blauracke – Cannonball Read 17

“Vegetarians have wicked, shifty eyes and laugh in a cold, calculating manner. They pinch little children, steal stamps, drink water, and favor beards.”

How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables by Rebecca Rupp

December 18, 2023 by blauracke 7 Comments

Did you know that corn creates vampires? Or that peas almost poisoned George Washington? Influential potatoes in the past are the reason that many of us are here although they greatly baffled the conquistadors, and once upon a time pumpkins attended the World’s Fair. All this and more can be learned from this book which takes a look at 23 of the most popular vegetables. This little book is simply delightful, especially for veggie lovers, but possibly also for those that don’t like them. The […]

Closer Than We Thought

Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art by Rebecca Wragg Sykes

November 17, 2023 by blauracke Leave a Comment

Rebecca Wragg Sykes, an archaeologist and science writer, attempts to make Neanderthal life comprehensible by explaining with great joy and verve the current state of research and the conclusions that can be drawn from it. She makes the case that Neanderthals did not match the cliché of dumb brutes, but instead underwent major developments and were capable of immense adaptation during their existence of roughly 300,000 years. However, there is a major problem with the book almost from the start, and that is basically the […]

What changes in a society when the climate changes?

Nature's Mutiny: How the Little Ice Age of the Long Seventeenth Century Transformed the West and Shaped the Present by Philipp Blom

May 5, 2023 by blauracke Leave a Comment

In this book, Philipp Blom examines the Little Ice Age, a period of cooling between the 16th and the 19th century, that primarily affected the North Atlantic region, and the societal changes it prompted. His focus lies mostly on the late 16th century and the 17th century in Europe as this was the period in which the effects were felt most severely, and the sources regarding the situation and changes are more plentiful for Europe than for other regions. The main part of the book […]

The Importance of Moving Along on Foot

Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

December 3, 2022 by blauracke 1 Comment

I have been an avid hiker for many years, but since the onset of the pandemic I also started walking a lot more in the city, at first simply to avoid the crowded public transport, and later because I had begun to enjoy it so much. When I learned that this book existed I just had to read it, and I can now say with conviction that it is a true gem. The first definition of to walk in Merriam-Webster is to move along on […]

“Why should those of whom one is fondest have to suffer the most, and why is it that one can never do anything for them?”

Independent People by Halldór Laxness

October 19, 2022 by blauracke 2 Comments

Bjartur of Summerhouses is obsessed with being independent. A sheep farmer in early 20th century Iceland, he lives a life of hardship and deprivation, dogged by the spectres of legends, encumbered by his family, which he forces into his lifestyle as well, only uplifted by the poetry he creates, and the feeling of not owing anything to anyone. Independence is the most important thing of all in life. I say for my part that a man lives in vain, until he is independent. People who […]

An Utterly Underwhelming Account of a Tragedy

No Way Down: Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley

September 19, 2022 by blauracke Leave a Comment

No Way Down is an account of the 2008 disaster on K2, Earth’s second highest mountain. 11 people from international expeditions died, while several others were severely injured. The disaster was mainly caused by multiple serac falls and avalanches in an area near the top called the Bottleneck. This is such a strange book because the events it describes are riveting, but the story does not flow, many instances are confusingly presented, there are a ton of holes in the narrative, and there is not even […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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