Matt Inman
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is one of the most original and satisfying stories I've read in a long time. The concept of living your life over and over with your memories intact feels both familiar and entirely fresh in the way it's handled here. Claire North does a fantastic job balancing the philosophical with the personal, and the writing is sharp, elegant, and surprisingly emotional.
Harry's journey never felt repetitive despite the premise, and the pacing kept me hooked throughout. It's a rare blend of science fiction, thriller, and existential reflection, all wrapped into a genuinely fun read. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys smart storytelling with depth and imagination.
I really liked this book. It's packed with good, practical advice for anyone wanting to grow their network, especially if you're looking for a new job. It breaks down how to structure a 20-minute networking meeting so it's productive and positive for both sides.
What I liked most was how clear and simple they make the process. You get examples, real stories, and a step-by-step format that's easy to follow, even if you're not naturally a networker.
If you want to open doors and tap into the hidden job market, this book gives you a straightforward, no-nonsense way to do it. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their connections and approach networking with more confidence.
Samuel Arbesman's The Half-Life of Facts was a fascinating read. I enjoyed his engaging stories, especially about how simple errors can lead to persistent myths, like the spinach iron-content mistake. While I wish the book had included more practical advice on dealing with changing facts, it effectively challenged my thinking about how knowledge evolves. It's a quick, insightful read I'd recommend to anyone interested in how information changes over time.
Overall, I really liked this book. Its ideas are powerful: freedom, community, what we give up for progress, and how societies shape people. It gave me a lot to think about, and I'm glad I read it.
That said, I found her writing style tough at times. Not bad, just heavy. I don't know if it's the age of the book or if I've just gotten used to more modern sci-fi, but she seems to use big words when small ones would do. I had to slow down and really focus in some spots, which took me out of the story now and then.
But even when it's a challenge, I always finish her books feeling like I gained something. This one made me reflect on how we live, what we expect from others, and what a truly “free” society might look like. It's not an easy read, but it's definitely a meaningful one.
Reading This Is Where You Belong was a game-changer for me. Melody Warnick does an incredible job blending research, personal stories, and practical ideas to explain something I've always felt but never had the words for — the powerful connection between where we live and how fulfilled we feel.
Place attachment isn't just interesting to me; it's a core part of who I am. This book deepened that connection even further. It gave me a clearer framework for understanding why some places feel like home instantly, while others never quite click. Warnick's ideas have reshaped how I'm approaching my next move. I'm no longer just looking for a house or a job — I'm intentionally searching for a community where I can truly belong.
If you're even a little curious about what makes a place feel like home, or how to build a life that feels rooted and vibrant, this book is a must-read.
Everything Is Tuberculosis is one of those rare books that takes something I knew almost nothing about and completely reorients my understanding of the world. I went in barely knowing a thing about TB, and came out shocked—not just by the history, but by the persistence of a disease that should have been wiped out by now. The research is deep, the storytelling is compelling, and the message is clear: TB still thrives because it mostly affects the poor, not the powerful. If this disease hit wealthy countries the way it hits the global south, we'd have solved it decades ago. An eye-opening, frustrating, and important read. Highly recommend.
The Second Mountain by David Brooks is a thought-provoking book that really challenged how I think about success and purpose. Brooks talks about how many of us spend our lives climbing the “first mountain” — chasing career goals, personal achievements, and social status — only to find it unfulfilling. He argues that real happiness comes from the “second mountain,” which is all about commitment to others, community, and living with purpose. I really connected with his ideas about building strong communities and how the modern obsession with individualism has left us feeling isolated and ungrounded.
That said, the book takes a weird turn when Brooks gets personal about relationships and his own life, and it just didn't land for me. It felt like it broke the flow and got too introspective, pulling away from the broader insights that made the rest of the book so interesting. Still, despite those parts, the overall message about living a committed, purposeful life stuck with me, and I'm left thinking about how to apply some of these ideas to building a better community where I live.
This book is a fascinating deep dive into the evolution of bookstores in America. While the idea of a historical account of bookshops might sound dry, The Bookshop turns out to be anything but. Evan Friss does a fantastic job weaving together stories of iconic bookstores, the people who ran them, and the shifting cultural landscape that shaped their success and struggles.
