How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures

Sorry author! I scanned the title and didn't catch that the word 'life' intended a memoir aspect. I was looking more for a biography of the sea creatures.

However, what I did read was a lovely merging of biography of the sea creatures and your memoir, like watching kelp forests swaying back-n-forth.

Say it with me 'feral goldfish'.

i really really enjoyed this book; it fed me with lovely little tidbits about sea creatures and it also managed to create this emotional connection to the authors life and experiences - many of which i could relate to a lot myself!!

i feel like everything in this collection of essays was crafted with so much care and it was noticeable in every sentence

i really do recommend this one

The synergy between the topics isn't there for me. The “science” topic is just a framework for themself to layer personal stories onto and this is 10 essays of mild self reflection. I would imagine this hits harder for people if they are a kindred spirit. I don't dig pop-sci books that don't give a perspective that I've not gotten from my own daydreaming. They don't actually engage with the literature or the field and ultimately I feel this is false marketing. I don't enjoy people rattling off wikipedia/Kurzgesagt quality “science” with their own interpretations that I feel most people could dream of while high on their couch in undergrad for the sake of storytellingHowever, I think this is a cool attempt. It just falls flat for myself.(I don't enjoy the broad sweeping statements/interpretations with science topics into avant garde esque art school exhibit emotional trip vibes. There's no need to squander science writing for the sake of sensationalism, but, again, this ties back into my problem with the book marketing.)

I really enjoyed this! The writing was beautiful and the information about sea creatures fascinating. The was that they intertwined their memoirs into the essays and how they related to the creatures was really well done!

3.5 stars

Interesting connections between gender, sexuality, and identity with marine life.

Mixed feelings: I loved most of its parts, just not the entirety. Probably because I'm old and cismale, also in large part because I read it too soon after [b:World of Wonders 48615751 World of Wonders In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Aimee Nezhukumatathil https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577258440l/48615751.SY75.jpg 73952157] and it's impossible not to contrast them: the describe-a-creature-then-find-parallels-with-my-life thing was less effective this time; it was also a lot harsher in this book, chip on shoulder. I felt deeply sorry for the author, for their pain; also somewhat angry at their parents and parental figures for not teaching boundaries or enthusiastic consent. I feel angry thinking of how many more children out there will suffer because parents shy from difficult conversations.Imbler writes elegantly. Their marine biology segments are informative and fascinating. Their memoirs profoundly vulnerable, distressing at times but in necessary ways: Imbler's experiences will be more relatable to young people, but we olds can learn from them. If I had a high-school age person in my life, I would pass my book to them. For my friends, though: if you've read World of Wonders, skip this one, or perhaps wait a year or two. If you've read neither, but want to read one: both are excellent, pick WoW for a broader view of racism and a wider selection of living beings, pick HFtLR for intense and painful perspectives on toxic masculinity, rape culture, blackout-drinking, queer self-discovery (and a narrow focus on marine biology). You will be better for reading either one.Favorite excerpt: When the sand striker snatches a fish and begins to feast, it is not thinking of what the fish is feeling. It has no complex brain and no sense of morality, which means its intentions are never cruel. A worm cannot shirk a duty it does not know. But we can.

Picked this up because I enjoy Imbler's work at Defector. Took me a while to get into because I expected it to be mostly about the sea creatures, but after I got over the disappointment at it not being the book I thought I was going to be reading, eventually the autobiographical parts grew on me, and I enjoyed the book I was actually reading.

I cannot stop evangelizing about this book. I have purchased well over a dozen copies as gifts. The writer is so incredibly generous with their journeys of self-discovery. And the parings with the stories of marine life are like parings of great wines and fine chocolates. They absolutely enhance each other. While many (most) of the topics are difficult, somehow at the end, you feel hopeful (for the memoir parts at least – the destruction to the natural world seems to march on relentlessly.) You cannot read this and not come out the other side a better person.