Wants to read The Wandering Earth: Classic Science Fiction Collection
book
Rated The Golden Compass 6/10
A real page-turner! The story progresses quickly and constantly, with twists and turns every few chapters, making it a very easy read.<br/><br/>At times, though, I found it lacked depth. The witches, the aeronaut, and the college staff all seem fascinating, but we learn relatively little about them. Although we discover more about the backgrounds and motivations of some of the main characters, they mostly remain the same throughout the book.<br/><br/>It’s still a fun, fast-paced read though, and I’m eager to see what The Subtle Knife brings.<br/><br/>Full review: https://puf.io/books/the-golden-compass---philip-pullman/
Edited 47d ago
Wants to read Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All
Rated The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life 8/10
I often find myself smiling at small things in daily life: a funny dog dragging a piece of cardboard around, patterns in flower petals, the colors of houses. Finding joy in everyday experiences is something dear to me, so The Small Stuff was very much in my wheelhouse.
As I often find with books built around a single central idea, the entire idea could probably have fit in a single essay or a series of blog posts. At 240 pages it is already a relatively thin book, but it still felt a little stretched in places. I still enjoyed reading it though, and hope it helps more people find job in the small stuff.
Full review: https://puf.io/books/the-small-stuff---ian-bogost
Edited 47d ago
Wants to read Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West
Rated Dungeon Crawler Carl 6/10
A fun, punch-packing page-turner that mixes nail-biting fight scenes with exploration of its broader universe and some social commentary on both our world and the imagined universe of the series.<br/><br/>It didn’t fully live up to the hype for me, but I will gladly continue reading the series.<br/><br/>My full review (including a comparison to book 1 of Awaken Online): https://puf.io/books/dungeon-crawler-carl---matt-dinniman/
Rated The Martian Chronicles 8/10
Bradbury shows little interest in scientific plausibility here, using Mars instead as an imaginative setting for poetic, humorous, and emotionally charged storytelling. Some elements, including the treatment of the native Martians and certain racial and gender stereotypes, have aged poorly, but the collection still held up well for me.<br/><br/>(also: that cover here is gorgeous!)<br/><br/>Full review: https://puf.io/books/the-martian-chronicles---ray-bradbury/
Rated The Land and Its People: Essays 8/10
The Land and Its People was my first full David Sedaris book, though I mostly knew him from Six to Eight Black Men. I listened to the audiobook, which is assembled from live recordings of Sedaris performing the essays at different appearances, and his narration made the stories even easier to enjoy.<br/><br/>The essays are witty, snarky, and very easy to absorb, but many also touch on deeper topics like affection, grief, mortality. His family, travels, and experiences with Duolingo all make recurring appearances.<br/><br/>Nothing earth-shattering, but quite entertaining.
Wants to read Working on a Song: The Lyrics of HADESTOWN