![]() ![]() It is one of those amazing things - some of the most important discoveries in 19th and 20th century astronomy in this country were made by women, most of whom couldn't get PhDs, barely got recognition for their work, and were often discouraged from thinking about the science. ![]() This was particularly noticeable to me because I had just read a biography of Maria Mitchell and was in the middle of a biography of Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin. The one quibble I would have is that people like Caroline Herschel, Maria Mitchell, Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin, Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon (got the pattern yet?) didn't get as much attention relative to others as they deserve given their contributions to the field. Ferris does a very nice job of conveying the material more or less accurately, while also making it approachable for the lay audience. ![]() The first section on historical astronomy was particularly fun it was very similar to the astronomy class I took in high school that got me into the field in the first place. But I decided recently that, while I spend all day thinking about astronomy (as an astronomy grad student), it might be good to get a "popular science" take on some of these topics so that I can actually speak intelligibly about astronomy with non-astronomy folks.ĭespite the fact that some of the later chapters are out-of-date on the astronomy and physics results, this was a very fun read. I had always meant to read this book, but somehow I never had gotten around to it. ![]()
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![]() ![]() Tyrell explained over a world-wide broadcast that he and his people, the Dheronians, have been searching from planet to planet for the last remaining Kryptonian. ![]() Shortly after Clark Kent moved to Metropolis from Smallville, the Earth was invaded by thousands of alien ships lead by Tyrell. They proceeded to use his power to remake the universe "as it was meant to be". Here he was visited by the deities that the three heroes had taken the place of. ![]() In the aftermath, Krona found himself shackled in Earth-1. They ruled wisely, until they were called to fight their way home. Here, they became gods, usurping the power of a group of extant deities, and built a home on a world of aliens who resembled the ancient Maltusians. When a trio of villains tried to gain godlike powers using Krona, one of the side effects was to push Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman out of the universe and into Earth-1. ![]() ![]() ![]() Beyond her authoritative ability to incorporate lessons historical and scientific into her narrative, Harris has a knack for lovely turns of phrase and crafting memorable images out of small details. ![]() The narrative is peppered with explorers, poets, artists, and scientists. ![]() Harris.superimposes the books she read and loved onto the landscape she witnesses-and is one of the most compelling things about her style. While much of Harris’ motivation for going somewhere new to expand consciousness and increase a sense of connection to the world-is common in the genre, her work belongs to the subset of writers who go beyond leisure traveler into something more like explorer (an anachronistic profession she longs to join), largely by virtue of the effort it takes to propel herself down this road less traveled, a trek riddled with challenges logistical, physical, and bureaucratic. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Josephine has a son, which Vianne didn’t know about and Roux never mentioned despite living in Lansquenet for four years before finding Vianne in Paris. Father Francis Raynaud has been replaced by another priest because he’s under suspicion of arson. Vianne and her daughters pack up and travel back the village they have not visited in so long, only to find that much has changed. Vianne wants to return Roux refuses to go. The letter states that Vianne is to return to Lansquenet, take care of Armande’s peach tree so the fruit doesn’t go to waste, and to help someone in the village who will need it. It’s been eight years since Armande’s death, yet Luc has been instructed to give Vianne a letter from his grandma upon his twenty-first birthday. ![]() But then a letter arrives from Luc Clairmont, the grandson of Vianne’s friend Armande (played by Judi Dench in the film). Rosette, still speechless but fluent in sign language, stays with Roux all day instead of attending school. Though space is tight, Roux’s new boat has a small area for Vianne to make and sell chocolates, while Anouk continues to go to school. Vianne, Roux, Anouk, and Rosette are living on a boat moored along the Seine. ![]() Originally published as Peaches for Monsieur le Curé and later released as Peaches for Father Francis, Joanne Harris takes readers back to Lansquenet, the quaint French village they were first introduced to in Chocolat. ![]() ![]() ![]() “… that country where it is always turning late in the year… whose people are autumn people thinking only autumn thoughts.” He also wrote the screenplay for “Moby Dick”, a few “Twilight Zone” episodes, as well as the Rod Steiger classic “The Illustrated Man”, and the dark fantasy novel “Something Wicked This Way Comes”.īut for me it’s his collection “The October Country” that is my fave. You’ve probably heard of “The Martian Chronicles” or the film made from one of his short stories “The Beast from 20,000 fathoms”. Which brings me to my favourite Ray Bradbury story, “The Emissary”.