Review: How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems, by Randall Munroe

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: Non-fiction, Humor, Science

Goodreads

I received a free eARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest opinion.

How to is the second book by Randall Munroe. The first one, What If?, answered absurd questions with science. This one answers normal questions with absurd science, which is absolutely hilarious. So if you’re considering moving and have to pack and move your things, Randall Munroe will give you several absurd ideas on how to do that! Much like the first one, this was a quick, great read and I have a really nice time.

The best thing about this book in comparison to the other one is that Katie Mack and Serena Williams made appearances in some chapters! That was really exciting. I also loved the space-related questions, although I suppose that’s because I love space science. As expected, some chapters are better than others, so I really enjoyed the one about how to throw a pool party, but was rather underwhelmed about the one on how to get a Christmas tree.

This reads easily despite being science-y, the language is accessible and fun, so I would say it works for readers who aren’t science geeks, too, but if you are a science geek, this book is quite a perfect fit.

The Sunday Snuggle W45/2019: Weekly Wrap Up

Hello readers!

This week has been a little crazy and with very long workdays, so my reading suffered a bit. I could have read more but I don’t like reading like a chore and would rather do it when I am in the mood for it. Which, of course, means that I won’t get as many books read as normally, but that’s okay, because I’ve already surpassed my Goodreads goal and my 2019 ARCs are almost all reviewed! Or DNF-ed. Either way.

From Edelweiss, I received:

Weekly Wrap Up

Top 5 Books Released in 2019 I Want to Read Before the Year is Out

Hello readers!

It’s November and I, like many of you, probably, am starting to panic about all the books I wanted to read before the year is out. I normally try to get as many newer releases (and ARCs!) reviewed as possible before the end of the year, because I know that once the new year begins, it’s harder for me to pick up older books. I know it’s a defect from being a book blogger, and I have a plan to help correct that! Anyway, here are the books I want to finish by the end of 2019!

Edit: I changed the last book as it was kindly pointed out that the book I had there was actually published in 2018.

Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo

I just bought this book and I’m so excited!! I really enjoy the author’s writing and I’m curious to see how an adult book from her is like – I have been burned out on the YA side lately, so it’s exciting to see an adult fantasy release.

This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This is probably one of the books I’ve been looking forward to the most! I’m hoping to read it this weekend already!

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune, by Roselle Lim

I have been changing my mind about this one about a thousand times, but I just received an eARC from Netgalley, so this definitely tipped the balance in favor of “yes, I’ll read it”. I love the premise of the book, and although I’m hesitant to pick up another YA, I think this will be really nice!

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

This is a recent addition to my TBR, and I was lucky enough to get an eARC from Edelweiss! So I’m super excited to pick it up soon!

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

This is the one book of the list I don’t own yet, but hopefully I’ll get it soon!! I’m quite excited about all the amazing adult fantasy books coming out this year!

 

Which books do you want to read until the end of the year?

eARC Review: The Bromance Book Club, by Lyssa Kay Adams

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

I got a copy of this e-book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Bromance Book Club is the story of Thea and Gavin, whose marriage might be coming to a bitter end, with Gavin finding out he never did give Thea an orgasm throughout their entire marriage, and Thea being fed up with pretending to be the perfect baseball wife with no ambitions of her own. But if the Bromance Book Club has anything to do with it, their relationship isn’t over just yet.

I could not resist that cover or that synopsis. It just sounds outright ADORABLE and funny and sexy. Men getting together to read romance in order to improve their marriages and learn to be better lovers? Hell yes.

The Sunday Snuggle W44/2019: October Wrap Up

Hello readers!

I cannot believe October is OVER. How dare the year go by like this, I still have way too many new releases to read! Still, I got quite a few read this month and several books that I’d been wanting to read for a while. A productive month, but with mixed results: I have 3 DNF-ed books, several 3 stars and one 5 star read.

I also didn’t read my entire TBR planned for October, but that’s okay!

From Netgalley I got:

This week I received from Edelweiss:

I kinda went to town. Very exciting new titles!!

 October Wrap Up

October was another very productive reading month! I’m quite glad with how this month turned out!

