Learning ALL the time

As the title suggests, I think it's important that we strive to continue learning new things. If you read Countdown you're sure to do just that. The book's title sounds rather ominous but the topic broached within its pages isn't fictional or even "this is a scenario dreamed up by the author with enough facts to make it sound plausible". No, the notion that there are too many humans jammed onto this planet draining the limited resources is one that most of us are aware of if not actively concerned about. Homo sapiens has fairly swarmed across the globe gobbling up as much arable land as possible and watering that land through any means necessary. The problem is we're stuck in a cycle. We have so many mouths to feed so we need to grow more food which means depleting more resources and using up more space. However, the more food we put in those mouths and the more we advance medically the more bodies there are to take up space and consume more food and create more bodies and...you get where I'm going with this. I have vaguely thought about this before and wondered what the Earth could realistically sustain while we destroy habitats and cause entire species to go extinct. Where is the line? Have we crossed it already? READ THIS BOOK. I was so impressed by Weisman that I've already downloaded The World Without Us  in which he conducts a thought experiment about what would happen to the planet if all of humanity were wiped out. O_O That'll be down the road because I have another title that's practically begging to be read.

The next title that I allude to is The Troop by Nick Cutter. I was drawn in by this because it claimed to scare Stephen King. That sounds like a challenge that I want to take! It's about a Boy Scout troop that camps out on a deserted island and is beset upon by a stranger that infects one of them with some unimaginable horror. Soon there is frightening devastation (or so I'm promised). It's been awhile since I read a propor horror story so I'm pretty excited (and a little apprehensive I'll get nightmares but that won't stop me!). I can't wait to give you my review!

I hope you're all ready to get back into the swing of things now that summer is pretty much over. I especially hope you'll all continue to read even though free time might be shortened and your lives might be busier. Reading is a great way to unwind!! :-D

Good news and bad news

The good news is that I thought Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was fantastic and there is a SEQUEL (not due out until January 2014 though). The bad news is that I'm already finished with it and the sequel isn't out until January 2014. JANUARY 2014. Okay, maybe I should review this or something. Firstly, I would like to thank Ashley for asking me to read this (and for loaning me her copy). This book is a perfect example of magical realism gone so very right. The author, Ransom Riggs, uses vintage photographs to bring the story to life for the reader. They're so beautifully woven into the storyline that you (well, if you're like me at least) look forward to them every few pages. I really dig photographs (especially those found in old family albums) and I thought it was a clever device for transporting the reader into the world that he had created. These children are "peculiar" because of their abilities and these same gifts make them vulnerable. I don't want to say anymore because I want you to go read this immediately. GO NOW. OH and they're turning it into a motion picture due out in 2015. EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Edit: It's actually coming out September 30, 2016 and I'M EXCITED.

Okay if you managed to make it through the paragraph above I have to assume that you're a hardcore fan of mine (hi mom!) and I really appreciate you sticking it out with me. The next book up is another title from NetGalley which means it hasn't been published yet and therefore will not be readily available to you. However, it will be beneficial for me to trundle through it so I can let you know if I think it's worth your time. The book is Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth? by Alan Weisman. The basic question that this book is trying to answer is how humanity can come into balance with the earth. He travels the globe asking questions about limiting the growth of humans (not a new concept), ecosystem development (is the earth strong enough to hold all of us?), and what the economy of this newly stabilized (and shrunken) world might look like. I find nonfiction works about the state of our world and our place in it highly compelling which is why I gravitated toward this one. I imagine a world of possibilities that I never even imagined are about to be opened before me!

Murder, Mystery, and Mustaches (Oh my!)

As you might have already guessed from previous posts, I'm rather fond of true crime. So when I saw the title, Jack the Ripper: True Facts, you know I had to give that a read. If you're looking to get every conceivable fact (however minute) about the murders committed in Whitechapel in the year 1888 then this book is perfect for you. PERFECT. However, if you're wanting something that reads a little more like a narrative and which offers some plausible suspect of the crimes then you're barking up the wrong book. While I appreciate an author that knows his facts this book was drowning in minutia which overshadowed the meat (I'm not even sorry for that) of the tale. And most frustratingly the author doesn't offer up his thoughts on who he believes is the killer. This might be due in part because every single piece of evidence conflicted. It's no wonder that no one was ever brought to justice (or were they? Government conspiracy theories abound!) for the crimes with all of the inconsistent "eyewitness" testimony. *sigh* I guess I was hoping for something quite different from this book but in regards to listing out all available data (and sources, yay!) on the subject this book can't be beat.

