jarrahpenguin's reviews
1292 reviews

Erik Larson tries to recapture lightning in a bottle by weaving together the story of Marconi’s invention of wireless telegraphy and the murder of Cora Crippen by her husband. Unfortunately he gets a bit bogged down in Marconi’s biography and random minutiae and it drags a bit when you really just want to learn more about the murder. Things do pick up and the last part is a page-turner.

Full points for the art, which draws on vintage comic book styles but adds refined detail and great colour. I didn’t mind how Shephard rejigged the narrative of “The Call of  Cthulhu” to make it more chronological and tied together but didn’t love the new ending, which provides un-Lovecraftian reassurance. I also always feel weird when there’s no mention of Lovecraft’s racism in the foreword or attempt to grapple meaningfully with it in the text. 

Absolutely incredible series of short stories and novellas exploring the beginning, middle gaps and edges of the Earthsea story. Through it all are themes of power and moral choices. “If power is responsibility, for whom are you responsible?” poses Le Guin in the afterword.

The first story,  “The Finder” is a beautiful, gutting tale of the founding of the bond between two people who are enslaved for their magic abilities and how this leads to the founding of the school on Roke. There’s a haunting part where Otter is hopeless and believes there is a darkness in people that society cannot overcome. Again, Le Guin writes as if she saw our future.

 “Dragonfly” is an interesting transition to book 6 that introduces fascinating new characters in a way that feels like it speaks to a new period in Earthsea history. 

My least favourite was “Darkrose and Diamond” but I appreciated the style and the theme of having to choose between music and magic. 

And the afterword, well Le Guin writes about the threat of people spreading and buying into misinformation online, years before it got to where it is today.

My head is now crammed full of delightful owl trivia after reading this great overview of all things owl by Jennifer Ackerman. Ackerman covers owl evolution, life cycles, migration and behaviour, as well as the role of owls in folklore around the world. Her writing is engaging and accessible.

The end of the book covers examples of people working to conserve owl habitat and protect owls in the world today and suggestions for how readers can help. It’s inspiring and hopeful. 

The only thing I would’ve liked was more description of the key scientists she profiles so I could visualize them as well as the owls. 

Really fun and ridiculous DS9 story that would seem to have low stakes to everyone but Quark. The parodies of comiccon culture and smut novels are humorous. Not a lot of depth but a great silly read.

The first poem in the collection is amazing, but after that it was too much self-indulgent ruminating on sexual encounters for my taste. There’s only so many times I can read poems with the word “semen” in it. The nihilism and connection to themes of war and violence was interesting but I also found it anxiety-provoking. 

Delightful, funny fantasy book that’s a perfect cozy read. The protagonist, Viv, is an orc adventurer who wants to hang up her great sword and open a coffee shop. It’s a story about community and fresh starts and the main characters are all adorable. There were points that I wished problems weren’t solved quite so easily but it did make it a very relaxing read.

A cozy book of interconnected vignettes about how important moments in relationships have the power to change us. At the Funiculi Funicula cafe in Tokyo, customers can travel in time, only it doesn’t change any outcomes and their trip ends by the time the coffee gets cold. 

The stories are poignant and I teared up at a couple of points, though the overall message is uplifting. 

Great, engrossing YA novel about a tween coven  in Nigeria. Sunny, the protagonist is albino and bullied for her appearance. After seeing a terrifying vision in a candle she’s drawn into the world of “leopard people” - magic users who wield juju. 

The audiobook narration is top-notch and I loved the main characters, and themes of cooperation and mother-daughter relationships. I also appreciated the world building and visual descriptions of magic and people.

The biggest issue for me was that the final confrontation felt like it was put off and then finished very quickly. It was followed by an epilogue that was touching but left me unsure I really needed to read the next book. I think more could’ve been done to build up the suspense. 

Adorable, queer young adult graphic novel about a gardener named Hamal, who can see and talk to ghosts, and his ghost love interest, Blue. The art, particularly how Young draws plants and growth, is really nice. But the story moves so quickly and it doesn’t give you a lot of time to really buy into the key relationships.