Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles #1) by Philip Reeve Scholastic, 2001 373 pages I've always been fascinated by steampunk, possibly because I'm fascinated by all things Victorian. For those unfamiliar with the term, "steampunk" is essentially a combination of Victoriana, industrialism, and technology - whether in stories, movies, fashion, or art. The genre usually … Continue reading Mortal Engines
The Best We Could Do
The Best We Could Do By Thi Bui Abrams, 2017 336 pages Last August, I took a business trip to San Francisco for a conference I attend every year. On the final day, I had several hours post-conference to myself, so I took some time to walk down to the old ferry building and visit … Continue reading The Best We Could Do
Someone and The Boston Girl
Someone by Alice McDermott Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2013 240 pages The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant Scribner, 2014 336 pages The company where I work serves the real estate industry, which has two primary trade show seasons each year: one that runs January-May and one that runs August-November. Being the marketing director, I do … Continue reading Someone and The Boston Girl
Arcadia
Arcadia by Iain Pears Knopf, 2016 528 pages Not long ago, I tried to describe to my husband what it's like to read Iain Pears and Kazuo Ishiguro, two of my favorite authors. Though their styles are distinct, there is a key commonality: both like to play with perception and how it affects narrative. Ishiguro comes at … Continue reading Arcadia
Radioactive
Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss It Books, 2010 208 pages I've always been fascinated by Marie Curie. At a time when women's education was confined primarily to the social graces and preparation for housekeeping, she made world-changing scientific discoveries. But until I read Lauren Redniss's Radioactive, I … Continue reading Radioactive
Rise of the Rocket Girls
Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt Little, Brown & Company, 2016 352 pages The space industry was a dominating presence in my early childhood. My father was a technical writer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), and my grandfather was retired … Continue reading Rise of the Rocket Girls
A Life in Secrets
A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII by Sarah Helm Doubleday, 2006 493 pages More than 15 years ago, at the beginning of our marriage, my husband and I read William Stevenson's A Man Called Intrepid together. It was a fascinating story - the true tale of a secret WWII intelligence … Continue reading A Life in Secrets
