Melwyk has commented on (10) products.

Will Storr vs. the Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth about Ghosts by Will Storr
Will Storr vs. the Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth about Ghosts

Melwyk, August 21, 2008

Will Storr writes an expose of his search for "Truth" about the supernatural. He is a sceptic but open to learning whether there is something more... he is also an entertaining writer who can be very funny at the same time that he is scared stiff. He approaches many people in many different areas of psychic research, discussing their varied approaches to the world of the dead. It's a fascinating read; just don't read it alone in bed!
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The Laughter of Dead Kings: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense by Elizabeth Peters
The Laughter of Dead Kings: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense

Melwyk, August 21, 2008

The latest in the Vicky Bliss series, this was an engaging, entertaining read which measures up to the expectations one has of Elizabeth Peters. In this book Vicky and her entourage head to Egypt to deal with the theft of a very famous antiquity. Being in Egypt allows for Elizabeth Peters' strengths to shine through, and for a connection to be made between the Vicky Bliss books and my favourites, the Amelia Peabody series. This is well worth a read, and a reread!
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels (Thursday Next Novels) by Jasper Fforde
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels (Thursday Next Novels)

Melwyk, August 21, 2008

Another hilarious addition to the Thursday Next series, this story takes on time travel, family dynamics, ghosts, intertextual travelling into the classics, and questions of self-identity. It is densely plotted, quick moving and very funny. If you've ever wondered what the Bennetts do when Pride & Prejudice is not being read, wonder no more. Pick this up and find out!
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Miss Leavitt's Stars: The Untold Story of the Forgotten Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe (Great Discoveries) by George Johnson
Miss Leavitt's Stars: The Untold Story of the Forgotten Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe (Great Discoveries)

Melwyk, June 8, 2008

This brief biography is an excellent look at a woman who was held back by society, but was still able to make great strides in astronomy. The author makes it clear that there was not much biographical information to work with, but is able to present what there is in a manner which realistically places Leavitt's work in context. Much of the book deals with Leavitt's intellectual life; the work which absorbed her and the role her discoveries played in future developments in astronomy. Her realization that stars could be measured by their luminosity (this is explained much more clearly and lucidly by Johnson!) affected the research and the conclusions that the "real", or male, scientists were able to reach. A fascinating book about Leavitt and about her social and intellectual context.
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(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
Changing Light by Nora Gallagher
Changing Light

Melwyk, May 21, 2008

This is a beautiful novel, one I came to without any preconceptions, because to be honest I'd never heard of it. It's the story of a woman painter who gets caught up in events at Los Alamos during the development of the Bomb, and how along with her friend (a local priest) and a man who stumbles into her home (a scientist on the run) she discovers that they are all "changing light" in their own ways. Gorgeous reading.
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