<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/0xmDtaF6UOzYrHmESh0dau" rel="nofollow">To Be Taught, If Fortunate</a> πππππ <br>by Becky Chambers.</p><p>A small crew of scientists leave Earth, and their time period, forever to explore life on distant planets. But what will they do when Earth goes silent? An ode to science, discovery and the inherent worth of knowledge. The lack of interpersonal conflict under such trying conditions feels unrealistic.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#SciFi</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
bookreview
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1K96Lbx17KNZhgebh4brNu" rel="nofollow">The Strangest Criminals: A Funny and Heartwarming Cosy Fantasy Mystery About Crime, Magic, and Found Family</a> πππππ <br>by Blake Polden.</p><p>In a world where the Occult lives along side the Ordinary, a magical mafia family turns bad. Has potential, with some fresh creativity, but the writing is too choppy & disrupted.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#SFF</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/40lLKnj7017mT5Nbq1DmX6" rel="nofollow">Before the Coffee Gets Cold</a> πππππ <br>by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.</p><p>In a particular seat in an otherwise unremarkable cafe, it is possible to travel through time. Despite stringent limitations, the customers and workers nonetheless find solace from the travails of life. Its a pleasing enough community of everyday people, but nothing special.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p> @wildwoila@wyrms.de <span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span><br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/285jz09giIlViRRSkhMEBA" rel="nofollow">I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life</a> πππππ <br>by Ed Yong.</p><p>Delves into the many varied & amazing ways humans & animals have evolved to depend upon microbes. Most of this was familiar to me already, though told in the author's excellent clear & awed way. New was the incredible nesting of microbes within high-order animal cells, with each doing distinct jobs, such that none can survive without the others. Yong is always good for a celebration of life & its complexity.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/nonfiction/" rel="tag">#NonFiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencewriting/" rel="tag">#ScienceWriting</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/7MLmYj9vugHeZDTHRJYVdh" rel="nofollow">Becoming Mrs Mulberry</a> πππππ <br>by Jackie French.</p><p>In the aftermath of WW1, a woman strives to build a new life despite the sacrifices she has made. Eventful & enjoyable, if implausible, with an excellent cast of characters and strong Miss Fisher vibes.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/historicfiction/" rel="tag">#HistoricFiction</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/2G3htL7jOiEzcAHQtNoYuw" rel="nofollow">The Shadow of the Wind</a> πππππ <br>by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.</p><p>A rare book sets a teenage boy on a path of mystery, love & revenge. This was nearly great, with an intriguing setup, smooth prose, vibrant characters and an evocative sense of time & place (mid-century Barcelona). But it ran out of steam with repetitive storytelling and too much exposition. And nearly all the men were incorrigible womanisers.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/historicfiction/" rel="tag">#HistoricFiction</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1BbYbJnlN9zxNIUWJzpRpH" rel="nofollow">The Lebs</a> πππππ <br>by Michael Mohammed Ahmad.</p><p>A deeply uncomfortable portrayal of Lebanese teenage boys in western Sydney as dumb, racist, misogynistic, sex-obsessed fundamentalists. The last third was more interesting, as the protagonist struggles with the foreignness & ugliness of the White world that he has always idolised.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1onVykHO8cWR9T8KXDwYXB" rel="nofollow">Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</a> πππππ <br>by Gabrielle Zevin.</p><p>Two friends become productive creative partners in computer game design, but their emotional blocks cause regular estrangements (gets a bit frustrating - grow up already!). I enjoyed the nostalgia of old-school gaming, but would probably still be enjoyable for non-gamers. Now, off to play Oregon Trail ... <a href="https://oregontrail.run/" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>oregontrail.run/</a></p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>
<p>finished reading <a href="https://reviewdb.app/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/6aLdwI044RquLmAqSQ9PS1" rel="nofollow">Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society</a> πππππ <br>by Eric Posner & Glen Weyl.</p><p>Proposes a number of dramatic reforms to foundational institutions: including property, voting & migration. A perennial auction of property would result in shared public ownership funding a basic income and ensuring more efficient use of capital - this one challenged my deep set conception of ownership & control. Quadratic voting would enable citizens to give more democratic weight to issues of more concern to them - fantastic, we should do this! Would love to see these ideas get consideration and trial runs. We desperately need more creative thinking along these lines. No consideration given to environmental limits.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/nonfiction/" rel="tag">#NonFiction</a> <a href="/tags/radicalxchange/" rel="tag">#RadicalxChange</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>