This is an absolutely amazing book IF you are a big music nerd (which I am). Despite knowing really a whole heck of a lot about the genres and eras of music discussed in this book, I still did not know who many of the musicians mentioned were.

I super enjoyed the personal and historical contexts Questlove placed familiar songs / artists / albums in, and likewise enjoyed learning about some new (old) music to check out.

All of that being said, I'd like to reiterate that to get the most out of this book, you really need to have at least a strong interest in, if not a strong knowledge of, hip hop, classic rock, funk, R&B, jazz, soul, etc. It is not uncommon for the author to be discussing a particular sample in a hip hop song and then spend a paragraph talking about how the rhythm guitar player on that osng also played on a different song from earlier in the book, and oh yeah his dad was so and so who was in a band with his dad in the fifties, and so on.

It is a fascinating web that bounces from pop culture meta narrative, to personal stories about growing up in West Philly. A+ 10/10 book for the right person.

This is a good book! In prose and structure it reminded me of a cross between Game of Thrones, but it is less complex than that (not necessarily a bad thing). If you're looking for a compelling fantasy novel in a non European setting this book is enjoyable, intriguing, not too diffictult to read. I enjoyed the second book as well and am looking forward to the thrid.

This book is a must read for jazz fans and fans of incendiary celebrity autobiographies.

Be warned though, this book contains graphic descriptions of violence, drug use, sexual content, abuse, and like 20% of the words on every page are swears.

I read it in college, like 15 years ago, and I'm kinda afraid to revisit it, because it is heavy, and pretty messed up.

It is probably the best musician auto biography that I have read though, and that is a genre that I truly love.

The concept of this book was fascinting and well executed, but I did not findi it emotionally compelling enough to give it five stars,

I found it kinda hard to empathize with most if not all of the characters. I think this is largely due to the structure of the book, in which you experience the life of a different spider in each spider chapter (due to the length of their lives). It is compelling to experience the evolution of spider society in this way, but the drama rarely felt personal.

I also struggled with the human characters just being generally unlikeable. I dont really like military sci fi and the human side fo this felt a bit too close to that for me.

This may be a personal problem! I have heard many friends praise this book (one gave it to me) and seen tons of people recommend it online. If you have a particular interest in ecological, biological, or military sci fi, maybe even a bit of horror, Children of Time may land better for you. I still enjoyed it a lot but some sections were kind of a slog.

This is one of my favorite books. I have read it a few times over the last fifteen years or so and always get something different out of it. 

In fact, I have since read a few other Michael Chabon novels and deeply loved each of them. His brand of slightly magical realism keeps you on your toes and his compelling characters keep you in your feels.

There is also often very biting, clear, and insightful social / political commentary.

This is a must read for anyone interested in magical realism, comics, and historical fiction in general but especially the 20s - 60s in the west.

Wow! I loved this book!

Largely composed ot chracter driven vignettes that take place on a starship taking a long journey to creat a new hyperspace tunnel, this book had an excellent balance of drama, humor, romance, world building, and sci fi concepts and tropes.

It reminded me of a cross between Cowboy Bebop Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, and a Miyazaki film. I really loved most of the characters, and largely empathised with those that I didn't love.

This book also did a great job of hinting at and giving us some inof about the larger world the author is creating, while staying very focued on the excellent characters. I laughed, I cried, I started reading this on a trip with friends and felt mildly annoyed that I needed to hang out with them instead of reading.

Great book! Looking forward to continuing the series.

Worry' epitomizes literary fiction, focusing more on character introspection than on plot. The novel follows two sisters, Jules (the narrator) and Poppy, whose interactions drive the narrative. Through their dynamic, their close proximity to each other acts as a catalyst for change, altering not only their perceptions of themselves but also their understanding of their family and roles in society. While neither sister undergoes a clear-cut transformation, their interactions are pivotal in shaping their character arcs. Despite Jules narrating the story, I found myself empathizing more with Poppy. This may be due to the way Tanner crafts Jules's perspective, which is laced with bias and subjective observations.

One aspect that didn't quite work for me was the ending. It felt sudden and left me wanting more closure. The narrative conclusion neither tied things up neatly nor left them ambiguously open in a satisfying way. Instead, it felt like an abrupt stop, which might have been Tanner's way of mirroring the ongoing nature of anxiety and the personal struggles the characters experience. Still, it left me feeling that the story was unfinished.

