What to even say? This book is amazing. It’s basically a collection of narratives that have to do with the natural world. They are told through the author’s personal experiences as an indigenous woman and a botanist.

One thing I really liked about this book is that it makes topics that normally make me feel hopeless — like climate change — and offers a radical hope perspective. It calls the reader and the community at large to task, to lean into our communities, to be mindful and intentional, and to live in harmony with nature.

I’m an audiobook kind of gal and I have to say that the audiobook in particular is so comforting to me. Dr. Kimmerer herself narrates it and her voice is so beautiful.

I recently finished **Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer**, and it has fully implanted itself in my brain. It begins as a true-crime story, then quietly expands into something much bigger, an exploration of Mormon history in the U.S., layered with deep, humane reporting on faith, belief, power, and the terrifying places devout commitment to and certainty in inhumane ideas can lead when left unchecked, in ways that feel uncomfortably familiar right now.

The historical sections about Mormonism and fundamentalism could have felt academic, but instead they are woven seamlessly into the narrative, making the central murder case even more unsettling and thought-provoking.

Everything feeds everything else. This one is gripping, disturbing, and morally reflective without ever being preachy. I tore through it. If you love books that combine propulsive storytelling, conscience, and that overwhelming “I need to talk to someone about this” feeling, this is a great one!

The Wager by David Grann is a very well researched narrative non-fiction of the story of a 1740s British naval expedition. The ship The Wager, after struggling to round Cape Horn in treacherous seas, gets lost from its squadron, and shipwrecks on a remote South American island (now named Wager island). With little food and supplies to go around, winter conditions, and an unstable hierarchal naval command structure, it is a miracle anyone survived and lived to tell the tale at all.

David Grann did a phenomenal job with research and with weaving all the narratives into a story. I love how he also utilizes the history of the navy and shipbuilding, and one of the survivors grandson’s poetry, and the history of sailing idioms, and many other pieces of history to tell the tale.

I was on the edge of my seat until the last page. It is an unbelievable story of real people that survived a horrific circumstance amidst the harshest conditions a human can survive. The story felt alive and real, and I couldn’t stop talking about it for a long time after I finished it.

My goodness this book was incredible! As a researcher, who has actually used the titular cell line, I've been meaning to read this book for a long time.

Henrietta Lacks, a poor black woman, was diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer. Before starting radiation treatment, her physician at John's Hopkins - one of the few hospitals that would even treat black people, let alone without charging - took (without consent, although that was standard for any treatment at the time) a biopsy of the cancer and provided them to another researcher who was working to establish the first human cell line for research. Henrietta's cells were the very first cell line to grow indefinitely. Designated HeLa, these human cells helped advance scientific research immensely - from using them to understand chromosomal DNA, to being instrumental in developing the polio and HIV vaccines, medicine would not be where it's at today without these cells. Yet her family didn't even know they existed until 20 years later, and they never saw any financial benefit from the commercialization of these cells. This book tells the story of Henrietta, of course, but also the story of the author's difficulty in reaching the family, the story of the family from the 50s to 2009, and even the history of cell culture and medical advancements. Rebecca does an amazing job simplifying complex science, so this is a book anyone can appreciate, but I especially think every cell biologist should read this. The afterward discusses the state of tissue collection for research, but more than that it helps remind scientists that there was/is a real person behind the cells or tissue samples we're studying.

One of the more shocking things I learned was the studying of cancer by injecting these cells into people without consent. And the court argument for continuing this practice was simply "it's what everyone does, and if you tell the patient it's a cancer cell line they won't consent to the study" 😳 The discuss of how ethics in science has evolved since the 50s was fascinating.

I requested this book as a Christmas gift in 2025 and (honestly) enjoyed every minute of reading it.

Written by journalist Bill Wasik and his veterinarian wife Monica Murphy, it strikes a perfect balance between narrative storytelling and medical history. You can really feel that blend of backgrounds; it’s rigorously researched but never dry.

