maribou | Imaginary Lands, edited by Robin McKinley; A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson

Imaginary Lands was alright. I really liked the Peter Dickinson story, "Flight," and the offerings from McKinley herself and from Jane Yolen. The rest varied from above average to enh. Interestingly enough, I saw a Publishers Weekly review of the book and they liked the stories I was unimpressed by and were left bleah by the ones I liked.
(95/200)

The Bill Bryson book is SO good. It is SO SO SO SO good. It's basically a whirlwind tour of science and scientists, and the stuff I already knew about was presented so engagingly that I didn't care that I already knew about it, and the stuff I didn't know about was Really Interesting, and I only caught one or two teensy eensy mistakes which I could actually get into arguments with people from my field about anyway. And he managed to make a really intelligent book that I don't think would leave non-science-geeks in the dust, which, y'know, furthers the cause of wonder. I have much love in my happy little heart for Bill Bryson today.
(96/200)