Cosmic Queries by Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil

Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going by James Trefil and Neil deGrasse Tyson

Published: March 2nd, 2021 by National Geographic

Genre: Nonfiction, Science, Astronomy

Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

In this thought-provoking follow-up to his acclaimed StarTalk book, uber astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the world''s most important philosophical questions about the universe with wit, wisdom, and cutting-edge science.


For science geeks, space and physics nerds, and all who want to understand their place in the universe, this enlightening new book from Neil deGrasse Tyson offers a unique take on the mysteries and curiosities of the cosmos, building on rich material from his beloved StarTalk podcast.


In these illuminating pages, illustrated with dazzling photos and revealing graphics, Tyson and co-author James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia--How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone?--and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.


Populated with paradigm-shifting discoveries that help explain the building blocks of astrophysics, this relatable and entertaining book will engage and inspire readers of all ages, bring sophisticated concepts within reach, and offer a window into the complexities of the cosmos.


For all who loved National Geographic''s StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, and Space Atlas, this new book will take them on more journeys into the wonders of the universe and beyond.

My Thoughts:

This is another great science book on our Universe! Tyson and his co-author are humorous and informative. There are a lot of beautiful pics throughout each chapter along with gorgeous paintings and art recreations of things in our Universe.

The chapters are broken down into easily digestible chunks. We get a sense of our place in the Universe, some history on how we know that. They talk about the fundamental building blocks of everything as well. I think I can safely say what Dark Matter acts like in relation to Dark Energy. DM is like gravity; it pulls. DE is the opposite and things are flung out instead of being drawn in. Boom. I feel smart.

It's also part history lesson on really cool people doing the hard things and helping us understand our world better through science!

And every book on space needs a little space for the end of the Universes stuff.

I had a lot of fun reading it. And I'm putting it on my coffee table for future reference and to look at those pics again. I highly recommend it if you at all interested in how the Universe works and space and science.

I read this for my 2021 Nonfiction Reading Challenge in the published in 2021 prompt.

Cat Thursday--Maru

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by Michelle at True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!  

I haven't seen a video of Maru for awhile so here's a newish one. There are two new cats as well since the last time I checked. So much cuteness!

Week-in-Review: March Madness...

OK, not really madness but I couldn't think of anything else to title it! The weather has been madness, though. Just when we think spring is around the corner, we get snow! Or nice temps in the 60s and then the next few days back to the 40s. I did get a quick gardening session in yesterday before the wind and the storms set in. All the weeds are pulled and ready for flowers in a few weeks! My crocuses, hyacinths, and tulips are coming up! I need to take a pic this week for next time.

We celebrated DH's birthday last week! It was just us. Quaint and homey. It's usually a big affair with lots of friends but of course, it is the year of pandemic birthdays. We got a good one in last year. It was literally the weekend before everything closed down and the schools closed and we all locked down. It was a surreal year and this one was the anniversary of that. So weird again. I'm hoping next year will be a little more normal! 

I made cupcakes, we ordered in Mexican food, and I made frozen daquiris. DH then spent the evening with his Dungeons and Dragons group online and overall, he couldn't complain.

I also made beef stew and brown soda bread for St. Patrick's Day. I picked up some Guinness as well and we drank those with the stew and bread and it was lovely! I wish I'd taken a picture of the bread because it is delicious and so easy to make. I think this will be my go-to bread from now on. Me and yeast don't do so well together and soda bread does not require it! And just to be silly I bought butter from Ireland and some cheddar. 

And DH got his first vaccine jab! He'll be getting his second jab in three weeks. My state is opening it up for everyone next week. I tried to get an appointment but no luck. But soon, very soon! Our mask mandate will end April 10th so I'm hoping to get an appointment before then, if not I'll be picking up my groceries from my online orders...I do not trust the people in my state to do the right thing without a lot of compulsion, unfortunately.

We also learned some troubling news about my husband's company...big changes ahead but we don't know much yet. More stress. But we should be OK no matter where we end up. It's just stressful.

Reading Life:

I started listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough after all the hubbub behind that ENDING!!!! I thought I should listen/read first and then watch and compare and contrast but I have found listening to it is making me anxious...like I keep thinking of the most awful and horrible twists to this story after each new nugget of information and I started giving myself nightmares...So I think I'm just going to watch it and not worry about the book. Lol. 