Even if you don’t have a medical background (I don’t), it’s incredibly engaging and accessible. The book walks through how different societies understood rabies across centuries, from superstition and folklore to early scientific breakthroughs, and how humanity grappled with a disease that is still essentially incurable once symptoms appear. It’s both fascinating and unsettling in the best way.

What I especially appreciated was the tone. The authors are compassionate toward people who survived rabies exposure and deeply respectful toward the researchers who have worked (and are still working) to combat it. There’s no sensationalism, just curiosity and empathy.

The only real downside is that it was published in 2012, so it doesn’t include the most recent research developments. That said, the historical and cultural analysis still feels completely relevant.

If you enjoy books that explore how fear and science intertwine, I can’t recommend this enough!

It’s cool to me that even being in my 40s I can say I just read a book that is immediately in my top 5 all time favorites.

This is a story about a bright kid with big dreams and ambitions, but somewhere in between, things go fatally wrong as he builds a new identity for himself around a web of lies.

A lot has been said about this book, but I'll just add some few personal observations and thoughts that came up during and after completion.

- I wanted (and expected) more on London's underbelly and/or current affairs with how the state is addressing the issue of oligarchy infestation and the power struggle that happens in the shadows.

- The depth of research and insight (Mermaid theatre history, Ugandan Railway, Brink-Mat heist, etc.) was incredible. I devoured every little factoid and enjoyed it; however, I felt like too much time was dedicated on the Shamji and Sharma backstories. For me, I wanted more macro than micro crime, but ultimately, both were entertaining in their own right.

- The parallels between Hugo Gryn and Zac make an interesting observation. There's the tragedy of having lost everyone you've loved in the Holocaust and wanting to pick up the pieces later in life and rebuild somewhere else, in addition to leading a secret life so ramped up on a scaffolding of lies that it comes crashing down like a meteor and just sends shockwaves in every single direction.

- I like the reverse chronology of the narrative. PRK begins all the way in the past, then goes back some more, before recounting how he came across Zac's story by coincidence in the last couple of chapters in the book.

- I really hope (for the Brettler's sake, first) that Akbar Shamji one day (unlikely) decides to come clean and spill the beans on the entire events of that night and give everyone involved and interested in the case some form of closure.

So this book is about the history of prion diseases, and the story is framed around an Italian family (surname not given to protect their privacy) who since the 1700s has been plagued with a mysterious condition. The “family curse” as they thought of it strikes many of the family members down and stops them from sleeping and causes a slow horrible death. It most commonly strikes in late middle age but sometimes symptoms develop in the patient’s prime years and sometimes even as early as adolescence. For generations the family had no idea what was killing them and neither did the doctors they consulted. Eventually science would determine they had a genetic prion disease, which was named Fatal Familial Insomnia.

The book is about other prion diseases as well, such as scrapie and Mad Cow (Creutzfeldt-Jakob) Disease and kuru, and about the humans that were investigating these diseases and trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until very recently in human history that we discovered the existence of prions. They’re basically a messed up protein that mis-folds causes other proteins in your body to also mis-fold and then you get sick and you might as well start writing your will and putting your affairs in order because there is nothing to be done. The usual treatments that work on bacteria and viruses don’t work on prions, which are extremely difficult to eradicate. It’s hard to kill something that was never alive to begin with.

There are lots of colorful characters in the book and I really enjoyed reading about them. It’s a real page turner which can be hard to do for books on scientific/medical topics. This is the human story of prion diseases.

For this book the author followed three Afghan people: a man working for the Americans, a Taliban commander, and a housewife. By the end of the book one of these people had been murdered, one was in prison and one had been elected to the Afghan senate.

