Summer Reading Celebration

Cute story. Read with Grandson.

This history of the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 was written for young adults, but is informative and even engaging reading for adults as well. It captures the horror of the flu pandemic and the First World War, and puts it into context using photos, letters, songs, art, and even children’s games. Science didn’t have a clear understanding of the differences between bacteria and viruses at that time, and the book chronicles the research of the day as well. When the book was published in 2018, 100 years after the events it describes, the cover depicting a woman wearing a cloth mask was quite arresting. Even though the mask is commonplace now, I recommend this book as a must read for anyone wishing to learn more about pandemics and their effects on various aspects of society and culture, and how the current pandemic was expected any time, by epidemiologists.

Everything about Henrietta Lacks and her family was heartbreaking. Henrietta was lost to history and not even a footnote in her own story. Her genes were used over, and over again. Her DNA was used in so many breakthroughs in science and not even a mention. What a harrowing life. Henrietta's story was tragic, dying young of cancer and so riddled with tumors that pain was her only companion. What was more tragic was her children's mistreatment, malnuroshment and torture at the hands of the people that should have protected and sheltered them in their time of grief. Circumstances were just not on the Lacks family side. Most of the children were dead or imcarcerated before the book was even published. The author, Rebecca Skloot did so much research and talked to the family extensively even when said family was very against even that for a long time. This book was good and very interesting but oh so devastating. Please read this story, if not to hear this family's story but to get the true behind the immortal genes and where they really came from.

This one definitely kept you guessing until the very end.

I enjoyed this book! I found the information about tardigrades amd bar-headed goose to be the most interesting animals highlight in the book. Tardigrades could be, for all intents and purposes, be dead. Add some water amd tada alive again. Crazy! Then, bar-headed geese not only fly over Mount Everest but thrive in one of the harshest environments in the wprld with little to no oxygen. The book also described some of the harshest environments including animals that thrive in deserts, Arctic Circle and even the bottom of our oceans. Alex Riley narrated the book and I enjoyed his British accent and his nerd jokes like 42, the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. If ypu enjoy learning new things about animals and harsh environments, read this one!

Great book. Very well presented.

3.5 stars. It was an okay and fun book.

Very compelling. I liked the will they won't they element and the questioning of truth. The book felt much shorter than anticipated. I easily got through half in my first sitting. What a great book to end pride on. Although I did guess the twist pretty early on it didn't really ruin it for me.

My grandson really enjoys this series as we read each book together.

I love this series and I love this book!! Reread!