Like Hope Jahren, I am a lab girl of a certain age.  I didn't go on to get my PhD and start my own labs, but I have worked in plenty of them.  By the time I started as a chemist in the labs, the majority of the lab techs were women.  The PhDs were still predominately men, but there was a tide of female scientists coming into the workforce in the early 2000's.  This book was fascinating both for the science, and the personality of the author.  I can relate to her, even knowing she is way smarter and more driven than I will ever be.  Jahren highlighted her struggles as well as her triumphs.  Actually, she downplayed the triumphs much more than most people would.  Even if you aren't a female scientist, her life story is so interesting and relateable, this book is compulsively readable.

A little (maybe a lot) over my head in places, but so fascinating!  How amazing to have all this knowledge in one place, this book makes me wish I could sit in class every day with these great minds.

Here be spoilers, beware!

I will start by stating that I love this series.  Agent Pendergast is one of my favorite characters and I think I will always want to read about him.  That being said, I am really tired of the non-mystery turn Preston and Child have taken with this story.  I started reading this series because of the mysteries, and gradually fell in love with the characters.  The last few books have all been more about the characters than the mysteries.  If there is a central plot line, it seems to only exist to further the character development.  I would much prefer the reverse.

I have tried so hard to like Constance and think of her as a main character central to the series.  The first few books she appeared in, she was more the mystery than the character.  Honestly, I hope she really does move to India and stay there with her son and the monks.  I have tired of her moods and unrelenting pining for Pendergast.  There is no future for this romance in these books.  Harsh? Maybe.  But enough is enough.

This book was entertaining, I'll give it that.  Pendergast (actually, more than one Pendergast) arising from the dead, a psychopathic serial killing female, a globe trotting Proctor... they all add up to an exciting read.  You learn more about the history of a few key characters, that is always fun!  Here's hoping for a weird stand alone mystery next time around.

When I finished the last Karen White book about Mellie and her "gift," I thought it was the last in the series.  I was so happy to see The Guests on South Battery and realize the story picks up soon after the last book.  I consumed this novel in a weekend, ignoring many a chore and dirty dish to do so!  I wasn't disappointed, the same charm and quirkiness was displayed in this book that I had come to expect from White.  The mystery, at least the main one, was interesting and creepy, and all the characters I had become attached to over the course of the series were represented.  The cliffhanger at the end left me chomping at the bit to read the next installment...