The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution

Today's post is on The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution by David Wootton. It is 768 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover is an art print of a hand and a compass. The intended reader is someone who is interested in scientific history. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A companion to such acclaimed works as The Age of Wonder, A Clockwork Universe, and Darwin’s Ghosts—a groundbreaking examination of the greatest event in history, the Scientific Revolution, and how it came to change the way we understand ourselves and our world.
We live in a world transformed by scientific discovery. Yet today, science and its practitioners have come under political attack. In this fascinating history spanning continents and centuries, historian David Wootton offers a lively defense of science, revealing why the Scientific Revolution was truly the greatest event in our history.
The Invention of Science goes back five hundred years in time to chronicle this crucial transformation, exploring the factors that led to its birth and the people who made it happen. Wootton argues that the Scientific Revolution was actually five separate yet concurrent events that developed independently, but came to intersect and create a new worldview. Here are the brilliant iconoclasts—Galileo, Copernicus, Brahe, Newton, and many more curious minds from across Europe—whose studies of the natural world challenged centuries of religious orthodoxy and ingrained superstition.
From gunpowder technology, the discovery of the new world, movable type printing, perspective painting, and the telescope to the practice of conducting experiments, the laws of nature, and the concept of the fact, Wotton shows how these discoveries codified into a social construct and a system of knowledge. Ultimately, he makes clear the link between scientific discovery and the rise of industrialization—and the birth of the modern world we know.

Review- I wanted to like and enjoy this book so much but it was so bogged down by too many details and tangents that I could not. At times, too few and far between, Wootton would talk about something really interesting like how scientists came to the ideas they are famous for or how they did not come to them alone. But most of the this book is some kind of tangent. Wootton has so much that he is trying to do that he does none of them. I was mostly bored doing this book. I had to use the graduate student skim to read this book. I hate using the graduate student skim. I guess if too detailed books about any subject are your thing, you should try this. If you are looking for an interesting book about science came to be as we know it today then skip this one.

I give this book a One out of Five stars. I was given a copy of this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 5

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 5 by Masami Tsuda. It is 208 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. As it is the fifth in the long running series you need to have read the first four to understand the story. The cover has Tsubasa on it looking cute. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of the main character Yukino. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- School's out! But since Soichiro is going to be away competing in a kendo tournament all summer, he and Yukino are forced to spend their vacation apart. (Bummer!) Will their romance be able to survive the separation? Yukino decides to spend her free time with her gal pals but soon her friend Tsubasa announces she's leaving home. Tsubasa's upset about her father's plans to get remarried, and freaks out even more when she meets her new brother-to-be. Yukino tries to be there for her friend while still nurturing her relationship with Soichiro from across the miles.

Review- The blurb makes this summer break sound more dramatic than really is. Yes, Yukino and Soichiro miss each other. But really they are handling it very well. The main point of this volume is character development for Tsubasa. We get to see why she was so attached to Soichiro. Tsubasa does not want to deal with what is going in her family but in the end because of her new brother she can and does. Her new brother is her age and he is in a band. I look forward to seeing more of him. The other characters are there and we get to see more about Yukino's family. The last story in this volume is about her father and mother in childhood.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Marvels

Today's post is on The Marvels by Brian Selznick. It is 647 pages long and is published by Scholastic Press. The cover is a beautiful blue and gold with a ship on it with the title on the sails. The intended reader is someone who likes stories told in unusual ways, good art, and touching plots. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is in both pictures and words over the course of time. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket-The journey begins on a ship at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.Nearly a century later, Joseph Jervis runs away from school and seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightgale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.

Review- Another beautiful and touching story from Selznick. Again he touches on what it is to family and what that looks like. The way the two stories are married is very interesting, even after you discover what is really going on. In addition to the subtle nod to human rights in all its forms. It is harder for me to say which I liked better the picture part of the book or the written half. There are so many surprises in this tale that I do not want to give any of them away. I look forward to Selznick's next book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 4

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 4 by Masami Tsuda. As it is the fourth in the long running series, you need to have read the first three to understand the story. It is 192 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has Yukino, Soichiro and sisters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes high school love stories, cute romances, and humor. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A pretty little girl names Tsubasa, an old friend of Soichiro's from junior high, comes back to school. When she sees her beloved Soichiro with Yukino, Tsubasa gets extremely jealous and goes on the warpath to try to get Siochiro for herself. Meanwhile Maho, another girl who's jealous of Yukino, gets all the girls in class to gang up against Yukino and give her the silent treatment. Yukino decides she has to face these problems on her own, without relying on Soichiro...

Review- This is a very cute volume. The blurb makes it sound very serious and some of the plot lines are but really it very cute. Yukino wants to deal with the girls in her class because she knows that she deceived them. She wants make amends for that. Maho is jealous and we get to what is going on in her head. But the battle between Yukino and Tsuabasa is just hilarious. Tsubasa at first tries to make it look like that Yukino is picking her but Soichiro sees through that. Then Tsubasa just tries to attack her whenever they meet. It is very funny.  The times that Soichiro and Yukino are together are so sweet it hurts. Next volume they face some time apart... Oh noes!

