Excellent humor but also surprisingly educational. For everyone interested in science.
Reviews and Comments
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Merovius reviewed What If? 2 by Randall Munroe (What If?, #2)
Merovius reviewed Women's Agency in the Dune Universe by Kara Kennedy
Review of "Women's Agency in the Dune Universe" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
If you want a systematic, scientific discussion of the Dune series and/or an excellent example of a feminist critique of popular literature, this is the book for you. It makes an argument for a feminist reading of Dune using a very structured approach.
It chooses five major themes: Mind-Body Synergy, Reproduction and Motherhood, Voices, Education and Memory, and Sexuality. For each theme it then 1. explains the real-world discussion in the feminist movement during Herbert's lifetime, 2. interprets the text in that context, giving several examples of plot and characterization and 3. compares the series to the works of feminist Sci-Fi authors from the same era. It also does not shy away from pointing out and discussing parts of the text that complicate (and maybe even contradict) a feminist reading.
The target audience of this book is clearly scientifically minded, so it is probably not the easiest read for the …
If you want a systematic, scientific discussion of the Dune series and/or an excellent example of a feminist critique of popular literature, this is the book for you. It makes an argument for a feminist reading of Dune using a very structured approach.
It chooses five major themes: Mind-Body Synergy, Reproduction and Motherhood, Voices, Education and Memory, and Sexuality. For each theme it then 1. explains the real-world discussion in the feminist movement during Herbert's lifetime, 2. interprets the text in that context, giving several examples of plot and characterization and 3. compares the series to the works of feminist Sci-Fi authors from the same era. It also does not shy away from pointing out and discussing parts of the text that complicate (and maybe even contradict) a feminist reading.
The target audience of this book is clearly scientifically minded, so it is probably not the easiest read for the general public. But I found that this structure - and especially the context provided - makes it relatively easy to follow the argument and take away genuine insights, even without a firm background in women's studies (I'd call myself an interested hobbyist).
I obviously don't agree with every single argument the book makes, but by being balanced, reflected and critical in its reading of the text, it makes it easy to still respect the soundness of the argument. The author clearly did their research and is confident about their reading, while still being aware of its limitations.
Merovius rated The Fault in Our Stars: 5 stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her …
Merovius rated Why Fish Don't Exist: 5 stars

Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller
David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would …
Merovius rated Herr der Diebe: 5 stars

Herr der Diebe by Cornelia Funke
Escaping the aunt who wants to adopt only one of them, two orphaned brothers run away from Hamburg to Venice, …
Merovius rated Will Grayson, Will Grayson: 5 stars

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As …
Merovius reviewed Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher
Review of 'Capitalist Realism' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A scathing indictment of capitalism, by (successfully) putting the blame for several contemporary social ilks on it.
My only criticism is that while it makes a strong case both for capitalist realism existing as an ideology and it being a problem, the book does not make the case for any alternatives. It does contain some actionable suggestions for how to fight capitalism. But it falls short of providing a systemic alternative. As such, while it successfully argues that capitalist realism is a problem, it doesn't fully prove that it's wrong.
Nevertheless, a good read and well argued.
Review of 'Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
For a book that was written almost 50 years ago, it has surprisingly progressive things to say about gender and masculinity. I would argue that even today, most men could learn a lot from the child protagonist of this book. From what I heard about it, I knew it would make me cry. But I didn't quite expect that I would love everything about it.
Merovius rated The Actual Star: 5 stars

The Actual Star by Monica Byrne
The Actual Star takes readers on a journey over two millennia and six continents —telling three powerful tales a thousand …
Merovius rated An Abundance of Katherines: 5 stars

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, John Green - undifferentiated
Katherine V thought boys were gross Katherine X just wanted to be friends Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail …
Merovius reviewed Family of liars
Merovius reviewed We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (We Were Liars, #1)
Review of 'We Were Liars' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
If there is on thing I expect from Lockhart, it's absurdly interesting and usually tragic protagonists. And lord, does she deliver in this book. Read it and then read everything else by her.
Merovius reviewed Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Review of 'Turtles All the Way Down' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Turtles All the Way Down is a book about a girl living with OCD. And while I don't think it's the best John Green book and I'm not sure it's the one you would like best, it is my favorite by far. I don't have OCD, but I am mentally ill. And I have never read a book which conveys how it is to live with mental illness as well as this one. Almost every page contains a highlight of something Aza says which I find deeply relatable. The book is almost devoid of plot, but that is a good thing. Because that's part of how it feels to live with mental illness and it gives a lot of space to depict Aza's inner monologue.
I can't praise this book enough.
Merovius reviewed The Martian by Andy Weir (The Martian, #1)
Review of 'The Martian' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The Martian has everything you heard about it - hard science fiction, snarky humor and humans pulling together towards a singular goal. Given how hard it dives into numbers and science, it's a surprisingly fun and light read.