I wanted to like this book, but it didn‘t provide much history. I think it was more of a commentary on Roman history, with an expectation that the reader was familiar with Roman historical events but not with modern History theory and approaches. I haven‘t studied History academically in years, but I remember the basics, so I was disappointed that so much of the book was about Historical theory and not Roman history.
2/5 I didn‘t learn much

This was an interesting read, I appreciated all the ways the authors suggested for helping to embed creative exercises and changing ways of thinking and doing to enhance creativity in one‘s life. I did not appreciate the vast amounts of extra writing on what are perhaps an over abundance of examples. But it was a good way to learn ways to grow my creativity on my own life.
2/5 read for lots of details and examples on how to increase creativity

This book is an excellent example of how skilled writing can make even the most depressing of stories worth reading.
A man and his son travel towards the ocean in a post apocalyptic world avoiding cannibals, slavers, and every other type of human left. They must decide what and who they are in circumstances that don‘t allow them many options.
3.5/5 stars. A great read, especially after The Last of Us. I am not sure if I like the ending.

I ❤️ that this is following up on the🦉 Knight series, which I need to reread, but YuCk to forcing in political commentary. I like political commentary, but it should be part of the story, and it is NOT here. Once they get that out of the way, it‘s a good book.
A griffin stops a rebellion and saves a Valdemar commander, but ancient magic is used to save the griffin, leading to complications and a quest.
3/5 read for the second half of the book

This book was good in the beginning, got slow in the middle, and the end was lacking in detail and not very helpful for understanding how and what TE Lawrence did. I learned a lot about TE Lawrence‘s early life, but I don‘t really understand the details of and impact of his work during WWI with Arab fighters. I wish the author had focused on that and not on introducing so many other people who Lawrence had so little interaction with.
2/5 stars

Very good retelling of The Scarlet Letter, with homage to The Handmaid‘s Tale, that incorporates a lot of modern politics in the USA.
Hannah had an abortion and she refused to name her abortionist and her lover. She knows she doesn‘t have a good chances of survival once she‘s released but starts a journey that will help her find strength she didn‘t know she had and explore her identity and beliefs.
4/5 good writing, surprising storyline.

This book did not help me understand how to survive in an autocracy. I think it did a good job of mapping how, under Trump, we walked the line to becoming one, and perhaps now are in one, but I wanted to understand more about the dynamics of what living in an autocracy requires and if it‘s possible to really survive in one.
2/5 a good way to remember that we are terribly close to losing our democracy and what got us to this point.

This blended a bit of steampunk with a late Renaissance European style world that I really enjoyed. Shadow vampires who possess bodies and a dark religion makes this even more unique.
Isabelle, brilliant but with no magic, agrees to marry a foreign prince in hopes of helping her cousin the king, but she must survive the deadly politics of this new kingdom with the help of her loyal musketeer.
4/5 read for a bit of steampunk & a lot of politics

I am irritated that the catalog of shipwrecked books took up less than a chapter. It focused on Columbus, his legacy, & his illegitimate son‘s work to keep the legacy alive. Towards the end of the book, it gets to Hernando‘s (the son) great life work - building a library that was inclusive of all print and all languages (that he could access at the time) which was very unique and interesting and should have been the focus of the book.
2/5 stars

This is more of an irritating YA romance than fantasy. The main character became whinny & annoying and made decisions that didn‘t make sense, and a lot of complicated situations and people got ignored for a stupid love triangle. The world & side characters needed more attention.
Xingyin must navigate her new family situation and save the celestial kingdom by finding allies in unexpected places.
2/5 I would not recommend this, very disappointing.

This book was interesting but slow in the middle. I wish the author had spent more time exploring the growing role of Russia in the Christian Nationalist movement, and particularly how the USA Christian Nationalist are using Russia as a model for what they want here. I found the history of the movement to be sad but interesting, with the intersection of racist and sexist beliefs leading to the fight against abortion.
3/5 stars, important read

This book was amazing! The author manages to make political intrigue interesting by really focusing on the dry politics of decision making. I‘ve never read a book like this one.
Maia becomes emperor under tragic circumstances, but as he navigates the complex politics of his role, he starts to see positive changes he can make and works to improve life for people around him while dodging attempts on his life and crown.
5/5 stars, fabulous!

