.

For style, I give Ledo Pizza a 4 out of 5. It's different in a generally good way. I wish I could try everything on their menu. And they gave me a really big side of sauce, which is a big deal, and may also contribute to their quality score which is 5 out of 5. If you've ever been to Ocean City, you might guess there's no industry outside of food and hospitality. So the people making food are doing it right. With an overall score of 85% I'd love to try Ledo's again, but there's another region chain I may not get to on this voyage. Stay tuned to see if I ever get to experience Grotto Pizza.

* Let me explain my ratio system, regarding mass of standard Pizza Elements. Cr=Crust. Ce=Sauce. Ch=Cheese.

For CR (CRust), 1 is the equivalent of a transparent pizza in the New York style, or the rolled-out, crackery Saint Louis style. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed Pizza. 4 would be like a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and 5 would be like a Sicilian Pizza or some varieties of Deep Dish.

For Ce (sauCE), 1 would be a watery sauce with a thin spreading, no clumping and no oozing. In this cause, the sauce is an afterthought, more like oregano than a key ingredient. 3 would be what you'd expect from a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. 5 would require a fork to eat.

For CH (CHeese), 1 would be a transparent layer, mostly existing to assure you that your pizza indeed Does have cheese on it. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed pizza. 4 would be what you get on a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. And 5 would be what you get in a pizza that requires a fork to eat, like a respectable Deep Dish Pie.

Wegman's Pizza of Raleigh, NC

Before yesterday I'd never been to a Wegmans, which is the nicest grocery store I've been to in my humble 40 years. They sell pizzas of every general variety. Nothing too crazy. I could loiter here all day, at Wegman's wonderful 'cafe' area, where you can buy most types of hot food. My slice had a ratio of 3cr/2ce/3ch.

The crust gets a 3 out of 5. Texturally it's very good, though a hair on the dry side. There isn't much flavor to it. The sauce gets a 4 out of 5. It's sweet and adequately thick, minding me of what I might get at Chuck E. Cheese's.

For style, I'll give Wegman's a 3 out of 5. It's a grocery store pizza, so I wouldn't expect them to do anything that stands out. I like that I can quickly buy my slice and sit wherever I want with nobody asking me to tip. I wish it was cheaper, since quantity-wise it's about the same value as a slice from 7-11. I give Wegman's a 5 out of 5 for quality. I figure the quality might falter if they were making a couple hundred pizzas to order every day, but they're not. And it seems like the nice old ladies making the pizzas have one very simple job to do and they do it well.

With an overall score of 75%, I likely will eat Wegman's again if Pizza is what I'm having and there's a less enticing option. I know Raleigh has pizzas galore, but I'm not sure where to find an old local staple.

* Let me explain my ratio system, regarding mass of standard Pizza Elements. Cr=Crust. Ce=Sauce. Ch=Cheese.

For CR (CRust), 1 is the equivalent of a transparent pizza in the New York style, or the rolled-out, crackery Saint Louis style. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed Pizza. 4 would be like a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and 5 would be like a Sicilian Pizza or some varieties of Deep Dish.

For Ce (sauCE), 1 would be a watery sauce with a thin spreading, no clumping and no oozing. In this cause, the sauce is an afterthought, more like oregano than a key ingredient. 3 would be what you'd expect from a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. 5 would require a fork to eat.

For CH (CHeese), 1 would be a transparent layer, mostly existing to assure you that your pizza indeed Does have cheese on it. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed pizza. 4 would be what you get on a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. And 5 would be what you get in a pizza that requires a fork to eat, like a respectable Deep Dish Pie.