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slayra

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Joined 2 years ago

My favourite genre is fantasy but I also love comedy, which means I am a big fan of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman and CK McDonnell. Truth is, I'll read anything!

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Review of 'Killing It' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Alexis Tyler is a new mom and, more surprisingly, a great spy working for the British government. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks she should be back at work now she has a baby. But Alexis is back and she is leading her first mission where she needs to be an undercover mother to stop russians from dominating the world (virtually).

This book has a great pace, even though we are in Alexis' head most of the time, it does not get boring. It is well written, which keeps us guessing for what is coming next. It is surprisingly feminist, and funny where you would not expect it. The narrator of the audiobook has a good story-telling voice and I had a great time listening to it.

Chris Voss, Tahl Raz: Never Split the Difference (Paperback, 2018, Harper Business) 5 stars

Review of 'Never Split the Difference' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book is better than I anticipated. The way it was written made it hard for me to keep reading, but the audiobook solved that. There's too many sentences where the author is basically selling himself, but there are very good advices here and I learnt way more than I thought I would. This is a book to come back for advice without any doubt.

Michael Lopp: The Art of Leadership (Paperback, 2020, O'Reilly Media) 5 stars

Review of 'The Art of Leadership' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book is filled with golden nuggets of wisdom. You can read it in any order or just the chapters you want - everything makes sense in site size. I'll be back to re-read some of these chapters because there is a lot of good advice there, as well as strategies to be a good leader (a better leader?). The audiobook is pleasant as well, there is only one part ("Critical Freshness") that doesn't work so well because of an image in the chapter.

Caroline Goyder: Gravitas (2014, Penguin Random House) 4 stars

Review of 'Gravitas' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book focus on why some people naturally capture your attention and easily address a crowd - how can you be more like them? I enjoyed it, even though I found the last sections more useful than the first ones. The only dull thing I noticed is that too many sentences are lost in dissecting words' origins. Not only meanings evolve with language, being someone who natively speaks a Romance language means I already know the meanings. Having said that, this book gives excellent hints and great pointers to be more confident, be a better public speaker, improve your meetings (both physically and virtually) and succeed in interviews.

Even if I am a confident public speaker, it is interesting to see why I do some things, why I force myself to smile before talking and so on. It is revealing to understand the little things I do, and helps me …

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Carlo M. Cipolla: Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (2020, Ebury Publishing) 5 stars

Review of 'Basic Laws of Human Stupidity' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

My first reaction at reading this little book is how bizarre it feels. It analyses human stupidity in a way that makes you giggle, but it also describes peculiarities of reality and that stays with you longer than expected. I found myself thinking about what these laws mean, specially in societies headed by the likes of Trump.

Erin Meyer: The Culture Map (Hardcover, 2014, PublicAffairs) 4 stars

"As today's business world becomes ever-more global and virtual, executives and managers are expected to …

Review of 'The culture map' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book analysis how being brought up in some culture makes us predisposed to accept some "rules" as the norm, which makes us somewhat intransigent when someone doesn't follow the same rules we do. In a work environment, this may become a problem. I would not say the book is eye-opening because I believe most people have been in these situations and noticed the differences, but the skills to handle them are well explained and clear. I feel I am more prepared to handle a group of people from difficult cultures after having read this book. I will keep using it in the future.

Richard Dawkins: The Magic of Reality (Hardcover, 2011, Free Press) 4 stars

What are things made of? What is the sun? Why is there night and day, …

Review of 'The Magic of Reality' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

At first I thought I wouldn't learn anything fascinating from the topics chosen by the author, but it turns out I found myself thinking about these facts randomly during the day. This book is an easy read, and I finally understand rainbows! To conclude with a passage from the book: "Science has its own magic: the magic of reality".

Review of 'Between the Stops' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

What a wonderful book! I did not know much about Sandi Toksvig besides her being the presenter of QI, but I am now a fan. She knows so much and has lived such an amazing full life, I am still in awe. This book is a great reflection on life, sexism, London History (but not only focused on London), and some random funny facts. I am sure the written book is amazing, but I think the audiobook works better because I could hear her "mental sighs" now and then, and I could also hear when she was smiling. This book has just entered my list of favourite books.

