Review 678: The Elements of Marie Curie

The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Having read another biography of Marie Curie a few years back I had hoped for more than just that, and this book does provide more. There is some of the science that Marie Curie was involved in. The book also highlighted some of the women that came to Curie's laboratory and worked there, and what they worked on. I listened to the audiobook from the library, however had the print nearby as it contained many photos.

Review 674: Poverty, by America

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An excellent well written book. Perhaps I will return to say more, but for now, just go read this book.

Review 666: An Extraordinary Union

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm not a romance fan...if you are, this book may work for you. 

Review 658: The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: No Rating

Not rating this book since I didn't read it entirely. I actually read very little of it, but quickly realized this book won't work for me. For one, I'm not a fan of the style, the way the book was written. And secondly, not a fan of dramatized war books. Thirdly this is not a short book either, well over 500 pages or 17 hours. I was listening to the audiobook (audible gave it out free, this was years before their plus catalog of free titles).

It looks like a movie is being made, if it comes out I may watch it as 2 hours is easier than 17. But I don't know...

There was a reason this sat unread in my library for over 10 years. I read many reviews and they seem to be polarized on either end, and from them it confirmed my opinion this is one for me to skip.

Review 642: The Armchair Birder

The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds by John Yow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Just a few thoughts for now...This book was okay, but maybe I'm not the target audience. I'm not a birder, nor have the desire to become one. But I am interested in learning about birds, their lives, especially those common ones around us. This book does reveal some of that, but there are so many birds discussed the book seemed more like an encyclopedia or a compendium of birds. Each bird was not given much description and some was about how the author saw the bird, or what it did around his place.

Review 641: The Genome Defense

The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA by Jorge L. Contreras

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a bit outside my comfort zone. The subtitle did say what the book was about, the legal battle, so this was very law focused. The law suite was brought on by the ACLU against the company Myriad who had a patent for a genetic test. This was the BRCA test for breast cancer. Can companies patent DNA or test for DNA? There's a bit of science involved in the book, but it's mostly the nitty gritty of a lawsuit. The author did try to make it readable, and it wasn't boring, but still my eyes glazed over more than once.

Review 635: Trust

Trust by Hernan Diaz
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The book has a unique way of telling this story. It has different versions, which I found confusing at first. I didn’t know this going in. The further into the book goes the more “truthful” is the story, but it is all fiction.

Interestingly, the first two sections are told by men, the last two are by women. The third one was the longest and held more interest for me, the story was more developed. This is one of those books that you really need to read to the end and not give up on.

Brief Review 578: The Time Machine

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I saw a movie version of this years ago, so I knew the story line. Still I found myself enthralled. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Scott Brick. One of the rare times I listened to the entirety in one go, without stopping. It's short enough you can do that. What a classic!

Brief Review 531: Mrs. Dalloway

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has made me realize I'm not a big fan of stream of consciousness style of writing. And particularly when it moves between various characters.

Brief Review 515: Rejection

Rejection: Fiction by Tony Tulathimutte
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not a book for me. Can I say I reject this?

Really don't like the style of post-modern/meta books, which this book falls into that category. If I'd known wouldn't have tried.

Review 495: Unmade

Unmade by A.R. Capetta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 stars for the genre - Science Fiction, Young Adult

It takes a minute to get used to the writing style. But the story line is good. A young girl sets out with her friends to save the humans from being eliminated from the universe. Sad thing is, the ones killing everyone are human too, called the unmakers.

This is a second book of a series. Was a number of years since I read the first book. The series does not continue past this second book. 

Brief Review 476: The Drowned World

The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



 Didn't do much for me. I would have stopped reading if I hadn't listened to the audiobook and if it wasn't so short. Had higher hopes for this "classic".

Brief Review 444: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Short read. Heard about this book for years, finally decided to find out for myself what all the talk is about. It's okay.  Good message, just not subtle.  Maybe more spectacular when it came out in 1970?

Brief Review 439: The Cosmic Drama

The Cosmic Drama by Alan W. Watts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the Illustrated Series - The Essence of Alan Watts

Book IX

A view of how this cosmic play may be running.

I only have a few of the books from the series:

Book I  - God 

Book VII  - Philosophical Fantasies 

Book VIII  - Ego 

Book IX  - Cosmic Drama

Brief Review 426: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Great airplane travel read.

Read entirely on a plane ride and it was the perfect book for that.

Review 412: Glowrushes

Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A strange fairy-tale/fable type book for kids. Very sad actually as the main character, a kid, is dying from an unknown disease. He is allergic to nearly everything and must stay inside his room in the castle. 

Takes place in Turkey but written by an Italian, also old, a classic. 

Review 371: Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a short book of essays, that I listened to entirely in one day. 

A complete dig at a monarch system of government and for independence and self-rule. 

I've wanted to read some of Paine's writings for a long while, other than the excerpts I read while in college. Maybe more of his writings later this year. Next is a biography.

Read in one day: January 23, 2023

Brief Review: 353 Time Out of Joint

Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Not a very long book. This is about a man who seems to be going insane. But then we find out yes, he is a lunatic. And his perceptions, asking what is real or not....oh so classic Philip K Dick.

Brief Review 352: Queen of Dreams

Queen of Dreams by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Glad I stuck with the book. I almost stopped reading several times, really disliked the main character. But around the half-way point something dramatic happened, then later "9/11" happened, and the main character changed. This is one of those books where there is definite growth of a person.

Review 338: The Edge of Everything

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A different sort of book than my usual, that's for sure. Paranormal - romance for teens. I'm definitely not the target audience.

There is some humor, but I think I rolled my eyes way more than chuckled.  Slightly annoyed at the ending. Of course there is a book 2.  No, I won't be reading it.