Thinking Better is a history of how shortcuts have opened our eyes to better, and faster, methodologies. It advocates for outside-the-box thinking. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t contain ways to create these shortcuts for your own problems in either life or math. I’m disappointed and feel misled by the publisher’s blurb.Continue Reading
Are we living within a huge computer simulation? Does it work like a video game that can be replayed, over and over again, to attain a better conclusion? Is that replay effect giving many of us deja vu? In The Simulated Multiverse, a MIT computer scientist tries to untangle theContinue Reading
Are you ready for battle on The Blood Isles? Edinburgh’s youth volunteer to risk their lives in battle in exchange for money and fame. The rich sit back in comfort and bet on the battle’s outcome. The book is clearly a merging of The Vikings/Game of Thrones with Squid Game.Continue Reading
In The Corpse Flower, a lawyer is killed in his home in Denmark. His home security camera picks up the image of Anna, covered in blood, staring up at the camera. She then disappears. No connection is found by the police between the victim and the suspect. Years later, Heloise,Continue Reading
William Jackson Crawford is skeptical of the seances that are popular in England after World War I. But his skepticism turns to wonder after he meets Kathleen Goligher, who allows him to talk to his beloved mother’s spirit. William spends years trying to prove Kathleen is a genuine medium. AfterContinue Reading
The Cabinet is a surreal tale of a government worker who manages symptomers, who may be the next evolution of mankind. Each of the symptomer’s tales are told separately giving this book the feel of short stories with an overarching narrative loosely tying them together. My favorite surreal book isContinue Reading
One hot and humid morning, my Siamese cat Mochi and I began reading Pawmistry. The book explains how your cat is “privy to the most staggering universal truths and yet [is] still being regarded as a mere house pet!” The author explains her dislike of the word pet in aContinue Reading
Pearl is a pig. A very special telepathic pig. The author, Josh Malerman, also wrote Bird Box. Enough said. If you want a totally original take on horror, pick up Pearl. You won’t be sorry. It’s perfect for a cold autumn evening. 4 stars! Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalleyContinue Reading
Fan Fiction is a book about Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek: TNG, written by Brent Spiner. It has a real setting and at least some real characters. It also is fiction, per its title and prologue. Brent is being stalked by a person who represents herself asContinue Reading
The Last Guest is advertised as an Agatha Christie and Mulholland Drive mashup. While it does have some characteristics of both, it is mostly a slow-paced behind-the-scenes look into the rich movie crowd’s symbiotic relationships. Elspeth is invited to her husband Richard’s fiftieth birthday party at his stunning mansion. SheContinue Reading
A fly is born! After breaking out of his shell, literally, The Fly explores his environment. He finds both friends and foes. He also finds adventure. Basically, that’s all a fly can ask for out of life, right? The Fly is a cute look at life from a fly’s (andContinue Reading
Want to learn how to increase sales by marketing your product to the people who are most likely to buy it? You could take a semester class in college—like I did. Or you could just read this book. And the only final exam is how well its Brand Hacks workContinue Reading
In Sankofa, Anna’s Welsh mother is dead. Anna’s husband has left her. When Anna finds the journal of the African father she has never met, she is intrigued. Can she make contact with him in West Africa? How will he react to her? Why was he kept hidden from herContinue Reading
Anvils, Mallets & Dynamite is the definitive story of Looney Tunes. It is well-researched from a multitude of sources. Plus, it is just a fascinating read! The book starts at the beginning of animation in Hollywood with a brief mention of Disney and other animation studios’ styles before jumping inContinue Reading
The Shift is about changing your mindset. Instead of using willpower to drive your diet, utilize skillpower to take detailed steps into your weight loss journey. The book discusses how to change your negative self-talk. It also goes over research into how to set habits to make it easier toContinue Reading
Loid is a spy. He has a fake family made up of Yor, the wife who is also an assassin, and Yuri, a first grader, who is also a telepath. In this episode of their story, Loid and his co-worker, Fiona, are the focus. The pair must win a tennisContinue Reading