Sam

Abundance is a great book for those who want to learn more about the politics which hold back innovation or more or less a theory as to what politics hold back innovation. I've said this about several other books before but I feel as someone who follows politics this book to me is more to know what the zeitgeist of casual consumers of political hobbyism will be talking about rather than a chance to learn and gain something new. I found the argumentation to be good but I already went into this book knowing I agreed with much of the premise. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to gain an overview of the argument.

Richard Osman once again delivers on a great murder mystery. I enjoyed following along as our gang of unlikely detectives solved this thrilling mystery. I found that the murder was solvable and rewarding to finally get that sweet release of a whodunit. The characters are charming and lovely and I can't wait to read the next murder they solve.

The Glass Hotel is the third book of Emily St. John Mandel I've read and i continue to be enthralled by her writing and her stories. There is something ineffable about the way she tells stories that draws me in and hooks me it scratches and itch that i cant describe. I highly recommend any and all of her books I've read and cant wait to read more from her.

This book was a rather short read and told an interesting story, i enjoyed learning about Stéphane Breitwieser but overall i found it just that interesting,I think Finkel did a good job portraying the story but its not something that will stick in my mind and find a home there.

Dune is a book I've reread many times, Dune Messiah on the other only a handful, as much as I Frank Herbert's universe and the story of Paul, Dune Messiah is missing some of the polish of the original Dune. The story is much more sci-fi with the introduction of Ghola and Tleilaxu, and the Guild Navigators which all play into the themes of humanity and what it means to lose a part of it. I think that overall the book is great but is a step down from the first book

While many other were familiar with the writer’s nonfiction work I did not know him at all before reading this book. I think this book does a good job telling a compelling story but it does just that, tells. While I enjoyed the characters and the way the plot was delivered i never felt like i was transported to the world of the Essex Dogs and I feel like since this is historical fiction it shouldn’t be too hard to do. While i think k it shows great promise and i would love to see more from the author with the hope of some improvements i think this book ultimately will be a read once and move on from.

David Mitchell does a great job writing a comical retelling of the history of Britain's monarchy, it kept me entranced while having good information. I think the mix of comedy and history is great and does not lean into one at the cost of the other.

While I really enjoyed the previous entry in the series, probably my favorite so far, I think this entry is a step-down. The issues I feel that make this one less enthralling is that it feels like too much is going on. The previous entry felt well-rounded with the multiple story lines and made the world feel alive, while this one feels like it took that a step too far and made me feel mentally claustrophobic trying to track everything going on. I think that ultimately the series will continue in a good direction, but I think this was a slightly worse book than the previous entry.

A good historical fiction telling of the women who worked on making the dictionary and our understanding of words what it is today. I think the story around this is incredibly interesting. I think the issue which kept me from giving this a higher rating was the fact that it wasn't necessarily what I thought it would be when I went into it. Furthermore, I think that if I reread this book with some time passing, I would enjoy it more.

Supercommunicators is one of those books that feels like it's both incredibly obvious and a breakthrough of information. While I think pop psych books should be taken with a grain of salt, I think this one does a good job presenting the information in a way which does not seem to be 'selling' you something.

I will start by saying the things I liked about this book, which is, the magic system concept was interesting and the setting and atmosphere was inviting and had a spark of captivation. Now that I've complimented the book I think the characters felt flat and unrealistic, I feel like I walked away from this book not caring about what happened to anyone in this book. I felt like the book didn't dive into the rage of the characters enough, or really at all. The characters feel like shades of real fleshed out ideas which makes me not caring about them, I don't hate the characters I just feel agnostic about what happens to them.

Blood Rites is by far my favorite entry in the series so far, I liked the world building that occurred in this book, which makes the world of Harry Dresden feel more like a living work rather than just a book series. I think overall, the book balances the A and B plot well and blends them in an easy-to-follow way while still feeling complex enough to not be boring. I hope the series continues in this fashion and continues to breath lives into all the characters of the series. This book left me wanting for more and more from each character and left me excited to read the next book in the series.

This book felt like a show I would binge and fall in love with. The book gives us an inside look into the complexities of time travel and love. I think the book explores the fictional topics with a sense of groundedness while still staying whimsical and amazing. I think the blending of genres of spy thriller, office love story, and speculative fiction makes it feel like something that I could get lost in and hope beyond hope to become part of. Furthermore, I think the story of all the characters leaves you caring about the characters as if you were working alongside them.

All the Light We Cannot See was a book which grabbed at me and tugged on my heart. The way the book shows how people deal with the horrors of the world during war while keeping hope transcends the page. After reading this book I was left with a light holding on to hope

I enjoyed this book but I don't feel like it was anything profound and I think this is in part because I take an active role in the conversation about gender and gender studies through online debates and discourse. Many of the things covered in this book felt as review. I think there are people who would get a lot from this book but for me I don't think there was much gain from reading it. I don't regret reading it but I don't think it was necessary for me to have the understanding of the ‘gender war' currently going on.

I would recommend this book for anyone who feels uninformed on the current culture war topic and would like some background on the topic.

Weyward is a story about the interconnection between women and as a man I don't necessarily know if I can comment on that fact, but I found the story enticing. The nonlinear nature of the storytelling is amazing and keeps you interested in the coming chapters.

