Physics of the Future

By. Michio Kaku

P. 450

Format: print, audio

Rating: ***1/2

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Physics of the Future was published in 2011, ten years before I read it. I have no doubt that my review is impacted by reading the book so late after the publication. The basic premises of Physics of the Future is how technology will evolve moving forward. The book gives a general overview of a topic and then predicts the near future, mid-century, and far future. Reading the book in 2021 puts me solidly in the near future.

When predicting technology advancement it seems like Kaku did not take into account human nature. Humans do not like chance, for the most part. Since technology is driven by money advancement will only proceed if humans will pay for it. As such I think that Kaku was a bit optimistic with some of his predictions. That being said, there is still ten more years in Kaku’s near future predictions. There is plenty of time for advancement.

I am not saying that every prediction that Kaku had is wrong. Many of them were quite well informed. Even if the technology has not hit the mainstream market I have seen hints of advancement in certain areas just from reading the news. Only those in the know are aware of how far we have really gotten.

My favorite section was about computer chips. Kaku talks about the silicone chip become obsolete. We will either have to find a new solution or our rate of technology advancement will grind to a halt. I found this ironic as Physics of the Future said that this will become an issue in 2020 and at the end of the year Apple introduced their new M1 chip - a chip that is revolutionizing the computer industry.

There were other areas that were eerily predictive. Kaku talked about the transference of virus - and now we are in a pandemic. He talks about this century being a cusp of where we will be as a nation. We have seen the two paths played out on our news stations at night.

I read this book to get a better idea of where technology is headed. It accomplished that. It also made me introspective. I never stop and think about what has changed in the last ten years. I haul around my iPad and access documents stored in my cloud. I pull out my phone to take pictures, play games, and even interact with software that I cannot even use on the computer I owned ten years ago. When I am bored I go and put on my VR headset and interact with people from all over the world. Just imagine where we will be in ten more years.

The Echo Wife

By. Sarah Gailey

P. 347

Format: eArc

Rating: ****

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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The Echo Wife is a psychological thriller sci fi novel. It is dark and it is best prepared that you go into it know that. It is not a book that will leave you terrified, but more expose you to the dark side of humanity.

It was done brilliantly. I couldn’t book the book down even as I kept reading long past my bedtime. I tried to stop reading. I was afraid of nightmares from the grizzly scenes I saw. Yet the book is less about the scenery and more about the people. I couldn’t leave them.

The plot is fairly basic and involves cloning. I had predicted most of the book long before the ending. I didn’t care, I still needed to keep reading. I was trapped in this dark mind and I needed to stay until the end. The ending that was perfect in a completely twisted way.

Gailey’s writing is amazing. The way she creates characters is exceptional. I loved how the plot unfolded even though I knew the twists before they ever came, they still came at exactly the right moment. I do not gravitate towards dark fiction, but this was done excellently.

The Effort

By. Claire Holroyde

P. 356

Format: Print

Rating: ***1/2

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The Effort is an apocalyptic book that will make you think of the movie Armageddon, at least at first. It is a more classic science fiction feel to it. It was a relatively quick read, and overall I enjoyed it.

However, there are a few things about the book that really bugged me. I just don’t think it is realistic. I do not mean from a science stand point, but from a human standpoint. The book is multi-perspective. There are core characters, but we also see from the perspective of side or even random characters. It sees humanity at it’s worst and makes them even worse. It was too extreme and too fast for the situation. I kept reaching through the book wanting to shake characters and ask them if they had never heard of the concept of FARMING. Hello!

Also, a lot of character threads were left hanging. I am sure this was intentional to help build up the situation, but given that the situation was already overdone I did not enjoy this. Most our main characters were abandoned also. Maybe this was also intentional, but it did not feel that way. It seemed more like a way of keeping the page count down.

If you are a plot based reader then you will probably love this book. If you are a character based reader then probably not as much. It was still refreshing to read an old theme that I hadn’t seen a lot of lately, even if I did not mesh with the character development. 

Mind of My Mind

By. Octavia E. Butler 

P. 224

Format: Print

Rating: ****

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Mind of My Mind is the second book in the Patternmaster series. The book picks up in what is a contemporary setting. Although the book was published in 1977 it still felt like it could have been set today. In this story we follow a descendent that was breed for a specific function by Doro.

The story focuses on community and engaging to make the world a better place. It goes into acknowledging our own limitations and that sometimes we have to make the best choice even if it isn’t perfect.

It was a great read, one I do not want to get into too much, as I do not want to spoil the series for you. I cannot wait to finish this series, but I also cannot wait to pick up something else by Butler to see what else she is capable of creating. 

White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue...and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation

By. Lauren Michele Jackson

P. 184

Format: Audio

Rating: Not Rated

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I am choosing not to give this book a rating because I read it for my own personal development without a background knowledge of the subject. The book starts out talking about women in popular music - a subject I am not versed on. I felt uncertain what I would exactly take from the book at first. It was apparent that Jackson was not going to spoon feed you answers, but to provide context for the reader to use their own critical thinking skills to process the information provided.

The book moved onto a wide variety of topics, a lot of them still remained with popular culture. However, the book also looked at specific situations of cultural appropriation. Jackson does not remain neutral during this process. She expresses her opinions strongly at times and passively at other times. It seems that each time she does so it is expressed in a way that made me, the reader, look closer at the situation - not just to take Jackson’s word and move on.

