Why the female protagonist just doesn't do it for you

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to write a short article on a subject some of you brought up when Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros series came up in conversation (as a group, you converted me, and I really like the series) a few months ago. It's been in my head ever since. The brief subject was, "I will never read a book with a female lead character and only read books with male lead characters."

Can you tell me more about this? Why this is so? Have you ever broken your own rule, and regretted it, or did not regret reading a female protag lead book but figured it was a fluke and you wouldn't do it again? Or the female POV just isn't interesting to you, even if the male POV is written by a woman (which you'd figure, is filtered through a female's POV anyhow).

All I have to go on are the reasons *I* think why, but I'd like to hear your own reasons, if you wouldn't mind telling me more about it. I think it's fascinating. I'm kind of in the same camp, but I have my own biases.

(no subject)

I went to see a doctor earlier on Thursday and did the usual weigh-in deal. The weekend with my kids tired me out, and I had my finals and steno practice and general anxiety to deal with, and had appointments that ate up my time, so I skipped going to the YMCA to go on the bike. But I did get weighed at the doctor's (like I said). At 9am, I clocked in at 172.5 exactly on their digital scale. I don't know how I measure up on the YMCA scale, since I haven't been there all week. I wasn't thrilled, but then, what can I expect when I haven't watched the intake and the exercise?

I have gone back to recording food. Tomorrow morning, I'm back at the YMCA. It's amazingly easy to knock me off a early-building habit like this. I'm not happy with myself when I don't do what I promised myself I'd do (lose a certain amount by a certain time) but I KNOW it can be done, if I just do it.

This is a pep talk for myself.

The Monday after we got back from camping, I was all sorts of weird achey all over--particularly my spine. It didn't hurt, really, but it felt out of alignment, or something. It didn't feel better until after I took two Aleve pills. I love my Honda Civic, but man, the seat is wearing my back out on long drives. Next car I can afford to buy is going to be a Pilot or an Element or a RAV 4 type vehicle, sad to say. A car with more back support.

One thing I've never been able to understand is, how do people do those exercise DVD/videos at home, all by themselves? How do they keep it up? My sister can. My sister-in-law does (or used to). I just don't get it. I've bought DVDs but, of course, I feel utterly stupid in front of the TV, craning my neck to see what the woman up on the screen is doing so I can follow.

Of course, now that the pressure is off on getting homework done and mailed, I think I'm going to be able to mentally deal with going into the YMCA and doing some of their classes that start at 9:30am.  It's amazing how many women are there. And they're not all old women, either. It's astonishing how many women my age, or younger, are there, bopping away, sweating with the weights and on their way to fabulousity.

Anyhow, that's it for today. More tomorrow when I finally get up the nerve to go to a class and do the "Ab's Only" routine. Holy crap. I'll be lucky if I make it through 15 minutes of that class.

Monday is Movie Day! (I think)

Around noontime, I am going to haul my butt down to the theater (hopefully the Guy can come, but I don't think so) and go see Star Trek. I did tell the Guy that since he's seen so many movies without me, but with his friends, THIS TIME I want to see the movie, too, damn it. Not a huge movie-goer here; and I did ask him to wait to go with me. I'll see what he says about tomorrow. The main problem is, the rest of the week is rife with doctor's appointments (my, Mermaid's, etc) and the movie's first showing is at 12:30! In the afternoon!