The book covers the ups and downs of the industry, from the early days of bookselling to the rise and fall of legendary stores across the country. It explores how bookstores have reflected and influenced American society, adapting to trends, economic shifts, and changing reading habits.
The audiobook is an engaging listen, making the history come alive in a way that feels more like storytelling than a textbook. Whether you're a book lover, a history buff, or just someone who enjoys stories about passionate people shaping culture, this book is worth your time.
Matt Dinniman does it again with This Inevitable Ruin, the latest wild installment in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. If you've made it this far, you already know what you're in for. Pure chaotic brilliance, brutal humor, and some of the best storytelling in the LitRPG genre.
The stakes have never been higher, the challenges more insane, and somehow Carl and Princess Donut continue to be the best duo in the game. Dinniman has an uncanny ability to blend absurdity with genuine emotional depth, making you laugh one moment and wince the next.
And if you're going to read this, do yourself a favor and listen instead. Jeff Hays doesn't just narrate. He performs every voice with such skill that it feels like a full-cast production. His portrayal of each character brings the story to life in a way that makes the audiobook the definitive experience.
I have no idea how Dinniman keeps coming up with this stuff, but I hope he never stops. This series is an absolute ride, and This Inevitable Ruin might just be one of the best yet.
The World Walk promised an epic journey—seven years, 28,000 miles, six continents—but ultimately, it fell short of my expectations. The storytelling felt flat, lacking the depth and emotional pull I was hoping for. More disappointing, however, was the misleading premise. The marketing suggests an uninterrupted walk around the world, but in reality, the author flew between regions and then walked sections of different countries. While I don't want to take away from the sheer endurance and commitment of walking everywhere once on the ground, the approach felt inconsistent. If you're looking for a true continuous journey on foot, this might not be the book for you.
Ministry of Time was good, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The story had a lot of potential, with an interesting concept and some strong moments, but it felt like it started losing steam toward the end. The pacing in the final stretch was rushed, which left the conclusion feeling a bit underdeveloped.
I finished the book wanting more—not necessarily in a good way. It felt like there were threads and ideas that could've been explored further to give the story more depth and impact. That said, it wasn't a bad read overall, and there were parts I enjoyed. It just didn't fully deliver on what it seemed to promise at the start.
If you're into time-travel stories, it might be worth a read, but be prepared for an ending that doesn't feel as satisfying as it could have been.
I really enjoyed The Splendid and the Vile. Erik Larson does an excellent job capturing Churchill's first year as Prime Minister during the Blitz and diving into what life was like for both him and the country. Larson's writing is engaging, and he has a way of making history feel personal and alive.
The book gives a fascinating look at Churchill—not just as a leader making tough decisions but as a person, with all his quirks and flaws. You also get a sense of what it must have felt like to live through those times, with bombings happening almost daily and the constant uncertainty hanging over everyone.
That said, I liked The Devil in the White City a bit more. There's just something about the way that book combined the drama of the World's Fair with the darkness of a serial killer that hooked me a little harder. Still, The Splendid and the Vile made me want to read more about this period in history. It does a great job of pulling you into Churchill's world and showing why this was such a pivotal time for him and Britain.
If you're into well-written history with a personal touch, this one's definitely worth picking up.
I enjoyed the author's breakdown of the six types and how they relate to work and each other. There are quite a few other people doing similar things in this space. But the working genius model captures the genre's essence very well and would give anyone an excellent base to learn more about themselves and their work habits. It may even answer some questions you would have on why you do some roles better than others.
I couldn't finish Assistant to the Villain because the book just didn't work for me. The humor completely missed the mark—it felt forced and awkward rather than funny, and instead of enjoying it, I found myself cringing at the attempts. On top of that, the writing felt like it was aimed at a younger audience. I even started questioning whether it was meant for adults because it read more like a 7th-grade book trying to pass as something for older readers.
The characters didn't help, either. They were so one-dimensional that I couldn't connect with them. The main character, especially, felt flat and uninteresting, like there was no substance behind her actions or personality. To top it off, the narration didn't do the story any favors. Whether the narrator's delivery or the material itself, the result was grating and made the experience even harder to get through.
I know a lot of people will probably enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.
