Phil Lemons

Grace Curtis has written a fantastic, cozy space mystery. I like the way each character gets a turn in the spotlight. The writing style flows well with a number of turns of phrases that are I really enjoy. For doorway readers, I would say the characters are the primary doorway for me on this one. 

These books are so long and now that I've finished, I don't quite remember the timeline of this book!

I like how the overall story is arcing and the character development of a number of characters. The length and detail of the book are a mild negative. I like the story to a bit faster, but I recognize that I do like the slow burn unfolding this story.

I am one of the people who come into this book looking to about the life of the man who Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek. The title to a Captain Picard catchphrase. All of this is to say I was looking forward
 to Star Trek stories.it was a disservice to his life down to his TV career and I was reminded of this throughout the book. 

Stewart's first love is theater and this is up front and center from page one. I am not a theater buff and much of the theater talk did not resonate with me. I did not find myself looking for reasons to listen and sometimes considered not finishing. 

I would like to say that his life inspires me like the captain on the show. I can say there are times he is an inspiration, but as a whole, our lives are very different. What inspires Stewart does not inspire me, often. Please note that this is not a judgment of Stewart, only acknowledging we are different kinds of people, which is real and good. I am reminded that the characters on TV are not the people in the costume. I am also reminded that these actors through the characters can be an inspiration and influence without us ever knowing a thing about the people on the stage. I would like to remember this is often true in face-to-face life, as well. 

I did not enjoy this one as much as I remembered it. Umbridge is still an effective villain and it's easy to dislike her. Harry is angry through most of this book. Perhaps at 15 I would have identified with it more. All of it was dark and the end didn't bring much light. Clearly, this is an episode in a larger story. Likely, I am not the Target audience. The boy liked it and says this is his favorite, so far. I give it an extra half star for his enthusiasm. 

Mark Ward is a word nerd. This book is a showcase of this fact. What I appreciate about his approach is his honesty and his desire to understand.in fact, he has challenged thinking to be more charitable toward the king James of the Bible. I don't think I will develop a love for the Elizabethan dialogue. I did find more understanding for those who do love that translation. I think I am more likely to read that translation some day in the future. It will be difficult for me. I may have to stick with the New King James. At any rate, I think I could listen to this book again and learn just as much as the first time through. Plus, Mark's delivery is compassionate while finding ways to bring fun and joy into a topic that has bright a lot of controversy over the years. 

This is a good book for people looking to read the Bible for themselves. Platt does not dive into theology here. The point of this book is to give the reader tools for reading the Bible to understand it for themselves so it brings into relationship with God. 

Platt writes in an easy to read and understand fashion. The questions at the end of the chapters help the reader to think more about the chapter and to internalize it. 

This edition includes an appendix that walks the reader through the various types of writing in the Bible, guiding the reader to understand the writing from the perspective of the time and cautions the reader avoid reading into the text our own thoughts. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are looking to read the Bible for themselves for the first time or who have tried and struggled. This won't make reading Leviticus any easier, but it does help us to have a context for reading. 

Kawaguchi continues to touch the heart of relationship and the ways we as people often miss what is most important to us. 

I found ways I identified with every one of these stories. I also find that I have much to learn about relationships now. 

Mossa is called to investigate a series of disappearances from the university Pleiti works for. Mossa seeks Pleiti out to give her insight during the investigation...

This second installation leans into Pleiti's desire for relationship with Mossa and the uncertainty of Mossa's desires. My younger self would have identified strongly with Pleiti's plight. This time through I was interested in the mystery. I would approximate the book to be 50% relationship, 50% mystery.

The book brought my attention to thinking about people who are at odds with the society they live in. Not dissimilar to the current US political culture. Have I glamorized or idolized periods or leaders past or present in unrealistic ways? In what ways can I stand for justice in a way that builds our society rather than fighting progress to try to impress my own idea of society on others?

Intellectually, I like this book. I did have to keep myself coming back to it until about the last third of the book. Emotionally, this book didn't strike a chord. I recommend this for those who are looking for a twist on a light romance with a mystery in a new setting. 

First read:
I waited too long to start this one after getting it from the library. I didn't have time to get into the swing of this book, yet. I look forward to coming back to this one.