The novel serves as a contemporary reimagining of the Hades/Persephone/Demeter mythology, and in my view, Lyon effectively integrates these mythological elements into a modern setting. The symbolic use of pomegranate seeds as pain pills, the reflection of Demeter's depression in Emer's job struggles and societal blame, and Rolo's role as a billionaire drug dealer echoing the underworld—all of these connections feel thoughtfully executed.

However, I found the portrayal of Rolo to be somewhat problematic. Despite his significant faults and the severe consequences of his actions, he remains somewhat shielded from criticism, particularly in his depiction through the lens of his ex-wife. This aspect of the narrative left me with mixed feelings.

I didn't enjoy the absence of traditional quotation marks around dialogue. While this stylistic choice might be seen as an innovative departure, I personally found it somewhat challenging and detracting from the overall readability of the text.

Marked is the first book in a long series written by a mother-daughter duo. I originally read the first few books in early high school and found them intriuging, through not enough to continue the series at the time. Re-reading it as an adult, I found it incredibly easy to digest-- perfect for getting out of a reading slump. However, it is important to note that some of the language is problematic, with certain queer and racial remarks feeling inappropriate, especially considering the authors are two heterosecual, cisgender white women. 

Classic 1980s boxing movie, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It features an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, and Jon Voight in supporting roles

A steamy romance unfolds between a lawyer and a housewife; but who is seducing who? Treachery unfolds. No spoilers.

When I was younger I LOVED this collection of stories. I loved the weird artwork and even the weird stories found in this collection. One of my favorite moments of the collection is near the beginning where one of the stories is interrupted by the table of contents falling from the sky slamming down on the characters. My favorite story is the giant’s story, the pages resemble a collage and was very silly looking. I feel as if these pages might have inspired James and The Giant Peach.

This book used to be my younger brother’s favorite book when we were growing up. When I reread this I had a rush of nostalgia of the days my mother used to read this to me and my brother. This story inspired my brother to want a red pair of converses, my mother used to have to try and take them off of him. The simple cat art work is memorable, the colors are vivid, the story and the lyrics complement the artwork. But beware after you read this book you may be singing to yourself Rock in my school shoes.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book intended for children but with lessons for all ages. Ko?omycka takes the reader along with two friends, Fox and Boar as they frollick in the marsh. They meet a new friend, a Mayfly. The story takes a turn when Tiny Fox learns that they must say goodbye to Mayfly soon after meeting. Tiny Fox's journey coming to grips with loss and grief is compelling and acessbile for young people to understand. Highly reccomend. 

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book intended for children but with lessons for all ages. Ko?omycka takes the reader along with two friends, Fox and Boar as they frollick in the marsh. They meet a new friend, a Mayfly. The story takes a turn when Tiny Fox learns that they must say goodbye to Mayfly soon after meeting. Tiny Fox's journey coming to grips with loss and grief is compelling and acessbile for young people to understand. Highly reccomend. 

This book is a comprehensive overview of the RFP, or Request for Proposal, process, which may be used as the textbook in a "Tech for Libraries" library science course. This book will have widespread appeal for any librarian or higher-ups soliciting the proposed contract for a new ILS, digital resources, or something more comprehensive. This book's writing style is approachable for any adult reader and may be appropriate reading for the library board of directors and supervisors. This book boasts an accomplished list of contributors and contains a bibliography at the end of each chapter.

This came out in 2018 but you may have missed it. Here is a very popular animated super-hero movie that is sure to become a new favorite. Find this and similar genres in the children's movie section or adult animated section of your local library.

"Se vis pacem, para bellum."

The third installment in the unexpectedly popular John Wick franchise takes the series in a more existential direction. At the start of the film, John Wick has dispatched with his enemies and satisfied his desire for revenge in what can only be described as Phyrric victory in which John has lost his dog, his car, and his house - all of the remaining material links to the memory of his late wife - and he has only a pile of the bodies of everyone responsible for his dispossession to show for it. Moreover, to achieve a decisive victory in his struggle for power over the High Table, John is forced to break the cardinal rule of the shadowy world of assassins he's been thrust back into, turning the entire global network of assassins against him and expanding the scope of his conflict with the powers that be. His use of violence inside the Continental Hotel renders him "excommunicado" and he must fight for mere survival as his bounty increases by the minute and the international conglomerate of assassins he's angered converges on his location.

