Mary Roach takes you along as she dives into the science and pseudoscience surrounding the alimentary canal. A trove of scientific factoids, interesting historical anecdotes, cultural trivia, this book makes it interesting to read about something all take for granted every day: the journey our food takes. A must-read for any armchair scientist or otherwise curious mind- and don't miss the footnotes!

A collection of scientific facts skilfully woven into humorous anecdotes, this book will make you want to strap up your hiking boots and stride into the nearest set of woods. Bryson's writing paints vivid pictures for his readers, setting off a strong case of wanderlust and fervent desire to support conservation.

It's a beautiful day to knock out some assigned reading

Comical and whimsical, the misadventures of Rincewind and Twoflower make an enjoyable read. I wasn't a major fan of Pratchett's Long Earth series, but I'm now hooked on Discworld. ⭐️

I was enthralled with "Play Dead", so I had high hopes for the sequel. Unfortunately, they were misplaced. The narrative is confusing from the first page- it feels as though readers missed a book in between the two. Then, Frasier failed to stay true to her characters' personalities and her previous writing style. It feels as if she's pandering, trying for a hit novel in too many markets- romance, mystery, fantasy. The result is utter mediocrity.?

I'm officially in love with this book. Much like the author, I'm a Midwesterner who enjoys haunting Savannah, so it's thrilling for me to read a book and suddenly excitedly smack the leg of whoever has the misfortune of being in the vicinity and yell "Hey that's right up the street!" Frasier has done her homework, and this book should please any inhabitant of the Lowcountry, especially if they're a fan of a good murder mystery. ⭐️

I flew through this on a rainy day. The plot is quite a reach- a girl, raised as a sheltered scientific specimen and indoctrinated on her place as such, one day breaks free by wielding weapons she's completely unfamiliar with, survives wounded and alone in a post-apocalyptic Outside, evades hostile search parties and malicious strangers, then returns with a greater arsenal and allies to free her fellow women. Unrealistic, but entertaining.

I'm guilty, on long road trips or during particularly busy periods of my life, of assuaging my insatiable need to read with Kindle books that are popular but outside my usual choice- this way I'm not drawn so deeply into a book that I neglect my adult duties. This was one of those books. The plot seemed unnecessarily vague and meandering, a bit redundant and sometimes reaching; the ending felt haphazard, as if rushed to tidy up and close out. 😩

This was one of those books that I flew through without immersing myself in it. It was a decent read to pass the time, but it didn't leave me pondering over it in my time away from its pages, or desperate to dive back into it. The plot and characters were interesting, and it's worth a read if you're looking for a murder mystery that is a bit "lighter" to pass the time.

I'll admit it: I'm hooked on the Vaughn series and can't wait for the third book. In Poison Feather, Gibson is called upon to help out an aging figure from his past. What ensues is a mess as tangled and thrilling as the first novel. The ending left me clamoring for more, and, even though I read this book months ago, I'm still waiting just as eagerly today for the release of the third book. 🌟

The most difficult part of packing for a road trip: paring down my reading list and deciding which books to leave behind! 😩#booknerdproblems

This is the kind of story that grows with you. I first fell in love with it in the form of the 1982 animated movie, way back before I knew how to read or could really grasp what was happening in its frames. When I learned to read, this was one of the first real novels I tackled. I come back to it every couple of years; beautiful, haunting, joyful and full of sorrows, it's an old friend that I never tire of revisiting. 💫⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I finally have the time to crack the spine on this. As a Northerner living in the South, as well as a bit of a history nerd, I'm constantly intrigued by the Civil War.

I ended up completely shirking Adult Things and finishing this book in a day and a half- I couldn't put it down! A murder-mystery rife with political conspiracies, elusive government agencies, personal agendas, but, above all, love for family.

I'm already intrigued

Another Kindle read/listen while on the run from Hurricane Matthew. I'm a lover of historical fiction, and this story, loosely based on real life, broached a topic I had never considered: the experiences of black GIs in the U.K. during WWII, and the long-lasting effects of those experiences. A beautiful story revolving around the lives of the women of a family deeply affected by racism, violence, grief & loss, struggling to find their identities.

I just couldn't really get into this book. It felt rather shallow to me; like there just wasn't a lot of substance to the story or characters, although Lonsdale definitely made an attempt. I listened to this on Audible on a long drive to escape a hurricane, and while I didn't love it (and I had to keep rewinding as my mind wandered), it did help pass the time. A good read if you're looking for something you won't get overly invested in.

This wasn't the most gripping book I've ever read, but I just wasn't able to put it down. Middle-aged Ella's older brother disappears from his seemingly happy life, leaving all his clothes in a clearing in the woods. The narrative alternates between Ella's current efforts to find him, and the history of their family, which is marked by mental illness, tragedy, & misadventures, but above all, loyalty to each other. A decent book to kill some time.

"I am not as unstable as people tend to think, but I allow them their margin for error because it allows me mine."

I began this book on a motorcycle trip, alternating the Kindle audible narration with reading the e-book text. The narrator was excellent & the opening really drew me in, but a half hour or so in, the story seemed to lag & I found my mind wandering a bit, particularly since some of the Polish references were lost on me. I'm really glad I stuck it out; this is a wonderful, winding murder mystery that kept me on my toes. Definitely worth the time!

Ethan is 17 and miserable: he's clumsy, harboring a bad case of anxiety, and nobody believes in him, least of all Ethan himself. His parents split after his chauvinistic father is caught cheating, and his mother sends Ethan to spend the summer with his father in the mountains, where tragedy strikes. Ethan must dig deep inside himself to prove everyone wrong: he is capable of immense bravery after all, and is stronger than anyone knows.

“I‘m sorry for your loss.”

"Thank you,” she said. “I‘m sorry for yours.”

"But my dad‘s not dead.”

"That‘s not the loss I meant. I was talking about the one where you found out the dad you loved so much wasn‘t really worth all that love you‘d invested.”