Dark Inside, by Jeyn Roberts

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Things I liked: quick read that holds your attention, characters that aren't all goodness and light, interesting premise, dark outlook. Things I was less enamored with: lack of backstory (however, this book is the first in a series so many of my questions will likely be answered in upcoming books), with the chapter-by-character style it sometimes took a page or so before I remembered the character's story. I'm looking forward to the next book to see where the story goes. However, if this gets all religious, I'm gonna be pissed.



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The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Part mystery, part science, The Ghost Map addresses an 1854 cholera epidemic in one neighborhood in London and presents the route traced to identify its cause. At a time when medicine was based on superstition more than science, this journey to the truth was often blocked by everything from class prejudices to a lack of independent thinking. The author likewise weaves in the various sociologic and economic factors involved: the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, the history of cholera, colonization, world travel, morbidity/mortality statistics, and indoor plumbing. This book discusses a wide variety of disparate topics as they relate to the epidemiology of this particular outbreak, which is why the book worked so well. I found The Ghost Map well written and almost a page turner, but also I thought something was missing. I can't identify the missing element, but that's why I have this book a 4 rather than a 5.

Oh, and just a tip: This is not a book to read while eating. I have a far-from-weak stomach (working lunches on crime scene photography will do that to a gal), but lordy this one made me a bit queasy.



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"Global Weirdness" by Climate Central

Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future by Climate Central

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This impressive-in-information but tightly written book is probably the best nonfiction work about climate change for laypeople that I've read. Written in chapters that span only 2-5 pages, the folks at Climate Central lay out the evidence for climate change, starting with an overview of how various parts of the ecosystem work and then moving into what the current peer-reviewed research shows, in the context of the basic scientific information presented earlier. One of the key points made is that predicting what will happen in future years is very tricky, because current data are outstripping what the models are built to examine and because the system is just so complex. The book ends with the question on everyone's mind: "Can we avoid the risks of climate change?" Short answer: probably not.

This book is the sort that you recommend to your friends and family because every informed citizen of the planet should have this information. By writing a book in accurate-yet-simple language that even a 5th grader could understand, the team of authors has developed a terrific resource for everyone.




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After, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

After by Ellen Datlow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Short stories are a hard literature form to do well: Despite being the soul of wit, brevity is often not a strong suit for writers. "After" demonstrates that you don't need a 7-book series of 700-page tomes to do good storytelling. Dealing with topics of dystopia and apocalypse as they relate to young adults, the 19 individual stories (well, one is a poem) vary widely in their approaches and specific subjects. Although all rate a "pretty darn good" IMHO, some will linger longer than others. For me, N.K. Jemisin's "Validectorian" was one of the best, hitting me in the gut with its message about who the true monsters are. Likewise, the twist in "Faint Heart" by Sarah Rees Brennan made it one of my favorites. "After" is another great collection from this editing team.



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Book: The Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Intelligent, witty, funny as hell, with a touch of more serious themes (eg, the influence of a corporation on a nation), I liked this book a great deal. It straddled the line between mystery, literature, humor, and science fiction. Readers will probably want some basic literary knowledge; otherwise, jokes about the door-to-door Baconians trying to convince unsuspecting homeowners that Shakespeare was not the true author of Shakespeare's works will likely fly over their heads. Those little tidbits are what I enjoyed the most about the book. Fforde creates a world in which literature and the arts are given the attention that sports and other bread and circuses (Honey Boo Boo, anyone) merit in today's world, down to the hooligans causing riots over abstract art.



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Rasputin's Bastard's by David Nickle

Rasputin's Bastards by David Nickle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Damn. Just damn.

Nickle has a lot going on in this book, with layers upon layers of reality and not reality, such that you should probably not do what I did and go a long period between chapters, if you want to grasp everything happening here. As it is, this novel is the sort that lends itself to re-reading because the second and subsequent readings will provide much more depth (and recollection of which character is which and the relationships among them) than the first go-round. But the result is worth the effort: Nickle weaves a fine story here that dips into everything from Cold War-era spying to the nature of reality itself. Or at least that's what I got from it -- I have a feeling that different readers will have different takeaways. Some will focus on matters of mind control, others the mystery and suspense, still others will meditate on the dangers of true believers, whether they believe in a deity, power, or simply the lining of their own pockets (or, heaven forbid, all three). And therein lies the brilliance of the book -- its complexity while nonetheless telling a fascinating tale that will capture readers attention and imagination.

In interest of total disclosure, I obtained a free e-book from the publisher via a friend who works with them.


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Feynman, by Jim Ottaviani

Feynman by Jim Ottaviani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The combination here of evocative artwork, carefully selected vignettes from Feynman's life, and well-written text brings a spark to the story of this amazing man that would have been impossible in a text-only biography. And, to its credit, this book made physics almost understandable to me (I never took physics in high school, to my everlasting regret, because I did not want to have to do a science fair project.)



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