Carl feels his world is coming to an end when he's stuck with his girlfriend's cat while she's on a vacation with another man. His world truly does come to an end when he chases the cat who inexplicably jumps out the window and all structures collapse while he's trying to coax her out of a tree. An alien voice informs them all who want to live must choose to enter the dungeon to fight for their lives. 
From here, the story turns into an RPG unlike any published. It is made clear to Carl this is a game with real stakes. While he knows he is not the most skilled person in the dungeon, he is determined to keep himself and the cat alive. 
Over time, Carl is collecting bits and pieces about who it is running the dungeon and making money on the broadcasts.
Those who are familiar with role playing games will find the mechanics of the dungeon familiar. The writing is good enough that one doesn't need to have first hand gaming experience to enjoy the story. 
I found I liked this more than I thought I would. This was a Sword and Laser podcast pick and the description of the audiobook intrigued me. I had a spare Audible credit, so decided to give it a try. 
I like Carl as a character. He doesn't think too highly of himself and helps others out, even though he knows it would be to his benefit if he didn't. The dungeon is such an outlandish, unbelievable kind of place that I find I need to be reminded of the seriousness of the situation every time Carl reminds himself. Then there is Princess Donut. She is definitely part of the sauce that makes this entertaining. She brings out nuances in Carl in just the right amounts at the right time. 
The book has some elements I could live without. Some of the humor is crude and cringey. Fortunately, this is more of an exception than a rule. There is an enough that I find myself thinking of this book as a guilty pleasure. Still deciding whether to continue the series, though the first book does not wrap up a story. 

I liked what Austin has to say in this book. I went through it fast, like chugging water to drown the crusty thirst that has set in. Like that chugged water, I find that I barely remember the content, only that I feel much better. Which has me thinking of reading it a second time before returning it to the library. 
Here's what I do remember. Kleon gives valuable advice on creativity. Kleon argues that we don't create anything new, rather we build on what inspires us. Everything in this life we've seen from someone sometime before. When we are creative, we don't just make a direct copy, but we use it to inform our own creativity. 
Kleon writes to demystify the idea that creativity is a gift for certain talented people or that it is a fickle spirit that comes upon a person to magically create life changing art. Rather, Kleon argues that creativity is hard and time consuming. For that reason, Kleon suggests a routine that involves intentional time, carrying a notebook to jot down ideas when they strike at random times, and playing with ideas. He allows for a boring life that creates an environment for a person to driver  own creativity. 

This story has a lot of wrestling for power and control in different aspects. There are places where those with power are not who we want to have the power, leaving me wondering how this power will be defeated. Other parts of the story depict those who think they have power to not be as powerful as they believe, to their own detriment. 
The end of the story leaves more questions than answers. 
I would argue this is a setup book, bridging books five and seven. Having not read book seven yet, this is speculation on my part. Those who like world building are more likely to enjoy this book. I enjoyed it, though there were portions of the book where I was reading to get through the story more than for the enjoyment. The stories of the characters not named Rand were more interesting to me and rescue this from a three star rating. 

The second half of Vladek Speigelman's story. Having the story depicted as a graphic novel lent to the reality of the brutality without graphic demonstrations. Truly, people were greatly mistreated. 

I thought this book did a good job of depicting how the authors father was eternally traumatized by what he went through

I don't think I would have picked this one up on my own volition. I've read the rest of the series with a friend and so it made sense to read this one, too. 

If your story doorway is character, this may appeal to you as the story is from the main protagonists viewpoint with a lot of internal dialogue. This follows suit with the style of the rest of the books in the series. 

For the most part, I just didn't get into this one like the rest of the series. I found that I didn't care about the protagonist. I like the concept of rebelling against abusive power, but the implementation doesn't resonate with me. I would say this is true for the whole series, but this one more so. 

I finished this book feeling depressed and hopeless. Therefore the rating is more of a reflection of my personal feelings if the book than its quality. I would say this one wasn't for me. It would probably feel better if one read The Hunger Games book one right after. 

This was a fun mystery with some interesting ideas that get brought up. Particularly ideas like when is it right to speak the truth and when is it not? Do the ends justify the means if what you have to say is not the whole truth? How does the way we speak the truth or acquire the truth affect our trustworthiness? I would like the story to have been longer, more developed. Still, it was a fun listen. 

A fun, lighthearted story. It feels like a storybook for adults, in a good way. I enjoyed stepping into a world where people (beings) are treated with respect in a rather ordinary way in an extraordinary setting. 

It took a couple of tries to get past all the f-bombs and crude illustrations. I believe this is done in part for shock value, a slap in the face to help the reader better hear the points later in the book. 

The points made in the book are good points that made me think. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes. I came away with perspective and the challenge to consider carefully that which is worth caring about and that which isn't. 

I was caught up in this book from the beginning. The mix of action, mystery, and character kept me wanting to come back to this story and wish I didn't have responsibilities keeping me from it. 

The characters engaged me, and with the mystery of the story, I found that I didn't know who could be trusted and who couldn't. There are characters that I hope are good, crossing my fingers they won't betray the main character or turn out not to be who they appear to be. 

I appreciate the way Islington introduces the world, bringing me along to learn and understand the caste system and the basis of power in the world. I am now realizing I will have to wait some time for the next book to be published and perhaps another 18 months for a third one after that! 

Akata Woman has the strongest message, that I saw, in the trilogy. Particular true for those growing from teenager to independent adult may feel particularly the struggle of figuring out who I am and what strength I have. Some of us continue to struggle with this in adulthood. 

I like the message that difficulties are a gateway to becoming stronger and knowing ourselves better. In fact, the message was more of a draw for me than the story, this time. 

