Sunday, April 30, 2017

Kingdom of Fear

Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century
by Hunter S. Thompson
Published: Nov 2003

A delightful patchwork of autobiographical escapades, political rants and historical insight. Follow Hunter through his persistent lobbying for civil liberties, a campaign for Sheriff of Aspen, and that one time got Jack Nicholson an elk heart for his birthday. But be warned, no work of HST would be complete without a healthy dose of of sex, drugs, dynamite, and violence.

4 out of 5 stars: The end is perpetually nigh, folks. Mahalo.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Soonish

Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything 
by Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
To be published: October 2017

Power couple SMBC cartoonist & Rice University professor pick apart ten burgeoning fields of research: from space elevators, nanorobot swarms, 3D organ printing to brain-computer interfaces... and beyond! It’s no small feat predicting how upcoming technological advancements will play out -- both accidental discoveries and the complex dynamics of interacting fields of research can really throw a wrench in timelines (we were promised self-tying shoes and hoverboards damnit!), but the Wienersmiths do a fantastic job of presenting what’s out there, where it’s likely headed, and what we can expect to see ...Soonish.

5 out of 5 stars: No, I'm not just excited about this because I'm a hard fan girl of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal and anything associated with my alma mater. But also yes.

In other news, snag a copy of of Soonish from the Goodreads Giveaway! (Ends 8/18/17) I was very lucky to have received an advance reader copy from a friend so I have to do my part to spread the love. Now I just have to lure Kelly and Zach into a book signing at my favorite Rice U pub...


Friday, April 7, 2017

A Really Good Day

A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life 
by Ayelet Waldman
Published: Jan 2017

Former lawyer turned novelist tries teensy doses of LSD once every three days for ten weeks in an effort to stabilize her moods and calm her neuroses: this is her journal. On top of the personal insight and mindful explorations, she also shares all of her (somewhat obsessive amounts of) research into the science of psychoactive, the history of drug laws in the US, and her own personal experience as a public defender and lecturer on 'the war on drugs.'

4 out of 5 stars: God this makes me miss college.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Morning They Came for Us

The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria
by Janine Di Giovanni
Published: February 2016
A raw, heartbreaking glimpse into the lives of Syrian civilians. Interviews show the wide range of opinions and stances held by the Syrian people, from those in complete denial of the crisis to those who are unable to escape it. Di Giovanni, the current Middle East editor at Newsweek, is clearly a well-qualified and seasoned reporter and her effort to compile these stories and tidbits of history was an extremely dangerous and admirable endeavor,

4 out of 5 stars: Di Giovanni inserts her own thoughts and feelings to give weight and context to the story. At times, this comes across a bit voyeuristic. Still, gave it the full four stars for impactful writing.