Wants to read The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
book
Rated Children of Time 9/10
Bit disappointed by the end, but I would die for those spiders
Edited 86d ago
Rated Bestseller 8/10
Yet another great one in the series.
Edited 99d ago
Rated Today Will Be Different 8/10
A fast-reading, absorbing and bright family drama. If you liked [b:Where'd You Go, Bernadette|13526165|Where'd You Go, Bernadette|Maria Semple|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338822317l/13526165._SY75_.jpg|17626728], you'll probably like this - it's not quite as inventive, but it's more consistent, I think.
Rated Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past 6/10
A good overview of the state of the art of archaeology today, looking at the practice and the issues that surround it, especially (as noted in the title) the new avenues being opened by satellite imagery. The author is passionate about the subject and asks great questions - her values and enthusiasm are obvious and admirable. I found myself wishing the book itself was a little more engaging, though - it falls a little short of what I was hoping for as writing. Still, if you think you’re interested in archaeology, this is a bright and interesting read.
Wants to read This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor
Rated The Mirror & the Light 8/10
The completion of a trilogy that includes my favorite books of the last decade. <br/><br/>The best comparison I can make for this book and its place in the series is the later seasons of a show like The Sopranos or Mad Men, where the toxic impact of the central character becomes apparent as the world they so competently built starts coming apart, and you're left a little queasy at having rooted for them. <br/><br/>It's about a lot of things - but particularly about the impossibility of ethical action and self-protection in a system built around monarchical whim, and the dangers of succeeding within the confines of unjust structures. It's also very much about what you'd call "toxic masculinity" and how inseparable it is from a governing system in which one man is theoretically able to get anything he wants but whose legitimacy is dependent on his contingent ability to produce sons. (I of course found myself constantly struck by parallels between the thuggish, capricious strongman and his wary courtiers in 1500s England and our current day.) <br/><br/>This book is very long, much looser and less structured than the earlier two, and I'd really only recommend it if you're already on board with those two and want more. But, as always, Mantel is an exceptional writer with great imagery, emotional observation, insight, evocative language, and capacity to depict a complex world through the subjective view of one participant. I found myself emotionally gripped as the book approached its ending less from empathy with Cromwell and more from the feeling of leaving the world and the story behind. As a trilogy it's an incredible accomplishment, one I will continue to think about for a long time to come.
Rated Oedipus the King 10/10
<strong>slaps</strong><br/><br/>wow this slaps. so much drama get it Sophocles! a short read but really packs it in. poor Oedipus :/ 10/10
Rated Gods of Jade and Shadow 8/10
a clever fairy-tale quest built out of themes and characters from Mayan mythology. It’s a fun take on the fantasy genre set in 1920s Mexico. Structurally, it’s a little unevenly paced - it feels like it rushes to an end then drags out that end for a long time. But it’s vivid and engaging and a cool twist on a familiar story.
Rated Wheel of the Infinite 10/10
There must be a lot stirring in Martha Wells' brain. Here's yet another world she's created that is so original and so detailed that it feels completely real but there is very little IRL has been dragged through it. Except the people are complicated and interesting and very real. In other words, it's a Martha Wells story and very good. You should read it.
Rated Storm Waters 10/10
Spectacular hard-boiled period fantasy noir. Perfect language for the noir genre and wildly creative.
Wants to read On Immunity: An Inoculation