My European Family

Finished June 19

My European Family: The First 54,000 Years by Karen Bojs, translated by Fiona Graham

This is a fascinating look at the origins of Europeans, made more approachable by the focus on the author's own family. She looks at where and how the first humans came to Europe, how they migrated across the continent in different waves, from different areas, and how they intermingled. 

The book's introduction talks about the author's mother's funeral and how she spoke there about the earlier parts of her mother's life to round out for her grandchildren the person that they knew in her later years. She talks also about what drew her to wonder about her family origins, and how her work as a science journalist led her to looks at scientific discoveries and techniques to learn more. 

The book is organized into three main sections: The Hunters, The Farmers, and The Indo-Europeans. 

The Hunters covers the history from the first interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, which happened about 54,000 years ago in the area of Galilee, where contemporaneous remains from both groups have been found to the arrival of farming about 10,000 years ago. This includes aspects of civilization such as music, the domestication of dogs, and the creation of pottery. It covers the Cro-Magnon discoveries, the disappearance of a land area now known as Doggerland, and the end of the Ice Age. 

The Farmers covers the farmers westward migration from Syria, including discoveries on Cyprus, Germany, and Scandinavia. It includes discussion of changes in diet, including the first known beer. I learned about what scientists have discovered from buried graves, the iceman found in the Alps, and clashes between groups. 

The Indo-European includes discussions around the domestication of horses, the creation of battleaxes, and the use of iron. It looks at religious and scientific activities of humans, including the WWII beliefs around Aryans. We see the effect of plagues, the introduction of written records, and changes in burial inclusions. 

Throughout, she takes us through what has been learned from DNA, discussing mitochondrial DNA which is passed down from mothers to children; nuclear DNA which gives much more information on physical attributes; Y chromosomes, a part of nuclear DNA passed by men to their sons; X chromosomes, a part of nuclear DNA which both men and women inherit from their mothers, and women also inherit from their fathers; and autosomal DNA, which is DNA from the cell nucleus that we all inherit from both parents, which is randomly mixed each generation, and which can provide information about familial relationships up to seven degrees of kinship. All of this information and more is thoroughly explained in a Q and A section after the main text. 

The author also includes a bibliography for each chapter, giving the reader citations for additional reading on that chapter's information. 

This was a fascinating read that made me understand the nature of DNA inheritance more thoroughly, and made me curious about my own origins, which are also European. 

Fair Warning

Finished December 7

Fair Warning by Michael Connelly

Jack McEvoy is a journalist who now writes for a consumer protection watchdog site called Fair Warning. When a woman that he had a brief liaison with a few months ago is found dead, he comes under suspicion. The police that come to see him are obviously aware of his past work, some of which put the police in a bad light and he finds later visits from them even more concerning. 

He, however, has had his curiosity piqued by what they tell him, and starts his own investigation into her death and others with similar body trauma. 

This is a story that proves dangerous, not only to Jack, but to his fellow reporters at Fair Warning, and to those with connections to the killer. 

One of the really interesting aspects to this novel is the involvement of DNA analysis organizations and the regulation, or lack thereof, around privacy, sharing of data (even when the organizations claim it is stripped of identifying data), and the reselling of such information on the dark web. This story definitely kept me interested. 

Find You First

Finished May 6

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

I find Barclay's books real page turners, and read this one very quickly. It is a standalone novel with stories and characters that eventually cross paths.

One of the key characters, Miles Cookson, a self-made millionaire and technology entrepreneur in his forties has just been diagnosed with ALS. He thinks of his limited future, and what plans he must make. He makes plans to get his brother tested for the disease as well, hoping that it missed him. He also realizes that a decision he made around 20 years ago has ramifications now. When he was tight for money in college, he donated sperm for money. He is worried about any children created with his donations. He is determined to ensure that if they exist, they will be able to afford to get the best healthcare they can. But when he approaches the clinic, he is stonewalled and told that they will not release any information to him. 

As he tries to find a way to reach them, as quickly as he can, we start to learn the stories of other key characters. 

