The Rise and Reign of the Mammals Book Review
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How I did with Nonfiction November and manga
How did I do with Nonfiction November and 30 in 30 Manga Reading challenge?
In my opinion? Great! I read 4 nonfiction books, 1 for each of the prompts, and 6 volumes of Food Wars! … That’s it, 6 volumes. I know that’s no where near 30 but I do remember it being said that the point is just to read more manga than you usually do, and I succeeded in that. Sure, more woulda been nice but I didn’t fail either. And hopefully this time I won’t stop reading Food Wars and will actually finish it! I initially read the first 12 volumes, loved them, and then … well i’m bad at series ok? So I need to read 6 more and i’ll be where I was at before. There are 36 volumes. Wish me luck.
The Nonfiction Books I Read
I read Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff for the prompt Record. I gave it 3 stars. I listened to it on audio book and it was very interesting. I’m just bad at processing audio books and I know it didn’t really get into my brain, but that’s a me problem. I did like it.
I read The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte for the prompt Element. I loved this! It was so fascinating (and I have it physically) and understandable and there are pictures and DINOSAURS. I have a newfound love for dinosaurs now. I gave it 5 stars. My review on Goodreads states:
“Dinosaurs are fascinating! I learned so much. Very well written and accessible.
My favorite dinosaur, is penguin. Confused? Read the book. If you are remotely interested in Dinosaurs, read it.”
I read Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake for the prompt Border. I gave this 4 stars. This was also very fascinating, and unexpectedly thought-provoking! I read it on kindle.
I read Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell for the prompt Secret. I gave this 4 stars. This both is and is not what you’d expect. Once you read it you’ll see it everywhere. But is that really terrifying? Yes and No. It depends. Read it if you want to understand what I mean. I listened to it and did really enjoy the narration and it kept my attention.
September Wrap Up
What I Read
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor – 4 stars
Thought provoking and interesting. Not sure what to say though, but glad I read it.
Dracula by Bram Stoker – DNF
I give up. I read Dracula (all of it) a few years ago. I didn’t like it. I thought maybe i’d appreciate it more now, but I don’t. I listened to 2 chapters. The narrators are great, if you love Dracula check it out (you can find it on audible.com – has Tim Curry and a whole cast). I’m bored. I hate that I don’t like it, I LOVE vampires … generally. But this just doesn’t work for me. I really thought i’d be able to get into it but I can’t, I just can’t. I’ve loved (years ago, I need to rewatch it) the Dracula movie with Gary Oldman. I should just rewatch it.
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom – 5 stars!
I am so glad I loved this one just as much as I did Krampus: The Yule Lord! I saw the same things in it that made me love Krampus enough to read it 3 times already. Maybe i’ll revist Slewfoot later to.
I’m not entirely sure what else to say. I loved Abitha. She’s a strong woman who goes through so much shit. I loved Samson as well. I loved the messages in the story. I just want everyone to experience it for themselves and it’s perfect for spooky season!
Other Stuff
I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. I enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars on letterboxd. I still have to finish the franchise.
Happy Spooky Month!
Bi-weekly Wednesday Wrap Up Sept 28th, 2022
What I am currently reading
Well at the moment I don’t think i’ve been able to read in a few days, however I am still working on the 2nd Norton Critical Edition of Frankenstein and the Cannabis Pharmacy books that I mentioned 2 weeks ago in that Bi-weekly Wednesday Wrap Up.
What I’ve recently finished
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom – 5 stars! I am so glad I loved this one just as much as I did Krampus: The Yule Lord! I saw the same things in it that made me love Krampus enough to read it 3 times already. Maybe i’ll revist Slewfoot later to.
I’m not entirely sure what else to say. I loved Abitha. She’s a strong woman who goes through so much shit. I loved Samson as well. I loved the messages in the story. I just want everyone to experience it for themselves and it’s perfect for spooky season!
What do I think i’ll read next?
I don’t know. Still working on Frankenstein and Cannabis Pharmacy like I said above. I got a huge list of potential stuff for October so, we’ll see.
Other Stuff
I’m still recovering from my hernia surgery in July and it looks like I might already have another causing serious problems. I am so fucking tired. I can’t do this. I struggle so much just to survive let alone have hope for a better future as everything, every hope i’ve ever had, is always taken from me. I don’t want to go into all right now. It’s a lot. And I doubt anyone cares. I lost my husband, my grandma, 2 people who actually supported me being transgender. My health issues and body are a mess and I was born this way and can’t fix it. I’m super scared for my future. I battle so much I don’t speak on the internet, and since i’m so open about so much, I doubt anyone would think that, but it’s true. I’m sure it’s true for a lot of people.
