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doughanke's reviews
41 reviews
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don’t often get an urge to reread a book I just finished. But after blazing through this book I wanted to erase my memory and reread it for the first time again. Absolutely marvelous tale of a young woman whose beloved aunt (along with thousands of others) turns into a dragon one day in the 1950s.
Why did her aunt change? Why did her mother stay? Where did all the women go once they became dragons? And how does society cope with their absence? (Hint: it’s not well)
Why did her aunt change? Why did her mother stay? Where did all the women go once they became dragons? And how does society cope with their absence? (Hint: it’s not well)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Abandonment
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The author’s note at the end talks about the origin of this book and how it was a joy for him to write.
It’s a joy to read, a thrill ride about hidden worlds, evil business executives, the importance of karaoke, and (of course) giant monsters. Bring your popcorn!
It’s a joy to read, a thrill ride about hidden worlds, evil business executives, the importance of karaoke, and (of course) giant monsters. Bring your popcorn!
Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration by Paul Gilster
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A quest to solve the question: would it be possible using today's technology to send a probe to our nearest star and receive data within a person's lifetime? It's actually much more possible than you'd think!
Covers various theories as to how to create space probes, from the early days before we'd even launched anything into orbit, to giant lasers the size of a small moon (courtesy of the imagination of Robert Forward). Published in 2004, a second edition may be required as some of the "upcoming" missions mentioned never happened, the Space Shuttle program no longer exists, and things that weren't even on the drawing board then are now a reality.
Covers various theories as to how to create space probes, from the early days before we'd even launched anything into orbit, to giant lasers the size of a small moon (courtesy of the imagination of Robert Forward). Published in 2004, a second edition may be required as some of the "upcoming" missions mentioned never happened, the Space Shuttle program no longer exists, and things that weren't even on the drawing board then are now a reality.
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This is a long book, so very long. But the characters are written so well and the world is so interesting that it just breezes by. I will be spending more time in the Nine Worlds, I think.
Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Finished and released shortly before the first COVID-19 vaccines were announced—but still hopeful for the future—Apollo's Arrow looks at historical pandemic responses and how we handled the current one. Includes some guidance for the future and how we might be living a few years from now.
I think this may age as too mild a criticism of how we handled things—there are some small mentions of the shambolic US response, but not nearly what was warranted.
I think this may age as too mild a criticism of how we handled things—there are some small mentions of the shambolic US response, but not nearly what was warranted.
Watchmen #1: At Midnight, All The Agents.... by John Higgins, Len Wein, Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore
4.0