User Profile

jkb

jkb@books.theunseen.city

Joined 3 years, 5 months ago

Big Star Trek nerd. I love sci-fi/fantasy but I also read the classics from time to time. I'm an avid reader coming from Goodreads which I use for the Sword & Laser podcast, and because I can share via my Kindle (I know).

I'm LGBTQ+, politically independent, a pythonista, and a budding data scientist.

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G. Willow Wilson: The Bird King (2019, Grove Press)

From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King is an epic journey set during …

Review of 'The Bird King' on 'Goodreads'

This was just a fun and great story. I loved how it took me from 15th century Spain to the shores of...well...you go a long but short journey to the Bird King.

Emily Levesque: The Last Stargazers (Hardcover, 2020, Sourcebooks)

Review of 'The Last Stargazers' on 'Goodreads'

Excellent book. It gives a distinct perspective of the astronomers observing life. I'll never be able to watch an astronomer on TV/movie and not think that's not the job. Everyone should read this book to understand some of the fun and patience goes into being not just an astronomer but a scientist.

Being a scientist is not for the faint of heart.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Gods of Jade and Shadow (Paperback, 2020, Del Rey, Del Rey Books)

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the …

Review of 'Gods of Jade and Shadow' on 'Goodreads'

Wonderful characters. Who doesn't love some Mayan Death Gods! A fine adventure down a dark and adventurous road. Enjoyable and fun.

Review of 'How to Read a Book' on 'Goodreads'

This is a great book. I've started and stopped this book at least twice before. I'm glad that I came back to it. This is an important book because he gives some basic rules to break down how to read books. But these rules are not the strictly followed for all books and the authors do a great job to acknowledge this.

Mary Robinette Kowal: The Fated Sky (2018)

The Fated Sky continues the grand sweep of alternate history begun in The Calculating Stars

Review of 'The Fated Sky' on 'Goodreads'

Brilliant second book in the series. Unlike other trilogies, this one does not feel like a middling book. If the author wanted to end the series with this book it would be a perfect ending. But she is not done with the Lady Astronaut.

Alternative history fiction can be tough. At times, authors just substituted how they felt about a time in history and didn't make the reader feel like it was the same history as we live in. But alt-history should always have those distasteful elements of history and here the author succeeds. She was is not only able to pull in the racist elements, dismissive attitudes, and the governments fear of the other. In fact, they are all there. Also, this book, like the first one, helps to shine a light that there were African Americans that not only helped but were the reason the space program is …