As a person with a couple of my own, I found Tits Up to be an interesting and informative read. The author, who lost her own breasts to a double masteAs a person with a couple of my own, I found Tits Up to be an interesting and informative read. The author, who lost her own breasts to a double mastectomy, looks into various aspects of breasts, breast ownership, and breast adulation. From their primary use as nourishment to the power they hold over men, breasts have been desirable and fascinating to almost every person on Earth at one time or another. I thought Thornton's well-researched (25 pages of footnotes plus a dozen pages of bibliography) book was easy and fun to read....more
The prequel to Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust is another fun, upbeat read. We get the history of Viv the orc, and learn how her interest in boThe prequel to Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust is another fun, upbeat read. We get the history of Viv the orc, and learn how her interest in bookstores and bakeries eventually blossomed into opening her own coffee shop. ...more
Another good book by Lawson. In the vein of her other memoirs, she talks about the funny parts of her life and the often hilarious situations she getsAnother good book by Lawson. In the vein of her other memoirs, she talks about the funny parts of her life and the often hilarious situations she gets herself into. But the great thing about all Lawson's writing is how open she is about discussing her mental illnesses. Rather than hiding those parts of her, she reveals them to the world, and in doing so, removes a lot of the stigma. I feel it is very important to discuss mental illness as so many of us are neurodiverse, and frank discussion is how people begin to understand themselves and, when appropriate, seek treatment....more
A quick, easy read about an orc who retires from adventuring and sets up a coffee shop with the help of a succubus and a hobgoblin. I found this to beA quick, easy read about an orc who retires from adventuring and sets up a coffee shop with the help of a succubus and a hobgoblin. I found this to be just a lot of fun. But you'll probably want a nice baked good to accompany your reading....more
I bought this book as a reference but ended up reading it cover-to-cover. It is a great overview of California native plants, organized by the biome iI bought this book as a reference but ended up reading it cover-to-cover. It is a great overview of California native plants, organized by the biome in which they are typically or most often found (grasslands, desert, forests, etc.). While it does not cover every of our 5000+ natives (otherwise this would be an immense volume), it does describe about 500 of those, plus some naturalized and invasive non-natives. Descriptions are brief, usually one or two paragraphs, and typically include information about if and how the plant was used by native Californians, its range, any interesting facts, and the meaning of the binomial (scientific) name. The appendices include a glossary of plant terms, an identification key for trees, and a color-coded flower ID guide.
While others have criticized the format of the book because it is not the same as a typical reference, that is the reason I liked it. I have other more typical reference books, but Ritter (who has a PhD in Plant Biology and is a professor of botany) instead gives us info that the other books don't....more
When you think of extraordinary animal senses, maybe you think about a dog's sensitive nose or a bat's sonar. But not only are some animals able to deWhen you think of extraordinary animal senses, maybe you think about a dog's sensitive nose or a bat's sonar. But not only are some animals able to detect things we can't with their "ordinary" senses (vision, hearing, taste, sensation, smell), there are a variety of senses that exist that humans do not possess (echolocation, electrical generation and detection, magnetic field detection, etc.)! From birds and bugs that can see into the ultraviolet spectrum to fish that navigate using electricity to frog eggs that hatch early so their residents can escape foraging snakes, the author teaches us about the incredible range of senses that exist in the animal kingdom. I found it fascinating.
With an abundance of footnotes, 24 pages of notes, and a 42 page bibliography, this book is well-researched. Yet it is written in such a way to make it accessible to non-scientists while at the same time not speaking down to those with scientific knowledge. And Yong wrote it all with just enough humor to be fun. ...more
I've read or watched a few post-apocalyptical tales, and this is the first I've encountered where the author talks about the days and months immediateI've read or watched a few post-apocalyptical tales, and this is the first I've encountered where the author talks about the days and months immediately after the event. It was interesting to read about our protagonist attempting to find other survivors and establish some sort of normality. Although the book was written in the 1940s, other than some outdated phrases and mild misogyny (both of which were acceptable at the time), the story holds up well today, mostly because removing electricity also removes technology and other signs of "advanced" civilization.
