Episode 45: Biologists
Summary: Grab your beakers and your wolverine traps - Holly and Devin are talking biologists today! The more specific our themes get, the more fascinating we find the comparisons between books in our wheelhouses get; both books have a heavy focus on women in STEM and making careers in male-dominated fields, but while one gets your blood pumping with a fake dating trope, the other has your hackles up with the scent of murder. Overall, books featuring biologists and other scientists are entering the zeitgeist in a real way - with “Cli-fi” (climate change disaster fiction) and “women in STEM” rich ground for the modern writer.
Topics Discussed:
The Heart (2:10): Devin discussed The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, a STEM-y (get it?) story following third-year PhD candidate Olive Smith as she navigates her career and convincing her best friend Anh that she’s over her ex so that Anh will finally cave and date him herself. To prove that Anh has the green light, Ali decides to show and not tell by kissing the first man she sees - who unfortunately happens to be Adam Carlsen, the hotshot professor who is notorious for his scathing feedback and relentlessly high expectations in the department. Devin’s key takeaways were:
The fake dating trope has never been more delicious to read; Adam needs to prove to his department head that he’s putting down roots and not planning to leave the university so his research funds get released, and Olive is desperate to help her friend find her own happy ending.
Hazelwood confronts some very real, very upsetting realities for women working in STEM and navigating careers when internal politics, sexism, and unfair power dynamics create barriers at every stage; yes this is a romance, but it’s also an accurate and incisive look at what blocks success for anyone that isn’t a cis man in the sciences.
This book features Hazelwood’s now trademark steaminess; Adam Carlsen reminds Devin of a brooding, cinnamon-roll-on-the-inside Adam Driver (so, basically, just Adam Driver); if you’re looking for a sexy, tension-filled romance balanced out by real science, this book is for you.
The Dagger (18:27): Holly discussed A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson, a thriller that starts with a bang as protagonist Alex Carter almost dies at an event celebrating the completion of a recent conservation project to protect wetlands near Boston; someone has brought a gun to the event and opens fire. Saved at the last second, Alex decides to recover by taking a job studying wolverines in Montana. To Holly’s delight, the research takes place at a creepy, rundown old ski resort. Her key takeaways were:
There is a heavy sprinkling of important (and real, Holly should know from her work at the Audubon society) wildlife conservation issues; Henderson explores not only wolverines interacting with their environment but the importance of native plants and programs collaborating with farmers and ranchers to help protect birds and other wildlife.
Amidst the science, Alex is nearly driven off the road and spies footage in a wolverine trap camera of a badly injured man out in the snow; tension builds as time runs out to get to the bottom of what really is going on - all while still confronting lingering questions about what happened with the shooting in Boston.
While this is a rock solid thriller, it wasn’t the most memorable Holly has read. Many of the male main characters felt interchangeable and became hard to follow at times. If you’re looking for a plot-heavy environmental thriller, A Solitude of Wolverines is worth a shot (winks awkwardly).
Hot On the Shelf (38:39):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (43:27):
Devin: Good Omens Season 2 on Amazon Prime
Holly: Only Murders in the Building Season 3 on Hulu
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