I've been listening to Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer slowly and deliberately for the last few months now. Gorgeous essays that really make you think about all living things and planet Earth and our place as humans amongst it all. A love story to the Earth. I should finish in early April.  

I'm still reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas for my 1000 Books Project: French Edition. By the end of them month I will be halfway through. It's highly entertaining. Quite the little French soap opera of revenge! And I am still reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. But I have plans on finishing it by the first week of April. It's really good and I just need to sit down and finish.

I'm about 30% done with The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. I'm reading it with my friend for virtual philosophy book club and also for my Back to the Classics 2021 challenge for the 20th century classic prompt. I'm also almost done with Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin. One chapter left! This is also for my Back to the Classics challenge for the classic by a BIPOC author prompt. It's a short book but it's a tough one. Lots of layers and lots of unlikeable characters so it's been a lot harder for me to pick up and have "fun" reading it.

And I just started Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. I'm enjoying it so far!

I finished off Samantha Irby's essay collection Wow, No Thank You. Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks, and The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs (The sixth and final book the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series).

I've also been listening to quite a few Great Courses lecture series: Myths, Lies, and Half-truths of Language Usage and Language A to Z both by John McWhorter, and The Life and Works of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser. I can't recommend her series enough! I have renewed interest in rereading her works and reading her other lesser known works as well. I'm on fire for Austen again!

Watching Life:

I'm a huge Utah Jazz fan so I've been watching a lot of their games. March NCAA basketball is also happening. I'll be catching a few games here and there as well.

I just watched A Promising Young Woman which has been nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards and it is worth it! It blew my mind and it was so well done. Plus if you are a Veronica Mars fan there are at least three actors from that series in this movie. I bet there's a connection there somewhere...

And I've been on a Star Trek kick lately so I watched a few of the original series movies with the DH. And then started watching the TNG first season. DH bought me the remastered Blu Ray whole series a couple of Christmases ago and I hadn't started them yet! What was a I thinking? It looks gorgeous in HD. They even have a little documentary on how hard it was to do this. Thank you, TNG team, for tackling this immensely difficult task!

Looking forward to:

Well, today is the official first day of Spring. We are getting the cold and rain. I usually try to do some little thing for the Spring Equinox. I'll probably make a little egg based treat, make a fun spring item and read a spring story. The story of Persephone/Kore is always a good one for this time of year.

Planning:

Spring cleaning is in the air! I've been trying to clean all the things in the kitchen. I reorganized the pantry, and am now cleaning out the kitchen drawers and cabinets. We have so much junk in there! Random cups from Denny's when Gabe was 3...So more of that this week.

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon

Non-fiction Mini Book Reviews: Wow, No Thank You

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Published: March 31st, 2020 by Vintage

Genre: Nonfiction, Essays

Format: Audiobook, 10 hours and 3 minutes, Audible

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

A new essay collection from Samantha Irby about aging, marriage, settling down with step-children in white, small-town America.

Irby is turning forty, and increasingly uncomfortable in her own skin. She has left her job as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, has published successful books and is courted by Hollywood, left Chicago, and moved into a house with a garden that requires repairs and know-how with her wife and two step-children in a small white, Republican town in Michigan where she now hosts book clubs. This is the bourgeois life of dreams. She goes on bad dates with new friends, spends weeks in Los Angeles taking meetings with "skinny, luminous peoples" while being a "cheese fry-eating slightly damp Midwest person," "with neck pain and no cartilage in [her] knees," and hides Entenmann's cookies under her bed and unopened bills under her pillow.

My Thoughts:

Irby's essays are a breath of fresh air. We're also the same age so her thoughts about the 90s and aging are very relevant to me! Her essays on relationships and her work on Shrill were spot on. I do think her essays from her last book were overall, a bit better but I still enjoyed most of them. Always a great time.

Read this for my 2021 Nonfiction Challenge essay prompt

Stay Curious! A Brief History of Stephen Hawking by Kathleen Krull

Published: September 22nd, 2020 by Crown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Nonfiction, Children, Biography, Science

Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This is a great children's book on the life of Stephen Hawking and his contributions to science. I enjoyed the illustrations and the easy-to-understand ideas.

The Great Courses: The Life and Works of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser (2021)

My Thoughts:

I love the Great Courses. They are easy-to-understand ideas about all sorts of things. One of their recent courses is Looser's course on Jane Austen. It is fantastic! If you love anything about Jane Austen and her works, this is a must watch/listen. She breaks down each work, her juvenilia, her novella, and unfinished works, and letters. She talks about history, manners, her present-day authors, customs, and manners of her time. I already want to listen again to keep up this knowledge. It made me want reread all of her works this year and branch out into some of her unfinished works...

The Great Courses: Myths, Lies, and Half-truths of Language Usage by John McWhorter (2012)

My Thoughts:

McWhorter entertains us with all sorts of ideas about language and how it has been used, how it changes, and how it's being used today. I always enjoy all his courses and books on language.

Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani

Published: February 4th, 2020 by First Second

Genre: Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, Juvenile, Science, Biography

Format: Paperback, 176 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

In the graphic novel Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier, Jim Ottaviani and illustrator Maris Wicks capture the great humor and incredible drive of Mary Cleave, Valentina Tereshkova, and the first women in space.

The U.S. may have put the first man on the moon, but it was the Soviet space program that made Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in space. It took years to catch up, but soon NASA’s first female astronauts were racing past milestones of their own. The trail-blazing women of Group 9, NASA’s first mixed gender class, had the challenging task of convincing the powers that be that a woman’s place is in space, but they discovered that NASA had plenty to learn about how to make space travel possible for everyone.

My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic graphic novel history on the first American women astronauts. He shares lots of different stories, and the history of space flight in general, even throwing in Russia and their space program. It's interesting, has fun illustrations, and also is an entertaining history on real women. And it really highlights why having diversity and men and women both at the table is an absolute must. It's really hard to imagine something outside of your experience. The engineers and scientists had no clue about how to handle women in space. And it's just pure pleasure to see how these amazing women handle it all. Highly recommended!

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Published: April 2nd, 1998 (originally published 1985) by Touchstone

Genre: Nonfiction, Science

Format: Paperback, 243 Pages, Own

Rating: 2.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the stories of patients struggling to adapt to often bizarre worlds of neurological disorder. Here are people who can no longer recognize everyday objects or those they love; who are stricken with violent tics or shout involuntary obscenities; who have been dismissed as autistic or retarded, yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents. If inconceivably strange, these brilliant tales illuminate what it means to be human. 

My Thoughts:

While I truly appreciate what Sacks was trying to do here...I think this was one of the first books of this kind of nature, at least in this format and being super readable for the lay-person...but his style was off-putting for me. He waxes philosophical on his patients and his patients end up being fodder for his musings. I do not assume that was what he meant to do. But it is how it came off for me and it was very off-putting. His patients all suffered from some very serious conditions and his descriptions came off a bit trite and "no big deal" but look what I learned about being human! Like I said, I think it's a tone thing. Plus it was originally written in the late 70s and early 80s so there are a lot of references to insensitive to our modern-day thinking about people with disabilities...Which I can overlook, but the style...it was a rough read for me. I've hear his other clinical tale books are a lot better. So I'll try him one more time...

Read this for my 2021 Nonfiction Challenge disease prompt

Week-in-Review: Happy March

Where did February go? It's almost a whole week into March already. I'm not going to lie...it's been a tough month. I've been fighting a terrible sinus infection for three weeks and am only starting to feel human again. My writing has been very sporadic. I haven't done much to get out of the house. 

But the weather! It was freezing cold and snowy and icy just last week and now it's 65 and all my windows are open. G and I even got outside for some Frisbee during his lunch break. We're going to get the bikes out soon and pumped up.

We've also had lots of car stuff. Someone rear-ended us in the parking lot...one more thing. But it could've been worse. So grateful we have two working cars now.

Pictures have also been in short supply...

G had to do a clay model of the planets! I thought he did a pretty good job.

Here's a sweet Shadow photo. Basking in the sun.

That's all I got this week.

Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Warmer weather. It's too warm but I'm going to take it this week. I'll be able to get my flower beds pruned and weeded this week.

2. Having a grocery store within walking distance. I ran out of sugar while baking yesterday and I just quickly walked on over and picked it up.

3. Really glad my friend's husband is doing well despite testing positive for Covid. He lost his sense of taste and smell but other than that he's doing well.

