Jennifer’s Comments (group member since Dec 03, 2021)

Jennifer’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

The poll winner for the second quarter NF read is Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong.

Dates -- April 1, 2023-June 30, 2023.

***Note -- if you are an Audible Plus member, the audio of this book is currently free.***

What happens when ideas presented as science lead us in the wrong direction?

History is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster, and this book explores the most fascinating—and significant—missteps: from opium's heyday as the pain reliever of choice to recognition of opioids as a major cause of death in the U.S.; from the rise of trans fats as the golden ingredient for tastier, cheaper food to the heart disease epidemic that followed; and from the cries to ban DDT for the sake of the environment to an epidemic-level rise in world malaria.

These are today's sins of science—as deplorable as mistaken past ideas about advocating racial purity or using lobotomies as a cure for mental illness. These unwitting errors add up to seven lessons both cautionary and profound, narrated by renowned author and speaker Paul A. Offit. Offit uses these lessons to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using some of today's most controversial creations—e-cigarettes, GMOs, drug treatments for ADHD—as case studies. For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no," this book is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously—and how we can learn to use its power for good.

The second one is really good too, Jami. Plus I like these series that have a group of older people solving crimes -- there are a few out there like that and I've been enjoying them.

Jackie, you're welcome!

Joy, I'm picking for you because I really liked it.

My next three:

Yes, all of you are getting demerits.

Lindsey, you are bad for my TBR.

Oh, I'd forgotten about that line, Jami -- thanks for reminding me. It IS a great line!

Denise wrote: "Finished , gave it 4 stars. Typical funny mystery by Janet Evanovich."

I love Stephanie -- I'll probably still be reading her if we get all the way to Unlikely Umptillion. :)

Lance wrote: "Finished #1 of 3 for March - High Crimes: the Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed. Very disappointing - I rarely give 2 stars if I finish but this one was that bad for me,"

I consider myself warned.

Then you're in for a treat, Jami!

How convenient, Jackie! I just finished two past picks recently -- which I understood so much better now that I'm not 20 years old and trying to read it, and which was more objective than I expected (that's a good thing).

So for you I pick: because I like the cover and the concept.

My next three:

Kat wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "This is fine."

Is that comment to me"

Yes --- sorry, I've not been getting notifications today, no idea why not!

Nice, Lance! I still have one to finish as well.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Sangu Mandanna

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....

Black Cake
Charmaine Wilkerson

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

This is fine.

I just finished the second and third, Bonnie, and they're both wonderful also.

Karen wrote: "I have two that might be rose gold
and "

Both of those contain that color, Karen. You're good to go.

Lindsey wrote: "I think i found a rose goldish one -
Is that close enough?"

Yep, there are definitely elements there.

Great picks, Denise, and great variety!

Glad to hear it, Lindsey!