I still have the cold to.
Bi-weekly Wednesday Wrap Up Sept 14th, 2022
What I am currently reading
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – I’m making progress on the extras.
Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana by Michael Backes – Making progress on this to.
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom – I’ve read one chapter so far. I need to continue it.
What I’ve recently finished
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor – 4 stars
Thought provoking and interesting. Not sure what to say though, but glad I read it.
Dracula by Bram Stoker – DNF
I give up. I read Dracula (all of it) a few years ago. I didn’t like it. I thought maybe i’d appreciate it more now, but I don’t. I listened to 2 chapters. The narrators are great, if you love Dracula check it out (you can find it on audible.com – has Tim Curry and a whole cast). I’m bored. I hate that I don’t like it, I LOVE vampires … generally. But this just doesn’t work for me. I really thought i’d be able to get into it but I can’t, I just can’t. I’ve loved (years ago, I need to rewatch it) the Dracula movie with Gary Oldman. I should just rewatch it.
What do I think i’ll read next?
I don’t know.
Other Stuff
I’m still recovering, from the surgery and I have a cold. My stomach is in all sorts of pain. My normal medical issues, fluid build up, still recovering from the surgery .. I have started making YouTube videos again, being more relaxed about it. The link below links to my linktree which has links to all my social media.
August Wrap Up
What I Read
BBC Wildlife Magazine – May 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – 4 stars
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haban Girma – 5 stars
This is a wonderful autobiography! I loved how stories from her life was told in the pretense tense, it felt so much more personal. It’s also infused with humor. You can learn so much from this, in an accessible way and having a nice time while doing it. Please read the discussion questions at the end, they give food for thought.
I have also been disabled my entire life but for entirely different reasons. I am neither deaf nor blind. I do have auditory processing disorder though so when she mentions there was too much noise to make anything out, I relate to that. I can’t make anything out in those situations either.
She’s the first deafblind student to graduate Harvard, and she’s barely 6 months older than me. We still have so far to go, but that’s not meant to take away from how far we’ve come.
BBC Science Focus Magazine by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – 4 stars
Me and My Dysphoria Monster: An Empowering Story to Help Children Cope with Gender Dysphoria by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang – 5 stars
I wish i’d had this as a child. I would’ve had the words and known I wasn’t alone so much sooner.
There are some draft errors (like on one page it says missing words and later some sentences just stop in the middle) but I got this from Netgalley and it is an e-arc draft so i’m not holding that against it.
Nisha is a trans girl. She has a dysphoria monster that keeps getting bigger as she’s misgendered but then she comes out and has support and her monster gets smaller. At first she wanted her monster to just go away but with the help of an adult trans man learns what her monster was trying to tell her, and living as who she is makes her so much happier and confident. It’s a beautiful story and has information for adults wanting to support trans kids after the story. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales by R.L. Stine – 3.65 stars
I really enjoyed this collection over-all! It has 10 stories. I didn’t care for 2 of them personally (but I didn’t hate them or anything) and I really enjoyed the other 8! 3.65 average rounded up to 4
Welcome to the in-between 3.5
Our Little Monsters 2
Skin 3
The Ghost in the car 4
The boy who heard screams 5
Bugs 3.5
How to change your life 4
The bad side 4.5
The hole in the ground 5
The monster maker 2
These are obviously just my opinions, nothing more.
These stories are perfect for kids I think and they are certainly fun to read as an adult to. If you enjoy Goosebumps (or Goosebumps like books) definitely check this collection out. A few of them gave my spine a tingle!
Philosophy Now – Issue 150 by Anja Publications – 3 stars
Other Stuff
I think i’m on the way to healing but not there yet. My body has been through a lot with the surgery and the sickness.
I did update my “about me” page a bit since I plan to talk about cannabis as well now. The books aren’t going anywhere though, still love to read!
Two weeks Wednesday Wrap Up August 31st, 2022
What I Am Currently Reading
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – I finished the actual story last October but there’s extras I still need to read. And I love Frankenstein! It’s my favorite book <3.
Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana by Michael Backes – I have recently gotten a medical marijuana card! So yea, I wanna learn things. I use it for chronic pain and stomach problems mostly. I also have anxiety, depression, ptsd, trouble sleeping .. Seriously, i’m a mess of issues. But cannabis is here to help.
What I’ve Recently Finished
BBC Science Focus Magazine by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – I gave it 4 stars. Science magazine. Had nothing to say.
