Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake (Narrator)

It’s a mushroom book that is narrated by the scientist author. He had a very nice, soothing voice which made this a lovely listen. I have always been fascinated with fungi because of fermentation and yeast. I am not sure how much knowledge I absorbed from the book other than that fungi and mushrooms are cool. Fungi are closer to animals than plants and they are integral to plant and animal life on Earth. I am really glad I can listen to so many nonfiction books now and it has changed my reading life.

1.5x. Jan 28-Feb 1, 2025.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

A reading buddy and I have a joke that the Booker panels are allergic to plot. The vast majority of Booker prize winners have little to no action. This one was a classic example. Not much happened to six astronauts on an international space station. It was very slow. There were a few well written lines and I got to know the characters. It was a short novel as well.

Jan 29-Feb 2, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Light Novel), Part 2 Volume 3 by Miya Kazuki, Y? Shiina (Illustrator), Quof (Translator)

I inhaled this volume in two evenings. Now that I am home, I can read when I want. Why is this one of the best fantasy series I’ve read? It’s hard to describe in words because the book has strong world building, cozy characters, and a unique pace that is slow yet not boring. The writing could be better. It was clearly made for a young audience and for quick reading. The characters and setting more than make up for it. In this book, we’re introduced to Sylvester who is an important character in this world. Since I have been spoiled by the manga I know who is but Myne does not. He’s the kind of character you only see in Japanese manga and anime: a spoilt, juvenile man but is still a good and reliable person under the surface. I feel like I could inhale this series but it’s much better for me to read two-three a month since I need to focus on all the other books I have.

Feb 3-4, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, Robert Petkoff (Narrator)

This has been on my TBR for years. I finally decided to listen to it as that is what I am doing with most nonfiction recently. This is an important book and more people need to read it and its topic. Society should consider ageing and elder care more especially in a time where all industrialized populations are growing older. Like the author, I come from a culture where elders are cared for in the family. Nursing homes have always felt peculiar to me as a result since all of my grandparents passed away while living at home with their adult children and grandchildren. As the author notes, these places are very institutionalized and similar to prison in terms of controlling what you can and cannot do. The book discussed how best to make decisions if you were also diagnosed with terminal conditions. It emphasized the importance of hospice care and assisted living facilities. The one thing I wish the book would have spent more time discussing is assisted dying. This is more controversial in the USA where the author is from. As a doctor, he wants to preserve life and insisted that assisted living and hospice should be considered first. I live in Canada where Medical Assistance in dying (MAID) is legal. I may need to read a Canadian book on this topic because while I know that hospice and assisted living are very helpful, I believe MAID has its place. Lots to consider. Essential reading for everyone.

1.5x. Feb 1-5, 2025.

ADHD is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD by Penn Holderness and Kristen Holderness (authors / narrators)

Like most ADHD books I’ve been listening too, I got it based on the title. I did not know the authors were content creators and reality show winners. Of all the books I’ve listened to, this one was most like a podcast as the authors bantered off one another. There were definitely moments when I wanted to dump this book because a lot of this info was basic things I could find in other ADHD resources. While I did not mind the writing bad, I became a bit wary of this couple’s gung-ho style. The advice is not bad per se but things I have already knew. I also don’t think they really defined why ADHD was awesome objectively speaking. Personally, I like my ADHD but I’m high performing and so is Penn. Not everyone is as privileged in their lifestyle or work either. I did appreciate how they emphasized how it is different for everyone though.

1.75-2.0x. Feb 5-7, 2025.