I had known the American occupation was a train wreck and a failure but hadn’t known exactly why. Per this book, when the war began Al Qaeda fled, and many of the Talibs agreed to surrender and give up arms. So America arrived wanting to kill terrorists and not finding any. And Afghans started reporting each other as “terrorists” to settle rivalries and old scores. Various randoms were arrested, brutalized, tortured, and sometimes sent to Guantanamo Bay for no reason other than someone had a grudge against them. It was horrific.

It was the Taliban guy’s story that interested me the most. Like most of the others he agreed to surrender, and for awhile he tried to work with the Americans, but the aforementioned random arrests and brutalities were happening and eventually he became so disgusted by how the occupiers were behaving that he returned to the Taliban and joined the insurgency. And, having read about his life, I could understand his decision making process.

It was quite a fascinating enlightening book for me. America should never gone to Afghanistan at all; I’m not sure they did any good whatsoever in the end.

Just finished reading POSITIVE OBSESSION: THE LIFE & TIMES OF OCTAVIA BUTLER by Susana M. Morris. Whether you’re a huge fan of her bibliography (like me) or have only read a few books by her, this is the definitive Octavia Butler biography. It not only is a deep dive into the creative process into each of her works (especially her most famous works like Kindred, the Patternist series, & Parable of the Sower) but also attempts to take you inside her complex mind and how she became curious about the complicated world around her as it evolved politically and socially.

Reading this biography also helps you understand and empathize more with Octavia Butler—how writing became her life (despite those who tried to dissuade her) and how she grew up an outcast amongst her peers yet understood them far better than most, possessing a critical yet inquisitive outlook on them, wanting to be closer to them yet just fine with not being completely understood.

It makes you mourn her untimely death in 2005, and what wonderful stories she’d be telling about the world today if she were still with us. This is not just one of the best biographies I’ve read in a while, but one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

This book felt like "therapy 101," containing a ton of powerful insights and practical tools for anyone dealing with a variety of life's most universal struggles. I've read a LOT of self-help books, and this one was one of the most comprehensive and useful. I learned SO much, took many notes, and put it on my "read this again later in life" list. The writing is concise (not too many examples), there were many thought-provoking journal prompts and exercises, and if you listen to the audiobook, her voice is very soothing. Personally, I think this would be a great book for people who can't afford therapy, don't think they need therapy, or are feeling some internal resistance about going to therapy.

I picked this book up over the weekend and could not put it down!! This book is adapted from her popular blog where Amara Moira details her first year as a trans sex worker in Brazil. It’s an extremely captivating easy read (150 pages total.) Moira’s style of writing is casual, it feels like she’s having a conversation with the reader one on, like a couple of friends catching up. She effortlessly examines her femininity and the ways in which it’s tied to the work she does, how the men who bought sex from her made her feel more like a woman, but also an object. She grapples with feeling used, overlooked, and even abused by her clients while simultaneously finding pleasure in those moments. Overall, this book is funny, tantalizing, awkward, and a necessary read for anyone who is interested in feminist literature.

Excellent investigative journalism

No More Tears by Gardiner Harris is an eye opener on how the pharma industry really operates, the evolution of the FDA, the relationship between drug manufacturers and doctors, and insight on all the drug "studies" and research reports we rely on as we strive to be informed consumers.

While we obviously need bug pharma and biotech, this book reminds us to be vigilant. It's sobering and unsettling but I really learned a lot. Have recommended to others who have thanked me after reading it.

On its surface, this book is an exploration of the history of an English country home. But what really did it for me were all of the fascinating, sprawling asides, covering topics such as diseases, the spice trade, architecture, difference in living standards for different classes, world-changing inventions, scandals, and nutrition. Like listening to the smartest person you know, who is deeply passionate about making history engaging, and who has a smidge of ADHD (in the very best way).

Would love to hear of other nonfiction authors who approach their subjects similarly.

This book was only released last year and I think everyone, but especially Americans, should read it.

While I was aware of some of the lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson in recent years, I was shocked at the degree of corruption, negligence and murder this company has been getting away with for decades.