I love that the main character takes responsibility for her actions, recognizing that she has to learn and grow, even if she‘s not the best at it. The world building was good, and I liked how the ❤️ triangle was handled, as those things normally irritate me.
Having hidden her whole life, Xingyin devotes her new life to trying to free her mother. She must decide the best path forward on her own.
4/5 stars, I hope the sequel is just as good!

This book killed the last bit of me that wanted to be an astronaut. The writing is good, but I found the focus on poop to be somewhat boring & irritating and the lack of ethical concern over animal testing to be frustrating. I did learn a lot, which I always enjoy, but I think it makes a lot of sense why one of the books after this was about sewage.
2/5 stars, read if you want to know more about space travel but do NOT read while eating.

This signed copy (thank you @catiewithac ) was excellent! I don‘t read a lot of books focused on the Arthurian legends, but this dark and complex take presented a modern story.
Tamsin will do anything to try to help her brother, even team up with a despised rich boy she‘s competing with for a job to travel to Avalon to lift his curse. They discover new friends & new enemies and face part of their past.
4/5 some plot holes, but still good.

This book started strong, but the middle was yuck & the ending was blah. If you are a fan of Pratchett and/or Hitch Hikers, I think this would be a book you would like.
Gork must convince a dragon at his war academy to be his queen, or he will become a slave. His grandfather, an evil conqueror turned scientist, might help him, but disappears on the big day. His best friend tried to help him, but is he choosing the right queen?
1.5/5 stars

This is a really well written history of the USA and I learned a lot. A main theme I picked up was that Polling ruined much of modern politics and something I personally found coldly comforting is that history does seem to be repeating itself, even if in new and more drastic ways - except for climate change. I am way less depressed after reading this than I was the Zinn book and I highly recommend it as a USA historical overview.
4/5 stars

This book doesn‘t take itself too seriously in regards to historical accuracy, but it does a great job of taking a She‘s All That story and making it less ridiculous.
Evie owns a book shop and does research for clients on the side, which leads her to a run in with a Duke and his rude charges who bet him that he can make Evie into a sought after debutant. Max sets out to prove them wrong and Evie is a full participant.
4/5 stars.

This gave whiffs of Snowcrash, but the writing wasn‘t very engaging and with animal torture (IMO, it was torture, someone else might disagree) and a televised rape of a slave in the fist chapter I said no. I don‘t want to waste time on this. To be fair, the rape does NOT read as torture porn and it is used as an example of abuse of power and not described in any amount of detail. But still not what I want to read.

An excellent history of the medieval Queens of England. Primary sources are rare for a lot of the queens, so some of the chapters are short. The author follows the theme of how queens used and expressed power through the age and it was fascinating. Now I want to read books about a lot of these amazing women, but alas there aren‘t very many of them (probably due to the lack of source materials).
4/5 stars. Read to learn about powerful women

I like the setting (Paris before the French Revolution) & the magic system (requires sorrow & blood) but the writing wasn‘t super engaging & the side plot of a flying ballon was boring. Also, the female characters made really stupid decisions that didn‘t make sense.
Camille steps into the cost & pain to do magic in an attempt to save herself & her sister. She meets other magic users & and learns the dark history of magic in versailles.
2/5 stars

So, this book is AMAZING, I learned so much & I loved that. The author‘s writing is irritating at times, he is obsessed with mustaches and doesn‘t explain things until far into the chapters.
This is a fascinating read, I learned so much about so many industries and found a canned food brand that I feel comfortable eating from.
4/5 read to learn about how corrosion affects most aspects of human life, how costly it is & technology for prevention

This book starts slow but is really good. The way that Queen Elizabeth I used Adventurers (Pirates) to harass Spain and build up her Kingdom‘s wealth is fascinating & the is the foundation of English sea supremacy. I wish there was more detail about how and why the ships the English made were so much better and why the Spanish didn‘t improve their ship designs. The book tends to jump around a bit in focus.
3/5 read for an interesting history

An interesting way to view Rembrandt‘s works - an emphasis on his self portraits and the way he painted his nose. It mentioned a lot about the artists‘ life but didn‘t go into detail. I don‘t much about Rembrandt‘s life so I wish it had more information about that, but otherwise a good read.
3/5 stars read if you want to read about a unique way to consider Rembrandt‘s works.

