The Return

The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between
by Hisham Matar
Published: July 2016

Writer and poet Hisham Matar investigates the kidnapping and imprisonment of his father as a political prisoner of the Qaddafi regime in Libya. Through interviews with uncles and cousins, he explores the rippling effects of the dictatorship and presents a thorough history of Libyan politics.

5 out of 5 stars: Honestly can't count how many times my eyes welled up on the bus.

Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs

Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe
by Lisa Randall
Published: October 2015

 Lisa Randall (professor of particle physics and cosmology at Harvard) provides a comprehensive examination of how the Earth interacts with its cosmic environment. The first ~80% of the book presents both theoretical and data-driven explorations how particle physics, geology, and cosmology all contribute to our understanding of the history of the universe. But, as evidenced in the title, this all sets the stage for Randall's own research in dark matter -- specifically its potential role in influencing long-range comet trajectories.

4 out of 5 stars: A bit dense, but definitely still approachable thanks to Randall's light-hearted asides and palpable sense of awe and wonder.

Vampire in Love

Vampire in Love
by Enrique Vila-Matas, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
Published: September 2016

A very surreal and melancholic collection of short stories filled with narrators are just as unreliable and flawed as the madness they observe. The stories float between dream-like fantasies and very intense, fatalistic realities.

Dragon Teeth

Dragon Teeth
by Michael Crichton
Published: June 2017

Though my favorite Crichton novels are his techno-thrillers, he weaves a damn good historical fiction. Set in 1876, this story follows the rivalry of two (real life) paleontologists and the treacherous trade of fossil excavation in the West. Though not particularly seat-gripping, the tale is immersive and educational (and, as most of his novels are, extraordinarily well-researched).

3.5 out of 5 stars:  It wasn't bad, and honestly makes me want to give his other posthumous work a chance. Maybe.

Reality is not what it seems

Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity 
by Carlo Rovelli, translated by Simon Carnell and Erica Segre
Published: January 2017

So much has happened in the world of physics since I was in school! Rovelli presents an easily accessible summary of the current state of theoretical physics. From Ancient Greek philosophers through the remarkable advances of the 20th century up through more recent theories of Quantum loops and thermal time.

5 out of 5 stars: If you're at all interested in immersing yourself in how much (and how little) we actually know about the universe, I sincerely can't recommend this enough.