Words by Sooz

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Exactly as described The title tells you everything you need to know about this book and it was perfect for someone like me who spends their work commute reading. It was a super quick read and just a beginner level of astrophysics. So if you haven't read any topics on the subject, it's a great place to start. But there are no deep answers in this book, and there shouldn't be. There is still so much about the universe that we do not know or understand yet. It will make you feel important and insignificant at the same time. View all my reviews

Now I Rise by Kiersten White My rating: 5 of 5 stars Lada is brutal, cruel, destructive and I adore her. The retelling of Vlad the Impaler as a woman is fascinating. Lada has had to literally cut her own way into the world when no one would take her seriously as the Prince of Wallachia. But she inspires and makes people listen even if she doesn't have a gentle touch. Her brother Radu has his own mission as he acts as a double agent in Constantinople. His inner turmoil is very well done as he contends with his love for another man, which is not at all accepted during that time period. While Radu and Lada spent the book apart, the two often thought of the other and tried to consider what their sibling would do. one has grace and cunning while the other has brutality and perserverance. They perfectly complement each other. Great book. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series. View all my reviews

The Falconer by Elizabeth May My rating: 2 of 5 stars I’ve read a lot of books lately that have included fae: Throne of Glass sequel, Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices series) and now The Falconer. The Falconer was the worst of the bunch. I didn’t dislike it, but I certainly didn’t love it. Unfortunately, when I put the book down, I felt annoyed. Even though I know it’s a trilogy, I expected there to be some kind of resolution in part of the story line before I would have to move on to the next book – much like the Throne of Glass series. That’s not the case and The Falconer ends with a cliffhanger that seems to stop right in the middle of an important scene. I was excited when I first started the book. There were some good elemnents. I noticed the steampunk themes and hoped there would be a bit more exploration into that, but instead there were just a few mentions of some devices used in the world. And Aileana is supposed to be an inventor, but the tools aren’t on displa

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas My rating: 5 of 5 stars I actually wound up liking this better than the first book in the series. Finally, I got to see Celeana, the assassin, which is what she has been billed as. The first book didn't really show much of that. But the character had great growth in the second book. I also loved the banter between Celeana and Chaol. While I didn't agree with every choice made in the book, it wasn't my book to write. At least, Maas made the moments meaningful, and didn't waste people for the sake of having them in a book. My only complaint was that A LOT happening without really happening. I felt the book could have been a bit shorter. Overall, though, I loved it. View all my reviews

Dear Martin by Nic Stone My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's a fascinating read especially with the way we are so aware of what is happening around the country with police brutality toward African-Americans. Reading 'The Hate U Give' was difficult because of the tough nature of the story. 'Dear Martin' is no different. In this case, Justyce, an African-American teen is the center of the story. He gets put in cuffs by a police officer even though he wasn't doing anything wrong. He deals with the conflicting sides of growing up in the hood and going to prep school, where he doesn't feel like he fits in either place. He also has to have "the talk" about being black in America - it's not just about what to do when getting pulled over by cops, but also conducting yourself in every day life. I'm thankful that Nic Stone wrote this book, but also sad that it's the type of book that needs to be written. While fiction, it certainly feels like so