Tag: historical

Book Review | The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Posted May 1, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

The virus kills nine out of ten of its victims so quickly and gruesomely that even biohazard experts are terrified. It is airborne, it is extremely contagious, and it is about to burn through the suburbs of a major American city. Is there any way to stop it?

In the winter of 1989, at an Army research facility outside Washington, D.C., this doomsday scenario seemed like a real possibility. A SWAT team of soldiers and scientists wearing biohazard space suits had been organized to stop the outbreak of an exotic “hot” virus. The grim operation went on in secret for eighteen days, under dangerous conditions for which there was no precedent.

The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story in depth for the first time, giving an absolutely hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their “crashes” into the human race. From a remote jungle cave festering with deadly organisms, to an airplane over Africa that is carrying a sick passenger who dissolves into a human virus bomb, to the confines of a Biosafety Level 4 military lab where scientists risk their lives studying lethal substances that could kill them quickly and horribly, The Hot Zone describes situations that a few years ago would have been taken for science fiction. As the tropical wildernesses of the world are destroyed, previously unknown viruses that have lived undetected in the rain forest for eons are entering human populations. The appearance of AIDS is part of the pattern, and the implications for the future of the human species are terrifying.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #TBD: TBD)

The Reason

It’s been on my TBR forever but I kept putting it off. People keep praising it though so I couldn’t put it off anymore!

The Quotes

“In biology, nothing is clear, everything is too complicated, everything is a mess, and just when you think you understand something, you peel off a layer and find deeper complications beneath. Nature is anything but simple.”

“To mess around with Ebola is an easy way to die. Better to work with something safer, such as anthrax.”

“You can’t fight off Ebola the way you fight off a cold. Ebola does in ten days what it takes AIDS ten years to accomplish.”

“The rain forest has its own defenses. The earth’s immune system, so to speak, has recognized the presence of the human species and is starting to kick in. The earth is attempting to rid itself of an infection by the human parasite. Perhaps AIDS is the first step in a natural process of clearance.”

The Narrator(s)

Richard M. Davidson. Really good, no notes.

My Thoughts

For some reason, I thought this was going to be a dry nonfiction read (maybe because of the cover!) but it turned out to be so well-written and reads like an actual horror/thriller novel. I had no idea Ebola and Marburg were so deadly. I knew they made you sick, of course, but I thought of them the way I would’ve thought about malaria, or dengue; dangerous and sometimes fatal but not incurable! And what a horrible way to go!

The issues with how the monkeys were handled, how information was shared, and how everything was cleaned up, have got me feeling torn because on the one hand, there were so many unethical practices, on the other, I have no idea what I would do if I was in that position. I’d probably be in denial too if I thought I had been exposed to an incurable virus that would eventually lead to a horrible, gory death for me.

One of the sentiments I found most interesting from the book is how viruses like Ebola and Marburg are the “predators” of humans, to cull humans when we become so overpopulated and start encroaching into animal habitats, and you know what, that’s actually really fair. We like to think we’re at the top of the food chain but we’re really not, and these tiny microscopic viruses will prove it to us any time we start thinking otherwise. I do not like the thought, but it’s what will keep me humble and wary of too much outdoor activity! I loved this book but I have decided I’m going to be a stay-at-home bookworm forever.

My Rating

5/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Posted April 25, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

The incredible true story of the women who fought America’s Undark danger

The Curies’ newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” are the luckiest alive—until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women’s cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America’s early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights that will echo for centuries to come.

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #TBD: TBD)

The Reason

It’s been on my TBR forever and it felt like it contained important information.

The Quotes

“We’ve got humane societies for dogs and cats, but they won’t do anything for human beings.”

“That was the tragedy. Radium had been known to be harmful since 1901. Every death since was unnecessary.”

“The cynical would say there was only one reason a high-profile specialist finally took up the cause. On June 7, 1925, the first male employee of the United States Radium Corporation died.”

“Thousands of women helped with the study, through their forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond; their contribution to medical science is incalculable. We all benefit from their sacrifice and courage, every day of our lives.”

The Narrator(s)

Angela Brazil. No complaints, I was completely immersed and forgot I was listening to an audiobook.

My Thoughts

I love reading about medical science but I also inevitably get a little paranoid when reading about illnesses and all the ways the human body is susceptible to so many dangerous things around us. I happened to be having a toothache while reading this book and even though I never got anywhere near any sources of radium, as far as I know, I still got paranoid about my teeth falling out when the women in the book started losing their teeth.

It was really painful to read about how the women suffered, and I think it’s especially hard when they didn’t know, in the beginning, why they were suffering. They had no idea radium was dangerous and didn’t understand why they were sick. It was horrific to read about their bodies slowly deteriorating and so humbling to see their strength and resilience in the face of that kind of pain.

The worst thing is that the companies who hired these women didn’t take any accountability for what they did. It’s one thing if they didn’t know about the dangers of radium and then took accountability once they knew, but they continued putting their employees at risk after knowing the dangers of radium, and kept telling lies to avoid facing any kind of responsibility. It is sad and infuriating to see this kind of evil in the world. Even now.

However, if there’s one thing we can take away from this, it’s that these women continued to fight to be seen and heard, against their pain, against all odds, against these evil corporations, and their fight made lasting changes in workplace safety laws. It is inspiring.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin | Book Review

Posted December 4, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

The Reason

Well, you know, I can’t resist books about books and bookshops, so of course I had to borrow it when I saw it on Libby.

The Quotes

“Books are what have brought us together. A love of the stories within, the adventures they take us on, their glorious distraction in a time of strife.”

“You can’t save the world, but keep trying in any small way you can.”

“There was a special scent to paper and ink, indescribable and unknown to anyone but a true reader. She brought the book to her face, closed her eyes and breathed in that wonderful smell.”

“No one told her finishing the book would leave her so bereft. It was as though she’d said goodbye for the last time to a close friend.”

The Characters

Grace Bennett is the main character but I found myself loving all the other characters very much as well. Even the side characters came very much to life for me. Madeline Martin has such a way of writing the characters that makes each and every one of them stand out distinctly and individually. And yes, there is also a cat! I love it!

My Thoughts

This book gives me so much Anne of Green Gables vibes, which might sound weird because it’s definitely a lot darker. But it has that feel-good thing going on for it, even in the face of horror, death, and disaster, with the war going on. Grace, her friends, and their community face so much loss and grief, but through it all, they come together through the love of books and stories. There were some parts where the author writes about the feelings of guilt for doing well or having fun while others weren’t, and always wanting to do more to help but feeling like it’s never enough. The characters also talk about the importance of preserving books and stories, and making sure that all stories are told, not just the ones the people in power want to be told. So many powerful messages in this book delivered so beautifully.

My Feels

This book totally punched me in the feels. I sobbed so much near the end because it was such a testament to the power of community and people coming together, supporting one another, through hardship and suffering. I see them all at different parts of the book, taking turns being the ones to support others and then needing support from others, and I thought that was so beautifully written and shown, about the power of community. I also love how the bookshop was such an important part of that support system. I have always felt for myself that books and stories have been crucial to my growth and development as a human being living in this world, and sometimes crucial to my survival. I feel that sentiment illustrated so well in this book and I am just completely in love with everything this book has to offer.

My Rating

5/5 stars. No question. In fact, I feel like this may be one of the books I come back to over and over again. I highly recommend it to any and all book lovers, and anyone who believes in the power of community and the resilience of people. This book is a testament that even in the face of the darkest of times, there is still hope and love and magic to be found. It is an absolutely beautiful book.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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