Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter #4
Author: J.K. Rowling | Goodreads
On to the fourth book in the series. This book has always been exciting because it gives us the biggest glimpse into the wizarding world. It introduces new schools, cultures, and magical practices, expanding our view of this universe beyond the cozy grounds of Hogwarts.
It also marks a significant shift in the saga, with the first “significant death” hitting close to home. The end of the book enters a darker territory, and both the characters and the readers realize that the days of carefree magic are over. It’s the end of childhood for our characters, and from this point forward the books take a somber mood.
One thing I didn’t fully appreciate until revisiting these books as an adult is how the writing evolves alongside the characters and the story. It’s not just that the plot and themes grow more complex—the writing style itself matures. The language becomes richer, and the pacing more deliberate. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with these books before I even knew how to read and continued loving them into my adulthood.
Ballad for Sophie
Authors: Filipe Melo, Juan Cavia (Illustrator) | Goodreads
A beautiful graphic novel by Portuguese authors, Ballad for Sophie unravels the life story of a successful pianist, now isolated in his mansion slowly dying of cancer, after a surprise visit by a pushy journalist. While the story is a bit predictable and sometimes leans into clichés, it’s captivating and the artwork is truly marvelous.
Comer/Beber
Authors: Filipe Melo, Juan Cavia (Illustrator) | Goodreads
Also by Filipe Melo, this book features two short stories (one real, one fictional) that explore the personal yet universal connection between taste and memory. It was absolutely delicious—pun intended. Short but touching, the stories revolve around the way food and drink can evoke powerful memories and emotions.
Merlin's Tour of the Universe: A Skywatcher's Guide to Everything from Mars and Quasars to Comets, Planets, Blue Moons, and Werewolves
Merlin #1
Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson | Goodreads
This was the third book I read by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and while enjoyable, it was my least favorite so far. It feels like a lighter, less in-depth version of Letters From An Astrophysicist and more suitable for younger readers—a quick read that even has simple illustrations and relies on a fictional narrator who speaks in the third person. That being said, I continue to admire Neil for his talent to communicate complex astrophysical concepts in ways that are accessible and captivating to readers of all ages.
Dear Merlin,
Why can’t we see stars in the daytime?The sun is very much a star and is plainly visible in the daytime.
The rest of the stars aren’t bright enough. Much of the blue light that is present in the Sun’s rays gets filtered out and scattered by Earth’s atmosphere. This scattered blue light gives the daytime sky its light-blue glow, which prevents the detection of other stars.
On the Moon, where there is no appreciable atmosphere to scatter sunlight, the daytime sky is filled stars.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid | Goodreads
This book is a mix of romance and historical fiction set in Old Hollywood. While following the story of a retired actress and her seven marriages, the book touches on thought-provoking topics around intimacy, betrayal, identity, aging, interracial relationships, homossexuality in a society that doesn’t quite accept it, being a Cuban woman in an industry dominated by white men and so on. It sounds promising and the characters are compelling and diverse—which is great to see in the historical fiction genre. Unfortunately, in my option, the book lacks depth and there was potential to explore these characters and their stories a lot more.
In the end, it felt a bit like reading a juicy gossip magazine, fast-paced and hard to put down, but overall shallow. Plus, the writing doesn’t stand out either. Still, I appreciate a purely entertaining read from time to time, and this book definitely delivered on that front!
Ponha o Seu Dinheiro a Trabalhar para Si
7 passos para aprender a investir e atingir a liberdade financeira
Author: Bárbara Barroso | Goodreads
When I first started learning about personal finance, I stumbled upon Bárbara Barroso through her podcast, so naturally, I had to read her book when it came out. It’s a great introduction to the basics of personal finance, accessible and easy to follow to anyone with little or no knowledge about investing. It gives enough information about each topic without overwhelming someone hearing about it for the first time.
Personally, I could do without parts of the first chapter, “Start thinking like a millionaire”, about analysing our relationship with money. It’s more of a mindset discussion, and I tend to prefer the more practical side of things—as you may have gathered from my review of “Think and Grow Rich”.
That being said, given this is written by a Portuguese author and considering Portugal’s low levels of financial literacy, I understand why addressing the mindset is important and a recurring theme of Bárbara’s work.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter #5
Author: J.K. Rowling | Goodreads
If the end of Goblet of Fire marks a turning point, the Order of the Phoenix takes the darker tone up a notch, both in plot and character development. From start to finish (and if you’ve read it, you know exactly what I mean), this book carries a heavier, more somber mood than the earlier ones. It digs deeper into saga’s overarching storyline—unlike the others which focused more on the events of each school year. It introduces new characters that are absolutely iconic and explores the intriguing backstories of others we already know. Plus, there’s the intense conversation between Harry and Dumbledore at the end, which the movie approached very differently – so I’d forgotten about it and was a good surprise.
