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sifuCJC

sifuCJC@bookwyrm.social

Joined 3 years, 3 months ago

I read only nonfiction for years. Now, I'm getting back into fiction. (he/him)

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sifuCJC's books

To Read (View all 9)

Currently Reading

Michael Chabon: Gentlemen of the road (Hardcover, 2007, Del Rey/Ballantine Books) 4 stars

In the Kingdom of Aran, in the Caucasus Mountains in 950 A.D., two adventurers wander …

Dense and full writing

4 stars

A short novel, but the writing is so dense, there's a full epic inside.

That said, I could barely parse the sentences. Make sure you have a broad vocabulary and knowledge the Khazar empire before you embark.

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Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith: A City on Mars (Hardcover, 2023, Penguin Press, Penguin Publishing Group) 4 stars

Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away - …

Yes, we could live in space, on Mars, etc. but not so soon.

4 stars

A fascinating book that examines whether we can live in outer space or on other planets. In short, the answer is: probably, but it will take a lot of time. Questions about how we can live safety and peacefully in space need answers before we even try, in contrast to various 'space techno' advocates that say we can and should colonize space now.

The book is divided into several parts, each looking at what we know and don't know about living in space, and what answers are needed before we even try.

Part 1, on caring for the spacefaring, covers the effect space can have on bodies, from radiation exposure and a microgravity environment. Sex and reproduction are also covered. The ethics of populations in space on topics like eugenics (with limited resources, what do you do with people that don't 'fit') and mental health are also covered.

Part 2, …

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Deb Chachra: How Infrastructure Works (2023, Penguin Publishing Group) 5 stars

A new way of seeing the essential systems hidden inside our walls, under our streets, …

...we know that making a personal decision, like deciding to leave the car at home or replace the gas furnace in our house with a heat pump, doesn't necessarily help anyone else make the sane decision, and because these are collective systems, our individual contribution is minuscule. Many of us have come to the disheartening conclusion that, no matter how great our individual sacrifice of time, money, or energy, no matter how much we radically change our own lives and homes in order to reduce our personal emissions, we can't move the needle alone.

How Infrastructure Works by  (Page 191)

Exhausting as it sounds, collective action is the only way forward. You could literally cease to exist, dropping your environmental impact to zero, and it wouldn't move the needle. Systems change is the only way.

Lisa Jewell: None of This Is True (Paperback, 2023, Atria Books) 5 stars

Secrets unfold thrillingly

5 stars

I don't know if I was just in the right space for this book, but I found it was crafted beautifully. With narratives that dole out secrets sparingly, I've found many of them to be frustrating. But Jewell uses only podcast scripts and taped interviews for the flash-forwards. This keeps the 'current' narrative sequential. It worked well.

Also she initially develops the two main characters gently and with care. So as the deterioration implied by the title unfolds, it is gripping. So many emotions. Love it.