Friday, May 1, 2015

The Friday 56 (25)

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

This quote comes from page 52, which is close enough. This quote is talking about Jeanne Villepreux-Power “the mother of aquariophilly.” I reviewed this book earlier in the week, so you can check out the review HERE

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World“The newly minted naturalist knew that there was only so much one could learn by plucking a creature from its briny environment. So in 1832 she invented a container that would facilitate her observations by keeping aquatic creatures alive in their own ecosystem—even while extracted from the ocean. She designed a glass case, the first recognizable aquarium.”--Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby

What's on your page 56 this week? Leave your post link in the comments below and I'll drop by your blog.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Review: Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the WorldTitle: Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World
Author: Rachel Swaby
Source/Format: Blogging For Books, Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction, Science
Publisher/Publication Date: Broadway Books, April 7, 2015

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads...

In 2013, the New York Times published an obituary for Yvonne Brill. It began: “She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job, and took eight years off from work to raise three children.” It wasn’t until the second paragraph that readers discovered why the Times had devoted several hundred words to her life: Brill was a brilliant rocket scientist who invented a propulsion system to keep communications satellites in orbit, and had recently been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Among the questions the obituary—and consequent outcry—prompted were, Who are the role models for today’s female scientists, and where can we find the stories that cast them in their true light? Headstrong delivers a powerful, global, and engaging response. Covering Nobel Prize winners and major innovators, as well as lesser-known but hugely significant scientists who influence our every day...
When I first saw this book available for review I was more than excited for it. I previously knew about a few prominent female figures like Sally Ride, and I was looking to expand my knowledge. I wanted to know more about the accomplishment of women in the scientific field.

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby offers a brief look at 52 woman who changed the fields they worked in—offering summaries of their accomplishments and general facts about them. This book covered subjects from Medicine, to Genetics and Development.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the fact that only a few pages were dedicated to each woman and her major accomplishments. Headstrong does a great job highlighting each person by offering facts about their upbringing and schooling, even some of the hardships they faced in their respective workplaces before—sometimes even after—achieving acclaim for important discoveries. It was everything from opposition coming directly from prominent colleges refusing to admit them, to their names being omitted from work they spent their life on.

My only real complaint is as I said above, that the profiles were a little short, and I would have liked to know more about each person. But overall, I really liked Headstrong, and I read the book in a few days. I definitely recommend picking it up if you’re looking for a way to get introduced to more female scientists beyond what you might already know.

Top 5 Favorite Profiles...
  • Jeanne Villepreux-Power "the mother of aquariophily" (p.52).
  • Rita Levi-Montalcini "In 1986, she and Cohen were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for their work." (p.107).
  • Rosalyn Sussman Yalow "Over the course of conducting their insulin research, Yalow and Berson measured the antibodies generated as a result of the hormone." (p.149).
  • Yvonne Brill "Her electrothermal hydrazine thruster was still used in satellites when she died in 2013." (p.171).
  • Florence Nightingale "Through observation and statistical analysis of census data, Nightingale designed a curriculum for nurses that would provide them with adequate training for the very first time." (p.187-188).

I received this copy of the book from Blogging for Books for this review, thank you!

Rachel Swaby is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in theRunner’s World, Wired, O, The Oprah Magazine, New Yorker.com, Afar, and others. She is a senior editor at Longshot magazine, the editor-in-chief of The Connective: Issue 1, a former research editor at Wired, and a past presenter at Pop-Up magazine. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website HERE

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Release Day: Dragons Are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas

Today I'm excited to take part in spreading the word about the Dragon's are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas, release day. Find out about the book below and don't forget to read the first chapter and get more info at Entangled Teen's homepage! And follow along with the blog tour for excerpts, reviews, and an awesome giveaway!

Synopsis...

Never judge a dragon
by her human cover...

Sixteen-year-old Kitty Lung has everyone convinced she’s a normal teen—not a secret government operative, not the one charged with protecting the president’s son, and certainly not a were-dragon. The only one she trusts with the truth is her best friend—and secret crush—the über-hot Bulisani Mathe. Then a junior operative breaks Rule Number One by changing into his dragon form in public—on Kitty’s watch—and suddenly, the world knows. About dragons. About the Draconic Intelligence Command (DIC) Kitty works for. About Kitty herself. Now the government is hunting down and incarcerating dragons to stop a public panic, and a new shape-shifting enemy has kidnapped the president’s son. Kitty and Bulisani are the last free dragons, wanted by both their allies and their enemies. If they can’t rescue the president’s son and liberate their fellow dragons before getting caught themselves, dragons might never live free again.


Humans think it's painful when their heart breaks – try having two of them. It's a perfect description: heartbreak. Everything inside me feels like it's shattering into a million pieces, like the pain's too much to be contained by a single piece.  

About the Author...

Sarah is a 30-something YA author who currently lives in Orlando, FL. She believes that some boys are worth trusting, all girls have power, and dragons are people too.

She's a proud member of the Gator Nation and has a BS in Mechanical Engineering, but has switched careers entirely. She now works as an Event Coordinator for a County Library. She also blogs at YAtopia.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Weekend Tidbits {#2}: Review Copies, Homemade Things, & Waterfalls

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day.

Earlier this week I received two books for review. The first was Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby—a finished review copy from Blogging for Books. And the second was an eARC of A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes from Penguin First to Read. I decided to dive into Headstrong first, because occasionally I use nonfiction books as something like a palate cleanser in between so many works of fiction.

Another notable aspect of this past week is that I tried homemade peppermint patties made with coconut oil, and I have to say that I’m entirely a fan of them. The coconut oil was a bit expensive, but I did enjoy them. Here is the recipe that was used: Peppermint Patties.

My pick for the setting this week is Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland, Australia, specifically Barron Falls. I like the overall look of this location, and think it would make a great setting for a novel.

Today’s tea is Vanilla Chai.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Review: Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Landry ParkTitle: Landry Park 
Author: Bethany Hagen
Source/Format: won, paperback
More Details: YA, Dystopian
Publisher/Publication Date: Speak, February 4, 2014

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads...

Sixteen-year-old Madeline Landry is practically Gentry royalty. Her ancestor developed the nuclear energy that has replaced electricity, and her parents exemplify the glamour of the upper class. As for Madeline, she would much rather read a book than attend yet another debutante ball. But when she learns about the devastating impact the Gentry lifestyle—her lifestyle—is having on those less fortunate, her whole world is turned upside down. As Madeline begins to question everything she has been told, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty—her family and the estate she loves dearly—and desire...
I went into Landry Park by Bethany Hagen without reading the synopsis first. My first impression of the book was that it was a historical novel, the first few pages certainly read like one. However, Landry Park is set in a very different, futuristic/dystopian version of America that seemed to get some of its ideas straight from the Victorian Era.

To be fair, I gave this book more of a chance than I usually do for others that don’t immediately get my attention. I read on past the first one hundred pages—I even finished it. Madeline Landry’s story was one that I couldn’t get into. I wasn’t interested in all of the parties that happened in the first part of the book. There were small hints of a plot, but the whole conflict in Landry Park was almost…typical. And it wasn’t just Madeline either I hardly cared about any of the characters or their part in the story.

The ending was just alright, but there’s nothing much that I can say on it. The writing style was ok, it had a nice flow to it and I could visualize the setting. However, that didn’t overshadow my disappointment. Landry Park was a dissatisfying read that left me wanting so much more, and I don’t think I’ll be reading anything else by this author unless it’s available at the library.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...