A thoroughly researched and easily readable biography of the Prussian scientist Alexander Von Humboldt, whose ideas have become so widely accepted that the man behind them is nearly forgotten. Born in 1769, Humboldt was one of the most famous men in the world by the time of his death at 89 years old in 1859. He traveled expensively through South America, Europe and Russia studying every facet of the natural world: geology, botany, zoology, agriculture, indigenous culture, history, and how politics are impacted by the environment. He wrote books that for the first time connected diverse forces such as weather to landmass, human activity to ecological damage, vegetation zones to altitude. His work heavily influenced his contemporaries Charles Darwin, Johann Wolfgang von Geothe, Thomas Jefferson, and Simon Bolivar as well as the following generation of scientists and nature writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Ernst Haeckel and John Muir. All my life I have known of Humboldt county, Humboldt Bay, and Humboldt University; I am very glad to finally learn about the man who they were named for.

The previous Lumberjanes novel by Mariko Tamaki ended on a cliff hanger scene... Jo glimpsed from the window of the Roanoke cabin a round glowing craft like a tiny moon descending in the forest and a small figure slipping out into the night. Shortly after, cheese begins to go missing from the Lumberjanes kitchens. But Jo has a lot of other things on her mind: the first annual Galaxy Wars- four days of space-themed contests and activities- is about to kick off in camp. And the Jo receives a letter, forwarded from home: an invitation to The Center for Scientific Advancement and Research's Summer Theory and Advanced Astronomical Research summer program. It's a dream offer except for one catch. She would have to leave the Lumberjanes behind.

A very engaging young adult novel, with one of the most insightful portrayals of a character with extreme anxiety that I've ever read. (Note: I do not have anxiety, so for me this was a peek into an experience I don't have. I hope readers with anxiety feel this is an accurate depiction.) When Aza was eight years old, she met a boy named Davis at a camp for kids who had experienced grief- she had just lost her father, and he his mother. By high school, the two have drifted apart, though they still live very near to each other in Indianapolis. Now sixteen, Aza tries her best to get through day after day of school while plagued by frequent intrusive thoughts about the terrifying possibilities of infection and disease which are constantly present. Daisy, Aza's best friend, hears that Davis's father- the enormously wealthy owner of construction company- has gone missing. What's more, there is a $100,000 reward for anyone who can deliver information that leads to his recovery. Daisy decides it's time for Aza to rekindle her childhood friendship with the missing billionaire's son. All three teens have the weight of too much on their shoulders, and their steps and missteps at caring for each other and themselves felt gratifyingly true.

A very sweet and quiet story about friendship and craft. Greta, a young apprentice blacksmith, finds a small lost dragon in the marketplace. When she learns that it belongs to a couple who live nearby she returns it at once. They invite her to learn more about the creature, a tea dragon. Greta begins to cultivate a friendship with them and their shy ward, Minette. Gorgeously drawn and woven through with plants and colors of the four seasons.

A really excellent collection of space-themed short comics from Bedside Press which I backed on kickstarter a very long time ago. One of the stories, "Transplant" by Megan Rosalarian Gedris, was nominated for an Eisner award in 2018. Other standouts included "Turtles" by Jon Inaki, "Art Pirates" by Tod Wills, "Stargazer Jr" by Z Akhmetova, "Habitus" by Ver and "A Pilgrim's Progress" by Sarah Winifred Searle. I appreciated the diversity of the authors included, with contributors of many nationalities represented as well as queer, nonbinary, and indigenous writers.

A solid second entry in this well known and well loved mystery series! Only a few weeks after the dramatic ending of the first novel, private detective Kinsey Millhone is hired by a rich and self-absorbed LA woman to find her sister, Elaine Boldt, who hasn't been in touch for about six months. The sisters aren't close but the Los Angelian, Beverly, needs Elaine's signature on some paperwork. Kinsey dutifully starts looking into things, and quickly into a bunch of strange circumstances: the missing woman usually visits a vacation house this time of year, but it's occupied by a sub-letter. She also owned a cat, which is missing as well. And a house across the street burned down after a murder a few weeks prior. How are these pieces connected? Once again Kinsey's case looks almost cold- up until it completely explodes in her face.

This book was difficult to get through. The plot revolves around two nearly-immortal beings in a power struggle over a centuries-long human breeding project to produce people with paranormal abilities. Almost every scene includes themes of either rape, incest, eugenics, mental and physically slavery or murder. Considering all this it's very unlikely I'll read the rest of the series or recommend this book to anyone.

That being said, it in no way lessened my respected for Octavia Butler as an author. I've read three of her other novels, Kindred, The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Talents and a short story collection, Bloodchild. Of these Bloodchild is my favorite, with several of the stories standing out as some of my very favorite short stories. I hope to read more Butler in the future. But I'm going to be need a bit of a mental break after this last one.

An emotional and scientific collection of essays that focus on the author's own deeply personal relationship with the natural world. Most chapters focus on a single plant, and what that plant has to teach human beings. From Strawberries come a recognition of gifts and sweetness. Pecans speak of collective decision making for the benefit of the whole community. Maple trees teach a lesson of civic duty and citizenship. Cattails offer self-sufficiency and the Three Sisters (Corn, Beans and Squash) offer nourishment. As a white person in a country which was stolen and is scared by white supremacy, I was especially moved by the teaching of Plantain on how to become naturalized in a non-native land, and how to be a good neighbor. This book also carries a strong call to action. What the plants have given to us, we humans owe in return, and we have not done well in keeping up our side of the reciprocal relationship.

Ava and Gen are high school BFFs, but now work to maintain their close friendship from opposite sides of the country during their first semester at college. Ava is studying screen writing at the University of Southern California, while Gen crashes into the student journalism scene at Emerson College in Boston. Ava has struggled with mental illness since childhood, and anxiety, new therapists and new medications complicate her already stressful new schedule. Gen jumps headfirst into multiple newly available queer relationships, including a fling with a fellow student, an affair with her TA, a bitter rivalry with another journalist student and fun hookups with grad students. The friends' successes are real and their failures are epic, testing their mental health, GPAs, and commitment to one another. This novel, told entirely in their texts and emails, is quick and witty. A light and fun read, especially if you've ever had a long distance best friend!

Edit: re-read in 2021. I still enjoyed this a lot (I have the sequel on hold now) but I definitely think the book is less engaging if you aren't a fan of the authors/haven't watched a lot of their youtube videos or listened to the podcast. If you are going in blind, be prepared for a lot of inside jokes that may or may not make sense.