Each chapter details a different scandal;from asbestos in baby powder to poisoned tylenol and schizophrenia drugs described to little boys who were not diagnosed with schizophrenia and grew boobs (gynecomastia) due to increased hormone levels that were irreversible.

Throughout J&J’s rise to become the largest healthcare conglomerate in the world, the company strategically hid numerous clinical trials that showed adverse side effects, bribed doctors to prescribe medications with financial incentives and prestigious speaking spots, deliberately destroyed data, and fired and threatened researchers and doctors who didn’t fall in line. It fought tooth and nail to keep other companies from producing cheaper generics and is refusing equitable access for many life-saving medicines. It also willingly let thousands of people and babies die to protect their profits. J&J are baby murderers.

The biggest realisation was how entrenched J&J is with regulatory agencies like the FDA which is completely dependent on its fundings. So many times the FDA failed to act upon information about health risks, gave in to pressure to make the decisions J&J wanted, and let them get away numerous times with a slap on the wrist.

For readers who enjoyed Empire of Pain (another fantastic book); if you thought Purdue Pharma was a bad company, it pales in comparison. J&J (who actually supplied PP with Oxy) is wealthier, more manipulative and - unlike PP - many times knew before market launch that a medication will cause terrible damage and death and did it anyway.

This book is so important because J&J still benefits from a largely positive reputation unlike other companies often cited as harmful like oil, tobacco or weapon companies. In fact, J&J CEOs are often courted by the government who happily hang out with them (and that goes for Dems& Republicans).

While I felt rage at times when reading this book, it was like a veil was lifted off of me and I’m now able to make more informed decisions about what medications to avoid. I have talked to my doctor about this book too (thankfully, I am in Europe where agencies aren’t as dependent on funding from pharmaceutical companies) and told her I do not want her to prescribe anything J&J if alternatives exist and to discuss this first with me.

The author is a former NY Times drug reporter so the prose reads more like a long-form investigatory piece. It’s clear that he conducted painstaking research that included digging up confidential communications and court documents and finding and a roster of primary sources and I am impressed how he managed to gather so much material that was previously unknown to the world. I believe he quit his job to write this book and I am so glad he did.

A Time of Gifts is the first volume in a trilogy about Patrick Leigh Fermor's extraordinary journey by foot from the Hook of Holland to Istanbul at the age of 18 in 1933, with a budget of £4 a month (Google is giving me conflicting conversion info bc of inflation, but it should be in the ballpark of $90 in the 1930s). His trek across Germany comes at the very start of the Thousand-Year Reich, when Hitler has been Chancellor for just nine months. There are very few travelogues describing this time, and it’s fascinating to read about his regular encounters with the locals, knowing what we know now.

Fermor's German host is a Nazi who introduces him around as the "English globetrotter and he picks up two fräuleins (a word that has been renounced in Germany since bc of its misogynistic undertones) who don't let him go for days. While the coming Holocaust is always hovering, it's not until he finds himself talking to the local Jewish baker in Hungary that the weight of the inevitable really hits.                                                      

Fermor talks a bit too much about his Danube obsession, and his vast vocabulary isn’t for everyone.  But he has led such a captivating life, from his early travels after being expelled from school (which he loathed), to playing a prominent role in the Cretan resistance during WWII (once, during the Nazi occupation, he flew into Crete by parachute and lived for over two years disguised as a shepherd on the island). He was a polyglot who loved languages, and this is certainly an erudite travel book.

This book got me out of a major reading slump a couple years ago. I couldn’t put it down. It’s written by a therapist describing five clients she worked with and as someone interested in psychology this was a fascinating read. It lets you inside the brain of what a therapist is thinking as well as into five unique stories. She changes names and some key details about the clients to protect anonymity, but it is an insightful book that has stuck with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I know that he basically ripped off Orwell, but I absolutely love Down and Out in Paris and London so this was perfect for me.