I did have a few issues with the book, but they were mainly about what the characters did or did not do. For instance, they pretty much completely abandoned books and schooling. Why would a parent not read to their child or teach them to read, especially when they're was so much helpful knowledge in books that would otherwise be lost? And why didn't they start learning to farm from the very beginning? They must have known that canned food was not only a finite resource, but also that stuff goes bad after a number of years. They just seemed to take everything for granted....more
I found this book to be fascinating! Alden is an engaging writer, and he tells us not only about (what seems to be) an extensive description of the geI found this book to be fascinating! Alden is an engaging writer, and he tells us not only about (what seems to be) an extensive description of the geology underlying the city of Oakland, but he also goes much further. The history of Oakland is also told via the history of its inhabitants, from the native Ohlone who lived with the land, to the colonizers who began destroying it and its inhabitants.
Alden discusses geological science in a way that a layman can understand, but without speaking down to those who are familiar with science in general. Although I haven't yet had the chance to study geology, reading this book gave me a nice overview of the topic, as well as a host of real-life examples in the neighborhoods around my home here in Oakland. Now, as I drive around town, I am looking at the city in a different, deeper way than I was able to before.
The one things the book was lacking was a comprehensive map marking the various areas and geological features the author discusses. (I pulled out a paper map and started marking things on my own for future reference.) But the author's website () does include a link to this ....more
As long as humans have been around there has been "human-wildlife conflict." Here, Roach details multiple types of conflict with a variety of animals,As long as humans have been around there has been "human-wildlife conflict." Here, Roach details multiple types of conflict with a variety of animals, and talks with the various agencies and organizations that work to mitigate them. Bears that break and enter (and steal food from the fridge), stoats that endanger birds, even killer trees are discussed and injected with the author's own sense of humor. One good thread I see running through this particular tapestry is the fact that so many people - citizens and wildlife agencies both - is that there seems to be a growing trend to conserve native wildlife populations while being humane in any dealings with said wildlife. Quite a change from the "kill 'em all" attitudes of previous times....more
This is quite the unique book as I've never before read a book about listening to music. I am a huge music fan, and was quite interested to know more This is quite the unique book as I've never before read a book about listening to music. I am a huge music fan, and was quite interested to know more about "finding [myself] through music," as the tagline suggests. And I did learn a bit of interesting information. The author discusses such topics as different elements of music and how music you like affects your brain. I also liked how she, a record producer for years before going back to school to study neuroscience, talked about the things a producer listens for as I've never heard from that side of the mixing board before.
The reason I didn't give the book five stars is because I feel it falls a bit short of the claims made on the cover. For instance, it didn't "change the way [I] listen to [my] favorite artists." I was also hoping it might give some insight as to why certain individuals like certain types of music–maybe, why particular personalities tend to like this genre, or the reason people who listen to that genre have these characteristics–alas, that is not even touched upon here. Nevertheless, I found the book engaging and fascinating....more
A very cute, humorous book about, you guessed it, bees. Complete with scientific facts and beautiful illustrations, this easy to read book contains geA very cute, humorous book about, you guessed it, bees. Complete with scientific facts and beautiful illustrations, this easy to read book contains general information about bees, colonies, and a handful of individual species. (There are over 20,000 species of bees, so they're not all listed here.)...more
Rush is my all-time favourite band, so needless to say I was excited to hear that Geddy was coming out with a memoir. And I'm even happier to say thatRush is my all-time favourite band, so needless to say I was excited to hear that Geddy was coming out with a memoir. And I'm even happier to say that it lived up to all my expectations. The book was well-written and entertaining, and I plowed through it in just a few days.