Me and My Dysphoria Monster: An Empowering Story to Help Children Cope with Gender Dysphoria by Laura Kate Dale – I gave this 5 stars. I read it thanks to Netgalley and here was my review for it.
I wish i’d had this as a child. I would’ve had the words and known I wasn’t alone so much sooner.
There are some draft errors (like on one page it says missing words and later some sentences just stop in the middle) but I got this from Netgalley and it is an e-arc draft so i’m not holding that against it.
Nisha is a trans girl. She has a dysphoria monster that keeps getting bigger as she’s misgendered but then she comes out and has support and her monster gets smaller. At first she wanted her monster to just go away but with the help of an adult trans man learns what her monster was trying to tell her, and living as who she is makes her so much happier and confident. It’s a beautiful story and has information for adults wanting to support trans kids after the story. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales by R.L. Stine – This is a collection of 10 stories and I also read it for Netgalley, here was my review.
I really enjoyed this collection over-all! It has 10 stories. I didn’t care for 2 of them personally (but I didn’t hate them or anything) and I really enjoyed the other 8! 3.65 average rounded up to 4
Welcome to the in-between 3.5
Our Little Monsters 2
Skin 3
The Ghost in the car 4
The boy who heard screams 5
Bugs 3.5
How to change your life 4
The bad side 4.5
The hole in the ground 5
The monster maker 2
These are obviously just my opinions, nothing more.
These stories are perfect for kids I think and they are certainly fun to read as an adult to. If you enjoy Goosebumps (or Goosebumps like books) definitely check this collection out. A few of them gave my spine a tingle!
Philosophy Now – Issue 150 by Anja Publications – Philosophy magazine. I gave it 3 stars. Didn’t care for parts of it, had some issues.
What Do I Think I’ll Read Next?
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor -A Science Fiction, going to read this as it’s my book club pick for The eclecticist of eclectic book club. It’s set in Africa and has something to do with aliens. It sounds awesome!
Dracula by Bram Stoker – I read Dracula once years ago and didn’t like it but I think i’ll like it more now and have been wanting to give it another chance and it’s Georga’s pick for our book club, The eclecticist of eclectic book club. I also have borrowed this audible plus book that has a big cast of narrators, including Tim Curry, so I think that’ll help to!
Other Stuff – I don’t even know where to start, struggling to recover from surgery, i’m sick, Antibiotics don’t seem to be helping, my mom had/has the same cold crap but now has some sort of other bug. It’s my husband’s, who passed away Feb 16th 2021, birthday today so that’s making me sad and my period just started today (i’m a nonbinary trans guy btw) and it was a bit late so it’s like it waited for this day in particular and also I had a huge spider (daddy long legger) crawling on my arm earlier! Made me drop my switch (seems to be fine) and scream. And a Dr’s appointment keeps getting pushed back because I don’t drive and my mom’s been too sick to take me. I’m terrified i’m going to get this new bug on top of everything else and I can’t recover from what i’ve got and the surgery as it is!
Sorry it’s all over the place and might not make sense. It’s been a lot, still a lot. So much. I’m exhausted. Please make it stop, I need a break.
Sorry for complaining.
Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales by R.L. Stine Book Review
I really enjoyed this collection over-all! It has 10 stories. I didn’t care for 2 of them personally (but I didn’t hate them or anything) and I really enjoyed the other 8! 3.65 average rounded up to 4
Welcome to the in-between 3.5
Our Little Monsters 2
Skin 3
The Ghost in the car 4
The boy who heard screams 5
Bugs 3.5
How to change your life 4
The bad side 4.5
The hole in the ground 5
The monster maker 2
These are obviously just my opinions, nothing more.
These stories are perfect for kids I think and they are certainly fun to read as an adult to. If you enjoy Goosebumps (or Goosebumps like books) definitely check this collection out. A few of them gave my spine a tingle!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc.
Me and My Dysphoria Monster: An Empowering Story to Help Children Cope with Gender Dysphoria by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang Book Review
I wish i’d had this as a child. I would’ve had the words and known I wasn’t alone so much sooner.
There are some draft errors (like on one page it says missing words and later some sentences just stop in the middle) but I got this from Netgalley and it is an e-arc draft so i’m not holding that against it.
Nisha is a trans girl. She has a dysphoria monster that keeps getting bigger as she’s misgendered but then she comes out and has support and her monster gets smaller. At first she wanted her monster to just go away but with the help of an adult trans man learns what her monster was trying to tell her, and living as who she is makes her so much happier and confident. It’s a beautiful story and has information for adults wanting to support trans kids after the story. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Literary Stoner 