Reading:

Books finished:

• The Sacrifice of Darkness by Roxane Gay
• 
  
  Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
• Big Mushy Lump by Sarah Anderson
• The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
• SumoKitty by David Biedrzycki
• Goldie Vance Vol. 3 by Hope Larson
• Goldie Vance Vol. 4 by Hope Larson
• Goldie Vance: Larceny in La La Land by Hope Larson
• Stay Curious!: A Brief History of Stephen Hawking by Kathleen Krull
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
• Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia

I'm currently reading The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Tales by Oliver Sacks, Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (with G), The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.

Classics that I'm reading: Still working on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I'm enjoying taking my time here. It's been a long time and it's the perfect classic to read as the weather gets chilly and the holidays approach. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas for my 1000 Books Project challenge and my Back to the Classics 2021 Challenge (19th century classic). I also started Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin for my Back to the Classics Challenge.

Philosophy: We are reading The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. 

Listening to:

Wow, No Thank You: Essays by Samantha Irby. Hilarious. I love her. Also reading for my 2021 Nonfiction Reading Challenge, essay prompt.

  Watching:

Movies:

Freaky (2020) (on demand)

Director: Christopher Landon

Written by Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton

Tagline: Friday the 13th of November. A body swap that cuts deep. Basic switch, killer new look.

My Thoughts: 

Fun little comedy horror film. Just what I needed. Vince Vaughn was really funny playing a teenager!

To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021) Netflix

Director: Michael Fimognari

Writers: Jenny Han (book) and Katie Lovejoy (screenplay)

Starring: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, John Corbett

Tagline: You never know where love will lead you.

My Thoughts: 

I liked it but it was a little lack-luster after the charming first movie. But still highly enjoyable.

The Little Things (2021) (HBO Max)

Director: John Lee Hancock

Writer: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Tagline: Some things never let us go.

My Thoughts: 

Not a great movie. I can't get those 128 minutes back. Waste of such amazing talent.

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021) (PBS)

Director: Shayla Harris

Writers: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Starring: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Plotline: 400-year-old story of the black church in America.

My Thoughts: 

Fascinating look at the history of the black church in America. I felt like some non-church going voices were very sparse but I guess it's not their story. Overall, a great documentary!

Mulan (2020) (Disney+)

Director: Niki Caro

Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Starring: Liu Yifei, Jet Li, Tzi Ma

Tagline: Loyal. Brave. True

My Thoughts: 

Not as good as the original Disney musical but a solid live-action remake. It's the best one so far of Disney's remakes.

Nomadland (2021) (Hulu)

Director: Chloe Zhao

Writer: Chloe Zhao, Jessica Bruder (book)

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn

Tagline: Surviving America in the twenty-first century.

My Thoughts: 

See this movie! It's absolutely heart-breaking and beautiful. One of the best I've seen. I'm going to read the book too.

Mank (2020) (Netflix)

Director: David Fincher

Writer: Jack Fincher

Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins

Plotline: Herman J. Mankiewicz (Mank), scathing social critic screenwriter

My Thoughts: 

I weirdly enjoyed this too-long movie on the man who wrote Citizen Kane. I didn't really know much about why Citizen Kane resembled William Randolph Hearst. Well, now I know! A very, very interesting time politically and culturally. Makes me want to read more on this history!

TV:                           

This is the fictionalized story of the actual case of the murder of Kim Wall, a journalist who was murdered back in 2017. I had never heard of it, though, before this mini-series. It's amazing. It completely focuses on the investigators and everyone on the team, and Kim Wall's parents. I can't even recall the accused...I love that they did this. It's well done. If you can see this, I highly recommend it.

I definitely don't think this TV show is for everyone. It's dark and super weird. Religious extremism/cults and magic? I have no idea where this is going but I'm fascinated. It's not the best but it's highly entertaining if this is your thing...(Apple TV+)

*all images for movies and TV were taken from IMDB

Reading Challenges:

I Read Horror Year-Round: I finished The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James in the Ghosts and Spirits prompt.

Looking forward to:

DH's birthday is coming up on Thursday! We usually head to a Mexican restaurant up in Salt Lake because they have an amazing selection of cocktails that he loves. But that's a no-go this year. So we'll be celebrating at home with some Mexican food take-out and I'll be whipping up some frozen daquiris and cupcakes!

Joining in with Readerbuzz's Sunday Salon