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Murder Goes to Market
8.0
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If you had asked computer programmer Claudia Simcoe what she expected to come of her leaving San...
Hans Richter
Book
The Austro-Hungarian Hans Richter (1843-1916) was the first career-conductor to gain international...
Stranger Magic
Book
Our foremost theorist of myth, fairytales, and folktales explores the magical realm of the...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace in Books
Apr 2, 2018
Enchantress of Numbers has been making the rounds lately - it seems there's been an interest in books about women in STEM, which is a good thing. Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer, though "computers" as we know them didn't really exist at the time. What she wrote was an algorithm for making a machine spit out a specific result - a machine that was never actually built. Still, her contributions to the very early science of computing were invaluable and she is (rightly) revered for them. Sadly, she died in her 30s from ovarian cancer - a loss that undoubtedly slowed down the advancement of early computing.
The early parts of the book are told in third person, about her mother's marriage to Lord Byron, and Ada's own birth. From there, Ada tells the story in first person, as she grows up with her strict mother in English Aristocratic Society.
It is historical fiction, so the author has taken some liberties, though I was a bit confused that in the book she meets Mr. Babbage some time before meeting Mrs. Somerville; Wikipedia says Lady Lovelace was introduced to Mr. Babbage by her mentor, Mrs. Somerville. Odd that the author chose to change that up.
I've definitely read better historical fiction - Philippa Gregory is a personal favorite - but this wasn't bad. It was a little slow, and a little dry in spots, but it was overall good. If you weren't interested in Ada Lovelace or early computing and mathematics I don't think the book would be very enjoyable at all. But if you do like those things, and are willing to put up with a little bit of boredom, it's a decent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The early parts of the book are told in third person, about her mother's marriage to Lord Byron, and Ada's own birth. From there, Ada tells the story in first person, as she grows up with her strict mother in English Aristocratic Society.
It is historical fiction, so the author has taken some liberties, though I was a bit confused that in the book she meets Mr. Babbage some time before meeting Mrs. Somerville; Wikipedia says Lady Lovelace was introduced to Mr. Babbage by her mentor, Mrs. Somerville. Odd that the author chose to change that up.
I've definitely read better historical fiction - Philippa Gregory is a personal favorite - but this wasn't bad. It was a little slow, and a little dry in spots, but it was overall good. If you weren't interested in Ada Lovelace or early computing and mathematics I don't think the book would be very enjoyable at all. But if you do like those things, and are willing to put up with a little bit of boredom, it's a decent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook
2.0
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Jamie Oliver will share everything he's learned as a chef as he invites you to Cook With Jamie...
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Trust No One in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Jerry Grey is currently living in an elder care facility and suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, which would be bad enough except that he is convinced that he murdered a girl many years ago and is continually trying to confess to it. The problem with that though, is that he was a best-selling crime novelist and the murder to which he keeps confessing mirrors a plot point from one of his books, so no one believes him. Maybe they're right, and it's just the disease making him think that he did kill her, but evidence keeps appearing that makes him think that it's true, and that somehow he is continuing to commit murders. Or someone is trying to trick him into believing he is. Luckily, he had been keeping a journal of his life with Alzheimer's which should help to make sense of everything. Now if he could just remember where he put it. The first half of this book was perhaps a little light on suspense, and instead seemed to deal with the horror of Alzheimer's and dementia in and of themselves, which are quite frightening. Once the twists start coming however, things move at a breakneck pace, and there are plenty of surprising developments to be had. Aside from a few slightly weak moments, this is one hell of a story and a pretty great suspense yarn for the Halloween season.
Public Archaeology and Climate Change
Tom Dawson, Courtney Nimura and Marie-Yvane Daire
Book
Public Archaeology and Climate Change promotes new approaches to studying and managing sites...
Because I had always loved the film, I knew that the book would definitely be for me – and I wasn’t disappointed. With Matilda, I had always loved that there was a bookish character. And while I was reading this, I realised that there aren’t nearly enough bookish characters in books. Books should be full of book-loving characters as they are instantly relatable to anyone reading the books. This is why I have always related to Matilda as a character.
