Wrap Up: July 2025

Hi everyone

July was a fantastic reading month for me! We were on holiday for two weeks, which meant fewer chores and more time to relax; especially in the evenings. With two daughters (3 and 7) and plenty of fun activities during the day, finding quiet time to read can be a challenge, but I managed to sneak in some pages whenever the girls were playing together. And, of course, once they were in bed and everything was tidied up, it was my time to dive into a book and my husband's time for gaming or watching a series.

Here's what I read in July:

- Brian McClellan: Promise of Blood

- Yuval Noah Harari: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

- Ilona Andrews: Magic Burns

- Peter Brown: The Wild Robot Protects

- Christian White: The Nowhere Child

- Terry Pratchett: Carpe Jugulum 

- David Dalglish: A Dance of Mirrors 

- Marie Brennan: The Waking of Angantyr 

- Margaret Atwood: Surfacing 

And there's one book I didn't finish:

- Blake Crouch: Dark Matter 

How was your reading month? Did you find more time to read, or did life get in the way? Do you read more or less when you’re on holiday? I’d love to hear how you balance reading and relaxation!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Yuval Noah Harari: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

Hi everyone

I read Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari spread over the last few weeks.
This is my husband's copy.

"Sapiens showed us where we came from. Homo Deus shows us where we're going. War is obsolete. You are more likely to commit suicide than be killed in conflict. Famine is disappearing. You are at more risk of obesity than starvation. Death is just a technical problem. Equality is out - but immortality is in.
What does our future hold? Yuval Noah Harari, author of the bestselling phenomenon Sapiens envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges.
Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century - from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers?" 

This was a bit disappointing. I read Sapiens about a year ago and found it fascinating and thought-provoking and I really enjoyed it. But Homo Deus just didn’t live up to that experience. It wasn’t as engrossing or interesting as I’d hoped.
The problem wasn’t the writing; Harari’s style is still clear and engaging. But the content itself felt lacking. There wasn’t much that felt new or groundbreaking. I never paused to think, "Wow, that’s amazing!" or "I never considered that before!" It felt more like a repackaging of ideas I’d already encountered, without adding much depth or a fresh perspective.
I appreciate Harari’s ability to connect big ideas and make complex topics accessible, but Homo Deus left me wanting more. It’s not a bad book, it’s just not as compelling or eye-opening as Sapiens was.

Have you read Homo Deus? Did you feel the same way, or did it resonate with you more than it did with me? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Wrap Up: September 2024

 Hi everyone

Another month has flown by! Autumn is really here in Belgium; rain, cold, wind, perfect weather for reading.

Here's the list of the books I finished in September:

- Stephen King: Pet Sematary

- Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens

- Lucy Holland: Sistersong 

- N. K. Jemisin: The Killing Moon 

- Richard K. Morgan: Altered Carbon 

- Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark

How was your September in books? Did you discover any new favorites or revisit old ones? Anything you’d like to recommend?

Happy reading in October!
Helena

Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens

 Hi everyone

This is my review for Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens. I read my husband's copy. 

"100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens.
How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come?
In Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical – and sometimes devastating – breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, palaeontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Have we become happier as history has unfolded? Can we ever free our behaviour from the heritage of our ancestors? And what, if anything, can we do to influence the course of the centuries to come?
Bold, wide-ranging and provocative, Sapiens challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our power ... and our future."

This was really, really interesting and fascinating. I enjoyed every second. There were so many things to think about and connections I didn’t see before. It’s incredibly engrossing.
Things I already knew were put into a new light or a different perspective, and every chapter made me think about our history and future. The book is easy to read and definitely written for non-scientists, but it’s not sensational or dramatic either. It’s unbiased, it sticks to facts, and whenever Yuval Noah Harari speculates, he states so clearly.

Sapiens is highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand humanity’s journey and reflect on where we’re headed.

Have you read Sapiens? Did it change your perspective as much as it did mine? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena