bookwoods's reviews
708 reviews

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

5.0

“Autumn is its own kind of magic; it reminds us of the beauty in letting go.”

I couldn't even have imagined a more perfect book to start October with than The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin, which held me in its grasp so strongly it didn’t take more than two days to finish. But let me begin by describing the setting: witches have always lived among us, controlling the atmosphere and enabling humans to expand their influence on the natural world. Eventually innocent excitement over the possibilities of a world protected by magic turned to greed and despite the witches’ warnings, humans didn’t know when to stop. Now the weather system is collapsing and there doesn’t seem to be enough magic to rein it in.

Enter Clara, an Everwitch. Witches generally have a season, determined by which equinox they’re born in, and that decides when they can summon their magic and what kind of magic it is. But as an Everwitch, Clara’s magic merely changes with the seasons, never dissipates. This means huge expectations are placed upon her, and in the book we follow her training through the seasons as she struggles to accept and control her powers.

“I have a very powerful, very volatile magic inside me, and I have to figure out how to live with it. And if I can’t, I must decide if I can live without it.”

It’s evident that The Nature of Witches is YA fantasy, with some shortcuts and teenage angst that come with the genre, but I enjoyed it immensely nonetheless. I was particularly impressed by the descriptions of weather, which is the core of the book. Rachel Griffin actually became a certified weather spotter in the process of writing and that shows through. I also appreciate that this is a standalone novel. As such, the ending is satisfactory, but I certainly want to read more of the world and of other witches, so I’m eagerly anticipating Griffin’s second standalone, Wild is the Witch, coming out next year!

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

5.0

 The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers has come to an end and it saddens me deeply. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is what kindled my love for science fiction, showing how much the genre has to offer beyond green slimy aliens. Indeed, the interconnected universe with dozens of Sapient species, each more imaginative than the last, with their unique customs, physiques and histories, has blown my mind more than perhaps anything in literature ever has. 

The books have all felt warm, hopeful and reflective, and the finale highlights all those qualities perfectly. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (oh how I adore the titles), like the previous installments, focuses on a small cast of characters. This time, they are not part of a crew, but end up stuck together when an escalating satellite crash leaves them unable to leave a planet meant as a kind of ‘gas station’. Each is nervous for their own private reasons, but end up opening up to each other with kindness and openness that is delightful to observe. 

Beyond anything else, Chambers’ books make me happy, and none of them have disappointed me. Like I said, it’s sad to see this series end, but at the same time, I take comfort in knowing I can always reread, and I also can not wait to read anything she comes up with next! We already got a cover reveal for book two in the A Monk and Robot series, A Prayer for the Crown Shy, and it’s gorgeous. In general, it’s not just the content of these books, but the titles and designs as well that make them one of the most treasured parts of my book collection. <3

 

Reputation by Lex Croucher

4.0

I’ve been following Lex Croucher on social media for at least half a decade, but had no idea she could write this well! Set in the Regency era, Reputation successfully imitates the style best known from Austen’s works. The plot doesn’t reach the same level of intrigue as Austen’s iconic dramas do, but the modern touches make this so fun it’s hard to stop reading, or listening. The audiobook is narrated by Bessie Carter and her voice acting is superb! The expressions from the past sound natural when spoken by her. 

The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays by Elisa Gabbert

4.0

 In this essay collection, Gabbert examines humanity in recent turbous times, taking on a diverse selection of topics. Everything from our responses to climate change and other disasters to why we have such a hard time accepting our looks. Reading this felt like an intelligent friend was patiently explaining different ideas to me. Some that were quite outside my comfort zone, but even the more philosophical essays offered useful insights. Here’s some snippets that particularly stayed with me: 

“I wonder if the way the world gets worse will barely outpace the rate at which we get used to it”

“My responsibility may be infinite, but my empathy is not, and there is more evil in the world at any given moment than I feel physically capable of processing.”

“Crises often get boring before they get better.”

“Global warming is happening everywhere all the time, which paradoxically makes it harder to see.”

 

Beach Read by Emily Henry

5.0

I was feeling overwhelmed with what I was reading and craved something, well, easier and more fun, and oh did this book deliver! The premise is so enticing: two authors, former college rivals, meet in a seaside town and start a bet. They will try to write something in the other’s preferred genre (high brow literary fiction and romance) and see who gets a book deal first. To make the reading experience as relaxing as possible, I chose the Finnish translation by Taina Wallin, and I devoured the book in two nights. Just what I needed! 

Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert

3.0

 Under a White Sky is “a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems”. It explores desperate solutions to blocking invasive species from reaching new areas, to preserving animals whose natural habitats are facing dramatic changes, and to halting the most disastrous effects of climate change. Solutions, which are risky, controversial and more or less difficult. The experts Kolbert interviewed were, “without exception enthusiastic about their work. But, as a rule, this enthusiasm was tempered by doubt. The electric fish barriers, the concrete crevasse, the fake cavern, the synthetic clouds - these were presented to me less in a spirit of techno-optimism than what might be called techno-fatalism. They weren’t improvements on the originals; they were the best that anyone could come up with, given the circumstances”. 

The topics are certainly important and well chosen, but unlike in Kolbert's previous book, The Sixth Extinction, I didn’t find that they were particularly well explained. The narrative jumps from history to technology in odd ways, and I found there to be loads of unimportant detail in place of necessary basics. This meant that I sometimes felt  confused and bored at the same time, even though I’ve studied these things in university. But the overall message comes through strongly: we have messed up the world so throughoutly that in order to slow the cascading effects of our mistakes, we need to mess up the world in new, even more disruptive ways. 

The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf

5.0

The Invention of Nature ended up being impressive and inspiring beyond what I dared to hope! What Andrea Wulf sets out to do is recount the life of Alexander von Humboldt - one of the most influential scientists to have lived, yet who is largely forgotten. He is the first in the scientific community who clearly saw the interconnectedness of nature. Whose work paved the way for further research into ecology, conservation, evolutionary theory, climate change etc. 

“Humboldt was not known for a single fact or a discovery but for his worldview. His vision of nature has passed into our consciousness as if by osmosis. It is almost as though his ideas have become so manifest that the man behind them has disappeared.”

And there’s more. Not only do we get vivid descriptions of Humboltd’s explorations, but a dozen other profiles as well. Stories of people with all kinds of scientific interests, united in their connection to Humboldt. The Invention of Nature also sneakily gives a throughout history lesson, featuring events from the Napolean wars to political reforms in Europe and fights for independence in South America. Essentially, everything of major importance that occurred in the background from Humboldt’s birth in 1769 all the way up to the turn of the 20th century. By then Humboldt himself no longer led scientific discussions, but his influence was still stark and his name hadn’t yet been buried under conceptions we now take as obvious. 

I just adore this book immensely, partly because it has given me motivation for my own research, but I’m not sure how much it will appeal to people not involved in natural sciences. One certainly has to be interested in the history of science to be drawn to it, though the message carries into the future: 

“As scientists are trying to understand and predict the global consequences of climate change, Humboldt’s interdisciplinary approach to science and nature is more relevant than ever. His beliefs in the free exchange of information, in uniting scientists and in fostering communication across disciplines, are the pillars of science today.”

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J Klune is quite possibly the most hyped up book of the year. ‘Delightful’ is how most people have described it and I must agree with that statement, and I also understand how delightfulness has been particularly appealing in these current times. The story follows a government worker who’s been sent to evaluate an orphanage for particularly magical and special children. It’s queer and comforting and features original characters, but the plot felt predictable and cheesy. I wasn’t blown away, but I wasn’t hugely disappointed either. 

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski

4.0

Even though The Last Wish, the first Witcher book, wasn’t completely to my liking, I did feel inclined to continue on almost immediately (partly because I really want to start watching the Netflix series). And I did enjoy this more! We get more information about the world and witness better character development. And I preferred the format: I read The Last Wish in English and The Sword of Destiny I listened to in Finnish (translated by Tapani Kärkkäinen, read by Aku Laitinen). The stories felt more original as well, or it might just be that I'm not as familiar with the inspiration behind them. 
One thing I’ll say is that some aspects felt outdated. There’s fatshaming, all relationships are disappointingly heteronormative and the female characters remain for the most part boring - Ciri gives me some hope for better though! It was also difficult to keep up with the chronology, which is why I’m particularly interested to see what I’ll think of the following installments that aren’t comprised of fragmented and separate individual stories...

The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

3.0

The short stories in The Last Wish recount adventures of a witcher, Geralt of Rivia, travelling through a world where a diminishing number of magical creatures live alongside humans. Not always peacefully, and never equally. I particularly enjoyed discussions on the justification of the dominion humans have over other beings, and liked being able to recognize some well-known tales as the inspiration for Andrzej Sapkowski’s stories, but I was missing more world building and detailed descriptions (and interesting female characters).