Stephen Briggs: Terry Pratchett's The fifth elephant (2002, Methuen Drama) 5 stars

Review of "Terry Pratchett's The fifth elephant" on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

There is some underground politics going on with the dwarfs in Ankh-Morpork. Then Vetinari appoints Vimes as Ankh's embassador to Uberwald right after a copy of a religious artifact from the dwarf museum is stolen. So Vimes has to change gears to act diplomatic on the surface, solve the mystery like the copper he is, and make it look like he is enjoying a holiday with his wife.

I wasn't expecting to see Sam Vimes trying hard to be a diplomat, but it was pretty funny. It was great to see Lady Sybil using her knowledge and heart to beat everyone else at their game. I enjoyed this book a lot, the watch series keeps getting better and better.

Molly Harper: Nice Werewolves Don't Bite Vampires (Paperback, 2020, Nancy Yost Literary Agency, Inc) 4 stars

Review of "Nice Werewolves Don't Bite Vampires" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

If there is a thing werewolves hate more than being hungry is vampires. So when Tylene McClaine realises she is an adult and needs to have her space, falling in love with a music professor that happens to be vampire is not going to help improve her relationship with the rest of the pack. Moreover, when someone starts targeting vampire businesses at the Hollow, Tylene is afraid some members of her family might be the culprits.

I think the story is 3-star OK because the villain was tremendously obvious and I was really hoping for a twist at the end, but the narrator is 5-star worthy. Tylene is likeable but since all her problems come from a fixed mindset, it is difficult to go along with the pain of it all that could be solved in seconds. Having said that, it is still the same cosy mystery that Molly Harper …

Janet Evanovich: Fortune And Glory (Paperback, 2021, Large Print Press) 5 stars

Review of 'Fortune And Glory' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Their past adventure is still ongoing as Stephanie and Grandma Mazur are after "Fortune and Glory" in the form of a treasure. They have the keys, now they only need the clues, figure out the clues and stay alive.

Even though this book is part of a long series, it felt fresh. Stephanie is somewhat more mature, she seems more aware of her surroundings and of the people she can count on. I really enjoyed this Stepanie and even though the same giggles are there (car wrecks, grandma Mazur, Lula..) it felt "better". It is an adventure along the lines of Indiana Jones, and it was a pleasure to listen to (because Lorelei King is amazing).

Darynda Jones: Betwixt (Paperback, 2020, Darynda Jones) 3 stars

Review of 'Betwixt' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Defiance has lost all her career and money in a nasty divorce. She then inherits a huge mansion and learns that she is not as human as she thinks she is, and other people need her newly found talents.

I enjoy Darynda's writing because it is fantasy filled with witty dialogues, but this felt a little rushed. Not plot pace, but the way characters and back stories were written: people pop up and go away immediately, things happen to Defiance when she should know better and I wasn't expecting that from a 40-year old character. And then everything is solved in a blink of an eye. I expected more consistency.

Ali Wong: Dear Girls (2021, Canongate Books) 4 stars

Review of 'Dear Girls' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I admit I was surprised at first because I didn't realize the book is dedicated to her daughters, and not all women. It works anyway, but I need to pay more attention to the full title. I listened to this book because I enjoy Ali Wong's stand-up, and if you are a fan too you won't be let down by her book.

The first chapters focus on her pregnancies, miscarriage and giving birth, which caught me completely by surprise. It's very Wong to go straight to the jugular, but then the book enters into this beautiful and funny narration of the most important parts of her life, and concludes with a touching text from her husband.

reviewed The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Book 2)

Neil Gaiman: The  Sandman (1995, D.C.Comics) 4 stars

The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC …

Review of 'The Sandman' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I am not sure why I didn't enjoy this book the first time I read it. I had all but forgotten the storyline and reading it now was a surprise. The characters are amazing, the ideas, the whole plot, the darkness and all the weirdness going on. What a rainbow of emotions!...

Carl T. Bergstrom, Jevin D. West: Calling Bullshit (2020, Penguin Books, Limited) 4 stars

Bullshit isn’t what it used to be. Now, two science professors give us the tools …

Review of 'Calling Bullshit' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is sort of a technical book with loads of examples to make it to easier to grasp. This topic is particularly important nowadays with so much bad information being shared everywhere. The chapters in the middle are not as strong as the first ones as the writing is repetitive. However, the book concludes on a high note with good techniques, advice and a call to balance critical thinking and kindness. I wish this course was taught everywhere.