Matilda never tries to hide her intelligence, and I love that. It’s something that a lot of adults can’t do. I was even saying to one of my friends at work that I act more ditsy than I actually am when I’m there. I’ve always hidden parts of myself because I want to fit in. Matilda doesn’t even try to fit in with everyone else, even though she excels everyone around her. I think everyone could learn a lesson about personalities from Matilda.
I love that she goes against the crowd. When everyone around her is trying to tell her that she can’t possibly be as smart as she is and that she is worthless, she defies them every time. She doesn’t dumb herself down and try to become like everyone else just to avoid people making fun of her.
The best thing about Matilda is that the book stays funny and entertaining all the way through. Even at the worse parts it never drops it’s humour, which makes it perfect for kids.
The happy ending is like the icing on the cake for me. I’m a sucker for happy endings, but I feel like this one was perfect. It felt like a fairytale.
If you enjoyed the film, you need to buy the book. It’s ten times better than the film and has so many important messages to both adults and children.
Matilda never tries to hide her intelligence, and I love that. It’s something that a lot of adults can’t do. I was even saying to one of my friends at work that I act more ditsy than I actually am when I’m there. I’ve always hidden parts of myself because I want to fit in. Matilda doesn’t even try to fit in with everyone else, even though she excels everyone around her. I think everyone could learn a lesson about personalities from Matilda.
I love that she goes against the crowd. When everyone around her is trying to tell her that she can’t possibly be as smart as she is and that she is worthless, she defies them every time. She doesn’t dumb herself down and try to become like everyone else just to avoid people making fun of her.
The best thing about Matilda is that the book stays funny and entertaining all the way through. Even at the worse parts it never drops it’s humour, which makes it perfect for kids.
The happy ending is like the icing on the cake for me. I’m a sucker for happy endings, but I feel like this one was perfect. It felt like a fairytale.
If you enjoyed the film, you need to buy the book. It’s ten times better than the film and has so many important messages to both adults and children.
Bombing Hitler: The Story of the Man Who Almost Assassinated the Fuhrer
Hellmut G. Haasis and William Odom
Book
Georg Elser was just a working-class citizen living in Munich, Germany. He was employed as a...
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters (Momotaro, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I think I've grown out of reading middle grade books now. I find that a little sad - the first book in Dilloways Momotaro series isn't even a bad book, aside from the fact I kept expecting a Percy Jackson vibe (which, in a way, it kind of does).
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - if we're going down the Percy Jackson vibe (I'm pretty sure the synopsis makes the comparison .) - is basically Japanese folklore set in modern day, with plenty of Japanese mythological creatures making an appearance. Unfortunately, Xander definitely resembles a Japanese version of Percy Jackson - blue eyes, black hair, twelve years old, and the only difference? Xander has a bit of silver streak in his hair (oh wait ) and he's mixed (Asian and Irish).
It's no wonder I expected a lot of humor out of Dilloway's book (comparisons = high expectations). The first Momotaro book does have the occasional funny moment, but it just isn't as funny as I hoped it would be. (That might just be the fact I'm nineteen.)
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters is set in a comic book like format with illustrations featured throughout the book, and it will definitely appeal more to younger audiences than the older ones. (And hopefully, it'll be more funny to them than to me.)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-xander-and-lost-island-of-monsters-by-margaret-dilloway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I think I've grown out of reading middle grade books now. I find that a little sad - the first book in Dilloways Momotaro series isn't even a bad book, aside from the fact I kept expecting a Percy Jackson vibe (which, in a way, it kind of does).
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - if we're going down the Percy Jackson vibe (I'm pretty sure the synopsis makes the comparison .) - is basically Japanese folklore set in modern day, with plenty of Japanese mythological creatures making an appearance. Unfortunately, Xander definitely resembles a Japanese version of Percy Jackson - blue eyes, black hair, twelve years old, and the only difference? Xander has a bit of silver streak in his hair (oh wait ) and he's mixed (Asian and Irish).
It's no wonder I expected a lot of humor out of Dilloway's book (comparisons = high expectations). The first Momotaro book does have the occasional funny moment, but it just isn't as funny as I hoped it would be. (That might just be the fact I'm nineteen.)
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters is set in a comic book like format with illustrations featured throughout the book, and it will definitely appeal more to younger audiences than the older ones. (And hopefully, it'll be more funny to them than to me.)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-xander-and-lost-island-of-monsters-by-margaret-dilloway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>