The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ I enjoyed this book. It had been some time since I last read Victorian literature, but I approached this novel with curiosity and enthusiasm. The writing is excellent, and it engaged me from the very beginning. The mystery and overall plot were engaging, though there were a few aspects I found challenging. In particular, the characters often seemed unable to say things directly and instead spoke in roundabout ways. I assume this reflects how people, especially in the upper and middle classes, communicated during that period. The same applies to some of the dramatic situations, which were sometimes prolonged by the women in the story and, on a couple of occasions, by the men as well. 

Despite the above, there were several characters I particularly enjoyed. First, Betteredge, the Verinder family’s chief servant, who narrates the first part of the book and cites Robinson Crusoe like it's the bible. There is also a deeply religious woman who tries to convert everyone through her books, and a doctor whose crucial insight proves important in solving the mystery.

The Usefulness of the Useless by Nuccio Ordine

👍👍👍 A short book but a slow read. I’m sure I didn’t grasp most of what this book had to offer. I guess I'd need a stronger background in history, literature, and philosophy to really absorb all the subtle details and nuances surrounding its central idea—the value of what might seem useless. 

A collection of reflections on the value of the arts, literature, mathematics, science, and other pursuits, including forms of knowledge often dismissed as “useless” by modern utilitarian thinking. Ordine argues that things do not need to be useful to be worthwhile. Their value lies in their beauty and in the pleasure and joy they bring. They nourish the spirit, shape our sense of identity, help us understand ourselves, and make us more humane and morally aware. 

In contrast, a strictly utilitarian mindset corrupts us by reducing everything to profit and practical gain, ultimately turning us into slaves of utility and causing us to lose sight of our humanity. The book includes quotes by many notable historical writers, philosophers and thinkers who have expressed similar ideas from a variety of perspectives. At the end, it also includes a short essay titled The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge by Abraham Flexner.

The Notebook : A history of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ An engaging read but with highs and lows, the book is divided into 30 chapters, each focusing on a western-centred story or historical account of notebook use throughout time. Some chapters feature well-known historical figures, while others highlight individuals unfamiliar to me. I particularly enjoyed certain chapters, though I found a few uninteresting and boring. 

My main takeaway was learning about the origins of notebook use in Italy, where bookkeeping was first invented. Over time, notebooks evolved to include copying quotes and passages from major texts as well as messages from friends and family. A major development came when notebooks began to serve as tools for thinking and creativity, this was evident in the practices of famous painters and thinkers, such as Leonardo da Vinci. In the final chapter, the book explores the idea of the notebook not just as a memory aid or thinking tool, but as an extension of the mind itself. 

My favorite chapters focused on Darwin’s use of notebooks during the Beagle voyage. Another chapter examines the diaries and note-taking habits of writers, including Henry James, Patricia Highsmith, and Agatha Christie.

The Solitary Gourmet by Jiro Taniguchi and Masayuki Kusumi.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ A collection of 31 short stories centred on a food-loving man, Goro Inokashira, whose job takes him across Tokyo and other cities. We usually meet him after he’s finished his business negotiations, just as he starts thinking about his next meal. The stories follow him as he selects a restaurant, studies the menu, and decides what to order. As he savours each bite, we share in the simple, infectious joy he finds in good food. 

Satisfying, joyous, contagious and peaceful.

The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester

👍👍👍 It is an enjoyable read full of interesting ideas but with some flaws. The book is a bit feeble on the science. There are technologies, like new kinds of explosives and new phenomena, like teleportation, which are at the core of the story but which are never explained in any depth. And unsurprisingly, for a book written in the 1950s, its treatment of women is as expected, problematic and appalling. But I'm willing to ignore that. 

The protagonist is the best aspect of the book. He begins as a complete outcast, powerless and unskilled, but gradually transforms into something far more sinister, all while developing a growing philosophical awareness of the consequences of his actions. He’s a deeply layered character: driven by an obsessive thirst for revenge, fueled by rage and ferocity, shaped by the psychological impact of his facial tattoo, and defined by the way he gains new abilities and power. Even his teleportation evolves over time, reflecting his darker transformation. 

I liked the ending. It's fast-paced and chaotic at times. There is a not so unpredictable revelation at the end and a somewhat hazy suggestion of what the future would look like which I enjoyed.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

👍👍👍👍👍 

This book offers a compelling and well-argued exploration of how smartphones and related technologies are harming children’s mental health. 

Haidt begins by examining human evolution in close communities, explaining how early socialisation develops in infancy and why it is essential for well-being. He then traces how these foundations have been disrupted in the 21st century. Haidt frames the modern crisis as a combination of overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world. While digital technologies have existed for decades, he argues that the widespread adoption of smartphones around 2010 marked a tipping point, after which mental health problems among young people rose dramatically. Central to the book is Haidt’s concept of “phone-based childhood”, describing how children—especially teenagers—now live almost constantly online, with minimal exposure to nature, independence, or real-world experiences. 

He identifies four core harms caused by smartphones: 

• Social deprivation 

• Sleep deprivation 

• Fragmented attention 

• Addiction 

Although the effects differ between boys and girls, both are severely impacted. Girls tend to be more affected by social media due to its emotional and relational dynamics, while boys are more vulnerable to video games and pornography, which can lead to increasing withdrawal from real-world engagement. 

My favourite section of the book is the chapter on spirituality. Haidt explores how spiritual practices and shared meaning have historically helped build trust and social cohesion within societies. In contrast, he argues that smartphones and social media promote values and behaviors that undermine these foundations, negatively affecting both children and adults. 

The book concludes with a series of practical recommendations for governments, technology companies, schools, and parents aimed at reducing—or even reversing—the harms of phone-based childhood. Recommend.

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.