Review: Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




This is really two books. It's the story of a double murder that took place in Utah in the 1980s, and it's the sordid history of the Mormon church. At times, the history portions seem out of place, but they do ultimately fuel an understanding of both historical and fundamentalist Mormon ideology/ideologies that contributed to the murder.

My particular edition could have benefited from an update: the discussion of Warren Jeffs did not include that he is currently serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a child.



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Review: Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




This book is one of the best books on epidemiology that I have read, hands down. Its science is more rigorous than other "Ebola books" and it even takes "And the Band Played On" to task for some of its excesses. Spillover hits the tone just right between giving you the facts about zoonotic diseases and doing so in a wholly engaging way.

If you dig scary diseases, this is a solid entry in the genre.



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Book Riot 2015 Read Harder Challenge

I've tracked my reading for years over at Goodreads. I'm pretty consistently reading 75ish books a year, but this year I was looking for something a little different. I want to read more books published in 2015, but I also want to broaden my horizons in other ways, too.

I just wasn't sure how.

Enter the Book Riot 2015 Read Harder Challenge. I think this is the thing I was looking for to take some risks and read some books that wouldn't have otherwise been on my radar.

Here's the list, for the click-averse:

• A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25
• A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
• A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people)
• A book published by an indie press
• A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ
• A book by a person whose gender is different from your own
• A book that takes place in Asia
• A book by an author from Africa
• A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans,Aboriginals, etc.)
• A microhistory
• A YA novel
• A sci-fi novel
• A romance novel
• A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade
• A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.)
• An audiobook
• A collection of poetry
• A book that someone else has recommended to you
• A book that was originally published in another language
• A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind (Hi, have you met Panels?)
• A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over)
• A book published before 1850
• A book published this year
• A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”)

They've created a Goodreads group for people participating in the challenge, too. I'm really, really excited to give this a whirl!

Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Here it is: my first five-star book of the year. I really enjoyed this, and though I found the breezy, goofy tone of the early log entries to be sort of irksome, eventually I felt like the novel HAD to have them. They gave you a way to know Mark Watney well, which is vital to make the stakes as high as they need to be for the payoff.

Ultimately, Watney and his logs grew on me, but it was the non-journal portions of the book that worked best for me. I really loved the snappy dialogue and the sparks of the tension between the various NASA personalities.

Andy Weir has written a monumental book that makes the science of the Mars mission accessible and fascinating. It might be the best thing anyone's done for the space program since President Kennedy.



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Review: A Rogue by Any Other Name

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I found this book to be sweet, clever, and a really enjoyable read. I haven't made romance a regular part of my reading rotation in a long time, but these author kept popping up on the feeds of people I trust to recommend books.

I'm totally going to keep going with this series, and I would recommend this book to anyone who can have an open mind about the genre.



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Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I still love love love this series, but this one had me thinking it was the last one, then it ended with next to nothing resolved. Compounding this, I read it as an ebook, so when I ran out of pages, I was baffled as to how it could be over already.

I need the last one. I need to know how it ends.

I love this author more than socks.



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Always good to reread this

Desiderata 
-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s 

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, 
and remember what peace there may be in silence. 

As far as possible, without surrender, 
be on good terms with all persons. 
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; 
and listen to others, 
even to the dull and the ignorant; 
they too have their story. 
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; 
they are vexatious to the spirit. 

If you compare yourself with others, 
you may become vain or bitter, 
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. 
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; 
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. 

Exercise caution in your business affairs, 
for the world is full of trickery. 
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; 
many persons strive for high ideals, 
and everywhere life is full of heroism. 
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. 
Neither be cynical about love, 
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, 
it is as perennial as the grass. 

Take kindly the counsel of the years, 
gracefully surrendering the things of youth. 
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. 
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. 
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. 

Beyond a wholesome discipline, 
be gentle with yourself. 
You are a child of the universe 
no less than the trees and the stars; 
you have a right to be here. 
And whether or not it is clear to you, 
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

Therefore be at peace with God, 
whatever you conceive Him to be. 
And whatever your labors and aspirations, 
in the noisy confusion of life, 
keep peace in your soul. 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, 
it is still a beautiful world. 
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.