This book was published just days before I turned seven, and it was the first Harry Potter I read on my own (thanks, dad). I have two memories from that time. First, my brother kind of spoiling the end for me without saying a word about it—knowing him and seeing his reaction to what he was reading was enough to suspect. Second, dunking the book in soup because I was reading it during lunch—the book made a spectacular recovery, though.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Author: Caroline Criado Pérez | Goodreads
I came across this book through SingleStore’s book club, and it was one of the best I read in 2023. Invisible Women explores how the data we collect in every industry often fails to take into account gender differences, treating men as the default and women as atypical. The consequences of this data bias go from small annoyances—like being cold in most offices—to life-threatening situations, such as being more likely to die in a car crash because safety measures don’t account for women’s body measurements.
This book made me think about so many things I had never considered before, and how many aspects of life that seem neutral are actually shaped by a “one-size-fits-all” approach that is usually male-centered.
When you have been so used, as a white man, to white and male going without saying, it’s understandable that you might forget that white and male is an identity too.
In one example, the author explains that women often display different symptoms than men during a heart attack. Because these symptoms are not considered typical, they are often dismissed or misdiagnosed. Yet, those “atypical” symptoms are actually common for women—half of the population. So why are they considered atypical?
The book presents case after case like this, from healthcare to tech design to urban planning, and while the volume of information can feel overwhelming, I think it’s important to demonstrate that this bias is ingrained in our culture and not confined to one area of our lives. I also appreciated how informative the book is without slipping into a “conspiracy theory” tone. Invisible Women left me wondering how we can do better, and it offers great examples of institutions already making progress toward better inclusion.
I’m happy to work in a company that gifted this book to all employees 🙂
O Lixo em Portugal
Author: Andréia Barbosa | Goodreads
This book is part of the Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos collection, a series of short, easy-to-digest books about an enormous range of subjects—from cybersecurity to Portugal’s culinary heritage, the parallel economy to native plants, you name it. Each book is written by experts in each topic, with the general public as target audience. How great is it, for both readers and authors, that we have this fantastic collection being published in Portugal? Not to mention that the price of each book ranges from just 3 to 5 euros, making them incredibly affordable.
About this book specifically, it walks us through the “history of trash” as a collective social issue and it has been managed over time. It breaks down the institutions involved, the technical challenges and processes followed currently, plus solutions with great potential for the near future. Like all books in the collection, it’s short, straight to the point, and very informative.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter #6
Author: J.K. Rowling | Goodreads
I won’t expand too much on this one—it’s another fantastic Harry Potter book with an unforgettable plot. Unlike the earlier books, which focused heavily on the main trio, in this one we see more characters’ backgrounds and current stories explored. Overall, a exciting build-up for the final book.
Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover | Goodreads
I’d been hearing people rave about Coleen Hover for a while and decided to give Verity a try. From what I understand, this book is different from the author’s usual style—she normally writes romances and in this book she experiments with mystery/thriller elements. The plot is intriguing and keeps you hooked, but many parts of the story felt illogical and unconvincing.
The main characters are underdeveloped, with bland personalities and backstories, which made them mostly uninteresting. The romance aspects felt dull and forced. On top of that, the story relies on enough plot holes to make it look like Swiss cheese.
All this culminates in an ending that didn’t make any sense to me, thought it could have been an interesting take if the book had been better written, with subtle foreshadowing into the final twist. As it stands, it felt forced. The author even released an additional chapter to try and put the ending in a different light, but being, an afterthought, it didn’t solve the issues.
That said, if you view the story from Verity’s perspective, it almost comes across as comic in a manic, absurd way.
Now that I’m done with the harsh comments, I’ll add the same note as I did for The Seven Husbans of Evelyn Hugo: it’s a fast-paced page-turner that you read in a couple of days and it works fine if you don’t over analyse it. Also, kudos to the author for adventuring outside her usual genre! It’s a promising start, and if she writes another mystery, I’ll probably give it a chance.
Women in Battle
Authors: Marta Breen & Jenny Jordahl | Goodreads
A graphic novel packed with the history of feminism over the past 150 years, brought to life through visually remarkable illustrations. It simplifies key moments in feminist history, making it accessible without losing its impact. You can expect to learn a bit about incredible women and their fight for equality and women’s rights, showcasing what they accomplished and how they helped shape the world we live in today—a world where I’m allowed to study, vote, own a house, participate in sports…
The authors made an effort to be intersectional, including the stories of women from different backgrounds. I’d say it’s an excellent introduction to the history of feminism for readers of all ages, especially teens, who might not yet be familiar with these events but are already mature enough to their importance.
Thanks to my friend Luísa for lending me this book.