I think each of our protagonists brings something to the story that ultimately makes everything feel integral to the main story. The stories of these three women feel interwoven and still independent. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys nonlinear stories or those seeking for something with just a shade of magic.

Each entry in the Dresden files series makes me want to continue reading more and more. I think the series is at a full sprint here. The returning cast is used well and the new characters feel like they belong. The book does a good job of allowing readers to remember who everyone is and the stakes while not seeming like it's pandering to those who are entering in at this entry.

Now specifically this book I loved the plot I loved the suspense and weight of the story. I think there are the issues with the way woman are portrayed it overall I think the book is still fantastic and Harry even comments on how he needs to get better at not being such a chauvinistic person which makes some of the writing more forgivable since the series is written as though we are reading the case diary of Dresden.

Overall I think this book ranks highly among the first 5 books in the series and makes it feel like the world is growing that plots can continue in future books and are planting the seeds for a great epic set in the universe of the Dresden Files. I look forward to exploring more of it as I read on into the series.

Another episode in the Nicholas Flamel series that takes me right back to when I first read this book as a younger kid.
I think the story still holds up and the suspense is great. When it comes to YA fiction I can sometimes feel like the books are not great for older audiences but I think as I'm rereading this series each of the books hold their own.

The characters are rememberable and you care about the main cast as each of the books occurs I loom forward to finishing this series and recommend the series to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy such as Harry Potter but are looking for something else.

The Thursday Murder Club is a cute and fun murder mystery which I enjoyed, I felt like there were certain parts which keeps me from giving the book higher than 3 stars. I think that when it comes to murder mysteries there are many ways to skin a cat but some things remain sacred.

I think that there are parts of the mystery which could not be solved by the reader until the reveal which it me lowers my enjoyment of the book. Besides this the books settings, characters and plot were all fantastic and made want to keep reading I hope that the other books in the series do not contain such left turns as this one did.

If you are looking for a fun nursery mystery that has a colorful cast I recommend this book.

Demon Copperhead was an interesting read, I think overall it was a good read and I could have been more invested if I chose to read this during another time.

There are other reviews which would do a better job explaining the shortcomings of this book but I do think it was successful in trying to complete its goal. But I will try to explain what I think was what kept me from giving this a higher rating.

I think the cliches in the book are overplayed I think it would have done better to have a little more creative depth. Beyond that I felt like there was not much more than a modernization of David Copperfield. Overall I think this is a good book but I just read Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and both stories are similar so I think I was just over reading these styles of stories and I wanted to just finish reading it without really absorbing it

This is the second book in the Nicholas Flamel series, and I love it. I loved this series in my youth and I understand why, it's a wonder piece of YA fiction and I think it's one that people should read. It sparks that itch of urban fantasy and is decent enough to reread as an adult. I can't wait to refinish this series and feel that sense of wonderment from my childhood.

The Tainted Cup is a masterful murder mystery wrapped in an interesting fantasy world, and is a recommend for anyone who is a fan of either.

I think the grand narrative, the characters, the description of the world and the plot are some of the best parts of this book. I was thoroughly invested in the going on of all the characters I found the mystery to be enthralling and kept me guessing as to the answers to the mysteries that it provided.

When I first saw this book described as Sherlock Holmes meets a fantasy world, I was intrigued little did I know I would be blown away with how accurate that description felt for me. I truly enjoyed this book, even though it had some shortcomings.


The biggest gripe I had with this book was the pacing at sometimes. I understand that the book Takes place over two months, but some passages of times felt shorter or longer than others, and the consistency of the passage of time did not feel relevant to the book.

I'm looking forward to reading further books in the series and hope that the pacing issue is not consistent across the series. If that one issue can be solved I think this would be a perfect mystery book.

The Magician King is a great sequel to The Magicians. Everything good about the first book is here that is to say Quinten is still an unlovable character.

Lev Grossman does a great job creating an amazing world that you could get lost in and the most ungrateful hatable character. The ending is satisfying and surprising and I feel so ready to read the third book during my next year of reading.

If you didn't like the first one there is much the same in this one I would recommend highly if you liked the first one.

I've read books from the grishaverse and The Ninth House series from Leigh Bardugo and I have to say I was really dissatisfied in this one.

While the Grishaverse books left me wanting for more despite me feeling like the romance between the main character and the main villain soured my enjoyment. I think this book is just lacking in all aspects. There are sparks of really good story telling but they never really get past that ember.

I will probably read more of Bardugo books but hope that they lean more towards the writing of Ninth House than her other books

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store masterfully showcases a moment in America. And at the same time what it means to be an American, not just then but now. The Chicken Hill community in the book showcases what it was like for Jews and Blacks in America and how closely knit their communities were while still showcasing the differences of their ability for upward mobility in the zeitgeist of society.

I saw some people review this book and say nothing happened in it. I'm not quite sure what they mean by that. This book showcase is life happening. Nothing glamorous but real. I found the insight into this community showcased in the book was brilliant.

There was a short passage towards the end, where the white men of the town after the memorial Day parade were sitting around talking about the degradation of America. Well, just a few scenes earlier the book highlighted that almost everything that went on in the parade was held up by the Jewish community, which in turn was supported by the black community. I think the book perfectly encapsulates the feeling that while America is beautiful and diverse, there's an ugly truth underneath.