Hi friends,
Another month, another blog. February was rough for me. I got sick, and then I injured myself somehow. I’m now at an age where I don’t even know how I hurt myself. I just hurt. After a few weeks and a new mattress, I finally woke up this morning and nothing hurt, so that was nice! It’s so much easier to do everything when you’re not in pain.
Through it all, I found time to read a few good books, including a few new releases from Matt Dinniman and Heather Fawcett. Let me know what you think of these books and if you have suggestions for further reading.
Best,
Tonya
Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse by Luke Kemp
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: This is a big book to summarize in a one paragraph-ish review. Of course, Kemp tries to explain the whole of human history in one book, so it was rather a big task to write as well. Kemp talks about how every large, repressive, oligarchic structure—a type of society that he calls goliath—that people have built has collapsed throughout human history. Rome is probably the first example that comes to your mind, but Kemp really does go global and many of his examples include cultures apart from Europe like the Aztec, Inca, Northwest Natives in North America, and various empires throughout Africa. He shows that every goliath has collapsed, some with blood and war, and some by the quiet exodus of people to other, better options. He argues that humans have always bucked repression and control from others, and that we’re now living in an anomalous part of human history where almost all humanity lives under some form of goliath government. He both warns of and encourages their collapse, arguing that throughout history, when goliaths fall, inequality and repression fall dramatically. I see his point, but as someone who directly benefits from goliath, I’m not sure I want to speed up the historically inevitable collapse of the society that allows me to comfortably care for myself and my family. Of course, I also have to deal with the moral conundrum that arises when I think of those who are repressed and victimized by my goliath. It leaves me wondering, “Am I the bad guy?”
The Art of Prophecy (War Arts #1) by Wesley Chu
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: This novel draws heavy inspiration from golden age Hollywood Kungfu movies, ala Jet Li and Bruce Li. This is the type of book that delivers exactly what it promises and does it so well. We get to follow a colorful cast of Masters and aspiring Masters of the war arts in a fantasy world where magic is intertwined with kungfu prowess. Imagine people flying elegantly through the air wielding swords and spears, ala Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. My favorite character to follow was Taishi. I love it when the hero is a 50+ matriarch and the sole living master of her discipline. This story turns the chosen one prophecy on its head as the prophecy that has dictated the life of Jin, who was prophesied to defeat the Eternal Khan and deliver victory to his kingdom, is proven apparently wrong. I loved the action scenes, the humor, and the amazing colorful characters that Chu has created. I’m excited to read more outstanding kungfu fighting in the next installment.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I’ve read all of Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series and loved it. I wasn’t disappointed by this new stand alone in a separate scifi world where human colonists on a far planet are suddenly attacked by their fellow humans on Earth. The Earth government has decided that this colony needs to go. Real estate prices… Instead of hiring a bunch of mercenaries or sending an army, they bid off the chance to remotely pilot lethal robots who are exterminating the populace from the comfort of their own mom’s basement. The unassuming colonists have been falsely labeled terrorists and are not happy to suddenly pivot from lives of farming to fighting for their very survival against killer robots piloted by teenage gamers. In addition to the strident critiques of capitalism and bratty gamers, Dinniman asks some big questions about AI and how we treat each other from behind a screen. The characters were great, the plot moved with the crazy speed that I’ve come to expect from Dinniman, and there was a great twist reveal at the end that I’m still thinking about. There is also, of course, a good amount of absurd and highly inappropriate humor. Dinniman always manages to strike an impressive balance between absurdist comedy and emotionally impactful themes and character moments. It’s a unique writing style that I haven’t seen from any other author. I highly recommend.
Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change—in 50 Questions and Answers by Hannah Ritchie
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I’ve read Ritchie’s other books and all of them provide helpful and practicable solutions to climate change. I think it’s fascinating that the environmental movement has been pivoting from opposing all forms of construction and building to emphasizing the need to build infrastructure to support the energy transition from fossil fuels to low carbon options, and build it as fast as possible. This book delivered exactly what it promised. Fifty answers to common questions about climate change, each about 2-3 pages long. I found it immensely helpful and recommend it for anyone looking to cut through the lies and confusion around climate change and what we as individuals and societies can do about it.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: This was another book that delivered exactly what it promised: a cozy romantasy with compelling characters and lots of cats. I adored Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series, and this one is clearly by the same author. Fawcett has a type, and by that I mean a smart, hyper-capable female lead who’s obsessive about her work, and a magical male lead that provides the right amount of whimsy to contrast with her solidness. Agnes Aubert lives in 1920s Montreal and is desperately searching for a new space to house her cat shelter after a pair of dueling magicians blew a hole in the side of the old one. Agnes’s dedication to her charges leads her to make a deal with a questionable landlord that takes her on an unexpected adventure. The best part of this book was Agnes and the cats. I don’t even really like cats in real life, but I definitely liked them in this book. Each of the named cats had its own personality and added to the narrative in unique ways while still being believably just cats. The second best part of this book was Agnes’s developing relationship with her mystical male counterpart. I really liked how the two of them ended up at the conclusion of the book. I’m not sure if Fawcett is planning to write more in this world. This book stands alone, but if she chooses to, I will definitely tune in for another dose of cat-filled cozy fantasy.