Mary Roach – Page 2 – Cannonball Read 17

As always, I’ll read all the non-fiction if it’s about science 🤓

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

November 30, 2021 by wicherwill 1 Comment

Hmm I really did like this one, although I will admit that there are some overlaps with Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers around utilizing cadavers to experiment with some of the rocket capabilities. One of the most interesting things I learnt in high school physics was the utter logistical impossibility of leaving planet Earth. We’ve got no other options, people, there is no Wall-E way to get us off this planet with enough supplies to keep us going. The fuel costs are exorbitant as is, […]

A non-fiction catch all, although these books aren’t really related to one another in any way…

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Issacson

Humble Pi: A Comedy of Math Errors by Matt Parker

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

October 16, 2021 by wicherwill 3 Comments

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race These are usually the only types of non-fiction that I will read: non-fiction about science or math or healthcare, doubling down on my nerdy persona. This book in particular was recommended to me by a colleague who mentioned reading it during a meeting. This is a long book, and as another colleague said, it might not be his best. My rationale for why is this: I think that the combination of […]

Mary Roach’s Stiff: Macabre, fascinating, and funny

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

March 2, 2021 by msvreadsbooks 2 Comments

Reading Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers was a real experience. I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since I heard someone on NPR talking about it years ago, and I finally got around to it. This is one of those books that fascinated me while it repulsed me, and it made me feel like I was learning a lot while also challenging my preconceived notions about death and body donation. I especially appreciate when Roach tells anecdotes about her sense of humor not quite […]

Let’s Talk About Sex

Bonk by Mary Roach

January 17, 2021 by Nannerbears Leave a Comment

Mary Roach is considered the world’s funniest science writer, and this work is no exception to that. She mixes the scientific lingo with the layman’s terms with such ease that the reader is eased into whatever niche topic Ms. Roach is discussing. We all become scientists for a moment while reading Mary Roach. Bonk is no different from her other works in this sense, and if you’ve read other Mary Roach this book and its subject should not be surprising. In fact, I found it […]

Hard to digest through no fault of the book

Gulp by Mary Roach

December 16, 2020 by octothorp Leave a Comment

I’m a luddite where books are concerned. I have a kindle solely because the spousalthorp got lovingly irritated with me on our Hawaii honeymoon when I read all the books I had packed and we had to go the furthest away from our hotel on the island to the only bookstore, and THEN pack all the books to take with us. They took up a suitcase on their own. I begrudginly concede he may have had a point. That said, I accidentally bought Gulp on […]

cbr12bingo – Reader’s Choice (standing in for Book Club)

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

July 15, 2020 by andtheIToldYouSos 2 Comments

It’s my first “bingo”- the rightmost column! I wanted to replace Book Club because I jumped the gun and read all of our CannonBookClub options earlier this year. Oops! That’s what I get for getting impatient; the choices for #thefutureisqueer would have knocked out multiple squares! I also started (and in some cases, finished) a few series. Oh well, *shooting star* the more you know. Speaking of “the more you know”, I accidentally came into this one over-prepared. Oops again! I’m pretty far into the […]

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.

Help Our Mission