One is Chloe Swanson, a young aspiring filmmaker. Chloe, who was raised by a loving single mom, has recently decided to try and find her biological father, and she is documenting the journey by filming it. She has recently found a half-brother and met him, and is eager to find more information. She is an interesting young woman, bright and thoughtful. 

We get glimpses of other lives, a teen girl who has been drawn into the circle of a man very like Jeffrey Epstein. She wants to get out of the situation that she has found herself in, but doesn't know how. There is also a wealthy New York financier who has a big ego and odd tastes, such as craning a classic Winnebago into his home office. There is a young man, recently moved out on his own, who has been making money through somewhat dubious practices. 

The plot moves quickly and yet the characters have depth as well. You see what motivates them, and why they make the choices that they do. There is lots of action and many edge of the seat moments that will keep you wondering what will happen next and who is behind some of those actions. 

I enjoy this author a lot as he comes up with very intriguing plots that often relate to current events, as well as interesting and complex characters, especially in the series novels. He also includes lighthearted moments of humour. A great read.  

Crazy Stupid Bromance

Finished May 22

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

I've really been enjoying this Nashville-based series. Here, Noah Logan who was introduced in the second book in the series, a tech security expert, is one of the main characters. We learn his back story, and how the loss of his father took him in a direction that was negative at first, but ended up propelling him into his successful career. 

The other main character, Alexis Carlisle, owner of the cat cafe ToeBeans, was mentioned in the first book and had a bigger role in the second book. Here, we also learn her backstory and how growing up the only child of a single mother gave her confidence and an independent spirit, but also made her long for family. Here, she is reconnected with her father's side of the family in an unusual, but meaningful way, and is pushed to take a risk in her romantic life. It was also interesting to see some of the ways her life had changed as a result of the revelations of the previous book. 

As usual, Noah is give a romance book by the members of the Bromance Book Club that they think will give him insight into his current situation and show him how to respect both his friendship with Alexis and his growing feelings for her. 

Again, I liked seeing more of these characters that we had peeks of before, giving us a fuller view of their characters and what brought them to this stage in their lives. I also enjoyed Alexis' cat Beefcake. 

I'll definitely be looking for the next book in the series, due out this summer.

Frameshift

Finished March 14
Frameshift by Robert J. Sawyer

This science fiction novel is focused on a couple. Pierre Tardivel is a Canadian geneticist now working at a lab in California. Pierre knows that his father had Huntington's disease, and that therefore his chances of having it are fifty-fifty. His girlfriend, Molly Bond, has the ability to read people's thoughts when they are close to her. Their relationship works well because Pierre still thinks in French, a language Molly doesn't know and doesn't try to learn.
Pierre can get insurance coverage at work, but only if he undergoes the genetic test that will tell him if he has Huntington's, something he is loath to do. But even if he has it, he will be covered. Pierre grows interested in Molly's gift and looks at her DNA to figure out what makes her different in this way.
Meanwhile Avi Meyer, a federal investigator, is working to find former Nazis, and his path coincides with Pierre's when an attempt is made on Pierre's life. Pierre also starts to look at whether this attempt was more than coincidental, and who else has been murdered in the area. His research takes him in down several paths, not all of them successful.
And, of course, strung against Pierre's avenues of research is the ever-debilitating disease within him, limiting his own ability to move, think, and live the life he wants.
This is a novel of science, but also one of ethics. An interesting look at DNA and its inner workings alongside mankind and our motivations.

Sci-Fi with a twist

Finished September 8
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
This is an entertaining science fiction story. The earth is part of a collective of planets and is in a sticky situation after a trade negotiator kills his counterpart from earth's biggest trading partner. To get back in the Nidu's good books they agree to help find a sheep with a particular DNA. This sheep is needed in the upcoming coronation ceremony for the Nidu and they can't find one anywhere. When Harry Creek from the State Department locates the DNA, he finds himself fighting off another group, so it is a good thing his past training and skills give him an edge. There is lots of good stuff here: several different alien types, lava-strewn battlefields, a new religion, and some innovative artificial intelligence. I found it very entertaining.