Friday Reads: September 14, 2018

I finally finished City of Lies! It felt like it took me forever to finish it but in actuality I think it was only a little over two weeks. A full review will be in my September wrap up in a few weeks but overall I really enjoyed it. If you're interested in slower, politics heavy fantasy books or a fan of Game of Thrones or The Poppy War I would highly recommend it.

This week I also signed up for NetGalley which is an online service connecting publishers and various reader professions. What this means is I request electronic advanced reader copies (ARC) of books in order to give reviews before they are officially published. I have finished two so far: Ragnarok Unwound and Fierce Fairytales. You can click on the titles to see my reviews.

Below are the two books I plan on reading this weekend. And I am also thinking about starting a BookTube channel this month. It would definitely be a new challenge for me. I'll post an update to the blog when that happens.

Happy reading!

Title: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy
Author: Paige Williams
Page Count: 432
Progress: 6%
Format Read: electronic ARC
Genre: Nonfiction
Keywords: Dinosaurs, Legality, Paleontology
Kid Appropriate: If interested in topic

Synopsis from Goodreads:

New Yorker magazine staff writer Paige Williams explores the riveting and perilous world of fossil collectors in this "tremendous" (David Grann) true tale of one Florida man's attempt to sell a dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia--"a triumphant book" (Publishers Weekly) that is "steeped in natural history, human nature, commerce, crime, science, and politics" (Rebecca Skloot).

In 2012, a New York auction catalogue boasted an unusual offering: "a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton." In fact, Lot 49135 consisted of a nearly complete T. bataar, a close cousin to the most famous animal that ever lived. The fossils now on display in a Manhattan event space had been unearthed in Mongolia, more than 6,000 miles away. At eight-feet high and 24 feet long, the specimen was spectacular, and when the gavel sounded the winning bid was over $1 million.

Eric Prokopi, a thirty-eight-year-old Floridian, was the man who had brought this extraordinary skeleton to market. A onetime swimmer who spent his teenage years diving for shark teeth, Prokopi's singular obsession with fossils fueled a thriving business hunting, preparing, and selling specimens, to clients ranging from natural history museums to avid private collectors like actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

But there was a problem. This time, facing financial strain, had Prokopi gone too far? As the T. bataar went to auction, a network of paleontologists alerted the government of Mongolia to the eye-catching lot. As an international custody battle ensued, Prokopi watched as his own world unraveled.

In the tradition of The Orchid Thief, The Dinosaur Artist is a stunning work of narrative journalism about humans' relationship with natural history and a seemingly intractable conflict between science and commerce. A story that stretches from Florida's Land O' Lakes to the Gobi Desert, The Dinosaur Artist illuminates the history of fossil collecting--a murky, sometimes risky business, populated by eccentrics and obsessives, where the lines between poacher and hunter, collector and smuggler, enthusiast and opportunist, can easily blur.

In her first book, Paige Williams has given readers an irresistible story that spans continents, cultures, and millennia as she examines the question of who, ultimately, owns the past.

Thoughts so far:

This was one of the first books I was given access to on NetGalley and it was published on Tuesday this week. So far I am liking it just fine but I don't know if I am necessarily the right audience to really enjoy it. As someone that studied archaeology in college and lived in Montana, a lot of the information is a recap of things I had to study extensively in the introduction and first paragraph. Someone without this familiarity would probably find it much more interesting and get into the story more. I will try to finish it up or at least get close this weekend.

Another issue is when I am reading nonfiction for fun and not school or work I typically prefer more of a sense of humor running through the narrative. Maybe this will increase as the book gets more into the story.

If you are into dinosaurs though and are not as familiar with the topic I would definitely recommend this one. Williams does a good job of making complex topics easier to understand for the average person.

Title: #FashionVictim
Author: Amina Akhtar
Page Count: 320
Progress: 0
Format Read: BOTM Hardcover
Genre: Fiction
Keywords: Fashion, Competition, Obsession
Kid Appropriate: Probably not

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A darkly thrilling take on the fashion world, #FashionVictim is Heathers meets The Devil Wears Prada.

Fashion editor Anya St. Clair is on the verge of greatness. Her wardrobe is to die for. Her social media is killer. And her career path is littered with the bodies of anyone who got in her way. She’s worked hard to get where she is, but she doesn’t have everything.

Not like Sarah Taft. Anya’s obsession sits one desk away. Beautiful, stylish, and rich, she was born to be a fashion world icon. From her beach-wave blonde hair to her on-trend nail art, she’s a walking editorial spread. And Anya wants to be her friend. Her best friend. Her only friend.

But when Sarah becomes her top competition for a promotion, Anya’s plan to win her friendship goes into overdrive. In order to beat Sarah…she’ll have to become her. Friendly competition may turn fatal, but as they say in fashion: One day you’re in, and the next day you’re dead.

Thoughts so far:

I haven't started this one yet but the cover tagline "bitches get stitches" has me intrigued. And I honestly cannot tell if this is going to be a really dark book or not. Guess I will find out.