Venus by Ben Bova

This was a really fun read. It’s a solid science fiction adventure packed with engaging science about space travel, the harsh realities of Venus, and what it takes to survive in extreme heat along with some interesting medical insights that follow two of the main characters. Bova’s writing is smooth and accessible. Nothing overly philosophical or literary, but deeply entertaining. 

The main characters are well done: interesting, with compelling backstories and believable motivations. Some of the secondary, background characters feel more like stereotypes and lack depth, but that didn’t bother me that much. 

Overall, the story kept me hooked and eager to find out what happened next. I’m definitely interested in reading more of Ben Bova’s work, especially his Grand Tour series. Recommend.

There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

A beautifully written novel that follows three protagonists across different places and timelines. Their stories are linked by recurring themes of water and ancient Mesopotamia. 

The first story (2014) centres on a young girl in Turkey who travels to Iraq to be baptised in an ancient town—one associated both with the discovery of an early civilisation by a renowned Englishman and with more recent atrocities. 

The second (2018) follows a woman living in London with roots in the Near East. A scholar of water, she is also navigating the emotional upheaval of a marriage breakdown. 

The third narrative (1850s–1870s) traces the life of a boy, and later a man, whose passion for cuneiform script and the Epic of Gilgamesh defines him. This storyline is loosely inspired by George Smith, the scholar who deciphered the Gilgamesh tablets at the British Museum in the 1870s. 

For me, it was this final story that truly kept me turning the pages. The other two stories were okay, but marriage breakdowns and fantasy children stories are not my thing. I briefly read about George Smith in The Ark before Noah by Irving Finkel a few months ago. Although the book focuses on the flood texts, not Gilgamesh, it is good to understand all the work required to decipher the scripts and how the stories evolved over time.

Scene of the Crime by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark and Sean Phillips.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Outstanding crime-noir comic. I enjoyed this story just as much, if not more, than The Fade Out. The protagonist, the crime, the villains, the setting, every detail oozes noir. It was an immersive, tightly gripping read. I definitely need to read more Brubaker. Recommend!