Batched Books Reviews Archive: #5

Period 2022.09.12–2022.06.07

The Batched Books Reviews Archive is a collection of my usual book reviews, but they cover books I read before I really started putting effort into writing reviews. I’ve gone back and adjusted them to match my current review style, but they are usually not that good.

Non-fiction:

• Simply Said (3+/4) — A really solid book on communication. It’s short, well-crafted, and fairly comprehensive. I plan to re-listen and take down some serious notes. Recommended.
• Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (3/4) — It’s interesting for a quick dive into astrophysics. Plus, it’s really short (<4h), which is a big plus if you’re in a hurry.
• Indistractable (3/4) — A decent read about managing distractions. It smartly centers on the idea that it’s not about avoiding distractions, but rather about consciously choosing when to be distracted and by what. Saved it for a re-read and for more diligent note-taking.
• Rich Dad Poor Dad (3/4) — Half of the book resonates well, containing advice I’d want my kids to follow. However, the other half felt like aimless rambling without data or actionable insights. It’s still a worthwhile read, but doesn’t live up to its rating and “fame”. The American self-help style also didn’t strike a chord with me.
• Factfullness (4-/4) — If you think the world is only getting worse, this book is for you. It’s a solid reflection on human progress and our tendency to overestimate negativity. It also provides tools to counteract this bias. It’ll change your perspective and the world would be better if more people read it.
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (3+/4) — It’s a classic, I believe? It narrates intriguing cases of neurological disorders, showcasing the peculiar ways the brain can malfunction. Though not much to learn from, it’s still entertaining.

Fiction:

• Hyperion Series (4-/4) — It’s good, really good. Not perfect, but well above average for sci-fi/fantasy. I enjoyed it as a teenager and appreciate it even more now. Its position among sci-fi classics is well-deserved. Surprisingly, my usual aversion to time-play didn’t act up here!
• Fred the Vampire Accountant vol. 4–7 (4-/4) — I knew the series before, having read the first 3 books more than 2 years ago. Recently, I binge-read the next 4 in just a week or two. It’s a fantastic piece of urban fantasy. It humorously explores mundane problems like taxes among vampires and other supernatural beings, or a dragon owning a chunk of the city’s real estate in the spirit of “collecting gold”. Though there’s a good amount of action, our main character mostly avoids trouble through non-combat means. He’s really an accountant and even buys blood from the hospital 😄
• Infinite 2 (2-/4) — I don’t know why I read it. I knew the first part wasn’t good but still went ahead with the second one. It felt like a waste of time as it didn’t offer anything new and just seemed like a repeat of the first book. 🤷
• Shadow and Bone (1/4) — No, just no. I was drawn to it because it was in the Audible catalog and Netflix made a series on it (which I haven’t watched). The book was a complete letdown and reading it felt like a waste of time. I wouldn’t recommend it.
• He Who Fights with Monsters vol. 1–6 (4/4) — I bought it a while ago and only recently found time for it, then ended up binge-listening to all 5 remaining books in 10 days (it’s about 133 hours in total!). It’s definitely engaging. While not the deepest read, it’s far from the shallowest. The LitRPG element (game-like commentary) seemed unnecessary but wasn’t too bothersome. The genre might not be very audiobook-friendly though.