Here Geddy regales us with tales of youth, genocide, people who would become lifelong friends, young love, and Young love. It's a great tale of drugs and rock & roll, but without the sex. (The sex part may or may not have happened, but Rush fans know there's a good chance it didn't.) The book appealed to me because of my emotional connection to the band, but it may also be an interesting read for people who are just generally interested in music and musicians.
There's a quote that says something to the effect of, you should never meet your heroes because, once you learn what they are like, you will be disappointed. Well, I was able to get to know Geddy, in a manner of speaking, and I am the opposite of disappointed. In fact, he sounds like an intelligent, loving, and deeply emotional person who would probably be a great friend....more
A cute book with excellent relationship advice for people of all genders and orientations. It's as if you took all the great basic info about relationA cute book with excellent relationship advice for people of all genders and orientations. It's as if you took all the great basic info about relationships and distilled it down to a couple hundred pages of comics. I wish I had known all of this earlier in life (but would I have listened?)....more
What a fantastic book! This covers the entire existence of mammals, from the time of dinosaurs to the present day, including the waxing and waning of What a fantastic book! This covers the entire existence of mammals, from the time of dinosaurs to the present day, including the waxing and waning of species through mass extinctions. It is amazing what you can learn about an animal from something like a tooth, but even simple clues like that paint an incredible picture of how humans, whales, and porcupines (among others) all sprung from shrew-sized insect-eating creatures.
For anyone who refuses to acknowledge evolution, the evidence is all here in spades. Brusatte details how mammals evolved, describes multiple "missing links," and chronicles how various morphological characteristics have persisted (or not) through millennia. While chock-full of scientific data, the author writes in such a way that makes it easy for non-scientists to read and understand. Very highly recommended!...more
This was a fun book! It's an easy-to-read text for non-scientists that introduces readers to both the wide variety of genders, orientations, mating stThis was a fun book! It's an easy-to-read text for non-scientists that introduces readers to both the wide variety of genders, orientations, mating styles, and types of penises. And yes, it does include drawings of most of the weird phalluses that are discussed in the book.
Tl;dr: There is nothing "unnatural" about sex or gender in the animal kingdom....more
Although I first heard of Edward Abbey decades ago, this was the first time I had read one of his books, and I liked it. As an environmentalist and coAlthough I first heard of Edward Abbey decades ago, this was the first time I had read one of his books, and I liked it. As an environmentalist and conservationist myself, I enjoyed reading about these four environmentally-minded folks decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to thwart the building of roads, bridges, and dams in the American Southwest. The tale even had a couple unexpected twists at the end!...more
I bought this book in the airport because I wanted a light read, and the cover promised me a "bitingly funny" "darkly brilliant comedy," but sadly, itI bought this book in the airport because I wanted a light read, and the cover promised me a "bitingly funny" "darkly brilliant comedy," but sadly, it was not. A tale of a group of friends isolating at a country estate for months during the lockdown portion of the pandemic, there is some drama and romance, but it's only marginally entertaining. I read it until the end in hopes there would be some great twist or revelation, but then I ended skimming the last chapters just to finish the book....more
I was lucky enough to hear about this up-and-coming author a few years ago, and was thrilled to see she has a new short story out! Her stories are desI was lucky enough to hear about this up-and-coming author a few years ago, and was thrilled to see she has a new short story out! Her stories are described as "five-minutes-into-the-future," and that's a great description of this; technology that isn't quite here yet, but is completely feasible the way the world is going.
"The Bear Box" takes place in Yosemite National Park, and having been there I can perfectly picture the setting. Normally Yosemite is free from much technology (did I even have cell service there?) but in this short story we see how that could change in the future. Add in some teenage angst and tragic drama, and you end up with a captivating tale....more
This is actually a funny book about horrible things: amusing events as seen through the eyes of a woman with depression and anxiety. Lawson acknowledgThis is actually a funny book about horrible things: amusing events as seen through the eyes of a woman with depression and anxiety. Lawson acknowledges and discusses her disorders, but has a keen knack for finding the humor in her life. Honestly, she seems like she's the kind of weirdo I'd like to hang around....more
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