This book did not leave me with answers. It taught me to question and to appreciate how diverse cultures has shaped every aspect of popular culture. Jackson affirms that cultural mixing is inevitable. However, it must be done in a way that is respectful and acknowledging of the original culture. Also, you must take a step back and question whether you should be doing it at all. 

Also, to paraphrase (because I read this via Audio and did not write it down word for word): Anti blackness is not a noun. It is applied to those who put in the work and the uncomfortableness. 

Concrete Rose

By. Angie Thomas

P. 360

Format: Print

Rating: *****

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Angie Thomas is one of the best, if not the best, writers of our generation. Thomas’ characters are so real that I think that she given them actual life. I can see their world as well as the neighborhood right outside my front door. When I read one of her books it takes over a part of me and shapes me into someone else.

Concrete Rose is a prequel to The Hate U Give. It is about Star’s father, Maverick when he is a seventeen year old boy learning how to be an adult. It is a coming of age story for a character that we have already grown to love and respect. The story is all the better for it.

I could write on forever about why this book is amazing, but I won’t. I will just say that everyone should read this book.

Skyward Inn

By. Aliya Whiteley

P. 336

Format: eArc

Rating: ****

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Skyward Inn is both science fiction and speculative fiction. The book is a look at a futuristic earth that has made contact with an alien planet. The two cultures must now learn how to interact with each other. The main characters live in a small town that shuns technology. The gathering center of this town is Skyward Inn, now owned by Jem who had left to go wage a war on the far away planet and Isley her alien friend she met along the way.

Although the story is not that concrete. From the start Whiteley takes a meandering tone that carries the cadence of small town living. Yet, the reader is left knowing that all is not as it seems.

The journey is unlike anything I have read before, and makes me think about humanity in a new way. It was both disappointing, disjointed, and perfect.

Skyward Inn is more focused on characters than action. While there is a plot, an excellent one at that, it is a slow burn. Do not come expecting fast paced action or you will be disappointed. Instead expect a nice meandering walk that will leave you thinking.

The ending of the book comes in stages. I went from curious, too slightly disappointed, too satisfied. It is not a book that is going to leave things closed up in a nice package, but it also does not leave the reader hanging. 

The Bright & The Pale 

By. Jessica Rubinkowski 

P. 368 

Format: eArc 

Rating: ***1/2 

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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The Bright & the Pale is a young adult fantasy that encompasses the orphan journey troupe. 

 

Valeria lost her entire family when she was young. She was the sole survivor of a free event that froze her entire town. She was taken in and raised by leader of a thieving band that adopted her as her own daughter. Then things change and Valerie has to go on a voyage back to her home town. 

 

The story can be a little rocky. At the start I was confused by some plot twists. They cleared up by the end of the book. However, they could have been a bit smoother. There were some glaring typos, but I read an arc copy so these will hopefully all be gone by publication. 

 

Even though I wish the story went a bit smoother and the plot was pretty predictable, I enjoyed reading the book. It really picked up in the last half when the characters became more distinct and developed and the world became more unique. I do plan on picking up the sequel to see what happens next. 

The Stolen Kingdom 

By. Jillian Boehme 

P. 320 

Format: eArc 

Rating: *** 

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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The Stolen Kingdom is Young Adult full of YA tropes. I read YA, and I enjoy YA books that go against the formalistic approach to YA books. The Stolen Kingdom is not this. This book embraces all that it means to be YA overdone tropes and all. I know that many readers are all for this. If that is you then you will most likely love The Stolen Kingdom. 

 

The writing of The Stolen Kingdom starts rough, but after the first 10% it smooths out and becomes enjoyable. The plot is eh. It has good bones but couldk have used a bit more dynamics and flushing out. The characters felt a little flat to me. I am not sure how to explain it without spoilers. Basically. . . one of the main characters has their life completely changed and they and they automatically accept this change, even more they embraced it and consider it their due. There wasn’t a growth process to get from one point to another - it just happened. The second main character felt flat from beginning to end. The only thing real about them is how inconsistent their desires were. 

 

The Stolen Kingdom is not a bad book. It was just not for me. I know that there are going to be quite a few people who enjoy this story. I think the book deserves that. However, I am not one of them.

Blood of Elves 

By. Andrzej Sapkowski 

P. 398 

Format: ebook, audio 

Rating: ***1/2 

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The reading order for the Witcher series is a bit confusing to me. Blood of Elves is considered the first book of the series, yet there is a prequel full of short stories called The Last Wish. I am very thankful that I read that book first, or I am not sure I would have understood anything that was happening in Blood of Elves. 

 

For an epic fantasy story Blood of Elves has a fairly simplistic plot. There are multiple perspectives, but again not as many as some of the massive fantasy series that are popular. I found it refreshing. Although, I am not sure I would have enjoyed the series quite as much without having watched the first season of The Witcher. This is a rare instance of me thinking that the TV series helps the books. It is just that the characters are written a bit flat. Seeing the world of the books on screens helps to breath life into them the way that the author did not. 

 

I most defiantly would have finished the book without having watched the TV series first. I may have moved on in the series. I would not have cared as much as I do now.