Reviews Written in 2021

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2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020-2019

(This page is a work-in-progress as I have yet to copy all my old reviews here.)

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How to Build a Human: The Incredible Design of the Human Body - Scott Goldie - ★★★.½

AUTHOR: Scott Goldie GENRE: Children's Illustrated Nonfiction, Science PUBLICATION DATE: January 6, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated book about the anatomical constituents of the human body. Presented in a humorous way. Quite elaborate, with fairly comprehensible explanations. A good option for older middle-graders. The book delivers exactly as promised by the title and the tagline. The content explores the components of the human body, beginning from the basics. So we get a detailed look at the skeleton, the muscles, the key (and not-so-key) organs, the senses, the constituents of cells and blood, and so on. As the content is organised in terms of role in the human body, the book is highly structured and hence easy to peruse through. Beyond the basic biological information, it also has several fun sections such as ‘Four Facts and a Fib’ and Breakthroughs. While the information does get science-heavy at times ( it cannot be avoided in such a topic after all ), ...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Cory Doctorow GENRE: Tech Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 7, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An engrossing exposé on the enshittification of the internet and all its components over the last few years. Well-researched with substantial and concrete examples. Informative without getting too techy. Don’t be fooled by the cover; this is a serious and scary book. Much recommended. Canadian author Cory Doctorow has been an internet activist for more than twenty-five years. He has worked on digital rights management, file sharing, and post-scarcity economics, among other themes, and has actively lobbied for liberalising copyright laws. Doctorow coined the term ‘enshittification’ in a blog post in 2022, to indicate the process by which online products and service gradually decay in quality until they are *shit*. While the concept was already being spoken of, his term caught on and became a widespread neologism, chosen as the ‘Word of the Year’ by The American...

AUTHOR: Sarah Beth Durst NARRATOR: Caitlin Davies SERIES: Spellshop #2 GENRE: Cozy Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A cozy fantasy linked to and continuing from the events in ‘The Spellshop’. Part of the same world, but works as a standalone. Despite being the same genre, the storyline isn't similar. The titular greenhouse is outstanding. The leads are nice, but the stars of the show are the talking plants. Though it has its flaws, I like this book better. A good option for those who enjoy cozy fantasies without much darkness. Plot Preview: Terlu Perna once worked as a junior librarian in the great Library of Alyssium. But when, in her loneliness, she broke the law and used magic to create a sentient spider plant for company, she was given a harsh punishment. Turned into a wooden statue, she has been tucked in a corner alcove of the library in her statue form since she doesn’t remember when. Then one day, Terlu suddenly wakes up, and finds her...

AUTHOR: A.E. Chandler NARRATOR: Joel Benedict GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2021 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: The legendary story of Robinhood and his band in the Scarlet forest. True to the original ballads. Don’t expect a Hollywood experience full of swashbuckling flamboyance and charm. I liked the story (not a surprise as it’s about Robinhood), but found the writing style somewhat dry. The use of old English was also a little hurdle for me on audio, though I appreciate the authenticity of the language. With a little more literary flourish, this would have been a more memorable experience for me. But it might work better for those Robinhood fans who prefer authentic, frill-free narratives. This is an outlier review. If you are looking for a genuine story of Robinhood, not the one that you see in Hollywood but more faithful to the original legend and ballads, and if you aren’t fussy about anything other than the storyline, then this book does well. Sadly...

AUTHOR: Katie Cotugno ILLUSTRATOR: Amy Jindra Hodgson SERIES: Penelope Positano GENRE: Children's Chapter Book. PUBLICATION DATE: April 14, 2026 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A chapter book about a girl looking for the right dog to get as a pet. The cover is a bit misleading. The title is more indicative of the story. Good characters. Nice depiction of family closeness. Not as much canine content as expected. A decent option for early readers just transitioning to chapter books, as long as they want a story about a little girl and not one about a dog. Plot Preview: Ever since Penelope Positano turned seven, she has wanted a dog. Now after six long months, her parents have finally agreed to get her one from the shelter. Penelope’s best friend Gus also got a shelter dog some months ago, and he tells Penelope that she will know which dog is meant for her as soon as she sees it. But even after a couple of visits to the shelter, Penelope cannot find *her* dog. Now what? The story i...

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