This is the sequel to The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, is one of my favorite books that I have read in many years. I didn't like this one quite as much, but these are very different books and should be evaluated differently. While Angry Planet was a almost a collection of vignettes that evenutally wove together into a narrative, Common Orbit is much more linear. Planet also focuses on the struggles of a large cast of characters while Orbit is very focused on just two.

There was one or maybe two parts in Orbit that I felt it was dragging a little, but they were brief, I still enjoyed this book immensely. It explored its fairly trope-y themes in original ways. I love the depiction of Sidra as going through growing pains like a teenager might. The characters are very fleshed out and believeable. This is an excellent example of sci fi with heart, which is the best sci fi in my opinon.

If I could give this book four and a half stars I would. I enjoyed it a lot, but not quite as much as its predecessor, so I feel I need to give it a lower rating.

I'm reading this book now, and I don't really like it

Could be a me problem. I struggle with academic language, and this book has A LOT of that sort of thing (although the first chunk is written more casually, and I enjoyed that a lot more than what followed). I would not recommend it to anyone who is not accustomed to or looking for that, or who is not specifically interested in a sociological exploration of the Five Spot, jazz clubs in NYC, and race politics surrounding the birth of free jazz

These are certainly worthy topics to write a book about, but as someone who has read lots about these subjects in other places, I don't really feel like I'm learning much. This book spends much of its brief length explaining how all of this can be viewed through the lens of French philosopher Pierre Bourdieu's worldview, which I found very uninteresting. I intuitively understand what "the new york jazz field," is yet the author spends an entirely page defining it in academic language, thats almost 1% of the entire book, and its really not paying off for me.

I started writing this yesterday but today encountered this passage, which is exemplary of the problem:

“As an example from the jazz field, we could take Miles Davis playing his composition ‘Kind of Blue.” The sound that came from Davis’ trumpet is completely his creation as a composer, interpreter and improviser. However, Davis’ own intentions and opinions as to how much that sound should be valued as art are only a small part of the eventual consensus as to the value of that sound – a consensus arrived at by the efforts of many. Value is added by the presenter who deems that sound worth presenting in a club or concert hall, and by the producer who believes that a recording of that sound can be promoted and sold as a work of art. Value is added by the audience who pays to hear that sound. Value is added by the scholar who can place that sound in the context of the jazz trumpeters who came before and after Davis. Value is added by any listener who acknowledges the worth of the recording of King of Blue by buying it. Whether they play it only to themselves, play it for friends, or buy it and never play it at all, in every case, it is their choice, their decision that has imbued that sound as a work of art.”

That takes up almost a whole page of this book, which is 109 pages long before the epilogue and some added sections. If this passage does not intrigue you then I would recommend not reading this book.

I also think that I am not going to finish reading this book. I skimmed the conclusions section and, meh, seems like more of the same.

I recently read Coltrane: The Story of a Sound by Ben Ratlif, the end of which contains a section examining Coltrane’s legacy on modern jazz players. That section was much more compelling than this book.

RIP Quincy Jones, he passed today so I figured I'd write a review about this book, which I read about five years ago, not knowing a lot about Mr Jones beyond the broad strokes of his bio and some highlights from his absolutely massive catalogue.

This is a great book, but it is not for the faint of heart. QJ experienced and did a lot of dark stuff in his life, and discusses it openly in his autobio, It is perhaps not as unhinged as Miles Davis' autobiography, but it is close. You will spend a lot of time feeling... unsettled.

Or that is my recollection at least. And that is not to discount the book, it will be interesting to anyone interested in jazz, pop music, film scoring, the history of music in general. Quincy Jones had a part in a literal ton of highly important recordings and genres of music in general. An absolute legend.

There are also chapters in this book written by people close to QJ, including his daughter, actress Rasheeda Jones. These serve to offer some outside perspective and intimate details on a smaller scale to the larger than life tales he often tells himself.

Maybe I should give this book five stars, I think I probably would if I were a bigger film scoring, or big band jazz, or Michael Jackson fan, as those topics might be more captivating for me. But I read this kinda randomly and am more of a small group, abstract jazz, underground music kind of person. so while I found this book very interesting and a solif read to be sure, it wasn't didn't grab me the way that, say, the autobiographies of Miles Davis or George Clinton did. That may be a me problem, I'd still definitely recommend this to anyone interested with my above caveat that you're in for a troubling, though fascinating, ride.

This is a phenomenal book! I am a saxophone player myself and I feel like I got better just from reading this,

Do be aware, this is not a biography. It spends very little time discussing John Coltrane's upbringing and personal life, only really mentioning these things in passing. Instead, author Ben Ratliff delivers a detailed history of who Coltrane played with when, who he looked up to, who he studied with, what he practiced, and how these things changed his playing and compositional style. It is all very detailed and insightful.

The first half of the book focuses on Coltrane's approach and his music, and the people he played with. The second half examines how that music affected jazz, the world at large, saxophonists and musicians at the time and up to today. It ocntains thoughtful discourses on Free Jazz and jazz education, and the power of ,music to change the world (or not...).

A really truly great read. All that being said, this may not be the right book for some people. I would hesitate to recommend it to someone who is not a musician or at least knowledgeable / curious about music theory and the innterworkings of music. There are lots of parts of this book that do not focus on these topice, but, particularyl in the first half, there are large parts that focus on them greatly. If you are curious about the life of John Coltrane I would find a different book. If you are curious about jazz history in general though, there is a lot to learn here, and if you are someone very interested in John Coltrane this is a must read,

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.