[olderthanIusedtobe]

Well, manga/graphic novel was not my thing. Got about halfway thru it, realized I wasn't motivated to continue. Now there really needs to be a sequel to Alita so I can find out what else happens to her, since I won't be reading the source material. The movie was a bit of a loose adaptation anyway, I think they improved the story/characters significantly. Anyway... Back to The Expanse series, now on book 6 "Babylon's Ashes."

[zephyr]

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline, Princeton University Press, 2014. The author is Professor of Classics and Anthropology of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at George Washington University. This is a rather scholarly, but accessible account of the ending of various civilizations of the Late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean including Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt. Quick review here at Wikipedia. Illustrated with pictures and maps. Available at the Seattle Public Library. ~z

[Malachai Constant]

For Black Friday you can get a 6 mo. Kindle Unlimited subscription for $29.95 do not need to be Prime customer.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

[lookout bob]

"Endeavour: the Ship that changed the World" by Patrick Moore....wow!

[gb]

Ellen Meloy, Eating Stone. I had earlier read another of her books as recommended in High Country News. Eating Stone follows her pursuit and study of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the SW. High Country news described her writing style as similar to that of Edward Abbey and her books, including this one, were on finalist lists for several national awards.

[zephyr]

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland by Bryan Sykes, W.H.Norton and Co., 2006. Fascinating at times. Here's blurb from the book jacket: Saxons, Vikings, and Celts is the first scientific, DNA-based history of the people and tribes of the British Isles. Bryan Sykes, a skilled and accomplished storyteller, gives absorbing accounts of the invasions of the Isles, from the Romans, the Celts, and the Saxons, to the Vikings, the Normans, and the Angles. ... Another short review here at the Book Depository: One of the world's leading geneticists, Bryan Sykes has helped thousands find their ancestry in the British Isles. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, which resulted from a systematic ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, traces the true genetic makeup of the British Isles and its descendants, taking readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales to the resting place of the Red Lady of Paviland and the tomb of King Arthur. This illuminating guide provides a much-needed introduction to the genetic history of the people of the British Isles and their descendants throughout the world. Available at the Seattle Public Library. ~z

[neek]

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD. Lots here on what happens during the different stages of sleep, why we need the full amount, and even why dreams and their contents matter. I've read a fair amount about sleep due to my own challenges with it, and still learned a lot. Writing wasn't perfect, but I'm picky. The book references many studies, some conducted by the author's own research team. Bottom line is that the developed world is facing a public health crisis due to reduced sleep quantity and quality. Sleep disruption can lead to car crashes, low productivity, medical errors, heart disease, ADHD, all sorts of terrible things. And good sleep aids memory, creativity, physical recovery (e.g. from hiking), overcoming emotional trauma, regulating metabolism, all sorts of great things. Most people have some concept of all this, but having it all laid out with the supporting evidence was eye-opening...or, let's hope, eye-closing.

[neek]

David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Could not put this one down. Worthy of the recent acclaim. Describes a bit of American history everyone should know about. Dark as hell and will shake your faith in humanity, although there are good guys. Despite the many players and constantly evolving plots, it wasn't difficult to follow. Not preachy or pompous, just matter-of-fact here's how it all went down, make of it what you will.

[Ski]

most recent acquisitions that I haven't even had a chance to look at yet: Seven Pillars of Wisdom © 1926 Thomas Edward Lawrence The Biology of Streams and Rivers © 1998 Paul S. Giller and Bjorn Malmquist hopefully will get some "time off" for reading after this holiday craziness ends.

[Waterman]

The Green New Deal, Jeremy Rifkin. 2019 Post carbon transformation of the US economy.

[Slim]

[Toni]

It was highly recommended to me, just picked up, the cover alone is so beautiful!

[Waterman]

Ice Ghosts The Epic Hunt for the lost Franklin Expedition Paul Watson Covers the story of finding HMS Erebus & Terror. Oral history of the Inuit was a major factor in the discovery of these two historic ships. The ongoing archaeological survey promises to be interesting.

[Mike Collins]