When I was listening to this book, I found myself wanting to continue to listen. The trouble I had was that at points I found myself thinking I had missed important plot points. For this reason, I would like to revisit this book sometime as I found the premise of the story fascinating. I believe connecting those dots would increase my rating. 

I like the contrast of the different time periods that is seen with the people of the periods interacting with each other. I like exploring how people out of time might respond to new technologies that we are used to now and how not everyone would eagerly embrace the changes. 

The story follows a cartoon artist who records his Jewish father's story of living in Poland during World War II and the Nazi's invasion of Poland. 

Spiegelman shares his father's history as well as his present story. The symmetry of the two stories provides a picture of a person living through a trauma and the same person who has lived through a trauma. I think it's fair to say that the trauma of being treated as less than human and having to go to such lengths day after day for years leaves an indelible mark. 

This is one of those books I'm glad I read more than enjoyed. I will be looking at the library for the second installment.

This second installment of the trilogy was even more fun than the first. Okorafor weaved a number of stories together that all came together for me. 

The story moves quick and leans on the reader being familiar with the world while still giving reminders of how the works works. 

Those who are looking for epic works building with an explanation as to why and how the juju works may feel the magic system is lacking for them. I found the pacing worked well for me as I wanted to see how Sunny would come through the challenge rather than spending time on develop and maturing a magic system. 

We join our friends Arthur and Linus from The House in the Cerulean Sea on their way to a hearing where they have agreed to share their experience running the orphanage for magical youth. They discover this hearing is not friendly, wanting to learn from them, but hostile , hoping to expose the dangers of those who possess magical abilities. 

Previously, we followed the story of thr magical youth coming out of the orphanage and interacting with the people in the village and making friends. We see the villagers grow from fear of the youth to genuinely caring for them. 

Now life with the people in the village has reached a place of normality and those in the city who still fear magical beings are determined to show the danger they present. 

Based on the author's discussion at the end of the book, I think I can safely say that while LGBTQIA+ relationships are normal in this story, Klune represents the fears, challenges, and concerns held by people who are part of the community with the magical beings in the story. This works to help me as a reader understand these fears, challenges, and concerns for those in the community while also creating a story where people in the community can feel safe and normal. 

I found the last third of the book to be the highlight. Klune does well in illustrating the innocence and personality of the youth with the bias that certain people are inherently dangerous. These books remind me we are all people who desire to be known and loved. It is up to each of us to take the time to let a person reveal whether they are a danger or a person who does care for others, even if they are still growing. 

Tim Wildsmith writes a fantastic introductory book to people who are learning about the Bible and the various translations. Wildsmith gives a taste of the history behind the Bible to give the reader context and appreciation for the Bibles we have as well as how and why we have come to have so many translations today. Wildsmith concludes each chapter for each translation talking about the strengths each translation has and what he likes about the translation. 

The reader should understand that this book was written for people who do not have a theology degree or have spent extensive research on Bible history and translations. Readers looking for that book will need to look elsewhere. The reader should also understand this book is limited to mainly the most popular translations, currently. 

Who is this book for? This book is for the reader who is looking to make regular Bible reading a part of their life and are looking for a translation they will read and understand. This book is  for the reader who has a Bible that they struggle to read and want to find a Bible that they will connect with. Finally, this book is for people who do enjoy the Bible and would enjoy learning more about the history of the Bible and our English translations. I took a university class on the history of the Bible and I learned a fair bit reading Wildsmith's book. There is always something to learn and I truly enjoyed the conversational and approachable tone of this book. 

Akata Witch is set in Nigeria and is written from an African perspective. This is a new perspective to me as an American. One of our main characters, Sasha, is an American and Sasha is a fantastic bridge to help translate for readers like me without explaining everything. Okorafor has a writing style that I find easy to read and follow, even when I'm not sure what I think about the storyline, as was the case with this book in the beginning. The first half of the book built the world and the magic system. Like a new pair of shoes, I needed to be broken in to move with this story. It was around midway through the book when we moved from learning about this world to feeling invested in the world and the characters. I find this type of reading enjoyable as it challenges me and makes me think and see in new ways.

I have seen references to this series as an African Harry Potter. I would agree in the sense that it is a young person who discovers they are born with magical powers and that there is a whole magical community they knew nothing about and finds a group of close friends. There are ways the magical community uses magic in place of technology. That's where the similarities end for me. Here the magical community is not ignorant of the nonmagical world, which I find more believable. Rather than living in a magical bubble, they live among the nonmagical world with their havens where they conduct magical business, training, et cetera. I also like that the magical community is shown to be worldwide rather than mainly in England. 

Those who like world building or exploring other cultures may enjoy this story. 

This series feels more like hanging out with our characters for a while than getting into a story. That said, we have a heist, double-crossing, and the usual shenanigans that the crew face. This story is more on the lighthearted side of the spectrum, which appeals to me.