I’ve recently launched a dedicated space for my book reviews on pennyshima.com. This project serves several purposes: it has encouraged me to write more reviews than ever before, allowed me to organize my thoughts, and provided an opportunity to explore new WordPress features; insights that I can eventually share with my clients.
Right now, my focus is primarily on the titles I’ve received for review, most courtesy of NetGalley. Some books have been waiting on my virtual to-read list for so long that a second edition has already been released, while others sparked my interest immediately and found a prompt place in my review cycle.
Three recent reviews include:
- Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well by Amy C. Edmondson 368 pages, Atria Books (2023), reviewed on June 5, 2025
Known for her work on psychological safety, Edmonson asks us to pause and confront our ingrained fear of mistakes. - Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham 400 pages, Ecco (2024), reviewed on May 11, 2025
What makes this book captivating is not just its scholarly heft but its wry acknowledgment of a well-known truth among book lovers: there exists a rare breed whose heart races at the sight of endless paper trails and meticulously archived evidence. - Why Information Grows: The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies by César Hidalgo 256 pages, Basic Books (2015), reviewed on May 6, 2025.
It’s a remarkable and readable exploration of how information is encoded, transmitted, and that leads to economic complexity.
All three titles took me so long to get to, though were each straightforward relatively quick reads once I got into them, that I was able to borrow the books from my library!
I have a few other books that I read for fun and I hope to write up some of my thoughts about. I recently tore through all of Deanna Raybourn’s books. I’ve never shared my thoughts on JD Robb… establishing this space means I now have a fresh canvas to explore new ideas. It is a work in progress; as it evolves, so do I. This site isn’t going anywhere, but I’m trying to figure out how I want to use it. My goal is to write more book reviews and so far this is the change I needed to make that happen.
May we always enjoy the freedom to read.
Leave a Reply