"Elder Race" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

Publisher:  Tor Books

Copyright:  2021

ISBN: 9781250768728

Elder Race was a fun book to read, and while it was relatively short at 198 pages it was well worth the read. Mr. Tchaikovsky has written a very interesting story that explores both the anthropological idea of participant observation, as well as exploring the supposed non-interference directive which was part of the backstory of the Star Trek universe, and which was something they routinely violated in virtually every episode.

The elder in this case is a cultural anthropologist by the name of Nyr Illim Tevitch of the Earth Explorer Corps, who is on the planet many light years from Earth in the far distant future. He was left alone on this planet by the other anthropologists and scientists in his team when they were recalled to earth. He has been out of contact with them for over 300 years.

In the distant past he assisted the colonists of this planet in defeating an invading forces, and made a pact with the then ruling monarchy that he would do so again if another crisis arose. Another incident does require his assistance, but it has been well over 100 years between the two events.

This was a very good book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in stories that deal with internal conflict and such. I would've liked to have seen more exploration of the anthropological concepts, but that's likely because I have an anthropologist myself.

Mr. Tchaikovsky has written a number of other books, and I will be definitely keeping my eye out for them.

"Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes" by Rob Wilkins

 

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright: 2022

ISBN: 9780857526632

I purposely do not read a lot of biographies and especially autobiographies primarily because for the most part they're boring.

This book about the life of Terry Pratchett the author of all the Discworld novels, and many others by Rob Wilkins is the exact opposite. It is interesting well written, and essentially keeps you wanting more. Yes, I know that's another way of saying interesting but I'm treating it as two different things because a story should keep you wanting to read more just to find out what happens whereas to be interesting and wanting to keep you reading is more of a challenge.

To say that Sir Terry Pratchett had a interesting life is an understatement. He started his writing career as a journalist, and quickly moved on to be the best selling author of many books. Mr. Wilkins, who was Sir Terry's personal assistant for over 20 years gives fans a detailed insight into his life, one that I'm sure all will want to read.

Highly recommended.

"One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich

 

Publisher: Harper Collins

Copyright: 1998

ISBN: 9780684196398

This is the first novel in the Stephanie plum series. Stephanie is a bounty hunter, A job she fell into when she was in rather desperate circumstances. She works for her cousin Vinny who runs a bail bond company and he takes her on as a fledgeling agent.

Her first case turns out to be quite complicated, but very rewarding in the end even though she put herself in a fair bit of danger throughout the novel.

This is an excellent book, And I wish I had read it years ago when it first came out. It is very well written, and holds your attention throughout the entire book which is full of plot twists, interesting characters, and realistic situations.

This first novel was made into a movie in 2011, but no other ones were ever made, which I thing is a shame as it was very well done.

The only real drawback to both the book and the movie is that it tends to reinforce the stereotype that all Americans carry guns. Now whether this is actually true or not I don't know as I haven't been in the United States for close to 34 years.

Well worth the read, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Although this will take a while as Ms. Evanovich just released book 30 in the series. Before you ask though, no I won't be reviewing them all, but might do them in batches if there is an ongoing theme.

"Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

 

Publisher: Scribner

Copyright: 2022

ISBN: 9781982117351

This is a very detailed but also extremely interesting history of medicine, and disease and how the discovery of the cell, antibodies, and many other things have been discovered. Dr. Mukherjee tells the story in six main sections and in each gives a historical account of how things were believed to be, and the discoveries that were made. He also includes his own experiences as a graduate students, doctor, and researcher that gives the reader a very good grounding on the subject.

This book while relatively long, is extremely interesting to read as it gives the reader so much information. It is also very engrossing and you will find that the time spent reading passes very quickly.

This is the type of book that I would think would make an excellent read for anybody interested in the history of medicine, and especially for any first year biological science or medicine students as the information is very relevant to their studies.

"The Ink Black Heart" by Robert Galbraith

Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN: 9780316413039
Copyright: 2022

This novel is the sixth book in the Cormoran Strike detective series by Robert Galbraith, and once again the author provides the reader with a well crafted story that keeps you glued to the page throughout the entire novel, all 1012 pages.

The Cormoran Strike series is one in which the characters develop over time, and it therefore necessitates being read in the correct order (primarily to avoid confusion regarding the underlying plots). In this instalment, the duo of Strike & Ellacot are on the trail of a what at first seems to be a random act of violence against the developer of an animated show, but this soon turns out to only be the beginning.

The plot is intricately woven, and character-driven which lends authenticity to the events portrayed. The real world details of London where this story is primarily set (as are the others) adds to the story even more. Both the lead characters have their flaws, but this makes them seem so real that you'd almost expect to see them doing their jobs if you visited London.

A fantastic mystery, that is the work of a master storyteller.