The Deep Sky

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Some of the most engaging sci fi I've read in ages. Interesting story that plays with well worn tropes in a way that makes them fresh and fun again.

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10 months ago

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

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Perhaps most of what is stated in this book is obvious to most people, even if we don't apply it to our lives, but it still made me think about how I arrange my own life to have it all laid out in a text. I am likely within the key demographic for this book, as someone who has pretty solid control of my schedule at the time of reading, and it has reminded me to act accordingly and not out of some left over need to appear busy to others or myself.

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10 months ago

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

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The worst part about reading this book was knowing that men need to be listening to it at least as much as women do, but far, far fewer of them will. Not to get knocked down a peg by the henpecking regarding what their ilk do wrong (although ok, yes, there is some wry commentary to blow off steam, deservedly so)! Rather because it would make all of their work so much better, more meaningful. All you dudes who are making shitty things that don't serve half-ish of the people who would use it could very easily be doing better if you just like...spoke to a woman. Seriously, just try it. And try this book.

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10 months ago

Tender Is the Flesh

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I got pretty bored of the shock factor gross out stuff, it wasn't infused into the story in a very engaging way. I read The Jungle in high school, maybe at that time the edginess would have entertained me more, but right now I want more nuance in my gross out horror.

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10 months ago

Tender Is the Flesh

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I got pretty bored of the shock factor gross out stuff, it wasn't infused into the story in a very engaging way. I read The Jungle in high school, maybe at that time the edginess would have entertained me more, but right now I want more nuance in my gross out horror.

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10 months ago

A History of Women in 101 Objects

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Delightful. Such a nice way to stroll through history, and to think about influence. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved all the different narrators for each story (Gillian Anderson! Shirley Manson! Olivia Colman! so many more!), although the downside there is that you don't get images to go with the text - perhaps the best experience would be to listen with a physical copy on hand as visual reference.

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10 months ago

The Garden

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Sets a creepy atmosphere by establishing a very plausible setting for midcentury medical horror. If it hadn't veered toward supernatural I would almost have believed it was just someone's diary.

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10 months ago

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

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Typical high Larson quality. Not a subject matter that especially appeals to me, which makes my enjoyment of the book even more remarkable.

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10 months ago

The Black Bird Oracle

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Solid addition to this light series.

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10 months ago

Beautiful Ruins

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A story that took on complexity I did not expect at the start.

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10 months ago

The State of Affairs

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It's interesting to see all of this information laid out, but I'm not sure Perel is making terribly new observations (to me, I'm sure that varies person to person). She spends a lot of time turning over each point she's making, sometimes enough that it feels a little tedious.

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10 months ago

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

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Beautiful and unsettling. Egan tackles the difficult task of explaining the complex, interconnected effects of human made ecological changes (disasters) in a way that makes it clear why they're truly such disasters, and why they ripple so far.

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10 months ago

Beautiful woven story

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10 months ago

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory

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I am not sure there was entire book here. It's funny and at times makes real points, but could have been 1-2 chapters in a larger book about the nature of work, perhaps, or an article maybe.

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10 months ago

Cræft

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An interesting meditation on whether "progress" is really progress, and the value of putting time and effort into an endeavor - which sometimes surprises you by being faster/more efficient/more effective than the industrialized shortcut anyway. At times it feels a bit unbalanced and male-centric, understandable given that it's a following of the author's own exploration, but could have been better rounded in that regard.

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10 months ago

Run Rose Run

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This was a dumb book, in a fun sort of way. Smooth brain entertainment for sure.

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10 months ago

Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

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No wait, come back! You who are scrolling by because the title has a yucky word, you should read this more than anyone! And everyone should read it, to be clear. Yes, even those who don't have vaginas, and those who don't interact with them. This book is interesting and informative and sad and funny and all around great.

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10 months ago