What‘s not to love about space Cats that develop telepathic powers and who have to fight corruption with the good humans and stop a galactic takeover?
This book is a fun and fast read and I really enjoyed how the narrative included parts from the cats perspective as well as the humans. I enjoyed the science fiction parts about space travel with cats and the role they could play on space ships.
4/5 stars, read if you like SciFi and/or cats

This is a fun and surprisingly informative read. I think it‘s one a lot of men could probably benefit from reading this.
Gavin has a melt down that melts his marriage and his friend introduce him to a group of men in his town that read romance books to help them be better husbands and men. He works to save his marriage and his wife learns that she has work to do as well.
3.5/5 funny at times, rather spicy in some parts, and a nice modern Romance

I don‘t know how the author managed to make a book about such a fascinating person uninteresting. There was too much about random other people & not enough about Dr. Walker.
Dr. Mary Walker is the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor. She served as a surgeon & a spy for the North during the Civil War & was an outspoken advocate for sensible dress. She was not intimidated and she kept going regardless of risk.
2/5 - not fun to read

I didn‘t like this book as much as the other two in the series. The main character is a spoiled brat for much of the book and doesn‘t grow much as a character.
As a rich banker‘s spoiled daughter, Hattie is used to getting her way, her surprise is great when she is married off a man others fear due to her poor choices. She learns her husband does a lot of good and when he refused to give up his vengeance for her she runs away.
2.5/5 stars.

An interesting climate & corporate future that is relevant and frightening, and asks if Buddhists would be accepting of artificial life, but the constant rape & torture of the fetishized Japanese character ruins this book for me.
A corporate man tasked with finding unique plants is pulled into a complex plot with refugees, corrupt government officials, and an engineered person who gets raped and tortured constantly.
0/5 stars I don‘t recommend

Another great book, but I MUST get this series in print as it will be one I reread
Joy and the other Elites are on constant alert as a surge in Folk from the other world leads to many battles - and stolen people. Folk leaders are plotting and Joy must try to navigate their politics as well as human politics all while staying alive.
5/5 stars a great blend of post apocalyptic teen drama with real political issues, with a dark look at our future.

A great second book, which almost never happens in a trilogy.
Joy became an Elite Hunter to escape the constant demands of an Apex Hunter (their entire lives are on screen and viewer Rankings mean more than saving people) but as an Elite she must navigate even more treacherous politics, and avoid exposing her hometown and the people there to the corrupt leaders of the various factions in Apex while protecting her Uncle.
5/5 stars

This is a fantastic post apocalyptic book, and the series is exactly what I want to give all the teens who devour the Hunger Games so they can see that you can be smart and a hero for your people and do good.
When Christians used Nukes to start the Rapture they broke the barrier between our world and the Folk world. Some people got magic and must use it to fight for humanity‘s survival. Joy is forced to Apex to use her powers.
5/5 great book!

The writing was actually quite nice, but a WHOLE lot of reading for no real story development. I gave it about 150 pages and when I still had no real idea of what was happening and I gave up. I don‘t have time or patience for that kind of book. If you like that style though, it would be a good book for you.

Castle was not impressed with this nicely sized biography of George Washington. I am glad to have a better understanding of His Excellency, and I like that the author brought up the fact that his leadership did not turn into a dictatorship (unlike most revolutionary leaders) and offered a theory but made it clear it was a theory. It has end notes, which I appreciate and was concise if not the most fascinating read.
3.5/5 a good place to start

Another excellent tale in the series! I am excited by this one as it makes me hope that more Kate and Curren novels are forthcoming.
An ancient magic has held a town hostage and Kate and Curren accept a forest in payment to free the town. Much magic and politics happens and the world expands some more.
4.5/5 stars, I really really want another full series.

My only complaint is that this is so short! Great continuation of the world building, fun to see how Kate and Curren are growing as parents and as characters.
Kate decides to rescue a stolen child and ends up facing a complex god infested ship.
4/5, great story as always but waaaay to short!

