Book Review: How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics, Eugenia Cheng Nonfiction: How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics, Eugenia Cheng I like to challenge myself in my reading. How to Bake Pi definitely challenges me. Eugenia Cheng is a woman of extraordinary talents. Scientist in Residence […]
Month: November 2018
Book Review: Trigger Warning: Short Fiction and Disturbances, Neil Gaiman
Book Review: Trigger Warning: Short Fiction and Disturbances, Neil Gaiman Fiction: Trigger Warning: Short Fiction and Disturbances, Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman has won many literary awards, including the Newberry, Carnegie, Hugo, and Nebula. He is known for his comics, his novels, his screenplays, and his short fiction. When it comes to putting pen to paper (or more […]
Book Review: Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward
Book Review: Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward Fiction: Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award in 2011. It is a powerful story of a poor family near the Mississippi coast. Esch is fifteen, living with her father and three brothers. She has just learned she is pregnant. Her […]
Book Review: Clade, James Bradley
Book Review: Clade, James Bradley Fiction: Clade, James Bradley Several months ago I was introduced to the term “Cli-Fi.” This breezy abbreviation refers to a subgenre of speculative fiction that tells stories of the world after climate change. BookRiot included several recommended titles in their article about Cli-Fi, several of which we have reviewed on Scintilla. […]
Book Review: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy, Paige Williams
Book Review: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy, Paige Williams Nonfiction: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy, Paige Williams Eric Prokopi loves fossils. Even as a child he was taken with hunting fossils. After graduating from college, he created a business buying and selling fossils. […]
Book Review: Gmorning, Gnight: Little Pep Talks for Me & You, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book Review: Gmorning, Gnight: Little Pep Talks for Me & You, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Illustrations by Jonny Sun Poetry: Gmorning, Gnight: Little Pep Talks for Me & You, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Illustrations by Jonny Sun If you are on Twitter and not following Lin-Manuel Miranda, you are missing out. He regularly tweets short poems/phrases/words of encouragement to start the […]
Book Review: The End of Karma, Somini Sengupta
Book Review: The End of Karma: Hope and Fury Among India’s Young, Somini Sengupta Book Review: The End of Karma: Hope and Fury Among India’s Young, Somini Sengupta The End of Karma is an extraordinary look at India, written by someone who has known India from both inside and outside its borders. Somini Sengupta reports for the […]
Book Review: The Fifth to Die, J.D. Barker
Book Review: The Fifth to Die, J.D. Barker Fiction Mystery/Thriller: The Fifth to Die, J.D. Barker He’s ba-a-ack! Considering the cover of the book says this is a “4MK Thriller,” I’m not giving too much away by saying that The Fifth to Die, J.D. Barker’s sequel to The Fourth Monkey, features the return […]
Book Review: The Fourth Monkey: J.D. Barker
Book Review: The Fourth Monkey, J.D. Barker Fiction Mystery/Thriller: The Fourth Monkey, J.D. Barker Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil. Most of us are familiar with the three monkeys and their advice, often depicted with actual images of monkeys covering eyes, ears, and mouth. J.D. Barker’s book tells us about The Fourth Monkey: do […]
Book Review: The Mars Room, Rachel Kushner
Book Review: The Mars Room, Rachel Kushner Fiction: The Mars Room, Rachel Kushner Considering that The Mars Room is on the short list for the 2018 Man Booker Prize and that author Rachel Kushner has twice previously been nominated for the National Book Award, there may not be much left to say in praise of either the […]