Another brilliant and entertaining collection of bizarre hypothetical scientific possibilities from Randall Munroe. I am now adequately prepared to temporarily power my house on Mars until the moon descends violently to the surface.

Finally got around to reading this one, the story was brilliant and the illustrations furthered the immersion into the whirlwind of the story. This story is one of few that I immediately wish I could re-experience for the first time.

An interesting analysis of the ways that shame is misused for profit and preserving the status quo.

A fun continuation of the quirky questions posed in the first installment, this book really highlights the precarious balance of the universe and how many ways in which everything could explode or implode or evaporate before having the chance to do either.

So you‘ve decided to evaporate a one-meter cube of iron in your backyard.

So you‘ve decided to install an ultracold cube of iron in your living room.

A quirky and incredibly brilliant book. Fun to read and almost impossible to put down.

A much needed reminder to stay curious and engage in conversations rather than lectures.

An interesting and meandering narrative surrounding the pervasive need to be constantly, and shallowly, connected and productive.

Jennette McCurdy opens the door to her journey through childhood stardom and the tumultuous process of healing that followed the death of her mother.

Full of a wide array of histories that weave a tapestry of humanity through the lens of gender, sexuality,
and the inseparable influence of society on both.

But while the distinction between 'gender identity' and 'gender expression' is a useful teaching tool, helping to underscore the point that we can't tell anyone's gender just from looking at them - I use it myself every time I deliver trans awareness training - the reality of our experience is often more complex.

If what it means to be a man, a woman or a non-binary person is different for everyone and varies between contexts, how can we straightforwardly talk about 'people who don't identify as the gender they were assigned at birth', in either the past or the present?

Insightful and bursting with compassion, this book delves into the issues that arise from a toxic achievement culture and what can be gained from taking a step back and reevaluating what values matter most.

A very intriguing and topical read that examines several issues connected to consumerism and materialism at large while also inspiring reflection into individual experiences with consumption.

"The Tokyo lifestyle feels like a trap to me now; you go there, you want things, you have to buy them. There‘s a lot of fun things to do, or have, or eat. But you consume it all. Here on Sado, there's nothing. You have to create it for yourself. The joy is not from consuming, it's from being a creator."

In an attempt to cull some of my overflowing book collection I decided to allow myself the (to me) unthinkable act of bailing on a book for any reason whatsoever, and this one just could not grab me despite making it through a quarter of the book. The concept was incredibly interesting but the pacing was strange to me, being somehow too fast and too slow. Maybe in another lifetime!

An interesting and complex read, several lives interweaving under one shared fate.

Although this book‘s mystery was less satisfyingly woven than its predecessor‘s, the characters and universe they inhabit are so richly developed that they more than make up for it. It is very rare that I enjoy a series mainly for its main character, but Alex Easton is a glorious exception.

“If you have ever dealt with the possessions of the dead, you probably know what I mean. You take things away and leave behind emptiness, and everything you remove-every sheet and pillowcase, every lost sock and old razor-erases a little bit of the dead person's footprint in the world. You picture your own home being carted away, piece by piece, hopefully by loved ones and not by strangers.”

A beautifully atmospheric novel. The stories of Holly, Nisa, Stevie, and Amanda are diverse but diverge together in a refreshingly realistic portrayal of intergenerational relationships in a community. These relationships are at the heart of the story, and are at constant risk of being devoured by their individual desires for success.

A brilliant and eerie novella with an unnerving atmosphere. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.

A captivating read that delves into the experience of boredom. Both scholarly and witty, it is a perfect blend of educational and digestible.

A fascinating dive into the several fields of study that interweave in the discussion of space settlements. A digestible yet broad amount of obscure information accompanied by clever illustrations and witty asides.

Crow Planet is an incredible reminder that humanity exists within the world alongside the wilderness rather than separate from it. A very interesting read that provides a realistic outlook on the state of nature around us.

An interesting overview of the purpose of boredom and its impact on the pursuit of meaning. A very quick read that left me wanting more depth (and maybe a bibliography), it was a pleasant way to start the year.

An eye-opening read that balances being aware of the language utilized by cults to lure people to follow them and the need for genuine human connection.

A refreshing take on Frankenstein without over-utilizing the source material. A fascinating venture into the ethical dilemmas of science.

Witty and informative, brings into focus the impact of capitalistic initiatives on even the most intimate aspects of life.

“It is easy to become cynical, but it is not helpful.”

Another beautiful journey of the mind, exploring those ideas that are felt more often than thought.

“It was always a strange thing, coming home. Coming home meant that you had, at one point, left it and, in doing so, irreversiblely changed. How odd, then, to be able to return to a place that would always be anchored in your notion of the past. How could this place still be there, if the you that once lived there no longer existed?”

It fits perfectly into the steampunk mystery genre, and is overall a pleasant read.

A cozy book with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A comforting literary journey for anybody whose felt lost while searching for a greater purpose in life.

“Are you afraid of that?” they asked. “Of death?”
“Of course,” Mosscap said. “All conscious things are. Why else do snakes bite? Why do birds fly away? But that‘s part of the lesson too, I think. It‘s very odd, isn‘t it? The thing every being fears most is the only thing that‘s for certain? It seems almost cruel, to have that so…”
“So baked in?”
“Yes.”

A deceptively familiar atmosphere with dynamic characters, this novel weaves threads of deception and doubt through a cozy community. A thrilling mystery with an insightful conclusion.

A cunning use of religion in a fantastical setting with interesting consequences.

This novel is the follow up that the second book of the series deserved. Even with a fourth novel in the series that remains unpublished, this provides a satisfying conclusion to the series on its own as it brings together elements from both of its predecessors and ties their loose ends beautifully. The world building gives way to character development, with a delicious conclusion that spans the entire series.

This novel does a wonderful job continuing the progression of world-building from the previous book in the series. Its only fault is being the middle book in a trilogy, simultaneously riding on the coattails of the first novel and justifying the existence of the third novel.

“She just wanted it to hurry up so she could feel justified, not guilty, about her bitterness at being left behind.”

A short novel that packs a punch, creating a compelling world of relentless desert sun and power-hungry nobility.

Another stunning novel. Impressively complex character development that is interwoven with the magical roots of the world.

“If it were necessary to say everything in order to say anything, I would have said nothing.”

A gripping display of world-building and personality. Shadows that reach beyond the page and into what it is to face death amongst life and life amongst death.