Girl of Fire, by Gabrielle Mathieu  / eARC Review ★★★☆☆

I ended up not warming to this series quite like I enjoyed The Falcon series. I have one Falcon book left and looking forward to reading it!

The Chain, by Adrian McKinty / Review ★★★☆☆

I also was disappointed a bit by this one, which felt a lot like a Hollywood movie and not so much like the kind of thriller I enjoy. Still, an interesting read!

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson / Mini-Review ★★★★★

This one, on the other hand, I LOVED. It’s the perfect amount of eerie, whimsical and horror. What a great little gem!

Review: Proper English, by KJ Charles

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: Historical F/F Romance, Murder Mystery

Goodreads 

Proper English is the story of Pat, a sensible young woman, who’s going to the country house of Earl of Witton for a shooting party. She’s also meeting her old friend, Jimmy, and his new fiancée. The problem? It might just be worst party of all time, as tensions grow and secrets are spilled out, revealing shocking betrayals, and worse – they’re all stuck together through a storm that might last several days. And Pat has yet another problem: Jimmy’s fiancée, Fen, is a lovely, beautiful girl, and Pat has never met someone quite like her. When a body is discovered in the house, Pat and Fen must do what they can do find the murderer.

Review: Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, F/F Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

Lexi doesn’t like it when people touch her. No, that’s an understatement – Lexi flinches whenever someone touches her, because she can see how anyone will die if she has contact with their skin. She also sees ghosts, and can send them to wherever it is they should’ve gone when they died, but at great cost to her. She’s lonely and miserable, working at a night club to make ends meet where people like her are welcome. One night, she touches a woman who’s going to be murdered violently that night and when she meets her ghost, she knows she must do whatever it takes to avenge her.

Review: The Chain, by Adrian McKinty

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genres: Thriller

Goodreads

The Chain tells the story of Rachel, who has been battling cancer for years, and now suffers the worst blow of all: her daughter has been kidnapped. But not by a regular criminal wanting ransom – she’s been kidnapped by a regular mom who is part of the Chain, and Rachel is now part of it, too. To have her daughter back, Rachel must pay up and do the unthinkable… kidnap a child.

I was initially not really going to pick up The Chain because the synopsis didn’t call to me, but after seeing so much hype around it (it’s even being turned into a movie) and also how excited my sister was to read it, I decided to pick it up on audio!

The Sunday Snuggle W43/2019: Weekly Wrap Up, How I did on #Tropeathon

Hello readers!

This week I participated in Tropeathon, and well, I failed. But I did very well (2 books finished for the readathon and 1 eARC, plus starting Jade War) and I’m content with the result! If I’d read any more than that, I would certainly not be able to do other things this week and that’s okay. Next week I have the October Wrap Up coming up and I don’t really know if I’ll be able to read all the books I’d intended for the month! I’m only done with 2 of the 5 books and honestly I have no idea how I’ll read 4 books until Thursday. Probably won’t be able to make it either *sigh*

Oh and I completed my challenge in Goodreads of reading 100 books!

I have read 100 of 100 books for the 2019 Reading Challenge! What should I read next? https://t.co/M2dV1aZW7f

— Naty's Bookshelf 👩‍💻📚 (@natysbookshelf) October 23, 2019

Next year I’m setting the challenge at a lower number, because I wanted this year to get lots of books off my TBR and be able to choose my next read more freely instead of always worrying about the new releases and eARCs I have. In terms of ARCs I’m actually happy with my progress, although I hope to make more before the year is out. But my TBR somehow does not shrink nor grows particularly, always somewhere between 180 and 220 books. Hopefully next year I’ll get it to 100.

Weekly Wrap Up

eARC Review: The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2), by R. F. Kuang

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: Fantasy

Goodreads

I received an eARC for this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Third Poppy War is over, but it does not feel like victory to Rin. She has become more and more dependent on opium, her senses dulled as she tries to control the Phoenix god and not lose her sanity to the horrors she saw and committed during the war. If she assassinates this one last target, the Pirate Empress Moag will lend her the ships and army to kill Daji – but it won’t be so simple. There are bigger players who want Rin by their side as a weapon. As the stakes become even higher than before, Rin must find out who she can trust and what she is willing to sacrifice.