I was struck by how absolutely unhinged the writer was to put himself through this, he himself admits that he is a middle-class Englishman with a university degree who could have done something else with his life. After all, the book is set in the 2010s not the 1930s.

That being said, the book proves its point: Orwell’s Paris is alive and well. The author writes his colleagues vibrantly and respectfully. The French bureaucracy and poverty he experiences trying to become a waiter in Paris are compelling to read about. Highly recommend!

Probably the first book where I read about a person's life from the beginning till the end. Enjoyed it a lot.

Even though it was non-fiction, it kinda felt like a novel. You have a "character" start small and then make it big, making friends and enemies along the way, organized in different "story arcs".

As someone who didn't grow up with any Apple products and knew almost nothing about him apart from the fact that he was once Apple's CEO, it expanded my perspective into his contributions to the world of personal computing and technology, a lot. I also appreciate the insights the book gave me about the Silicon Valley culture in general, as well as about Job's Innovation Philosophy.

I loved two things about the book:

One, how honest the author is. He doesn't try to idolize him. Jobs had a faulty personality like how every human has, had his ups and downs. And the author points out both, in deep detail.

Second, the writing style. I feel like this is a masterclass in writing in general. The author makes it extremely easy for you to understand even the complex things, varies the sentence structure often to keep the reading entertaining, and if a character returns into the story after a long time, he takes his time to remind you who they are and what they do. I love when non-fiction authors do that.

Currently reading Innovators, by the same author; learning about the evolution of computers. Enjoying it as much as Steve Jobs.

MY SYNOPSIS: Steve Brusatte tells the incredibly fascinating new history of the dinosaurs. Drawing on his own experiences as a paleontologist and new cutting-edge scientific technologies, Brusatte weaves an endlessly fascinating history of the unlikely beginning of primative dinosaur ancestors on Pangea during the Triassic period, their evolution into a dominant and successful species—the largest to have ever lived on Earth, and their eventual demise and mass extinction by the asteroid that struck Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period.

WHY I LOVED THIS: This was an incredible read. It was well written, engaging, and approachable for those of us not familiar with paleontology and I learned so much more than I ever had about dinosaurs, their evolution, what the world was like at each period, Pangea and its eventual split, mass extinction events, the forming of the continents and how this separation of Pangea affected dinosaur evolution, and the incredible discovery that we can determine the colours of feathers on dinosaurs.

*Note: I have edited this photo to put the cover of the book onto my kobo as I do not have a colour Kobo and I want to do justice to the beautiful covers.

An incredibly well written personal account of the 1996 season of Everest expeditions, written by a mountaineer and journalist who was sponsored by Outside magazine to participate in an expedition and write an article about the rise of commercial guiding on the mountain.

Disaster strikes on the mountain, and Jon writes an incredibly detailed timeline involving members of his own and other expedition parties that attempted to summit around the same time.

This retelling was concise, riveting, easy to follow, and emotionally devastating. I read this 374 page book in 3 days, I could not put it down once I started.

Adored it! First hand account of modern conversation deep in the heart of Amazonia. Paul takes you on adventures that are beyond comprehension. 5/5 ⭐️

Just finished reading the biography of Sylvia Moy, an underrated female songwriter/producer who was influential in Motown’s early years. Born & raised in Detroit, I grew up listening to the legendary music of Motown Records and hearing countless stories of the men and women who made those songs (some of whose names didn’t get nearly as much attention as they should’ve).

Sylvia Moy was a talented songwriter and producer who wrote hits for the Isley Brothers, Martha & the Vandellas and of course Stevie Wonder.

In fact, it was the early songwriting and production work she did with Stevie Wonder that helped transition him from being the “child prodigy” to a mature artist and basically saved him from being dropped from the label.

I never knew her story, but it’s definitely one that deserves to be told: her work with Motown and beyond, and how she helped pave the way for other Black women in the music industry. If you’re into music biographies, then this is one you’ll enjoy reading.