I give this manga a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Rebel Belle

Today's post is on Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. It is the first in her Rebel Belle trilogy. It is 345 pages long and is published by G. P. Putnam's Sons. The cover is pink with a knife holding up a string of pearls. The intended reader is someone who likes young adult, urban fantasy, and clever stories. There is no language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main character Harper. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.
Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.
With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Review- I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and this strongly reminded me of that. So I, in general, enjoyed this book very much. My only problem was that I saw some major plot points coming from a mile away. But that said Harper is very likable, the story was fast-paced and fun, and I can curious about where Hawkins is going with this story. The world-building is really good and as someone from the south I really enjoyed it.The Oracle, Paladin, and Mage dynamics were interesting and made for some fun surprises. It was also quite funny. All the teenage drama with someone who knows that there is more to life but does not to deal with it. I liked all the characters and I look forward to reading the next one.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 3

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 3 by Masami Tsuda. It is 192 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has a new character at on it. The intended reader is someone who has read the first two, likes high school romance, and some over-the-top humor. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from Yukino's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Things are going well for Yukino and Soichiro. They have accepted each other for who they are, and have truly become boyfriend and girlfriend. But they've been concentrating more on each other than on their schoolwork. When the two best students in school suddenly let their grades drop, it draws the attention and concern of one of the teachers. He wants Yukino and Soichiro to break up so they can concentrate on their schoolwork again! And he even calls a dreaded parent-teacher conference to tell their parents his concerns. Will they really make Yukino and Soichiro break up?

Review- That is the first story of the book and it is really funny. Yukino and Soichiro have to put some breaks on their lover story but their parents are on their side. They know that school is important but they also want their children to be happy. It was handled well. The end of the book is about Yukino getting bullied now that she is being honest. Nothing dramatic but I do look forward to seeing her deal with it. Because she is going to make it be over-the-top. She is not going to handle this just sitting down.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money. 

Jinn and Juice

Today's post is on Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler. It is the first in her The Jinni series. It is 338 pages long and is published by Orbit. The cover is a deep purple with the main character in the center looking beautiful and powerful. The intended reader likes urban fantasy, interesting mythology, and witty dialog. There is some language, implied sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Meet Lyla, a Jinn, Belly Dancer, and the hottest new Urban Fantasy heroine in town.
To escape an arranged marriage, a jinni granted Lyla her wish: to live a thousand years as a jinni herself.
Now, her servitude is ending, but there are a few obstacles in Lyla's path to freedom. A Magi intent on binding her again, a jinni bent on vengeance, and not to mention the nightmare from her past that threatens to make her curse permanent- and claim her very soul.

Review- A fun, light-hearted urban fantasy and a great new series. I read this book in just two sittings. It is easy to read, with good characters, and an excellent world. But the blurb is so very wrong and bad. Lyla did not want to be made into a jinni. She wanted to become a son to inherit everything from her father. The Magi binding her just wants to save a young girl who has been kidnapped. The nightmare and the jinni bent on vengeance are the same being. So now that you have a better idea of the plot, it is a great read. I liked all the characters but Lyla's best friend did get a little on my nerves. She just does not really understand how dangerous things for Lyla really are. Her master is dense but he just discovered this world a month ago. I am curious about where Peeler is going to from here.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances volume 2

Today's post is on Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances volume 2 by Masami Tsuda. It is 192 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has Soichiro on it. As it is the second in the long series you need to have read the first one to understand details of the story. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from first person close perspective of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- You know that couple who was obviously meant for each other, and everybody knew it, except them? That's Yukino and Soichiro, the two top students in school, who are capable of anything other than a normal relationship. Still, despite all they've been through, it seems they could finally be getting together. But now, the school's token pretty boy, Hideaki, is intent on wedging himself between them, for reasons they can't begin to imagine.

Review- The plot is getting settled now. Now this is a very cute teen romance manga. Soichiro gets to be active in this volume. The last half of the manga is from his perspective and I feel that he really adding some good humor to the story. Yukino is funny but she is more serious about Soichiro. Soichiro is serious about her but he mostly just does not get what is going on in her head. Because she is so different from him, that is what draws him to her. Yukino is too busy thinking about hot he is. They have the sweetest kiss in this volume. But drama is ahead and I am looking for to it.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Suffering

Today's post is on The Suffering by Rin Chupeco. It is the second in her The Girl from the Well series. It is 313 pages long and is published by Sourcebooks. The cover has Yukiko with her back to the reader looking into a dark forest. As it is the second in the series, you need to have read the first one to understand the story. There is some mild language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from the first person close of Tark the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Seventeen-year-old Tark knows what it is to be powerless. But Okiku changed that. A restless spirit who ended life as a victim and started death as an avenger, she’s groomed Tark to destroy the wicked. But when darkness pulls them deep into Aokigahara, known as Japan’s suicide forest, Okiku’s justice becomes blurred, and Tark is the one who will pay the price…

Review- It took me a little while to get into this one but once I did I really enjoyed it. The only thing that I wanted from this book that I did not get was the dual perspectives like in the first one. In the first book The Girl from the Well we moved from Okiku to Tark but in this one we only read things from Tark's perspective. That said the story itself is very fun and interesting. We learn more about living in a world that does not believe in ghosts anymore. Tark has some very good character moments. He does grow and Okiku is still very interesting. I would have loved to see some of the major plot points from her perspective. More good mythology and in general more of what I really liked about the first book. I am curious about how Chupeco is going to end the series.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.