1) The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin

It's the second book in The Three Body Problem series. To be honest, I found it a bit dull in similar ways to the first book in the series. There are good chunks of technical details (Hard Scifi), and specific ideas or concepts that are interesting, but it's then brought up during romantic relationships and other matters I'm not not invested in. If you can get passed the parts that drone on about flowers and clouds and whatnot, there's some good meat.

I don't want to give too much away, but I'll try to give you the general premise of situations that come up in each book:

* How does a civilization examine and come to understand the world around it, if that world is incredibly unstable and deadly at some points, and eerily stable at others?

* How would worldly matters like strife, unrest, famine, and suffering impact the mindset of people who attempt contact with other civilizations?

* If all you have is a rock and a loin cloth, how could you possibly fight someone with strategic bombers and nuclear warheads? ...

* ... Assuming you came up with any ideas at all, how would those plans or inventions impact the society you live in? How long would you need to prepare to even offer the semblance of a fight against that kind of enemy? ...

* ... If the threat you face is by an enemy that can hear every word you say, and read every word you write, how could you even begin to plan or mount any kind of a defense against it?

2) The Celtic World by Dr. Jennifer Paxton, PhD

A detailed look at the Celtic identity throughout history. Where did they come from? Who are they? Where do they live? What were their beliefs? What is their legacy in the modern day?

There's nothing specific that I can point to and say "And this is why you should listen to it!" It's simply very well done. It wraps up the history in a way that is engaging, without being excessive or dull, while still feeling incredibly detailed. It's entertaining, engaging, but also factual. In areas where things are murky or grey, the author makes it clear what is opinion, what is known, and what is uncertain. It doesn't feel like "infotainment" ala Discovery Channel, TLC, etc. It feels like those classic documentaries or miniseries you could sometimes find, where something hit that perfect mix of being: well produced, insightful, and complete.

You can feel the genuine passion that the author has for the topic, and it shines through to such a degree that, if you have even a passing interest in the topic, or history in general, you're sure to find something in there that piques your interest.

I also really appreciated that the author made a point of not looking her nose down at any misconceptions that people may have about various aspects of the Celtic world. There are a lot of half-truths and outright falsehoods that I had been told about the historical Celt that are wrong. It would have been incredibly easy for the author to sneer at such errors as "uneducated nonsense" or some other dismissive comment, but the author didn't do that at all! She made a point of saying that common misconceptions are...well, common, and that it's understandable that people think this way or that as a result. It was completely free of the kind of pretention that I had been concerned about, which made it far more accessible as a complete dullard on the topic.