John's enemies are formidable, but far from unified in their interests, and as Wick's adversaries hunt him across the globe, he is able to flip some key actors into allies. John Wick 3, like the rest of the films in the franchise is the distilled essence of every seventh grade boy's daydream in Spanish class about saving the entire room from armed assassins using only kung fu. But John Wick 3 also explores some more thought-provoking themes surrounding John's motivation to live, even when fighting against impossible odds. "I want to live to remember her," Wick says about his late wife. Throughout the series the violence inherent in his work has led to the destruction of every physical trace of her existence that John has held onto, right down to the wedding ring on his finger, which he must sacrifice to earn forgiveness for the transgressions he committed while attempting to preserve other aspects of her legacy. In this regard, the film engages with the desperation and futility that often accompanies grief. At the same time, the script can be read as Stahelski's ruminations on the nature of war: all encompassing with constantly shifting alliances which spare no one forever. For John Wick - whose fights are always maximally necessary and just but whose victories always seem to expose him to greater danger and harm as chaos proliferates and each power vacuum he creates is filled again - the question is not just whether he can win his battles decisively, but whether the destruction he has wrought leaves anything for him to gain besides a desert called peace.

In contrast to more biographical accounts, Helen Castor's history situates Joan of Arc's life firmly within the historical context of the Lancastrian War (1415-1453) - the third and final phase of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The first several chapters of Castor's book focus on the political intrigue in the fractured Kingdom of France, reeling from its devastating loss at the Battle of Agincourt in the years leading up to Joan's birth. Had George R.R. Martin not chosen the subsequent War of the Roses (1455-1487) as the inspiration for his novels, the events in France which preceded that war would have been just as good an option. Any fan of Game of Thrones will likely enjoy reading an account of the civil war between the Burgundian and Armagnac cadet branches of the French royal family - A war which brought France to a point of crisis where a peasant woman from a border town who claimed to have spoken to God was able to command armies and bring the French monarchy back from the brink of capitulation to the English crown which was so ascendant at this stage in the war.

Castor largely treats the civil war in France and the ensuing war between France and England as a discrete conflict with connections to the historical era more broadly. She does not explain to the reader every detail of the historiography of the Western European Late Middle Ages, partially to avoid confusing lay readers and partially because she likely expects her audience to be somewhat historically inclined and familiar with the foundational history of Western European nation states. From her perspective as a London-based historian of Medieval and Tudor England, this is somewhat reasonable. But American readers may wish to consult a few outside sources in order to brush up on the full historical context of the book's events.

Castor's analysis in the second half of the books brings her unique perspective on the life and subjectivity of Joan of Arc the living woman to print. Where other histories and biographies of Joan have focused on her role as a religious icon, military strategist and proto-feminist, Castor's history weaves those threads together and presents the reader with a picture of a woman who, as a person living in the middle ages, had beliefs and a perspective on the world which is as alien to the modern reader as an entirely different culture would be. Castor is a responsible historian who is so steeped in the facts on the period she writes about that she is able to make educated conjectures that make her story come to life, while still distinguishing fact from speculation. This analysis makes the book, and especially her characterization of Joan, richer.

Castor generally rejects the idea that Joan had any kind of feminist consciousness about her actions. The evidence points to Joan seeing her mission on Earth as a religious one, firmly embedded within the political imaginary of the time and limited in its objective to the ongoing struggle between kings. This does not mean, however, that Castor's history is devoid of an analysis about what it meant for Joan of Arc to be a woman, both for herself and to her friends and foes. Castor's Joan of Arc is a woman who found herself at the command of an army and an integral part of French politics between the ages of seventeen and nineteen, with no formal experience in statecraft, military strategy or politics. She is a woman who may have worn a fastened leather tunic in the fashion of a man as her only form of protection from sexual violence as a woman traveling alone in a low-trust society with no effective rule of law. She may have been inspected for chastity by female members of the royal court, to verify her claims of piousness. She may have agonized when hearing church bells, which were said to have been a trigger for her religious visions. All these details of the rich internal life of a fascinating woman and more await the reader in the pages of Helen Castor's Joan of Arc.