īradbury wrote tons of gold. But using this kind of word-association game can be a useful way to dodge writer’s block for those afflicted. These days, however, I begin more often than not with an idea. ![]() ![]() I was amazed to read this, as I did the same thing myself when I began writing in my teens. writing down phrases like “The Skeleton” or “The Jar” and letting the story write itself. However, he also says that he started out writing by simply listing nouns…. ![]() I have too many ideas and too little time. a burning idea that just has to be let out. What I really like about Ray Bradbury’s “Zen and the Art of Writing” is that he suggests that authors should only write when they feel a white-hot passion…. Today, I thought I would focus on a short story for a change. ![]() ![]() ![]() I am sure the book fans were happy about George and Martha’s appearance in the movie. Instead of Percy meeting Hermes on the beach, Percy and his friends find Hermes (who was totally awesome) at the UPS or OPS store. Therefore Tantalus, Chiron’s replacement, was not in the movie, which I was personally okay with. ![]() ![]() 2) Chiron is not fired from Camp Half-BloodĬhiron, our favorite centaur, is fired from his position at Camp Half-Blood at the beginning of Sea of Monsters because he is believed to be assisting his father, Kronos, by poisoning Thalia’s tree. In the movie, Grover sneaks out of camp on the quest with Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson and is abducted by Luke’s minions, and sent to the cyclops’ island. At the beginning of the Sea of Monsters book, Grover is on Polyphemus’ island, and is able to communicate with Percy through dreams because of their empathy link. In The Lightning Thief, Grover earns his searchers license when he, Percy, and Annabeth successfully complete their quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt. ![]() ![]() But now, like Ronan’s secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface-changing everything in its wake. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. Ronan is one of the raven boys-a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.Īnd sometimes he’s not the only one who wants those things. If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take? Version: Audiobook (12h 45min listening length) She pairs lovable and compelling characters with an original and fantastical plot, and the outcome is an addictive read. ![]() ![]() In my experience, more often than not, the second book in a series never outshines the first, however Stiefvater was able to outdo herself with The Dream Thieves. ![]() ![]() Nothing like this great work had ever been seen in the world when the last spike, a golden one, was driven in Promontory Peak, Utah, in 1869, as the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific tracks were joined.Īmbrose writes with power and eloquence about the brave men - the famous and the unheralded, ordinary men doing the extraordinary - who accomplished the spectacular feat that made the continent into a nation. In building a railroad, there is only one decisive spot - the end of the track. The surveyors, the men who picked the route, living off buffalo, deer, and antelope. At its peak, the work force approached the size of Civil War armies, with as many as 15,000 workers on each line. government pitted two companies - the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads - against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise comes to life. Nothing Like It in the World is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad. Ambrose offers an historical successor to his universally acclaimed Undaunted Courage. ![]() ![]() In this account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage, Stephen E. ![]() ![]() ![]() Moundshroud – full name Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud – is tall and gangly, with flaxen skin and a long, crooked nose. He serves as the children’s guide through the history and influences of the holiday. Moundshroud, said to be a servant for both Chernabog (of Fantasia) and Count Dracula. ![]() ![]() Bradbury himself narrates the seasonal spookshow, and the late Leonard Nimoy stars as Mr. The story follows a group of trick-or-treaters who discover the origins of Halloween after one of their friends is taken away by mysterious forces. It’s also based on the novel of the same name from gateway horror maestro Ray Bradbury himself. The Halloween Tree is a 1993 animated horror fantasy produced by Hanna-Barbera, the inimitable American animation studio. Young children can identify and see themselves in roles the realities of their lives might often preclude them from. Goosebumps, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and even Disney’s original Sleepy Hollow are gateway entries for young genre initiates to familiarize themselves with the tropes and themes of horror without the nightmare– as long as their parents don’t mind. Chesterton’s most famous quote, horror reminds children that not only do monsters exist, but they can also be killed. Horror interrogates and probes, illuminating the hidden evils in the world. ![]() ![]() She plays her cards way too close to her chest, and doesn't that just make her more enticing? Lainey Summer drives Ty crazy with her savage beauty, her effortless sexiness, and her unfathomable veneer. Sal hasn't just hired a new personal assistant, he's hired an absolute goddess. That's a cardinal sin in their world, but it's the least of Ty's worries. Sal's hired a new assistant without so much as consulting Ty. Then a meeting with his business partner and life-long friend, Sal, upends everything. Fifty laps in his pool, a suave suit, a chat with his mum on the way to his office, dodging countless calls from women, and his faithful yet cynical assistant waiting for him with a coffee. It starts like any other Monday for Ty Christianson. ![]() |