Because I was disappointed in an ending which was tied up in a neat little bow I decided to turn to one of my favorite authors, Rex Stout. Some of you might recognize the fictional detective that he created, Nero Wolfe. Those of you who don't are really missing out. He is the armchair detective and there was even a miniseries created which focused on a few of his more famous storylines that had Timothy Hutton (ha cha cha) playing Nero's right hand man, Archie Goodwin. I hope I've gotten you excited because the book I'm reading is one I haven't sunk my teeth into before: Prisoner's Base. All of his stories start out similarly. A distraught individual seeks Nero's help. That person gets killed. Then it's up to Nero to solve the case because the police are pretty much bumbling idiots (sound familiar anyone?). It's a rollicking good time!! This one revolves around an heiress (of cotton-towels? ummm).

I hope you're all aware that it's Geek Week. GEEK OUT AND READ A BOOK!!

PS The reason that mustaches creeped into the title is because there were copious mentions of mustaches in Jack the Ripper. COPIOUS. Waaaaay too many references and descriptions of male facial hair. Sooo yeah.

An opening of the eyes

I mentioned in my last entry that I was going to be reviewing titles from NetGalley. These titles are in pre-publication status which means that you won't be able to go and pick them up just yet (if you were feeling so inclined). However, if you like the sound of them I highly encourage you to mark them on your "Must Read" list (I have so many of these that it's ridiculous at this point). So with that thought in mind on with the review!

The Why of Things: Causality in Science, Medicine, and Life by Peter Rabins was just as interesting as its title suggests. As a species, humans are always looking for the answers to 'why' things happen. We are by nature curious creatures and the author explains in-depth why it is important that we continue to look for the causes behind different phenomena/events whether they be on a global level (How did the earth begin?) or on a personal level (Why did I develop lung cancer if I've never smoked cigarettes?). The methodologies and disciplines that seek to answer these questions and an infinite number besides were discussed (some quite thoroughly such as the biological sciences in regards to genetics).  If you're interested in learning more about a fascinating topic (and trust me when I say that it is fascinating) then this book is for you. If you're a science nerd (yay nerds!) then you'll love it. Keep an eye out for this one to hit shelves.

Switching gears slightly (are you surprised?) I'm going to be reading Jack the Ripper: The Facts by Paul Begg. It's exactly what it sounds like. A narrative tale about the exploits of one of the most well-known serial killers of all time. He claimed the lives of 5 women in 1888 and was never caught. Paul Begg uses case notes from the time as well as documented accounts to aid in his attempt.  This is a revision of a book that was published in the 80s but which the author explains in the Introduction is almost a complete reworking based on new facts about the cases. As I'm interested in both Victorian England (and England in general if I'm being honest) as well as accounts of criminality I know I'm going to enjoy this read.

I hope you're all taking advantage of the summer to get your hands on books. Please let me know of any that you think I should read/review!!

PS Ashley, I'm working on getting a copy of the book we discussed. Once I do I'll review here for you! :-)

Wherein I get crazy with parentheses (are you jealous?)

One of the reasons that this last book took me a hot minute was because I was reading it on my phone. The other reason was that it was a free Google book which meant the font was extra tiny. That being said, I've finished Twelve Years a Slave! I was expecting a book similar to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and that's what I got. However, while that was a fiction based off of real events this was entirely a true account of one man's plight as a kidnapped slave. Nothing was held back and the scenes described were oftentimes graphic (in terms of violence not sexual assault although that was slightly hinted at) and heartbreaking. If you're interested in a true account of Slavery (it deserves the capitalization) and you're comfortable with the language of the time period then you'll enjoy (not sure if this is the right word choice but let's just go with it) this book.

How many of you guys know about NetGalley? Well, if you have then read on because I'm about to get all educational on you. Okay, those of you still reading presumably want to learn more about NetGalley. The purpose of the site is to publicize upcoming books by reading and reviewing them. I found out about it while I was still in library school but this will be my first time actually using the service. Basically, you request titles and if you're approved you download them and get to reading.

With that being said, my next book up for review is The Why of Things: Causality in Science, Medicine, and Life by Peter Rabins. The book is all about the causality of actions, i.e. why things happen. Reading the description of the book kinda makes my brain swell so I'm guessing I'm going to be a genius after reading it. The word of the day from the blurb: freakonomic which is apparently the melding of pop culture with economics. See? You're already smarter too!

Wish me luck, guys.