(Continued from Part 1)
Honeybee Democracy - Thomas Seeley (2010)
"One valuable lesson that we can learn from the bees is that holding an open and fair competition of ideas is a smart solution to the problem of making a decision based on a pool of information dispersed across a group of individuals."
This both reads like a textbook and manages to be fascinating. Seeley, with a keen observer's care, goes over, in detail and supported by studies, various aspects of aspects of social bee behaviors like swarming and choosing an ideal nesting site. You'll learn a lot. It does get a little repetitive by the end, and some of the conclusions about what humans can learn from bee behavior seem like a stretch, but it's interesting nonetheless. A must-read if you're at all interested in beekeeping.
Related Reads:
(See sources cited throughout book)
Everland - Wendy Spinale (2016)
"What more is left here for you but faith?" Pete says, extending a hand to me from the open window.
..."And a little bit of pixie dust," Bella adds, pouring the rest of the gold into my hand.
This Young Adult fiction book is basically a Steampunk retelling of Peter Pan. I liked the overall premise and setup of the book - it's similar to the fantasy-fiction that I liked to read and write as a teen. But I came away with the feeling that the idea was better than the result here. And since this is the first of a as-yet-incomplete trilogy, there were some pieces in the story that seemed to be left hanging.
Everland's point of view switches between two characters (the main protagonist and main antagonist) throughout, but there really wasn't much difference between the character's voices. I found myself wishing that it wasn't written in the first person; I think the only thing this adds is that it makes the book a bit more distinct from the original story. One of its stronger points is interesting descriptions and the sometimes-clever integration of steampunk elements. Overall, though, the main thought I came away with was that this story would work better - and seem fresher - in graphic novel form.
Related Reads:
Ella Enchanted
Girl Genius comic series
Peter Pan
The Art of Neighboring - Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon (2012)
"We all need to get back to the basics of what he commanded: love God and love others. Everything else is secondary."
This book has been lingering on my to-read list for years. I was somewhat disappointed that the focus was more on why we should be good neighbors (because Jesus teaches that we should) rather than teaching how to best connect to people in various situations. There were some good insights and a few specific suggestions, but it wasn't as helpful as I was hoping, though I'd allow that it's still a fine starting point.
Related Reads:
(See resource list in the back of book)
The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2007)
"He knew only that his child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke."
In reading this, I continued my Post-Apocalyptic genre trend as well as started my sub-goal of reading more by McCarthy. The tone is harsh, stark, and much more individualistic than the others of this genre I've read in recent months - though the ending was a bit more hopeful than I was anticipating. McCarthy's poetic, stream-of-conscious style, imagery ("By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp"), and descriptions serve to make this an absorbing and emotionally-wrenching read.
Related Reads:
The Postman (Brin)
Honeybee Democracy - Thomas Seeley (2010)
"One valuable lesson that we can learn from the bees is that holding an open and fair competition of ideas is a smart solution to the problem of making a decision based on a pool of information dispersed across a group of individuals."
This both reads like a textbook and manages to be fascinating. Seeley, with a keen observer's care, goes over, in detail and supported by studies, various aspects of aspects of social bee behaviors like swarming and choosing an ideal nesting site. You'll learn a lot. It does get a little repetitive by the end, and some of the conclusions about what humans can learn from bee behavior seem like a stretch, but it's interesting nonetheless. A must-read if you're at all interested in beekeeping.
Related Reads:
(See sources cited throughout book)
Everland - Wendy Spinale (2016)
"What more is left here for you but faith?" Pete says, extending a hand to me from the open window.
..."And a little bit of pixie dust," Bella adds, pouring the rest of the gold into my hand.
This Young Adult fiction book is basically a Steampunk retelling of Peter Pan. I liked the overall premise and setup of the book - it's similar to the fantasy-fiction that I liked to read and write as a teen. But I came away with the feeling that the idea was better than the result here. And since this is the first of a as-yet-incomplete trilogy, there were some pieces in the story that seemed to be left hanging.
Everland's point of view switches between two characters (the main protagonist and main antagonist) throughout, but there really wasn't much difference between the character's voices. I found myself wishing that it wasn't written in the first person; I think the only thing this adds is that it makes the book a bit more distinct from the original story. One of its stronger points is interesting descriptions and the sometimes-clever integration of steampunk elements. Overall, though, the main thought I came away with was that this story would work better - and seem fresher - in graphic novel form.
Related Reads:
Ella Enchanted
Girl Genius comic series
Peter Pan
The Art of Neighboring - Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon (2012)
"We all need to get back to the basics of what he commanded: love God and love others. Everything else is secondary."
This book has been lingering on my to-read list for years. I was somewhat disappointed that the focus was more on why we should be good neighbors (because Jesus teaches that we should) rather than teaching how to best connect to people in various situations. There were some good insights and a few specific suggestions, but it wasn't as helpful as I was hoping, though I'd allow that it's still a fine starting point.
Related Reads:
(See resource list in the back of book)
The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2007)
"He knew only that his child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke."
In reading this, I continued my Post-Apocalyptic genre trend as well as started my sub-goal of reading more by McCarthy. The tone is harsh, stark, and much more individualistic than the others of this genre I've read in recent months - though the ending was a bit more hopeful than I was anticipating. McCarthy's poetic, stream-of-conscious style, imagery ("By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp"), and descriptions serve to make this an absorbing and emotionally-wrenching read.
Related Reads:
The Postman (Brin)
