The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean
Susan Casey
“Now it’s apparent that nature runs as a massively interconnected system, with the deep sea as its motherboard. Yet even as we tinker with the machinery in potentially irreversible ways, we have only the foggiest notion of how it all works.”
For most of our history, humanity has known almost nothing about the waters that cover the majority of our planet; it’s been easier to go to space than investigate what’s under our feet. Fortunately we’ve come to realize that the really cool shit lies fathoms deep. Add in eccentric dudes with money to burn, and now you can find humans regularly tooling around at 20,000 feet below the surface. The Underworld is journalist Susan Casey’s (ahem) deep dive into the history of ocean exploration, as well as how what lives below can impact what lives above.
Books like this are about as close as I think I’d ever want to get to the deep ocean — being crushed like a bug in a million-dollar tin can is not how I’d wanna go out. But then I watch videos of scientists losing their minds over a gulper eel and I am reminded that everything is weird and exciting and worth studying. Casey’s summaries of early deep sea diving made me appreciate how far we’ve really come, and the photos from her own and others’ trips to the sea bed are amazing. It’s clear that we’ve only scratched the surface (seriously, these puns write themselves) of what we can learn about our world and ourselves from the deep ocean.
Pick this up if you like oceans, weird animals/geography, and people doing absolutely nutso stuff in pursuit of science.
For Whom the Belle Tolls (Hell’s Belles #1)
Jaysea Lynn
“A mortal soul, a woman with deep auburn hair, was mercilessly and enthusiastically beating the ever-loving shit out of a soul that palpably radiated evil…She straightened, flipped a loose piece of hair over her shoulder, and dropped the bat in her hand before winding up to aim a kick at the other soul’s stomach. Bel’s mouth went dry. She was glorious.”
Lily didn’t know what to expect after death, but it definitely did not include working customer service in hell. Fortunately the phrase “the customer is always right” doesn’t hold water in a place so hot; it’s perfectly acceptable, if encouraged, to beat an evil soul with a baseball bat before sending them on their way. Lily’s new demon friends are happy to have her on their side — especially Bel, a general and prince of hell. Their friendship quickly becomes something more, but each has their own limiting beliefs about whether they are worthy of happiness. When the borders of their world are threatened by a formidable foe, Lily and her newfound family must do everything they can to save it and each other.
I read this early in the month and am still thinking about it — what a romp! I love a strong female main character, unusual worlds, and found family. Jaysea Lynn has created a unique setting and filled it with complex characters who are intelligent enough to communicate and figure their shit out. While I enjoyed the book overall, I think 695 pages is too much. The larger “there’s someone invading the afterlife” plot didn’t interest me, the spice level was high and I don’t think it added much to the story, and around page 500 I started wondering if anyone was ever going to win the internal fight against their personal baggage. The second in the series will release sometime in 2027 and it looks like it’ll be even longer; I’ll be picking it up, but may do a bit of skimming.
A great choice if you like interesting world building, smart characters, and 5/5 spice level.
Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal
Rachel Zoffness
“Despite major advances in science and medicine revealing that pain is a complex neurobiological event impacted by thoughts, emotions, social health, and even our environment, pain continues to be incorrectly framed as a purely biomedical problem that requires a purely biomedical solution: that is, pills and procedures. And when scans and tests reveal no physical abnormality, disease, or damage, patients are instructed to simply take painkillers and rest—or worse, told the pain is ‘all in their heads.’ “
If you’re one of the millions of people in America living with chronic pain, you’ve probably had conversations with doctors where they said their tests found nothing and then implied—or outright said—that there’s no reason for you to be in pain. As a pain scientist/psychologist, Rachel Zoffness is calling bullshit. Pain is more than physical — otherwise how could an amputated limb still hurt? Tell Me Where It Hurts details Zoffness’ whole-body/whole-mind approach to the causes of and solutions to pain.
I recently heard an interview with Zoffness on Ologies, one of my favorite podcasts. Most of her clients come to her to help with chronic pain that impacts their emotional and mental wellbeing. But as she makes clear in her premise, it’s all a vicious circle — which means that mental troubles (which I do have) can negatively impact how one feels and tolerates sensations or pain. This feedback loop explains why my body feels the way it does when I’m stressed or overstimulated, and why doing some of the things I do to reduce physical discomfort makes my brain feel better. Nothing about Zoffness’ findings surprise me; rather, they’re a confirmation of what I’ve logically known and actually experienced for years. It gives me hope that I’m doing the right things.
Everyone please read this, stat. Especially if you deal with chronic physical or mental issues.
Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash