Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife: The flip side of infinity is zero, and this is a good but brief overview of the concept, written with a layperson in mind. I do wish Seife had gone into more detail in the latter half of the book, in particular the connection between zero and infinity and the implications for quantum mechanics and general relativity.
West End Girls by Jennie Colgan: I loved the two other books I've read by Colgan, but this was a disappointment -- more stereotypical and coarse in its portrayal of characters, and even a little mean-spirited. It's one of her early works, so that could explain it.
Origin by Jennifer Raff: An engaging presentation of the latest genetic and archeological evidence about the peopling of the Americas, with a good emphasis on the way racism and other forms of bias have affected and continue to affect our understanding of the science. This makes a great follow-up to Charles C. Mann's 1491 (which I strongly recommend, even if some of the information is now outdated).
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler: A book about circuses, mermaids, tarot cards, curses, librarians, and rare books is right up my alley, and I certainly enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I'm not sure why; most of the characters were endearing one way or another, and the story itself was interesting, but it didn't grab me. Maybe because the all-consuming love at the heart of the story is the kind of thing I get impatient with.
Gallant by V.E. Schwab: Schwab's gothic take on the alternate universe trope reminded me both of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden (yes, really). I like how Schwab's novels never go quite where you expect them.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry: This was a fun inversion of the typical "city girl finds love in a small town" story, with lots of meta commentary about Hallmark movies, romance novels, and the book industry. The family melodrama was a bit heavy-handed at times, but I really enjoyed this, much more than People We Meet on Vacation (but not as much as Beach Read, which is still my favorite of Henry's).
That's an interesting selection of books! The Book of Speculation and the VE Schwab are the two that appeal to me the most.
ReplyDeleteI've just finished the sequel to The Wolf Den and also a book called The Winter Garden. I recommend all three.