This is such a well written book, very historically accurate & therefore sad.
Lucie is devoted to the Cause and she and her friends are determined to get their report to print - but she doesn‘t contend with the wiles and skills of her unwanted partner in printing and what they can learn from each other.
This is one of the best romance books I‘ve read. I really enjoyed it but it is also sad and kind of scary given current events. 4/5

This was a very cute collection of books for and about book lovers. I was asked to post a photo of my LoTR Rivendell Lego set and I hope you all enjoy the change in my background. It‘s a great Lego set.

I really wanted to like this book, but alas, I just couldn‘t finish it. The author‘s writing was rather dry, and went into a lot of tangential philosophical writings. I gave up to read more interesting books.

This was a surprise pick for me, the author made a predictable story fun to read by weaving together different narratives. Also, I love a good vengeance tale.
A woman agrees to be a wise woman in a different kingdom in exchange for her freedom and the possibility of vengeance. Her prison friend escapes with her, and they meet the bargain given and help the locals and the Prince with mysteries.
3/5 read for mystery, politics, and deep magic

This was quite the slog, but it offers a view of history mostly through class struggle, that‘s not a lens I use as much I should.
It is kind of depressing, as it appears that the only time things get better for the non-rich is when there‘s enough violence and death to cause change, and even then the change is tiny.
3/5, it‘s a classic and I think everyone should read it, but maybe better to read when younger, & when more optimism is available

This was not as good as the first book, it really dragged in some places and rushed through other parts way too fast.
A war, an escape, more war, demons, gods, and love all mash together in a story that follows a tailor who must decide what she will sacrifice to save her country, while never examining if her country is worth saving.
2/5 stars, I‘m glad I know how the story ends, but I was not impressed and do not recommend.

This was surprisingly good. I might be biased because I am in a period of transition for my career, but I found this fascinating. I don‘t hate the narrative of a rich white guy who gives up his big money job to run a charity focused on building libraries and I enjoyed the insiders look at fundraising. I found the description of academics sadly accurate, and I can‘t believe how much money some people have. It‘s just wrong.
3/5 stars

This is such a fun book, I loved the story and the writing was mostly good. It‘s like eating a really good cookie - I want more!
Viv leaves the adventuring gigs to open a coffee shop, and stacks the deck in her favor with a magic item. She builds a new crew and a successful business but her past is coming for her and she has to make some tough choices.
4.5/5 stars Really good, but had some pacing issues.

This was well written and doesn‘t end on a cliff hanger, which I love.
In a city where dreams are harvested for magic and where to be considered corrupt is a death sentence, a priest learns that his society is built on dark and evil secrets. He must fight to keep his ideals alive while working with an ambassador from another country and keep his apprentice alive.
4/5 stars. A little long in some areas, but good writing and a very unique story.

This book started off really good, but dragged in the middle and the ending was just sort of meh. I think it‘s a fascinating concept and is a great example of what if and the general rule that all humans are evil.
In a world where Africa is the continent of advanced technology and the slave trade is reversed, follow the life of a slave girl from England.
2/5 stars parts are really well written and engaging, but a lot of the book is very slow.

This is a sweet novella about misunderstandings and how people can defy expectations. I also enjoyed the second chance for love storyline.
12 dancing princesses must deal with their father‘s extreme need to protect them, and one must try to find love when she thought she has lost all chance at it.
3.5/5 stars read for a fun retelling and for a fairy godmother who quite enjoys telling a good tale.

While I found the heavy handed social justice preaching to be a bit much, the story was interesting and the characters were a lot of fun. I read it in 1 day.
A princess leaves her royal position and decided to become a tea master in order to best serve her people. She gets involved with a refugee population and decides to bring down a corrupt noble while working to achieve her mastery.
3.5/5 read for Tea, Intrigue, & unique magic

This was a very English book about an American who significantly contributed to the Oxford English Dictionary while locked away for a murder in an insane asylum. It was an interesting read, I learned a lot about the two men who the author focuses on, who are both very unique and fascinating, but I was really intrigued with the background about making a dictionary.
3.5/5 stars, this is a good read for everyone who likes to read and write

As a librarian, I ❤️ that this book is dedicated to librarians. The combination of journal & book reviews is a fun & unique writing style.
Mor is recovering from losing her twin in an epic battle against her mother & must adapt to a new school & family. She loves SF books and eventually finds other SF lovers to bond with while trying to learn the limits of her magic.
3/5 stars. Read for 1970s SF book reviews mixed with a unique story